Sexual Minority Adolescents

Abstract

Most ethical dilemmas confronting professional school counselors (PSCs) do not involve simple solutions. Therefore, to practice ethically, PSCs need to possess and have the ability to articulate their ethical decision-making process with a clear and defendable professional explanation. Specifically, this article details the ethical decision-making process for PSCs working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) adolescents. Additionally, ethical standards and legal statutes relating to counseling LGBT adolescents, ethical decision-making processes, and implications are discussed.     

Factors Impacting Counselor Competency with Sexual Minority Intimate Partner Violence Victims

Grounded theory procedures were combined with a queer theory perspective to examine what factors promote counselor competency with sexual minority intimate partner violence victims. Ten counselors participated in two rounds of individual interviews. Results indicated that counselor competency building for work with this population occurred during and after graduate counseling programs. Analysis of the data identified specific desirable counselor traits, and useful training activities were identified to assist with developing counselor competency. The authors also discuss implications for clinical practice, counseling supervision, professional associations, service seminars, and counselor educators.     

Cyber Counseling for Queer Clients and Clinicians

Abstract

As the Internet grows, so does its use by mental health professionals and by clients seeking mental health services. Drawing on his own experience as an example, the author describes how the Internet can enhance clinical practice. Social service professionals can utilize the Internet to provide a supportive forum for patients grappling with issues of self-identity; facilitate communication between therapist and client; provide community education about mental health issues; provide referrals to local social service professionals; market a private psychotherapy practice; and provide patient billing, scheduling, and record keeping.     

Developing a Rubric for Supervision of Students Counseling LGBTQ Clients

More than 100 pieces of anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) legislation are active in 2018. In this current political climate of “conscience clause” legislation, counselor educators and supervisors are poised to adopt more holistic practices in assessing and evaluating student and supervisee readiness to work with LGBT queer (Q) clients. The purpose of this article is to present a dispositional framework for assessment and evaluation and introduce the flexibility, integrity, awareness, stability, compassion, and openness (FIASCO) rubric of professional counseling dispositions. Two court cases, Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley and Ward v. Wilbanks, are used as case examples for applying the FIASCO rubric to situations involving LGBTQ clients.     

Assessing School Climate Among Sexual Minority High School Students

ABSTRACT

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and intersex (i.e., sexual minority) youth are often targets of aggression because of their sexual identity, both in and out of schools. Literature on school-related aggression toward sexual minority youth often relies on quantitative surveys or retrospective studies. Little non-retrospective research has been done with this population investigating the nature of bullying, school climate, and the effects of being a sexual minority youth in schools. Sixteen sexual minority high school youth participated in face-to-face, in-depth interviews. Results for the themes from these interviews are presented in four categories: Sexual minorities' overall perspective on their school climate, the nature of aggression in schools against sexual minorities when present, the characteristics of the victims and bullies, and the consequences of being a sexual minority in schools. These youth's perspectives provide support for existing literature on the nature of bullying while providing additional insights into the nature and deficiencies of the resources available to them at schools. Ideas for future research with sexual minority youth in school-based settings also are included.     

Types of LGBT Microaggressions in Counselor Education Programs

Although previous research has identified common types of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) microaggressions, there is a lack of research that describes the specific experiences of LGBT students in counselor education programs. This study examined the microaggression experiences of 12 LGBT students in such programs. Data analysis revealed several thematic microaggression types. Implications for counselor educators are discussed.     

Avenues for Future Minority Stress and Substance Use Research among Sexual and Gender Minority Populations

Sexual and gender minority individuals (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer [LGBTQ]) experience elevated rates of minority stress and associated substance use relative to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Although the minority stress–substance use relationship is well documented, less is currently known regarding day-to-day minority stress and substance use risk processes. Rather than criticize existing literature, this review highlights future directions and advocates for the use of experience sampling methodology as a valuable research tool regarding real-time data capture. Greater utilization of this methodology is encouraged and expected to improve understanding of daily minority stress processes, and provide insight into real-time risk monitoring and intervention strategies.     

Counselor Actions to Facilitate Client Change During Life-Design Counseling

The authors examined whether and how counselor interventions foster client change during life-design counseling (Savickas, 2015). Two counseling sessions were conducted. Interviews with the 2 clients and the counselor after each counseling session were done in accordance with interpersonal process recall (Larsen, Flesaker, & Stege, 2008). The results indicated a scheme of counselor interventions that corresponded to client change. Specifically, the counselor fostered client reflection and reflexivity by (a) exploring original constructions, (b) identifying problematic themes in the constructions, (c) interpreting those themes, (d) identifying and recording client change and reflection, (e) connecting the themes to current issues, (f) facilitating a process of critical review, and (g) facilitating the reconstruction process. The results add a counselor's perspective to the research on client change and suggest a study of cases facilitated by counselors with diverse styles and skills that could further identify links between client change and counselor intervention.     

Relationship between Financial Stress and Workplace Absenteeism of Credit Counseling Clients

The researchers examined how financial stress was associated with absenteeism of credit counseling clients. Data were collected by a national non-profit credit counseling organization, from consumers who telephoned seeking assistance in debt management. The results indicate credit counseling clients’ financial stress affects their absenteeism at work. Clients with high levels of financial stress are more likely to experience higher levels of absenteeism; thus spending work hours handling personal finances, which decreases the time they are at work. The results suggest some insight into providing financial education and assistance for employees with financial strains as productivity loss might influence their pay.Appreciation is extended to the InCharge Institute of America and the InCharge Education Foundation for supporting this research. Dr. Kim served as an InCharge Scholar during this research effort.     

LGBT Ally Training and Counselor Competency: A Mixed-Methods Study

This mixed-methods study was designed to explore the effectiveness of a university-sponsored lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) ally training on the LGBT competency of counselors-in-training. Thirty-seven students completed training and pre/posttest assessments to measure LGB competency. The authors found a statistically significant difference in pre/post test scores in Knowledge, Skills, and total scores. Ten students participated in interviews, five themes were identified (self-awareness, professional development, ally development, intersectionality of identities, and transgender clients). Limitations include small sample and lack of a control group. The implications focus on using university and community partnerships to foster competency. Limitations include small sample size, lack of measure to address transgender competency, and absence of control group.     

Integrated Behavioral Health and Counseling Gender and Sexual Minority Populations

abstract

Counselors are increasingly expected to operate within an integrated behavioral health framework across systems of care. This critical literature review provides an overview of the integrated behavioral health paradigm, including the practice of interprofessional collaboration, with specific application to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ), and other gender and sexual minority issues. Implications for practice and research are discussed, along with a focus on concrete recommendations for application practicing interprofessionally with and on behalf of LGBTQ clients.     

Sexual Orientation Curriculum in U.S. School Counselor Education Programs

The sexual orientation–related content of 60 school counselor preparation programs across 22 U.S. states is described. The findings include the percentage of curricular time devoted to sexual orientation–related topics, the specific sexual orientation–related topics addressed, and the locations of sexual orientation–related curriculum within programs (e.g., foundations, methods, and fieldwork/practica). The research also investigated any relationship between sexual orientation–related curriculum and faculty demographics and Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) accreditation. Findings and recommendations are addressed in light of CACREP and American School Counselor Association (ASCA) standards.     

Cybercounseling Online: The Development of a University-Based Training Program for E-mail Counseling

ABSTRACT

The development of a university-based cybercounseling certificate program through the continuing education department of a graduate faculty of social work is described. This web-based program consists of two levels: introductory and advanced, and offers experienced face-to-face counselors training in an asynchronous, e-mail form of cybercounseling. Ethical issues such as cross-jurisdictional concerns, client appropriateness, and counselor insurance are discussed. A system developed to provide online e-mail security through web-based access and encryption is highlighted. Several techniques for e-mail counseling such as presence, and spacing and pacing are discussed and illustrated. Demographics of learners and feedback from graduates are presented and lessons learned are discussed.     

