Attachment-Based Family Therapy for Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adults and Their Nonaccepting Parents

Many parents experience fear, shame, and loss upon learning that their child is same-sex oriented or gender non-conforming. Therapies to help parents become more accepting and foster meaningful relationships with their LGBTQ+ children are critical.

Ongoing parental criticism, invalidation, and rejection of one's sexual or gender identity can take a profound psychological toll and lead to internalized homophobia, expectations for future gay-related rejection by others, depression, and other negative impacts. In contrast, parental acceptance is associated with lower rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, higher self-esteem, higher levels of perceived social support, lower levels of psychological symptoms, and better general health. While most parents become more accepting, or at least more tolerant, over time, others remain partially or fully rejecting even years after learning of their child's identity.

Attachment-based family therapy for sexual and gender minority young adults (ABFT-SGM) helps reduce parental rejection, facilitate parental acceptance, and ultimately promote safer, closer, and more mutually respectful relationships between LGBTQ+ young adults and their parents. This informative book combines step-by-step guidance, real-life examples, and an empirically based approach to help therapists conduct transformative attachment experiences to keep these families connected.

Gary Diamond, PhD, is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Ben-Gurion University. He is a licensed clinical psychologist and family therapist, and one of the primary developers of Attachment-Based Family Therapy. Dr. Diamond's research examines change mechanisms in family-based treatments, including the role of emotional processing, the therapeutic alliance, and changes in parental behaviors. His primary focus today is on developing family-based treatments for sexual minority individuals and their non-accepting parents. He conducts trainings around the world on ABFT. Dr. Diamond is a certified trainer for all levels of training and a certified supervisor.

Rotem Boruchovitz-Zamir, MA, is a clinical psychology intern and PhD candidate in the BGU Psychotherapy Research Lab. She holds a BA in psychology from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya and an MA in clinical psychology from Ben-Gurion University. She has experience working with children and their parents at the mental health clinic in Rishon-Letzion, and with adults of various ages at the mental health clinic at Kaplan Hospital. During the past 3 years, she has served as a therapist in the clinical-research project "Out of the closet, within the family", where she treated LGBT young adults and their parents. Her PhD examines parents' in-session processes and their effect on their relationships with their young adult and their young adult's welfare. 

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Empirical Base of ABFT-SGM
Chapter 3: Establishing relationship-building as the shared goal of therapy
Chapter 4: Alliance building with the young adult
Chapter 5: Alliance building with parents
Chapter 6: The Attachment Task
Chapter 7: Consolidating gains and planning for the future
Chapter 8: Special clinical issues