RICK MILLER, LICSW
Clients (and therapists making referrals) are usually fairly certain that they want one or the other. They feel that either hypnosis or mindfulness is what is needed. You want to stop smoking? Hypnosis. You want to calm down? Mindfulness. It is usually either/or, though the presenting issue may very well be both.
Many clinicians wish they had more experience in working with gay men and may also have questions that they are too embarrassed to ask others, as if they should automatically have these answers. It is common to experience some uncertainty regarding nuances of gay male life. Increasing your awareness will help you feel more confident with clients, and they will feel a stronger bond with you as a result.
Rick Miller, LICSW, is a clinical social worker in private practice in Boston and on Cape Cod, Massachusetts with over 30 years of experience. His first book, Unwrapped: Integrative Therapy with Gay Men, was published in 2014, and he was a contributing author to the book For Couples: Ten Commandments for Every Aspect of Your Relationship Journey (2011). Mr. Miller’s popular blog, Unwrapped: Mind-Body Wisdom and the Modern Gay Man, is featured on PsychologyToday.com, and his work has appeared in Psychotherapy Networker as well as Somatic Psychotherapy Today.