Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Pansexual, Asexual, Fluid and Queer Clients

Dr. Sasso has a passion for working with clients with diverse sexualities, orientations, and identities. Rather than fitting clients into a mold based on a label or identity, Dr. Sasso understands that sexual attraction, emotional connection, romantic and social interest, and community or political affliliations occur along spectrums. Identities can shift and change over time, and one person’s experience of gay, lesbian, bisexual or other identity may be very different from another’s. For clients who are seeking a place to explore identity, Dr. Sasso seeks to create a safe, creative space where authentic self can emerge. For those seeking therapy for reasons unrelated to identity, Dr. Sasso’s understanding of these identities and communities allows the therapy to focus on other important issues rather than explaining or exploring sexual orientation.

Lesbian and Gay Clients
Despite, and in some cases, as a result of recent legal victories and societal shifts, gay and lesbian clients and couples face special challenges. Romantic connection, choices related to childbirth and family structure, relationships with family, and negotiating work and school environments can pose different challenges for gay clients and their partners and families. For some, new legal rights bring up new choices or options about which they or their communities may have mixed feelings.

At times, due to new levels of acceptance, the ways in which gay, lesbian and other queer-spectrum clients still experience discrimination, misunderstanding, or in some cases being overly glorified in ultimately disrespectful ways, can be obscured. Clients may need a place where they can voice and explore confusing societal messages and mixed feelings about how their communities and the media view them.  Dr. Sasso understands gay lifestyles and communities and the diversity within them. She understands the unique challenges of gay and lesbian relationships. She has worked with gay and lesbian parents as well as their children, and can assist families in navigating challenges both within the family and in interfacing with outside communities and institutions.  At the same time, Dr. Sasso also knows that gay and lesbian clients are people with unique and diverse needs and experiences as different from each other as straight clients. Dr. Sasso is also able to put aside identity as a focus when other life issues are the major concern in a client’s life.

Bisexual, Pansexual, Fluid, and Queer Clients
What are sometimes referred to as “non-monosexual,” these identities are some of the most misunderstood and unaccepted in our society. While acceptance for gay and lesbian identities has dramatically shifted, there is still a strong expectation in our culture to claim either gay or straight identity. Bisexuals and other non-monosexuals are often seen as fickle, confused, attention-seeking, carriers of STDs, or other negative stereotypes. This occurs despite the fact that self-labeled bisexuals are the largest group within the “LGBT” umbrella, and according to research, movement from gay or straight to bisexual identity is much more common than from bisexual to straight or gay.  

Non-monosexual clients are an extremely diverse group who often share the experience of feeling the lack of a sense of community and strong sense of other-ness in society. For some, because of the lack of societal support and models, these identities can be confusing and even distressing. For others, coming out may elicit fears of rejection by gay or straight communities, partners, employers, and society as a whole. These fears can be very real, as bisexuals actually face significantly higher rates of illness, poverty, suicide, and depression than their gay, lesbian, and straight peers.  For these reasons, Dr. Sasso feels it is critically important to advocate for non-monosexual identity groups and provide a therapeutic space where these clients can fully explore their identities without fear their therapist will fail to understand the struggles they may face, or hold the very stereotypes they experience elsewhere.

Asexuality-Spectrum Clients
There is no one asexual experience. The asexuality spectrum includes those who hold no or low sexual interest, only experience sexual desire in specific situations, experience romantic feelings but not sexual feelings, and an infinite number of other possible identities. In many settings, asexual clients may feel they cannot express their asexual identity for fear it will be misunderstood or pathologized. Dr. Sasso feels strongly about creating a therapeutic space where asexual clients can either explore asexual identity, or come to therapy being honest about who they are, but focus on other therapeutic goals unrelated to their sexuality.

Children of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Pansexual, Asexual, Fluid, and Queer Clients
Children of LGBTQ-spectrum clients face their own unique challenges. Just at it is important for adults and couples to have a therapeutic space where their identities can be explored and understood if needed, and recede into the background if other issues are more pressing, Dr. Sasso can assess whether a child’s issues relate to his/her parents identity/ies, or a child just needs a safe space with someone who is familiar with diverse families and their needs, to talk about other issues.

For younger children, Dr. Sasso can work with families to explain a parent or parents’ identity in an age-appropriate way, address bullying or other negative reactions, and support the child in developing pride in herself and her family. If identity issues are not paramount, Dr. Sasso will utilize her experience with and understanding of LGBTQ-spectrum families to address other concerns including child behavior problems or academic concerns, parenting challenges, depression or anxiety, attention problems, or other issues.

For teens, Dr. Sasso works to combine knowledge of adolescent development with specific challenges that can arise for teens of same-sex, transgender, and other diverse parents. For some teens, identity issues will not be the main focus. For others, they may need assistance in beginning a dialogue with their parents about the realities of being a diverse family. For still others, issues of their own identities may be more prominent. Dr. Sasso works with all families to improve communication and strengthen family bonds and relationships, in an LGBTQ-affirmative context.