ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces and defines bisexuality, covering the prevalence of both bi+ individuals and bi+ within mixed-orientation relationships. Grant provides a brief overview of the prevalence of some mental health conditions and relevant sexual health awareness. Additionally, the author contextualises the need for ethical, bi-informed, and bi-affirmative therapy by exploring the following: bi-minority stress, bi-negativity, bi-phobia, and bi-erasure. The chapter assimilates current recommendations for bi-informed therapy for individuals and mixed-orientation relationship therapy, offering the reader specific steps and guidance about what needs to be considered in relationship therapy. The bi-informed therapist needs to be willing to explore and work with related issues in an affirmative way, rather than side-stepping and unintentionally ‘colluding’ with bi-erasure, increasing a sense of isolation and invisibility, and feelings such as shame. Grant discusses therapist’s considerations in terms of exploring their own bi-negative assumptions and blind-spots, the ethical need to be GSRD informed as well as specifically bi+ informed, and the importance of specialist supervision and referral network.
