Michael M. Kocet

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

Finding the Spirit Within: Religion, Spirituality, and Faith Development in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals

This article addresses the interconnectedness between gay identity and spiritual development as well as explores the unique challenges that lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals face when trying to incorporate a sense of spirituality into their sexual identity. This article addresses what counselors and other mental health practitioners can do to help facilitate spiritual exploration with their sexual minority clients and reexamine the notion of “faith development” and what it means for lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients to find the spirit within. The article also presents traditional and nontraditional methods to find spiritual fulfillment by introducing a four-part counseling framework and how this can contribute to overall mental health.

The multifaith campus: Transforming colleges and universities for spiritual engagement

Dafina Lazarus Stewart, Michael M. Kocet, and Sharon Lobdell explore what college and university campuses would look like if transformed to promote and sustain religious and secular pluralism and interfaith cooperation.

Finding the Spirit Within: Spirituality Issues in the LGBT Community

When it comes to discussing the topic of spirituality within the LGBT counseling community, it sometimes illicits a variety of emotions and experiences. Although some counselors working with LGBT individuals may find the subject of spirituality a regular and necessary part of conversations within the therapeutic relationship, for other professionals, the topic may be seen as inappropriate; something that should not be broached in the counseling relationship. Moreover, even when practitioners do want to integrate spirituality in counseling LGBT clients, they may be unsure of how to do so or where to begin due to the multiple complexities of religious or spiritual concerns. This special issue is a continuation of Michael Kocet’s presidential theme during his tenure as Association for LGBT Issues in Counseling president. Jennifer Curry, immediate past president of Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling has also been committed to exploring the intersections of personal spirituality and LGBT identity. We recognize and honor the diversity of views that exist when addressing spirituality and religion in the context of the LGBT community. For some LGBT individuals, spirituality and religion represent a history of shame, stigma, and alienation by religious leaders, interpretation of scriptures, religious teachings, and the multitude of religious paradigms and spiritual/secular worldviews. Some LGBT individuals may have spent significant time with counselors grieving over the loss of their religious tradition because of the experience of being ostracized by their faith community due to their sexual orientation or gender expression. Consequently, the loss of spiritual fellowship may lead