I mentioned early that clinical practitioners will soon and later
encounter LGBT clients in their practice, so by then we should be adequate (at
least general) LGBT knowledge to provide effective treatment.
Other than the basic knowledge of LGBT issues, what other qualities that
LGBT individuals will look for in their therapies?
Today I would share a interesting research done by state University of
New York regarding the therapist qualities preferred by sexual-minority
individuals. They enrolled 42 nonheterosexual adults in this research to
examine the preferable qualities in therapist. Here are the key findings of the
research:
1) Undesirable, less favorable qualities or
characteristics
1.
Reluctance to ask questions to ask questions about the
individual's sexual identity or overemphasizes individual's sexual identity.
2.
Lacks awareness of LGBT issues.
3.
Fails to recognize individual may not be heterosexual.
4.
Use heterocentric language.
5.
Treats LGB individuals as other non-LGB clients and
conceptualizes issues related to sexual orientation as similar to any other
type of therapeutic problem.
Therapist with these qualities may have difficulty retaining and providing
effective treatment to LGB client. Liddle (1996) research also report that
therapists' heterocentric assumptions were found to five time more likely to
increase in the likelihood of premature termination and to lowered ratings of
counselor helpfulness.
2) Desirable or
favorable qualities of characteristic
1.
LGB-specific knowledge
2.
Preferable of
LGB therapist depending on the presenting issues (coming-out process,
sexual identity formation).
3.
LGB-affirming attitudes such as stance of openness towards
LGB individuals and sexuality, supporting the individual in adopting a LGB
identity when LGB clients have decided.
4.
Establish and maintain strong therapeutic alliances
with clients.
Thus, participants generally valued therapists who had LGBT specific
knowledge as well as general therapeutic skills, whereas they indicated that
they would avoid therapist who held heterocentric views. So please remember to
take the homophobic test as provided in my previous post to understand if you
are too heterocentric or heterosexism. Please share with me your views on providing
therapeutic services to LGBT clients as well if you have one. Based on my
previous experience with non-heterosexual clients, I do agree with the findings
that LGBT knowledge and non-heterocentric views are very essential in providing
an effective treatment.
References
Burckell L. A. and Goldfried M. R. (2006). Therapist qualities preferred
by sexual-minority individuals. Psychology:
Theory, Research, Practice Training, 43(1), 32-49
Liddle, B. J. (1996). Therapist sexual orientation, gender, and counseling
practices as they relate to ratings on helpfulness by gay and lesbian clients. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43,
394-401.
