Reclaiming Your Life is a guide to healing from early abuse, homophobia, addictions, and other self-defeating behavior. Part I looks at how growing up gay in a homophobic culture is similar in many ways to growing up in a dysfunctional or abusive family, because of the secrecy, self-blame, and shame that often accompany the realization that we're somehow different, but without much support for understanding what it means to feel attracted to the same sex. In addition, experiences of early physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can sometimes lead to the development of a "false self," the internalization of negative messages, or the development of self-destructive behavior.
Part II shows how gay men can recover from early abuse, internalized homophobia, and self-defeating behavior, such as alcohol and drug abuse, sexual compulsion, body image, and problems with food or debt. It offers chapters on how to counter internalized homophobic and other negative messages, expand the moment between impulse and action, and work through the feelings that are likely to arise when we stop using self-defeating behaviors to push our emotions away.
Rik Isensee, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist who has worked with gay men in several different settings. During the initial years of the HIV epidemic, he served as Clinical Supervisor for the Shanti Project, which provided peer counseling and practical support for people with HIV.Rik developed the group program for male sexual abuse survivors at the Center for Special Problems, and provided a support group for LGBTQ youth for over seven years.
He's also the author of Love Between Men, a guide to resolving conflicts in gay relationships, and Are You Ready? The Gay Man's Guide to Thriving at Midlife.
He practices psychotherapy in San Francisco.