Anneliese A. Singh

Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling Competencies for Counseling with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Ally Individuals

This document is intended to provide counseling and related professionals with competencies for working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, intersex, questioning and ally (LGBQIQA) individuals, groups, and communities. Those who train, supervise, and/or educate counselors may also use these competencies as a framework for training, practice, research, and advocacy within the counseling profession to facilitate trainee growth toward LGBQIQA competence. Transgender people are not addressed in this document as the document American Counseling Association’s (ACA) Competencies for Counseling with Transgender Clients (2010) specifically addresses counseling with these individuals. The aim of these competencies is to provide a framework for creating safe, supportive, and caring relationships with LGBQIQA individuals, groups, and communities that foster self-acceptance and personal, social, emotional, and relational development. The current competencies are geared toward working with adult individuals, groups, and communities, and though much

“Just Getting Out of Bed Is a Revolutionary Act” The Resilience of Transgender People of Color Who Have Survived Traumatic Life Events

This study was a phenomenological and feminist investigation of the resilience of transgender people of color who have experienced a wide range of traumatic life events (e.g., hate crimes, intimate partner violence, child sexual abuse). Eleven transgender people of color (6 African American, 3 Latino/a, 2 Multiracial) participated in semistructured interviews (60-90 minutes each) exploring their expression of resilience in response to traumatic life events. Findings included six major themes common among all participants: (a) pride in one’s gender and ethnic/racial identity, (b) recognizing and negotiating gender and racial/ethnic oppression, (c) navigating relationships with family, (d) accessing health care and financial resources, (e) connecting with an activist transgender community of color, and (f) cultivating spirituality and hope for the future. Specific clinical and advocacy implications for trauma work with this group are provided.

Creating Developmentally Appropriate, Safe Counseling Environments for Transgender Youth: The Critical Role of School Counselors

This article outlines the role of school counselors at the elementary, middle, and high school levels as they work with transgender youth. The authors take a developmental approach to identify the role and opportunities school counselors have in building a transgender-positive environment in school settings. Important language and terms for working with transgender youth are provided as well as practice recommendations across elementary, middle, and high school counseling levels. In addition, the authors recommend specific advocacy-focused approaches to make school counseling interventions more transgender-positive.

Social Justice and Counseling Psychology: Listening to the Voices of Doctoral Trainees:

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand counseling psychology doctoral trainees’ perceptions of social justice training in their academic programs. Participants ( N = 66) completed an online social justice survey with open-ended questions. Researchers identified major themes of participants’ responses (e.g., promotion of social equality, infusion across training contexts, training opportunities outside of programs, importance of “walking the talk”). Implications, future directions, and limitations of the study are presented.

“It's Already Hard Enough Being a Student”: Developing Affirming College Environments for Trans Youth

The current article is a qualitative study of the daily lived experiences of resilience that trans youth have as they engage in self-advocacy within their college environments. Using a phenomenological research tradition and theories of liberation psychology and feminism, researchers interviewed 18 trans youth. There were four major themes in the participant data: (a) campus-wide trans-affirming language, (b) campus training on trans student concerns, (c) trans-affirming campus health care access, and (d) developing a community of trans allies on campus. In addition to study limitations, future practice, research, and advocacy implications for developing trans-affirming educational environments for trans youth are provided.

It's complicated: collective memories of transgender, queer, and questioning youth in high school.

Using the qualitative participatory action methodology, collective memory work, this study explored how transgender, queer, and questioning (TQQ) youth make meaning of their sexual orientation and gender identity through high school experiences. Researchers identified three major conceptual but overlapping themes from the data generated in the transgender, queer, and questioning youth focus group: a need for resilience, you should be able to be safe, and this is what action looks like! The researchers discuss how as a research product, a documentary can effectively “capture voices” of participants, making research accessible and attractive to parents, practitioners, policy makers, and participants.

South Asian Immigrant Women Who Have Survived Child Sexual Abuse: Resilience and Healing:

The current study is a phenomenological examination of the resilience strategies of South Asian immigrant women in the United States who survived child sexual abuse. Semistructured interviews (N = 5) and a focus group (N = 8) were analyzed to gain a deep structural understanding of participants’ experiences of child sexual abuse and resilience. Findings included four subthemes of South Asian context (strict gender socialization, maintenance of family image, influence of ethnic identity, acculturative stressors) and five subthemes of resilience strategies (use of silence, sense of hope, South Asian social support, social advocacy, intentional self-care). Research and practice implications are discussed.

Association for Specialists in Group Work: Multicultural and Social Justice Competence Principles for Group Workers.

Consultants A. Michael Hutchins Private Practice, Tucson, Arizona Deborah Rubel Oregon State University The Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) is committed to understanding how issues...

Feminist Group Counseling with South Asian Women Who Have Survived Intimate Partner Violence

This article examines how to use a feminist approach in group counseling with South Asian women who have survived intimate partner violence (IPV). South Asian culture, including gender-role expectations and attitudes about family violence, is discussed. A case study detailing a feminist counseling group conducted with this population is presented. Strengths, limitations, and implications of utilizing feminist group work with this population are explored.

Shifting the Counselor Role from Gatekeeping to Advocacy: Ten Strategies for Using the Competencies for Counseling with Transgender Clients for Individual and Social Change

In this article, the editors of the Special Issue of the Journal of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling on Counseling Competency with Transgender Clients summarize the themes of the articles within the special issue. The authors then discuss the future implications of these themes for counseling supervision and training, practice, research, and advocacy. Included in this discussion is a review of the areas of important focus that were “missing” in the Special Issue and how the counseling field may address these gaps in the literature. The article concludes with a list of 10 critical “next steps” for the counseling profession to take to ensure the American Counseling Associations Competencies for Counseling with Transgender Clients develop a transgender-positive counseling environment.