


Beyond the Mirror: Understanding Body Image in Gay and Bisexual Men
Body image distress is common among gay and bisexual men — but it’s often minimized, misread, or overlooked altogether in clinical practice. This training invites you to look beyond surface-level assumptions and develop a deeper, research-informed understanding of how shame, status, community, and cultural pressures shape body image for this population.
You’ll explore key research, real-world case vignettes, and two essential frameworks — Minority Stress Theory and Intraminority Gay Community Stress Theory — to help you recognize the systemic and relational roots of body image distress. You’ll leave with a clearer lens for conceptualizing body image and eating concerns in gay and bi clients — and feel more prepared to hold these conversations with nuance, affirmation, and care.
Instructional Level: Intermediate. This program is appropriate for mental health professionals with a general understanding of LGBTQ+ mental health who wish to deepen their competence in working with body image concerns in gay and bisexual men. Basic familiarity with minority stress concepts is helpful but not required.
Body image distress is common among gay and bisexual men — but it’s often minimized, misread, or overlooked altogether in clinical practice. This training invites you to look beyond surface-level assumptions and develop a deeper, research-informed understanding of how shame, status, community, and cultural pressures shape body image for this population.
You’ll explore key research, real-world case vignettes, and two essential frameworks — Minority Stress Theory and Intraminority Gay Community Stress Theory — to help you recognize the systemic and relational roots of body image distress. You’ll leave with a clearer lens for conceptualizing body image and eating concerns in gay and bi clients — and feel more prepared to hold these conversations with nuance, affirmation, and care.
Instructional Level: Intermediate. This program is appropriate for mental health professionals with a general understanding of LGBTQ+ mental health who wish to deepen their competence in working with body image concerns in gay and bisexual men. Basic familiarity with minority stress concepts is helpful but not required.