A behavioral interpretation of LGBTphobia reproduced in the psychotherapeutic context

Abstract

Heteronormative culture, which marginalizes and oppresses the LGBTI+ popula­tion, is kept trough various social practices, being reproduced in different social relation­ships. Considering that psychotherapy constitutes in a social relationship, and considering that the therapist is inserted in this culture, it is possible to comprehend the occurrence of LGBTphobia in the clinical context. The present work aimed to describe the variables that control LGBTphobic responses emitted by psychotherapists. It is described the possibility that historical variables have been related in the establishment of rules, such as the classification of homosexuality, bisexuality and transexuality in DSM III, which could have contributed to this phenomena. Afterwards, it is also possible to comprehend the LGBTphobic behavior as a product of social interlocking contingencies. In this sense, the historical variables, as well as the interlocking social contingencies, can contribute to the emission of LGBTphobic be­haviors by the therapist, making the presence of a LGBT client a discriminating stimulus for LGBTphobic practices, as well as contributing to the absence of discriminating repertoire for such violence. It is expected that future work and studies might better describe the occurrence of prejudice in the therapeutic context, in addition to the elaboration of interventions for such occurrences to cease.