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Psychiatry International
Volume 7
Issue 3
10.3390/psychiatryint7030133
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Article

“Hope Restored”: A Pilot Feasibility Study of the Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) Psychosocial Intervention Targeting Psychiatric Well-Being in LGBTQ+ Adults

by
Savannah M. Stidhams
1,
Kristen M. Pedersen
2,
Logan C. Mattingly
3,*,
Annika H. Barsy
3 and
Mavis Tsai
3
1
Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53110, USA
2
College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
3
Center for the Science of Social Connection, Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Psychiatry Int. 2026, 7(3), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7030133
Submission received: 13 February 2026 / Revised: 5 June 2026 / Accepted: 5 June 2026 / Published: 11 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Mental Health)
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Abstract

Mental health disparities among LGBTQ+ individuals remain elevated and have been exacerbated by sociopolitical stressors following the COVID-19 pandemic. This embedded, mixed-methods pilot study examined the feasibility of a four-session Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) group intervention adapted for LGBTQ+ community members. The two-hour intervention sessions targeted (1) contact with the authentic self, (2) self-acceptance and self-compassion, (3) value alignment, and (4) presence. Seven LGBTQ+ adults participated in intervention (n = 3) and control (n = 4) conditions. Participants completed quantitative measures evaluating facets of well-being, including social connection and self-acceptance, and provided qualitative feedback. Findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility of ACL interventions in conjunction with existing community-building strengths among LGBTQ+ individuals. Implications for interdisciplinary behavioral health settings, including psychiatric contexts, are discussed.
Keywords: functional analytic psychotherapy; LGBTQ+; awareness, courage, and love (ACL); psychiatry; interdisciplinary behavioral health functional analytic psychotherapy; LGBTQ+; awareness, courage, and love (ACL); psychiatry; interdisciplinary behavioral health
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MDPI and ACS Style

Stidhams, S.M.; Pedersen, K.M.; Mattingly, L.C.; Barsy, A.H.; Tsai, M. “Hope Restored”: A Pilot Feasibility Study of the Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) Psychosocial Intervention Targeting Psychiatric Well-Being in LGBTQ+ Adults. Psychiatry Int. 2026, 7, 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7030133

AMA Style

Stidhams SM, Pedersen KM, Mattingly LC, Barsy AH, Tsai M. “Hope Restored”: A Pilot Feasibility Study of the Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) Psychosocial Intervention Targeting Psychiatric Well-Being in LGBTQ+ Adults. Psychiatry International. 2026; 7(3):133. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7030133

Chicago/Turabian Style

Stidhams, Savannah M., Kristen M. Pedersen, Logan C. Mattingly, Annika H. Barsy, and Mavis Tsai. 2026. "“Hope Restored”: A Pilot Feasibility Study of the Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) Psychosocial Intervention Targeting Psychiatric Well-Being in LGBTQ+ Adults" Psychiatry International 7, no. 3: 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7030133

APA Style

Stidhams, S. M., Pedersen, K. M., Mattingly, L. C., Barsy, A. H., & Tsai, M. (2026). “Hope Restored”: A Pilot Feasibility Study of the Awareness, Courage, and Love (ACL) Psychosocial Intervention Targeting Psychiatric Well-Being in LGBTQ+ Adults. Psychiatry International, 7(3), 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7030133

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