The Multidimensional Challenge of Psychotherapy with HIV Positive Gay Men

Abstract

In the early 1980s, the presenting issues of HIV positive gay men in psychotherapy most often centered on loss, death and dying, but with the advent of protease inhibitors, these clients often present with a different set of issues related to living longer and healthier lives with HIV. In this chapter, the author, a psychologist who has worked with gay men for over a decade, will identify and discuss both the current issues faced by HIV positive gay men as well as the clinical challenges facing therapists who work with this population. Implications for working with gay men with other chronic conditions are considered.

Key Words:

• AIDS
• clinical practice
• health
• HIV
• HIV positive
• mental health
• psychosocial issues
• psychotherapy