A Counselor 's Level Of Competence

As individuals, we are diverse based on the background, experience, ability, race, language, etc. which impact the lens through which we view others and ourselves. As diverse individual, we may belong to dominant or non- dominant groups. Thus, either we have power and privilege or we experience discrimination and oppression. Further, we are shelled with diversity, ethnicity, and multiculturalism issues. Counselors have some ethical primary responsibilities to respect the dignity and promote the welfare of the client (A.1.a), “honoring diversity and embracing a multicultural approach in support of the worth, dignity” and “promoting social justice” (Herlihy & Corey, 2014, p. 3)

Sexual and social stigmas largely affect the health of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population. While many reports from the Institute of Medicine, Healthy People 2020 and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recognize a need to improve the quality of health care, barriers still remain. LGBT patients face legal discrimination, especially with insurance, a lack of social programs, and limited access to providers competent in LGBT health care. Although the Affordable Care Act increased access to care for LGBT patients, unless these patients feel understood by providers and develop trust in the system, they are not likely to utilize care. Healthcare providers need to recognize how these vulnerabilities, as well as persistent racism and stigma linked to sexual orientation and gender identity, make the healthcare needs of LGBT patients more challenging than the general population. Healthcare providers also need to promote cultural competence within this population and broaden their clinical lens to include health promotion, in addition to addressing concerns mentioned above within the population. Additionally, medical and nursing schools need to ensure that future providers are adequately educated by including information about this population in the curriculum.

Awareness of minor assumptions that are used on a day to day basis need to be continuously monitored. Currently, we have recent terminology we use in our counseling program now, but in the next five years when we as students are hopefully in the field are now in a lapse of new and updated acceptance of terminology. Keeping an open mind along with staying current should service counselors into fundamentally staying active and progressive in the LGBT

Appleby, G A., & Anastas, J.W. (1998). Not just a passing phase: Social work with gay, lesbian and bisexual people (pp. 3–43, 44-75). New York: Columbia University Press.

I have been at my site for about seven almost eight weeks now and I cannot believe we are already half way done with the semester. It has been a great journey thus far and I hope to learn more in the second half of my journey. Since this is my half way point I want to mention that everything seems to be so much more comfortable, but not necessarily easier yet. I think being a good counselor takes many years and much more reflection on a daily basis. I also feel like I am learning new things every day as a trainee and that I am working on what it really means to be a counselor each day. Finding my identity as a counselor is a big part of this process and I feel as though it is always changing and transforming into a better self each day. I like

The guidelines provides clear suggestions of what it means to discriminate against a client due to sexual orientation. The guidelines has 4 main focus and it explains in details what psychologists need to

Due to the stigma and complexities often faced in individual uniqueness of LGB, many times there needs to be a place where they can fully be understood through awareness and competency of counselors, and the differences they experience with revealing their sexuality years ago, and how they present themselves today (Pachankis, & Goldfried, p. 242, 2004). Therefore, these guidelines are utilized for that purpose, similar to the standards to the code of ethics, to aid in a level of structure and organized

This reliability study was designed to test the inter-rater reliability of a newly developed measure of counselor competence for person-centered and experiential psychotherapy techniques. Developed by the authors in hopes of improving counselor training and supervision outcomes for therapists specializing in a person-centered approach, the Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy Scale (PCEPS) is a rating scale containing two sub-scales (the person-centered subscale and experiential subscale) with which trained observers can rate the adherence and competence of therapists to a person-centered approach. The aim of this study was to investigate whether inter-rater agreement existed in ratings of therapists on the Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy Scale (PCEPS).

