Skip to main content

Psychotherapy with Lesbian Mothers

  • Chapter

Part of the book series: Critical Issues in Psychiatry ((CIPS))

Abstract

During a training session at a major university a few years ago, a group of physicians listened to a talk about lesbian mothers. After the presentation, a 55-year-old woman gynecologist had a question: “I’m confused by this term you use— ‘lesbian mother.’ Could you explain just what that is and how a lesbian could become a mother?”

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bannon, A. (1983). Journey to a woman. Tallahassee, FL: Naiad Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bayer, R. (1981). Homosexuality and American psychiatry: The politics of diagnosis. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Briggs, D. C. (1975). Your child’s self-esteem. New York: Doubleday.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darty, T., and Potter, S. (1984). Women-identified women. Totowa, NJ: Mayfield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dreikurs, R., and Soltz, V. (1964). Children: The challenge. New York: Hawthorne Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ettorre, E. M. (1980). Lesbians, women and society. Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Firestone, S. (1970). The dialectic of sex: The case for feminist revolution. New York: Bantam Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • GIass, R., and Ericsson, R. (1982). Getting pregnant in the 1980s: New advances in infertility treatment and fetal sex selection. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Golombok, S.; Spencer, A.; and Rutter, M. (1983). Children in lesbian and single-parent households: Psychosexual and psychiatric appraisal. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 24, 551–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, B. (1973). The lesbian mother. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 43, 283–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, R. (1978). Sexual identity of 37 children raised by homosexual or transsexual parents. American Journal of Psychiatry, 135, 692–697.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Green, R. (1982). The best interests of the child with a lesbian mother. Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 10, 7–15.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, M. (1978). Lesbian families: Cultural and social issues. Social Work, 23, 380–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanscombe, G., and Forster, J. (1982). Rocking the cradle—Lesbian mothers: A challenge in family living. Boston: Alyson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoeffer, B. (1981). Children’s acquisition of sex role behavior in lesbian mother families. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 51, 536–544.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, M. (1982). Lesbian mother families. Psychiatric Annals, 12, 842–848.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, M.; Smith, C.; and Roy, R. (1981). Lesbian mothers and their children: A comparative survey. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 51, 545–551.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krieger, S. (1983). The mirror dance. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kweskin, S., and Cook, A. (1982). Heterosexual and homosexual mothers’ self-described sex-role behavior and ideal sex-role behavior in children. Sex Roles, 8, 967–975.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons, T. A. (1983). Lesbian mothers’ custody fears. In J. H. Robbins and R. J. Siegel (Eds.), Women changing therapy: New assessments, values and strategies in feminist therapy. New York: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, H. B. (1984, January 7). A particularly risky experiment. San Jose Mercury News, p. 1B.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, J.; Jacobsen, R. B.; and Bigner, J. (1981). The child’s home environment for lesbian vs. heterosexual mothers: A neglected area of research. Journal of Homosexuality, 7, 49–56.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mucklow, B., and Phelan, G. (1979). Lesbian and traditional mothers’ responses to adult response to child behavior and self-concept. Psychological Reports, 44, 880–882.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nungesser, L. (1980). Theoretical bases for research on the acquisition of social sex-roles by children of lesbian mothers. Journal of Homosexuality, 5, 177–187.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Osman, S. (1972). My stepfather is a she. Family Process, 11, 209–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pagelow, M. (1980). Heterosexual and lesbian single mothers: A comparison of problems, coping and solutions. Journal of Homosexuality, 5, 189–205.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Socarides, C. (1963). The historical development of theoretical and clinical concepts of overt female homosexuality. American Psychoanalytic Association Journal, 11, 386–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weeks, R.; Derdeyn, A.; and Langman, M. (1975). Two cases of children of homosexuals. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 6, 26–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Winckelpeck, J., and Westfield, J. (1982). Counseling considerations with gay couples. Personnel and Guidance Journal, 60, 294–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, D. (1979). The lesbian community. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1986 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Loulan, J. (1986). Psychotherapy with Lesbian Mothers. In: Stein, T.S., Cohen, C.J. (eds) Contemporary Perspectives on Psychotherapy with Lesbians and Gay Men. Critical Issues in Psychiatry. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9832-6_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9832-6_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-9834-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-9832-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics