Great-Aunt Whoever’s Funeral

Abstract

The facade of idyllic rural life can be misleading, particularly with respect to persons who are representative of diverse groups, including lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered individuals. This article presents a cross section of practice with a rural, lesbian client who harbored resentment toward family members for the majority of her life. Her anecdotal experiences during a trip to a family member’s funeral resurrected painful memories. However, her encounters deviated from previous meetings with her abusers and induced newfound strength and self-esteem. Conjoint sessions with her mother increased understanding and bonds.