Throughout the video Dr. Patterson, displayed and executed various competencies of understanding the way in which her client’s coming-out may impact her client’s overall quality of life as well as the impact on her husband and family. Guideline 10. Psychologists strive to understand the ways in which a person's lesbian, gay, or bisexual orientation may have an impact on his or her family of origin and the relationship with that family of origin (American Psychological Association,

As mental health services become more mainstream the individuals seeking those services become more diverse. The need for culturally competent counselors is on the rise. The following will highlight a scenario in which I am morally opposed to homosexuality and find myself working with a client who discloses he is homosexual and is having problems in his romantic relationship with another man. How I would handle this situation, ways in which my own moral standards in the context of this therapeutic relationship would be maintained, ways in which my moral stance might impact therapy, ways in which disclosure of my moral values may come into play, and considerations for how to address clashes between my own values and client values in the

Sexual orientation is an enduring emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction that a person feels toward men, women, or toward both. Furthermore, sexual orientation is not the same as sexual activities. The grueling lifelong process of coming out involves recognizing, accepting, expressing, and sharing one’s sexual orientation with oneself and others. Moreover, research suggests that coming out of the gay ethnic minority person may be especially difficult because the individual may have to face two sources of prejudice and oppression. Furthermore, the client should consider the following before coming out. First the client has to understand own feelings about being gay, be well informed about homosexuality, and that the decision should be his/hers.

Individuals who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender experience obstacles within the healthcare system. LGBT individuals who encountered negative experiences in the past such as homophobia and stigmatization from others result decrease access to care and unwillingness to disclose their sexual or gender identity. Khalili, Leung, and Diamant (2015) stated in 2007, physicians’ survey results indicated that they were often and sometimes uncomfortable in providing services to LGBT patients. The presence of discrimination behavior means that there is a lack of LGBT-competency within the healthcare system. To decrease discrimination within the healthcare system, it is important for physicians to be competent in order to provide high quality care for LGBT individuals. LGBT-competency training will increase awareness, healthcare knowledge, and will improve communication skills. In addition, LGBT- competency training will also improve physician-patient interactions and will improve patients’ outcome and

In Chapter 10 of Rudolph K. Sanders’ book, Christian Counseling Ethics: A Handbook for Psychologists, Therapists and Pastors, Mark Yarhouse, Jill Kays and Stanton Jones discuss the “sexual minority” as it pertains to the field of professional counseling. This group is defined as “individuals with same sex attractions or behavior, regardless of self-identification” (Sanders, et. al., 2013, p. 252). By looking at counseling the homosexual community through its etiology, standards by which a counselor should proceed with treatment, and the options a client has on deciding treatment options, we can be better prepared as Christian counselors to be better prepared in serving the needs of others.

To expand upon Sue and Sue’s (2003) three primary categories of awareness, knowledge, and skill that are foundational to practicing culturally competent counseling, I believe for myself I will need to further process, explore, and ultimately find peace with multicultural issues I have encountered in my life and continue to struggle with. Often times I don’t like to go there with myself in my thoughts, feelings, and words because it makes me feel weak, less than, or other. My personal negative experiences of being pigeonholed a deviant when it comes to sexual orientation and variant with gender roles by society at large is something I am constantly reminded of and experiencing. Living as I am in a heteronormative society that operates with a sexual dichotomy has an

In today’s society many disorders may arise. Some of these issues include eating disorders, anxiety, gender-identity disorders, depression, addictions, and many others. However, there is another issue that brings individuals in the counseling setting, and that is the issue of sex and sexuality. Issues stemming from sex and sexuality can arise from same-sex attraction, pornography, infidelity, hormonal issues, and/or negative, inadequate beliefs and perceptions concerning sexuality. Licensed professionals, such as psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, etc…, are trained and usually prepared for these types of disorders, however, certain types of counselors, licensed or not, are not trained in this area. There are various distorted views on sexuality, and these distorted views are across the board. So it begs the question are Christian counselors equipped to handle these types of disorders and many others. If so, what models do they follow in order to help an individual struggling with these issues? This critique will interview a Christian counselor/Addition specialist concerning her viewpoint on human sexuality and her personal model for decision-making in dealing with individuals who struggle in the area of sexuality and/or in any of the other aforementioned areas.