Tony Carroll
Encyclopedia
Tony Carroll, LCSW, established a psychotherapy
practice in the Neartown
area of Houston (Texas
, USA
) in 1983, making it the oldest GLBT psychotherapy practice in the city. He served as the first openly gay president of the Texas Society for Clinical Social Work and conducted one of the first studies on the stability of gay couples, though his research was never published. He practices psychotherapy in Neartown in the same building as his domestic partner, Bruce W. Smith, DDS.
, where he began to question his sexuality. He discovered the book The Sixth Man by Jess Stearn
, which suggested to Carroll that communities of productive gay people actually existed, causing him to question the prevailing attitudes about homosexual people. During his junior year of undergraduate school, he was engaged to a female vocalist in a trio for which he was the keyboardist. However, she broke off their engagement because she believed he was in love with the third member of the trio, a male vocalist, rather than her. This became Carroll’s first gay relationship, and it lasted eight years, despite tremendous opposition from the parents on both sides.
In August 1968, Carroll took a choral department job in Houston and settled in the Neartown
area of Houston. He later decided to abandon music in favor of pursuing a degree in social work, so he began to research long-term gay couples in graduate school at the University of Houston
. He describes the motivating force behind this decision as deriving from his “20 years in the chair” himself: he had difficulties finding therapists willing to work with a gay patient and later, gay couples, so he decided to help the gay community through this venue.
Carroll first met Dr. Bruce W. Smith, a Houston-area dentist, at a Log Cabin Republican Convention in 1995. In 2003, they were married in Toronto
, Canada
. Carroll has said that although the marriage is not valid in the United States
, he and his husband felt it was important to them to have their marriage recognized, and that it was an “amazing” and “emotional” experience. Carroll believes that religion’s stronghold on America
’s politics and society is the main reason the US has not granted homosexuals the right to marry, while Canada and other countries have. He does believe, however, that the US will legalize gay marriage in the future, and that people are infinitely more accepting of gays now than they were.
Carroll and Smith continually presented themselves as a publicly gay couple because they believe that it provides a role model for others in the gay community. They claim that their image as a professional gay couple is one of their greatest accomplishments to Houston’s gay community. Their friends affectionately call them “Dental and Mental” owing to the fact that their practices are located in the same building.
, depression
, mood disturbances, intimacy, relationships
, grief and loss, mid-life, sexuality
, self-esteem
, growth, and couples’ issues. He has been voted Best Mental Health Therapist for the years 2003-2009 by Houston’s OutSmart Magazine. Carroll co-founded the Psychotherapy Resource Group, a training group for mental health professionals. He has also taught the medical staff of several hospitals and organizations in how to deal with emotional crises in the hospital. He was the first openly gay president of Texas Society for Clinical Social Work and a diplomat of the International Congress for the Advancement of Private Practice.
He is active not only as a therapist but also for Houston’s GLBT community. He says that “most gay people know very early on that they are different and that they need to hide those differences. Remaining closeted and hiding the truth from the world becomes self defeating behavior, and invisibility makes it easier to perpetuate myths about gay people”. Therefore, he works with the gay community to help them learn to accept themselves for who they are through his therapy sessions.
In 1983, Carroll conducted a study on stability in gay relationships, one of the first in America at the time. AIDS
became a topic of national concern in the early 1980s, creating social stigma against anyone who identified with the gay community. By sending out an ad through the magazine This Week in Texas, he found forty homosexual couples from Houston who had been together a minimum of six years. Though he never published his research, it showed that homosexual relationships were just as stable as heterosexual relationships, despite the stereotype that homosexuals cannot have stable relationships. He also studied the integrated-ness of gay couples in the wider community, and found that these well-established couples tended to not interact with the inner-city bar scene, but instead referred to their heterosexual neighbors as their closest friends.
. He supported Bill White for Houston’s mayor of 2004-2010, and actively campaigned to help Annise Parker
become Houston’s current mayor. Carroll also was a supporter of John Edwards
in the presidential campaign of 2008.
, $500 to John Edwards’ presidential campaign, and to the Center for AIDS: Think Cure!. They were also members of the Silver Counsel (donating 10k to 25k annually) for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute in 2008. Carroll supported Bill White’s campaign for mayor in 2004-2010 and the campaign to elect Houston’s current lesbian mayor, Annise Parker. Carroll and his husband Smith form a ROADcouple, and are active members in the ROADwomen organization. They open their house to tired marchers from the Pride Parade annually, and have focused their practices on helping the GLBT community with their dental and mental needs.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
practice in the Neartown
Neartown Houston
Neartown is an area located in west-central Houston, Texas, United States and is one of the city's major cultural areas. Neartown is roughly bounded by U.S. Highway 59 to the south, Allen Parkway to the north, Bagby Street on the east, and Shepherd Drive to the west...
area of Houston (Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) in 1983, making it the oldest GLBT psychotherapy practice in the city. He served as the first openly gay president of the Texas Society for Clinical Social Work and conducted one of the first studies on the stability of gay couples, though his research was never published. He practices psychotherapy in Neartown in the same building as his domestic partner, Bruce W. Smith, DDS.
Personal life
Carroll was raised in a small town in Arkansas by a religious family and later studied music at Hendrix CollegeHendrix College
Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college located in Conway, Arkansas. The student body averages around 1,400 and currently represents forty-three states and fourteen foreign countries. In US News and World Report's America's Best Colleges, Hendrix is ranked annually in the top tier of...
, where he began to question his sexuality. He discovered the book The Sixth Man by Jess Stearn
Jess Stearn
Jess Stearn , born in Syracuse, New York, was a journalist and author of more than thirty books, nine of which were bestsellers. He was a prize-winning reporter for the New York Daily News for 17 years, and was later an Associate Editor at Newsweek...
