Bay Area Open Minds

San Francisco Bay Area psychotherapists and psychotherapy students who affirm that sexual, relational and gender diversity are natural expressions of the human experience.

Psychotherapy & Sexuality

The following studies are independent projects and papers that contribute empirical data to our body of knowledge on concepts related to psychotherapy, health care, and sexual diversity.


Baggett, L. R., Eisen, E., Gonzalez-Rivas, S., Olson, L.A., Cameron, R. P., & Mona, L. R. (2017). Sex-Positive Assessment and Treatment Among Female Trauma Survivors. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73, 965-944.

Bradford, M. (2006). Affirmative Psychotherapy with Bisexual Women. Journal of Bisexuality. 6 (1-2), 13-25.

Cerbone, A. R., & Danzer, G. (2017). The Case of Abel: Religion as Boon and Bane for a Catholic Gay Man. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73, 985-991.

dickey, l. m., & Singh, A. A. (2017). Finding a Trans-Affirmative Provider: Challenges Faced by Trans and Gender Diverse Psychologists and Psychology Trainees. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73, 938-944.

Dyer, K., & das Nair, R. (2012). Why Don’t Healthcare Professionals Talk About Sex? A Systematic Review of Recent Qualitative Studies Conducted in the United Kingdom. Journal of Sexual Medicine. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02856.

Ferguson, A. D.,  & Miville, M. L. (2017). It's Complicated: Navigating Multiple Identities in Small Town America. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73, 975-984.

Ferrandina, A. (2015). Spirituality and Psychotherapy. World Journal Psychotherapy, (1), 8. Full text.

Finn, M. D., Tunariu, A. D., & Lee, K., C. (2012). A critical analysis of affirmative therapeutic engagements with consensual non-monogamy. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 27 (3), 205-216.

Hinrichs, K. L. M., & Donaldson, W. (2017). Recommendations for Use of Affirmative Psychotherapy With LGBT Older Adults. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73, 945-953.

Hoff, G., & Sprott, R. A. (2009). Therapy Experiences of Clients with BDSM Sexualities: Listening to a Stigmatized Sexuality. Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality, 12.

Hymer, S.M., & Rubin, A.M. (1982). Alternative Lifestyle Clients: Therapists' Attitudes and Clinical Experiences. Small Group Research, 13 (4), 532-541.

Janson, G. R., & Steigerwald, F. J. (2002). Family Counseling and Ethical Challenges with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered (GLBT) Clients: More Questions than Answers. The Family Journal, October 10 (4), 415-418.

Kelsey, K., Stiles, B., Spiller, L., & Diekhoff, G. M. (2012). Assessment of therapists' attitudes towards BDSM. Psychology and Sexuality, 0 (0), 1-13.

Kolmes, K., Stock, W., Moser, C. (2006). Investigating bias in psychotherapy with BDSM clients. Journal of Homosexuality, 50 (2-3) 301-324.

Kolmes, K., & Witherspoon, R. G. (2017). Therapy With a Consensually Nonmonogamous Couple. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73, 954-964.

LaSala, M. C. (2001). Monogamous or not: Understanding and counseling gay male couples. Families in Society, 82 (6), 605-611.

Lawrence, A. A. & Love-Crowell, J. (2007). Psychotherapists' Experience with Clients Who Engage in Consensual Sadomasochism: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 34 (1), 67-85.

Nichols, M. (2006). Psychotherapeutic Issues with “Kinky” Clients: Clinical Problems, Yours and Theirs. Journal of Homosexuality, 50 (2-3) 281-300.

Peabody, S. A. (1982). Alternative lifestyles to monogamous Marriage: Variants of normal behavior in psychotherapy clients. Family Relations, 31, 425-434.

Richards, C. (2016). Trans sexuality: A phenomenological-hermeneutic enquiry into the sexuality of trans and non-binary people-with implications for the practice of existential-phenomenological counselling psychology and psychotherapy (Doctoral dissertation, Middlesex University). Full text

Smith, L. C., Shin, R. Q., & Officer, L., M. (2012). Moving Counseling Forward on LGB and Transgender Issues: Speaking Queerly on Discourses and Microaggressions. The Counseling Psychologist, 40 (3), 385-408.

Sprott, R., Randall, A., Davison, K., Cannon, N., & Witherspoon, R. G. (2017). Alternative or Nontraditional Sexualities and Therapy: A Case Report. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73, 929-937.

Zamboni, B. D., (2006). Therapeutic Considerations in Working With the Family, Friends, and Partners of Transgendered Individuals. The Family Journal, 14 (2), 174-179.

Zimmerman, K. J. (2012). Clients in Sexually Open Relationships: Considerations for Therapists. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 24 (3), 272-289.

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