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Article: Revisiting Cass' Theory of Sexual Identity Formation: A Study of Lesbian Development.
- Article from:
- Journal of Mental Health Counseling
- Article date:
- October 1, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2000 American Mental Health Counselors Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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An analysis of 12 structured clinical interviews with lesbians ranging in age from 22 to 46 reveals limited support for Cass' stage theory. Implications for theory development, counseling, counselor training, and further research are provided.
In 1979, Cass published the first model of homosexual identity formation and revolutionized our understanding of sexual minority persons. Her six-stage model has become the classic outline for the study of homosexual identity formation (McCarn & Fassinger, 1996). Proponents of Cass' model note that it is comprehensive (Marszalek & Cashwell, 1999) and provides a "sophisticated approach" to identity formation (Cox & Gallois, ...