, which suggested to Carroll that communities of productive gay people actually existed, causing him to question the prevailing attitudes about homosexual people. During his junior year of undergraduate school, he was engaged to a female vocalist in a trio for which he was the keyboardist. However, she broke off their engagement because she believed he was in love with the third member of the trio, a male vocalist, rather than her. This became Carroll’s first gay relationship, and it lasted eight years, despite tremendous opposition from the parents on both sides.
In August 1968, Carroll took a choral department job in Houston and settled in the Neartown
Neartown Houston
Neartown is an area located in west-central Houston, Texas, United States and is one of the city's major cultural areas. Neartown is roughly bounded by U.S. Highway 59 to the south, Allen Parkway to the north, Bagby Street on the east, and Shepherd Drive to the west...
area of Houston. He later decided to abandon music in favor of pursuing a degree in social work, so he began to research long-term gay couples in graduate school at the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
. He describes the motivating force behind this decision as deriving from his “20 years in the chair” himself: he had difficulties finding therapists willing to work with a gay patient and later, gay couples, so he decided to help the gay community through this venue.
Carroll first met Dr. Bruce W. Smith, a Houston-area dentist, at a Log Cabin Republican Convention in 1995. In 2003, they were married in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Carroll has said that although the marriage is not valid in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he and his husband felt it was important to them to have their marriage recognized, and that it was an “amazing” and “emotional” experience. Carroll believes that religion’s stronghold on America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
’s politics and society is the main reason the US has not granted homosexuals the right to marry, while Canada and other countries have. He does believe, however, that the US will legalize gay marriage in the future, and that people are infinitely more accepting of gays now than they were.
Carroll and Smith continually presented themselves as a publicly gay couple because they believe that it provides a role model for others in the gay community. They claim that their image as a professional gay couple is one of their greatest accomplishments to Houston’s gay community. Their friends affectionately call them “Dental and Mental” owing to the fact that their practices are located in the same building.
Career
Carroll is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LSCW), and has run his own practice since the 1980s. He is also a certified Imago relationship therapist, although he does not practice the teachings of this theory. Currently, his psychotherapy practice is devoted to adults in both individual and couples, so although he has particular interest in working with the GLBT individuals and couples, his practice also includes a large number of straight clients. He treats many people with concerns about anxietyAnxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
, depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, mood disturbances, intimacy, relationships
Interpersonal relationship
An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. This association may be based on limerence, love, solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships are formed in the...
, grief and loss, mid-life, sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
, self-esteem
Self-esteem
Self-esteem is a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame: some would distinguish how 'the self-concept is what we think about the self; self-esteem, the...
, growth, and couples’ issues. He has been voted Best Mental Health Therapist for the years 2003-2009 by Houston’s OutSmart Magazine. Carroll co-founded the Psychotherapy Resource Group, a training group for mental health professionals. He has also taught the medical staff of several hospitals and organizations in how to deal with emotional crises in the hospital. He was the first openly gay president of Texas Society for Clinical Social Work and a diplomat of the International Congress for the Advancement of Private Practice.
He is active not only as a therapist but also for Houston’s GLBT community. He says that “most gay people know very early on that they are different and that they need to hide those differences. Remaining closeted and hiding the truth from the world becomes self defeating behavior, and invisibility makes it easier to perpetuate myths about gay people”. Therefore, he works with the gay community to help them learn to accept themselves for who they are through his therapy sessions.
In 1983, Carroll conducted a study on stability in gay relationships, one of the first in America at the time. AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
became a topic of national concern in the early 1980s, creating social stigma against anyone who identified with the gay community. By sending out an ad through the magazine This Week in Texas, he found forty homosexual couples from Houston who had been together a minimum of six years. Though he never published his research, it showed that homosexual relationships were just as stable as heterosexual relationships, despite the stereotype that homosexuals cannot have stable relationships. He also studied the integrated-ness of gay couples in the wider community, and found that these well-established couples tended to not interact with the inner-city bar scene, but instead referred to their heterosexual neighbors as their closest friends.
Political Viewpoints
Formerly a Log Cabin Republican, a group of Republicans who believe in equal rights for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, Carroll’s political views now lean more toward the left, considering his involvement in Democratic organizations. He supports gay marriage and fought against the 2005 constitutional amendment that would have banned gay marriage in TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He supported Bill White for Houston’s mayor of 2004-2010, and actively campaigned to help Annise Parker
Annise Parker
Annise Danette Parker is an American politician and the mayor of Houston since January 2, 2010. She served as an at-large member of the Houston City Council from 1998 to 2003 and city controller from 2004 to 2009...
become Houston’s current mayor. Carroll also was a supporter of John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
in the presidential campaign of 2008.
GLBT Activism
Carroll, along with his husband Bruce Smith, has consistently contributed to political groups focused on improving the quality of life in the LGBT community. In 2008, Carroll and Smith donated $1,700 to ActBlueActBlue
ActBlue is a United States political committee established in June 2004 that enables anyone to fundraise on the Internet for the Democratic Party candidates of their choice....
, $500 to John Edwards’ presidential campaign, and to the Center for AIDS: Think Cure!. They were also members of the Silver Counsel (donating 10k to 25k annually) for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute in 2008. Carroll supported Bill White’s campaign for mayor in 2004-2010 and the campaign to elect Houston’s current lesbian mayor, Annise Parker. Carroll and his husband Smith form a ROADcouple, and are active members in the ROADwomen organization. They open their house to tired marchers from the Pride Parade annually, and have focused their practices on helping the GLBT community with their dental and mental needs.