Abstract
The present study examined lesbian clients' reactions to the therapy they received. The goal of the study was to examine the dynamic, deep, and nuanced experiences these women had with their therapists. The 14 women interviewed were all lesbian, over the age of 18, and spoke English. They were recruited from listservs, by word of mouth, and through flyers at a gay and lesbian center. Each woman was interviewed at least once and some were interviewed twice due to having more than one therapist. The results of the study suggested that the women generally felt that they were supported by their therapist and felt safe in discussing both their presenting problems as well as issues related to their sexual identity. Additionally, the women reported that their relationship with their therapist was important to therapeutic success. The findings of the study highlight that although many of the women define competency in differing ways, they all agreed that therapist competency in working with sexual minorities was an important feature of their care.