Interpersonal relationships and psychological well-being: insights from therapeutic practice, scholarship and research
Research has highlighted that a substantial minority of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are rejected (overtly and/or covertly) by their families because of sexual stigma. As such, LGB individuals may become estranged from their families-of-origin (LaSala, 2010). However, no rigorous qualitative research has focused on this issue. The present study addresses this gap in the literature and offers insight into the phenomenon of sexuality-related family estrangement, via a sample of eight LGB adults (aged 18-41) currently experiencing it. The data was collected through individual, semi-structured interviews (60-90 minutes long). A pilot (n= 2) was conducted first to ensure the interview questions were effective, clear and sensitive. The data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith & Osborn, 2007). The findings provide insight into individuals’ perspectives on estrangement, the consequences of estrangement, and coping with estrangement. The implications for Counselling Psychology practice with estranged LGB individuals is discussed. Ideas for future research are offered. Personal and epistemological reflexivity have been of paramount importance throughout this research (Willig, 2008) and are explored in detail.
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