Counselling gay men with multiple loss and survival problems: The bereavement group as a transitional object

Abstract

When AIDS is becoming a chronic disease, gay men with multiple loss experiences can easily turn into a forgotten group of widowers. Due to new medical treatment HIV-infected gay men are living longer and also have to deal with loss and surviving. This paper argues in favour of group grief therapy for multiple loss and survival problems, within the scope of peer support in the gay community during the AIDS era. In this group psychotherapy special attention is given to the influence of a low gay self-esteem on the grief process and surviving strategies.