Pocket Guide to LGBTQ Mental Health: Understanding the Spectrum of Gender and Sexuality

The Pocket Guide to LGBTQ Mental Health is a down-to-earth, informative, and
affirming manual for mental health clinicians working with patients of diverse
gender and sexual identities. In recent years, people have begun to grapple with
these issues in a healthier, more public way, and mental health practitioners
must be prepared to meet their patients with the knowledge, understanding, and
grasp of the context in which patients live their lives. The editors have
brought their specialized knowledge to the project and, along with contributors
who are experts in the field of LGBTQ mental health, have created a book of
uncommon empathy. The volume's structure is simple, consistent, and effective,
with 10 chapters covering lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer,
questioning, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and allied individuals. Some chapters
overlap because some people identify with more than one of these identities. The
writers have drawn on both the scientific literature and their own clinical
experience to create a volume that is informative, practical, and easy to
read.

The book possesses an abundance of useful features: All diagnostic
and treatment discussions are based on the latest information found in DSM-5.
Each chapter includes straightforward, real-world, and evidence-based answers to
"Questions Well-Meaning People Ask"-essentially, "What would patients, their
friends, their parents, their physicians like to know about being X, Y, or Z?"
A special section in each chapter addresses themes that may emerge during
therapy, preparing the clinician to identify and respond sensitively and
knowledgeably to issues that may become salient as counseling progresses. Each
chapter concludes with "Five Take-Home Points," a handy summary of the most
important information, allowing the reader to identify essential material and
consolidate learning. An extensive collection of resources is included, helping
the reader to locate more information on reliable websites and from other
authoritative sources.

Written in a conversational style that will appeal
to patients and families, as well as clinicians, the Pocket Guide to LGBTQ
Mental Health explores the psychological and cultural context for each gender or
sexual identity in a comprehensive, realistic, and affirming way.