Marny Hall, Ph.D.

Therapist Researcher Writer Producer Participates in seminars worldwide In 1998, she was designated a “Fellow” of the gay and lesbian division of the American Psychological Association

“Change our sexual stories… and we change our erotic lives” (p. 285).  Narrative therapy can provide LGBT clients with specific skills and strategies to build their identity.

Lesbian Identity: The Forever-After Factor  Lesbian couples do not have the same benefits as heterosexual couples.  Marriage is based on an axiom; “What is real must last” vs. “What lasts must be real”  Lesbian couples believe in pscyhotherapy. Surveys have shown that 73% of self-identified lesbians have sought therapeutic help.  During the process of therapy, therapists and clients work together re- scripting and building new love stories that will certify the couple’s togetherness.

The Mnemonic L.E.S.B.I.A.N. Guide to Forever After and Beyond  L: Long-Lasting Love  E: Equality  S: Sex  B: Balance  I: Intimacy  A: Achievement  N: Never Again

Changing the Narrative How do therapists get from old narratives to new ones?  Context-Shifting Questions  Untangling Story Snarls  Inflection Strategies  Resisting Narrative Pulls  Disrupting Narratives  Multiplying Narratives  Performance Strategies

Case Study Michelle and Julie: Forever-After and Never Again Julie = “the problem” Michelle = “unhappy”  Different histories (narratives)  Treatment (goals, process vs. content, homework)  Anger = taboo  Re-scripting narratives  Negotiation

“We dream in narrative, day dream in narrative, remember, anticipate, hope, despair, believe, doubt, plan, revise, criticise, construct, gossip, learn, hate and love by narrative”. - Barbara Hardy  Changing narratives and editing stories  Challenging and empowering clients  Applies to any population  Sex Education

Reference Kleinplatz, P. J. (2012). New Directions in Sex Therapy: Innovations and Alternatives (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group.