The experience of gay Christian men attending collaborative workshops facilitated by a sexual health professional and a priest.

Background: Although workshops facilitated by a sexual health professional and a priest to support gay Christian men who struggle with accepting their sexuality and religious identity have been organized, the experience of attending such workshops has not been studied. Aim: To understand the experience of gay Christian men who attended collaborative workshops. Methods: Six collaborative workshops were conducted between a sexual health clinic and a church in central London from January to September 2018. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 11 gay Christian men who participated in the workshops. Data on their experiences were collected through semistructured interviews, images, and the innovative method of haiku poetry, which was used to reflect on their experiences during and after the workshops. All the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Outcome: Gaining insights into the experiences of gay Christian men who participated in collaborative workshops. Results: The collaborative workshops had a significant impact on gay Christian men in two key areas: self-perception and relationships. The contributing factors to this influence were either environmental or personal. Three themes emerged: motivation, self-development, and the influence of the environment. Some participants embraced the workshops, while others experienced a sense of urgency. The workshops were experienced as fostering their self-growth. In contrast, others were reminded of their destructive behaviors, which left them feeling hopeless. For some participants, the workshop's environment highlighted their minority status as a strength, whereas for others, it highlighted their loneliness. Clinical Implication: This study showed the importance of understanding motivation for attending the collaborative workshops. Strengths and Limitations: Although the findings cannot be generalized to all religious and sexual minorities, they can inform future collaborations. Although a small sample was recruited, it provided an in-depth understanding of the experiences of these men. Limited funding restricted the workshops' accessibility to hard-to-reach communities. The data were analyzed from a psychological perspective. Conclusion: This study introduces a novel model for integrating religion and sexuality. It adapts Maslow's hierarchy of needs for gay Christian men to include freedom from shame as an essential requirement, subsequently fostering belongingness, connection, and love.