The acceptance and increasingly skilled expression of these gifts are foundations of self-acceptance and intimacy, while shame around them inevitably leads to self-denigration. Gift theory postulates that each of us has areas of unique sensitivity and passion, which the author calls gifts, and that in these areas, we potentially experience both the greatest sense of meaning and the greatest pain. These themes are viewed through the filter of gift theory, a construct developed out of the author's practice with lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and heterosexual clients. This article explores aspects of the gay, bisexual and transgender (GBT) male journey to self-acceptance and healthy community and the role of large-group retreats in facilitating that process.
