‘You would be able to relate to me if you let me talk. I promise, I’m not so different’ . An interpretative phenomenological analysis of lesbian women’s experiences of talking therapy

Dyson, A., Talbott, T., Griffiths, D. and Thompson, A. R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6788-7222 2025. ‘You would be able to relate to me if you let me talk. I promise, I’m not so different’ . An interpretative phenomenological analysis of lesbian women’s experiences of talking therapy. Psychology & Sexuality 10.1080/19419899.2025.2599236

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Abstract

Sexual minorities experience higher rates of mental health difficulties and poorer therapy outcomes compared to the general population. While research has explored the therapy experiences of specific groups within this community, little is known about lesbian experiences. To develop a rich phenomenological understanding of gay and lesbian women’s experiences of talking therapies, ten cisgender lesbians took part in an interpretative phenomenological study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2024 and subject to detailed reflexive analysis. The participants described the lasting impact of discrimination, leading to fear of rejection and self-policing in therapy. Negative experiences involved hypervisibility, silencing or pathologising, while positive experiences occurred when therapists showed awareness and curiosity. Findings underscore the need for affirmative practice and have clear implications for training and integrating sexual identity into therapy.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Psychology
Additional Information:	License information from Publisher: LICENSE 1: URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/, Start Date: 2025-12-03
Publisher:	Taylor and Francis Group
ISSN:	1941-9899
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	18 December 2025
Date of Acceptance:	27 November 2025
Last Modified:	18 Dec 2025 10:46
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/183349

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