LESBIANS EXPERIENCES WITH HELPING PROFESSIONALS

In in-depth interviews, eight lesbians talked about their interactions with social workers and other helping professionals and how they felt about their experiences. The themes that emerged included the fear of rejection and the need for feelings of safety and trust and for furth er education of professionals that affirms lesbians' lives. The partic ipants also suggested what helping professionals can do to make lesbia ns' experiences with them more helpful, empowering, and respectful.