Feeling Queer or Queer Feelings?: Radical Approaches to Counselling Sex, Sexualities and Genders

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This challenging book which is at the cutting edge of queer theory and at times uncomfortable, is nevertheless accessible and fascinating. Essentially the text is soundly based on research.

Queer theory challenges binary categories constructed by our society: male/female, gay/straight, black /white, abled/disabled. If a client presents as outside the binary social discourses and constraints of counselling theory, of no fixed identity as regards, gender, sex or sexuality, the therapist cannot use binary theoretical models to understand the client. Counsellors could consider why queer theory and its impact on the politics of sex, gender and sexuality, although popular in the social sciences and cultural studies, has not been taken up by the counselling professions: "Therapy it has to be said has not been queered, despite there being much to query!" (Moon, 2008:1)

The book has contributions from leading counselling psychologists, academics and researchers in the gender and sexuality field; such as Catherine Butler and Angela Byrne writing about training therapists, Meg Barker, Alessandra Iantaffi and Camel Gupta, describing Kink therapy and challenging us to rethink demonised opinions of BDSM practices. Counselling Trans people is described by Tam Sanger with Myra J. Hird writing on queer(y)ing intersex and Peter Hegarty on queer research methodologies.

Ian Hodges looks at power in psychotherapeutic and counselling practice, advocating social constructionist therapy and reflexivity between client and counsellor. He reminds us how our culture requires people to `perform' their gender or their sexuality.

The title chapter "are you angry or are you heterosexual?" by Darren Langdridge ignores the fact that we can all get angry at any homophobic, racist, or other behaviours targeting minority populations. Queer therapy in practice is usefully demonstrated by a man being enabled to accept the ambiguity of his position without recourse to labelling himself as gay or straight.

This book is essential reading for relationship counsellors and particularly for the ongoing professional development of senior counsellors, trainers and psychosexual therapists who were trained in the more prejudiced, heterosexist world of the twentieth century. I would recommend this book to any counsellor who wishes to connect more deeply with their client ignoring the labels given by our culture.
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~ Written on 2008-05-08