Accompaniment to terminally ill patients and their families 03-03-2021
It emerges as a complementary therapeutic current when the APA (American Psychological Association) removes homosexuality as a pathology from the diagnostic manual (DSM) and assumes it as something natural at the clinical level, and as the alternative to leave behind and combat the harmful effects of conversion therapy, still practiced in our country, whose effects increase emotions of guilt and exacerbate traumatic experiences.
The main objective of Affirmative Therapy is precisely to affirm homosexual, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people within the collective, understanding the mechanisms of the construction of their identity to, from them, help them overcome the problems derived from discrimination and social pressure.
Although acceptance towards the LGBTQI+ group has been increasing with the new generations, still in conservative sectors of society in the Dominican Republic, and worldwide, it is considered that having a different orientation and/or gender expression from the regulations is something badly seen and in many spaces it is even called aberrant. These perceptions have a harmful impact on the mental health of those who break the heteronormativity since their rights can be violated and be socially excluded, generating as a consequence within the collective the appearance of pictures of anxiety, perfectionism, feelings of guilt, depression, deformation of their self-concept and feelings of despair directly associated with their sexual identity as a consequence of living in a society that is not tolerant and discriminatory.
Affirmative therapy addresses, among other things:
- Work on the traumatic effects of discrimination based on sexual orientation.
- Homophobia, biphobia and/or internalized transphobia as a response to living in an exclusive social context.
- Psychoeducation on the elements of sexual identity.
- Process of acceptance of one's identity.
- Tools to deal with homophobia, biphobia and/or transphobia that can be experienced in everyday life.
- Provide a safe space to explore any issues related to your sexual identity.