Understanding Asian American Clients

Abstract

Asian Americans are the fastest growing ethnic minority in the United States today. Therefore, the Asian American population greatly needs the services of qualified cross-cultural counselors. An ethnic match between an Asian American client and his/her counselor is generally recommended. However, due to the limited number of qualified Asian American counselors and problems sometimes encountered with an ethnic match, an ethnic match between the counselor and client is very often not realistic nor always preferred. However, Western counselors who work with Asian Americans need to understand their clients' acculturation problems. They also need to understand the preventable mistakes often made in counseling Asian American clients.     

Exploring the Design of Financial Counseling for Mortgage Borrowers in Default

This paper analyzes the effects of counseling provided to borrowers in mortgage default (n = 299). Borrowers receiving more hours of counseling perceive counseling more favorably than those receiving fewer hours of counseling. Using measures of marketing efforts to instrument counseling time confirms the positive effect of counseling duration on borrower ratings of counseling. Borrowers are more likely to attend additional counseling sessions after receiving face-to-face counseling as opposed to telephone counseling, although preference among modes can largely be explained by time in counseling. Each additional hour of counseling reduces the marginal probability of a borrower moving to a more severe stage of foreclosure. Counseling could be more successful if provided for longer durations regardless of the delivery mode.

Innovative Moments in Career Construction Counseling: Proposal for an Integrative Model

This article advances understanding of career construction counseling (CCC) by viewing it through the lens of the innovative moments model (IMM) of how clients construct change. The IMM conceives clients’ narrative transformations as resulting from counselors prompting and clients reflecting on exceptions to a problematic self‐narrative (i.e., innovative moments; IMs) that emerges in counseling dialogues. On the basis of intensive IMM analysis of CCC case studies, the authors propose an integration of the 2 models that describes the sequence of client change in IMs across the 3 phases of CCC. This proposal provides both conceptual and assessment tools that make it possible to describe and analyze the process of client change through life‐designing dialogues. The authors illustrate the integrated framework with vignettes from case studies and conclude by suggesting research to examine the validity and usefulness of the client change sequence and interventions for using this pattern of change to foster client transformation.     

Examining Cohort Differences and Resilience among the Aging LGBT Community: Implications for Education and Practice among an Expansively Diverse Population

The aging lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community continues to grow considerably while often being faced with unique and unmet needs separate from younger LGBT cohorts or their non-LGBT counterparts. This article explores some of the differences in attitudes among generational cohort groups regarding coming out decisions; sexual risk and safety; the impact of evolving policies within systems and society; as well as the demonstrated strengths and resiliencies of the aging LGBT community. Implications and suggestions for education, training, and best practices among this expansive and diverse population are considered as well as continued research in the field of LGBT aging.     

Developing the Fearless School Counselor Ally and Advocate for LGBTQIQ Youth: Strategies for Preparation Programs

To better serve the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and questioning (LGBTQIQ) youth population, counselor educators can assist school counselors-in-training in developing advocacy competencies within their training programs. A focus on advocacy competencies outlined by the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) standards, and infusion of techniques throughout the education process, may increase levels of comfort for neophyte school counselors-in-training when working with LGBTQIQ youth. To increase efficacy in this multicultural population, myriad environments representative of the systemic nature of the school environment and culture must be examined and explored through training processes. These authors discuss intervention strategies for counselor educators to develop future school counselor advocacy, which align with the ACA advocacy competency domain areas.     

Counseling Support for the Forgotten Transgender Community

The needs of people with nonconforming gender behavior are not homogeneous, for people who self-identify as transgender are not and should not be considered the same as individuals who self-identify as transsexual. Limited counseling resources are available for clinicians working with individuals who self-identify as transgender but have no desire to proceed to sexual reassignment surgery (SRS). Though it appears many of the recommendations for transsexuals are relevant for the broader range of transgender individuals, significant differences exist between them, warranting further investigation. This article presents a summary of approaches for gender-variant clients not matching the transsexual paradigm.     

Using Narrative Career Counseling With the Underprepared College Student

An increasing number of students enter college underprepared. These students do not have the academic skills to take college‐level courses and are placed in remedial classes. Career counseling can help underprepared college students make educated career decisions based on their current situations. This article explores the characteristics of underprepared college students, examines career‐related issues these students face, and reviews the literature on narrative career counseling. The life design method is applied to a case example of an underprepared college student to demonstrate how to best serve the needs of these students.