The concerns of lesbians seeking counseling: a review of the literature.

Whilst lesbians are no different in terms of psychological adjustment than heterosexuals, they do seek counseling for a variety of reasons and some of these are unique to their experiences as lesbians. Some of these reasons are related to difficulties in coming out, particularly in young lesbians, and some are to do with relationship problems. In most cases where lesbians seek counseling it is difficult to establish a rapport and therapeutic milieu without disclosure of sexual orientation even if this does not directly relate to the presenting problems. However, empirical evidence suggests that lesbians have difficulty in finding counselors who are not homophobic or heterosexist and who are sensitive to their mental health concerns. The debate about whether or not specialist counseling services should be developed or mainstream services improved will be discussed.