A Portfolio of Academic, Therapeutic Practice and Research Work Including an Investigation of the Experiences of Jewish Gay Men: Balancing Cultural, Religious and Sexual Identities.

The conflict between the opposing ideologies of being Jewish and of being a gay man or lesbian creates a unique threat to identity. For Jewish lesbians and gay men, the development of sexual identity occurs in the context of the Jewish community and family, with its particular cultural and religious scripts and expectations, and this context of socialisation impacts greatly on the individual's subjective experience. The impact of this threat to identity creates singular difficulties for the Jewish gay or lesbian individual's management of this conflict, possibly abrogating psychological well-being. Such a threat requires specific consideration within therapeutic practice