ABSTRACT
Over the past decade, there has been a growing conversation about arts therapies and working with the LGBTQIA+ community. The conversation, however, has been limited. Although there is some research on the topic, there is limited insight into working with LGBTQIA+ youth, especially those from diverse social, racial and cultural backgrounds. Consequently, this chapter aims to encourage the scope of how arts therapies can better serve LGBTQIA+ youth by discussing five themes that emerged during my work as a trainee with LGBTQIA+ youth in the northeastern U.S. The five themes are 1) social displacement, 2) challenges to finding community, 3) changing self-identification, 4) embracing new modes of self-expression, and 5) the importance of bridging the multicultural gap.
