Abstract

ALVES, Raquel Ávila Kepler; PAVELTCHUK, Fernanda de Oliveira; CARVALHO, Marcele Regine de  and  FALCONE, Eliane Mary de Oliveira. Changing one's core belief: a case report of internalized homophobia. Rev. bras.ter. cogn. [online]. 2017, vol.13, n.1, pp. 12-19. ISSN 1808-5687.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5935/1808-5687.20170004.

Gay, lesbian, and bisexual (LGB) populations are more likely to suffer from a specific kind of stress related to stigmatization. Therefore, LGB people are at increased risk of developing depression and anxiety disorders. This paper intends to illustrate the clinical approach with a 33 year-old single gay man, HIV+, college student, living in Rio de Janeiro. The client looked for therapy in an attempt to reveal his homosexuality to others. For evaluation and intervention purposes, the following instruments were utilized: initial interview; Beck Depression Inventory (BDI); Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). There were offered 25 weekly sessions, including initial evaluation, intervention and feedback sessions, as well as strategies like record of dysfunctional thoughts, cognitive restructuring, problem solving, role playing and increasing of familiar and social support. Results showed the client presented significative decrease of self-hatred (as well as more self-worth) and less use of hypervigilance and avoidance strategies. Besides, dysfunctional beliefs were weakened as new, more functional beliefs were developed. The client also adopted a healthier life style and revealed his sexuality to different social contexts. In conclusion, CBT claims positive impact on the client's process of self acceptance towards his sexuality.

Keywords : Cognitive behavioral therapy; sexuality acceptance; Internalized Homophobia.

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