Unwrapped

Integrative Therapy with Gay Men... The Gift of Presence

by Rick Miller
Type: Softcover

Empathetic, touching, and at times humorous, Rick Miller’s Unwrapped is both timely and unique in that the author’s own history echoes the universal history of many gay men. And from this perspective, Miller gently but boldly addresses the challenges and issues gay men face – and how therapists can rise to the occasion, healing not only the their clients, but evolving and changing themselves, becoming more in tune and more able to work with this minority. Childhood scars of having to “hide in” and remain secretive, strained relationships with parents and family, growing up in a religious environment, internalized and external societal homophobia, challenges with authority figures, pressures to conform to impossible gay ideals, working through loss and grief from the AIDS epidemic, sex and love in the gay world, sexual compulsion and addiction, the fear of aging – Miller leaves no stone unturned and discusses these topics relevant to gay men with honesty and integrity. He explains that gay men most often live from the “outside in” rather than the “inside out.” And although great strides have been made for gay men, there is still much to do in order to help them to live life wholly and fully.

Offering case examples intertwined with therapeutic hypnosis scripts, Miller presents real life clients and shares their progress and outcomes. Through pointed questions, he encourages therapists to carefully review their own motives, beliefs, and bias’ before working with gay men, and to then become prepared, informed, and willing to use their intuition and open their hearts.

Unwrapped is an excellent book and Rick Miller is the clear voice of a minority that has struggled so much for freedom and the right to live a peaceful, loving life. This is a must-read for all clinicians.

There is no other book like this. The author, a gay man, has created a most innovative, engaging, inspirational, and valuable resource for therapists who want to do mind body work with gay men. The techniques and stories offered in this book will be life-changing for their gay clients. The book is filled with HOPE.
— Ann Webster, PhD
Health Psychologist, Benson Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine,
Massachusetts General Hospital
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School

With courage and sensitivity, Rick Miller draws our collective attention to the challenges gay men face on personal and interpersonal levels. The strength of his book, though, is in its emphasis on providing meaningful support and practical help when providing psychotherapy to gay men. Thoughtful readers will discover that Miller’s work has the potential to make an important contribution to clinical practice.
— Michael D. Yapko, PhD, Clinical Psychologist
Author of Essentials of Hypnosis (2nd ed.) and Depression Is Contagious

As we fight to secure equal rights for gay men, we still understand too little about the gay male psyche. Rick Miller’s Unwrapped is a significant and valuable step in that direction.
— Michael Cunningham
Author of The Hours

I can think of no better voice and no better book on psychotherapy with gay men for our time than Richard Miller’s UNWRAPPED-Integrative Therapy with Gay Men … the Gift of Presence. Rick Miller takes us into the world of the gay man and helps us understand both his unique and universal life difficulties. He shows how informed and caring psychotherapy can bring him to wholeness and healing. It is a “must read” for every therapist as well for the seriously interested.
—Claire Frederick, MD
Distinguished Consulting Faculty
Saybrook University, San Francisco
Co-author, Healing the Divided Self: Clinical and Ericksonian Hypnotherapy
for Post-Traumatic and Dissociative Conditions