Reading on Bisexuality for Mental Health Professionals

Despite increased LGBTQ+ visibility, bisexual people continue to experience distinct forms of marginalisation. Research consistently demonstrates elevated rates of anxiety, depression, and minority stress among bisexual populations when compared with both heterosexual and gay/lesbian groups. These disparities are frequently linked to bi-erasure, stereotyping, and invalidation from multiple directions.

For mental health professionals, ethical competence requires more than generic “LGBT inclusion”. It demands specific knowledge of bisexual experience, culture, history, and clinical considerations. The following reading list brings together empirical research, clinical guidance, cultural analysis, and first-person narratives that can meaningfully inform practice.

The Bisexuality Report (2012)

Barker, M., Richards, C., Jones, R., Bowes-Catton, H., Plowman, T., Yockney, J., & Morgan, M. (2012). The bisexuality report: Bisexual inclusion in LGBT equality and diversity. The Open University.

This landmark UK report remains foundational for understanding bisexual inclusion within equality and diversity frameworks.

Strengths for clinicians

• Comprehensive synthesis of UK-based research.
• Clear articulation of bi-erasure and structural biphobia.
• Evidence of mental health inequalities specific to bisexual populations.
• Practical recommendations for organisations and service providers.
• Direct relevance to British clinical practice and policy contexts.

For practitioners in private practice, the report offers a useful framework for auditing intake forms, marketing materials, and unconscious assumptions embedded in assessment and formulation.

Sexuality and Gender for Mental Health Professionals (2013)

Richards, C. & Barker, M. (2013). Sexuality and gender for mental health professionals: A practical guide. London: SAGE.

This accessible clinical guide addresses sexuality and gender diversity in a structured and practice-oriented manner. Bisexuality is integrated throughout rather than marginalised as an afterthought.

Strengths for clinicians

• Clear explanations of distinctions between behaviour, attraction, and identity.
• Clinical case examples highlighting common therapeutic missteps.
• Practical guidance on affirmative assessment and language use.
• Grounding in contemporary research and professional ethics.

For therapists whose original training offered limited coverage of sexuality diversity, this text provides a structured and clinically grounded update.

Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution (2013)

Eisner, S. (2013). Bi: Notes for a bisexual revolution. London: Hachette UK.

Shiri Eisner writes from within bisexual activism and intersectional politics. Although not a clinical manual, it is highly relevant to therapeutic work.

Strengths for clinicians

• Analysis of biphobia within both heterosexual and gay/lesbian communities.
• Intersectional and anti-binary critique of sexuality norms.
• Exploration of anger, marginality, and identity fragmentation.
• Challenges to pathologising narratives of instability or indecision.

This text supports therapists in situating client distress within sociopolitical context rather than locating it solely intrapsychically.

Purple Prose: Bisexuality in Britain (2016)

Harrad, K. (Ed.). (2016). Purple prose: Bisexuality in Britain. Thorntree Press.

An edited collection of essays focusing specifically on bisexual experience in the UK.

Strengths for clinicians

• Rich first-person accounts offering insight into lived complexity.
• Exploration of generational differences and shifting identity language.
• Attention to British cultural context.
• Nuanced narratives that resist fixed or simplified identity models.

For therapists working relationally, this book enhances empathic attunement to the diversity within bisexual experience.

Bi Any Other Name (2010 edition; originally 1991)

Hutchins, L., & Kaahumanu, L. (Eds.). (2010). Bi any other name: Bisexual people speak out. ReadHowYouWant.com. (Original work published 1991.)

A landmark anthology emerging from early bisexual activist communities in the United States.

Strengths for clinicians

• Historical grounding of bisexual organising and community formation.
• Wide diversity of voices and identity positions.
• Early articulation of themes still present today, including invisibility and pressure to “choose”.
• Emphasis on resilience and collective identity.

Although some terminology reflects its era, the themes remain clinically relevant.

Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality (2023)

Shaw, J. (2023). Bi: The hidden culture, history and science of bisexuality. Edinburgh: Canongate.

Julia Shaw synthesises historical scholarship, scientific research, and contemporary cultural analysis.

Strengths for clinicians

• Clear overview of research on sexual fluidity.
• Debunking of myths about promiscuity and indecision.
• Historical contextualisation of bisexuality across cultures.
• Accessible resource for psychoeducation with clients and families.

This text is particularly useful when working with clients experiencing self-doubt rooted in “phase” narratives or scientific misunderstandings.

Clinical Themes Emerging Across the Literature

Several consistent themes have direct therapeutic relevance:

Bi-erasure

Clients may be presumed heterosexual or gay depending on current relationship status. Such assumptions can subtly undermine therapeutic safety.

Minority stress from multiple sources

Bisexual clients often experience stigma from heterosexual communities and from lesbian/gay communities. This dual marginalisation has measurable mental health impact.

Identity stability and fluidity

Some individuals experience stable identity across the lifespan; others experience fluidity. Neither should be pathologised. Therapists must avoid equating fluidity with confusion.

Internalised biphobia

Shame, self-doubt, and fear of invalidation frequently appear in subtle forms. Clinicians should remain attentive to language that minimises or delegitimises bisexual identity.

Implications for Practice

• Use open-ended questions about identity rather than assuming labels.
• Avoid equating current partner gender with orientation.
• Make bisexual inclusion explicit in written materials.
• Engage with bisexual-authored texts, not solely academic summaries.
• Reflect in supervision on implicit binary assumptions.

Affirmative practice requires specificity. Bisexuality should not be subsumed under a generic LGBTQ+ category without attention to its distinct dynamics.

References

Barker, M., Richards, C., Jones, R., Bowes-Catton, H., Plowman, T., Yockney, J., & Morgan, M. (2012). The bisexuality report: Bisexual inclusion in LGBT equality and diversity. The Open University.

Eisner, S. (2013). Bi: Notes for a bisexual revolution. London: Hachette UK.

Harrad, K. (Ed.). (2016). Purple prose: Bisexuality in Britain. Thorntree Press.

Hutchins, L., & Kaahumanu, L. (Eds.). (2010). Bi any other name: Bisexual people speak out. ReadHowYouWant.com. (Original work published 1991.)

Richards, C., & Barker, M. (2013). Sexuality and gender for mental health professionals: A practical guide. London: SAGE.

Shaw, J. (2023). Bi: The hidden culture, history and science of bisexuality. Edinburgh: Canongate.