Lesbians' Experiences With Helping Professionals

Abstract

In in-depth interviews, eight lesbians talked about their interactions with social workers and other helping professionals and how they felt about their experiences. The themes that emerged included the fear of rejection and the need for feelings of safety and trust and for further education of professionals that affirms lesbians' lives. The participants also suggested what helping professionals can do to make lesbians' experiences with them more helpful, empowering, and respectful.

The Ethics of Qualitative Social Work Research

“…Empowerment in these studies was usually interpreted to mean explicitly empowering disenfranchised populations by providing an outlet for their 'voice' and by recognizing their voice (or knowledge) as valuable (e.g. Bachay and Cingel, 1999;Tiemann et al, 1997). The issue of empowerment in the body of reviewed studies is examined in relation to three groups -research participants; the population from which the sample was drawn; and other related populations.…”

“…Few studies aimed at empowering participants in this way, usually studying clients of social services for whom research implications for practice and policy had direct relevance (e.g. Netting and Williams, 2000;Tiemann et al, 1997). Tiemann and her colleagues (1997), for example, conclude their article on lesbians' experiences with helping professionals with suggestions for how to make these encounters more accessible, helpful, empowering, and respectful for lesbians.…”

“…Tylor-Gibbs and Bankhead-Greene, 1997), or sharing the research findings so that participants could comment on them before publication (e.g. Heath and Rodway, 1999;Tiemann at al., 1997). Finally, quotes by participants stating that the interview was the first time they have spoken with others about their experiences suggested that a respectful relationship was established, allowing for such selfdisclosures to take place (e.g.…”