ABSTRACT
In response to the process of ‘coming out’, families undergo a process of destabilization. They progress from subliminal awareness of the young person’s sexual orientation, to absorbing the impact of this realization and adjusting to it. Resolution and integration of the reality of the youngster’s sexual identity into the family belief system depends on the flexibility of the family system, the degree of family cohesion and the capacity of core themes within the family belief system to be reconciled with the youngster’s sexual identity. Therapy conducted within this frame of reference aims to facilitate the processes of owning homoerotic experiences, establishing a gay or lesbian identity and mobilizing support within the family, heterosexual peer group and gay or lesbian peer group for the individual.
