Ronald J. Mancoske

Chapter 2: The Ecological Context of HIV/AIDS Counseling:: Issues for Lesbians and Gays and Their Significant Others

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has brought on social changes bearing considerable impact upon the lives of gay and lesbian communities. An ecological perspective on the counseling process in human services for those impacted by the epidemic is recommended. Issues in counseling which are shaped by the epidemic include fostering support systems within the context of an often hostile social environment; addressing the essential need for shifting assessment paradigms to those which emphasize strengths; recognizing the impact of multiple traumatic occurences and multiple losses on everyday life transactions; and using interventions which promote empowerment, self-acceptance, and healthy lifestyles.