Charles Silverstein

Charles Silverstein (born 1935) is an American writer, therapist and gay activist.

Biography

Silverstein is a frequent lecturer at conventions on both the state and national levels, author of eight books and many professional papers, and has received many awards from the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Foundation e.g. Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Practice of Psychology receiving it "for his 40-year career challenging the criteria of social morality as the basis for diagnosing sexual disorders. For his presentation before the American Psychiatric Association to eliminate homosexuality as a mental disorder. For his founding two counseling centers for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in order to deliver unbiased treatment, and for his founding of the Journal of Homosexuality."

Silverstein earned his Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 1974.

His essays and professional papers have been published widely in journals and anthologies. He is the founding director of the Institute for Human Identity and Identity House in New York City. He is the founding editor of the Journal of Homosexuality. He is a member of American Psychological Association and was made a Fellow in 1987. He is also a Member of Division 44 of the APA (Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues), the New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA), and the Committee on Ethical Practices of NYSPA.

Works

• The Joy of Gay Sex, co-authored with Edmund White (1977)
• A Family Matter: A Parents' Guide to Homosexuality (1977)
• Man to Man: Gay Couples in America (1981)
• Gays, Lesbians and Their Therapists: Studies in Psychotherapy (1991)
• The New Joy of Gay Sex, co-authored with Felice Picano (1993)
• The Initial Psychotherapy Interview: A Gay Man Seeks Treatment (2011)
• For the Ferryman: A Personal History (2011)