Sexual Orientation
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Salem College *
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Course
130
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
Pages
2
Uploaded by lindsayreagan13
350-450 words; 2 scholarly sources and a biblical worldview
As you consider this week’s material, what are three notable elements from the material that
helps deepen your understanding of working with these individuals? Share how those three
elements impacted you (e.g., changed your perspective, thoughts, assumptions, biases, etc.)
and how they impact your future counseling work.
According to Hays and Erford (2018), sexual identity and orientation often can be difficult to
distinguish because of its vast elements including - physical, gender, social sex roles, and
sexual orientation identity. As a counselor, understanding the 7 components of sexual
orientation -behaviors, emotions, fantasies, attractions, social preference, sexuality, and
identification- are all important to understand how to work with individuals (Hays and Erford,
2018). After reading this week's material, 3 elements that deepen my understanding of those
with same-sex attraction include: the importance of using preferred pronouns, understanding
heterosexism, and understanding the importance of self-awareness of one’s beliefs and
attitudes on the topic of sexual orientation.
The importance of using pronouns portion of our reading gave me a deeper understanding of
making the client feel as though they are in a safe space allowing for a better counselor/client
relationship According to the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics section A.1.a a counselors is
responsible for respecting their clients dignity and promoting their welfare. This code relates to
the importance of using a client's preferred pronouns because a study found that within the
LGBTQ youth community using participants preferred pronouns was important in the ability to
build youth-provider relationships among adolescents identifying as LGBTQ specifically
transgender and gender diverse youth (Brown, 2020). Learning that a small impact such as
referring to an individual as the wish made the client feel respected and more willing to feel safe
in their therapeutic relationship opened my eyes to how all these individuals are seeking mutual
respect.
Heterosexism - the discrimination of LGBTQ+ individuals due to the assumption that
heterosexuality is the norm - is also one element we learned about in our readings that gave me
a deeper understanding on working with these specific individuals. I believe this is an important
element to note as it opens us counselors to display a sense of sensitivity in the counseling
relationship. Several implications of not displaying sensibility - 7 time higher rates of suicide,
depression rates, mental health decline, etc. - are all important factors as to why it is important
to display sensibility as a counselor (Hays and Erford, 2018). Although typical societal
perspective often displays herosexual relationships as the “normal” and any other relationship
as being “different" leaving those predisposed assumptions outside of the counseling
relationship will be essential in the counseling relationship as ACA Code C.5 avoiding
discrimination on any basis is imperative.
Lastly, a self-awareness of one’s beliefs is another part of our readings I found was most
notable. As outlined in the ACA Code C.2.a awareness of one's own beliefs is pertinent to
working with diverse populations. For me personally as a believer in Christ, it is often displayed
that having a biblical worldview means being against the belief in different gender identities
besides the normative bigender view or heterosexual relationship. However, through working
through our coursework, a counselor must remain free of these biases. A counseling space is
meant to be free of judgment and be solely beneficial for the client. My predetermined belief has
been opened within my work space that I am to remain non-judgemental. Without throwing
away my own beliefs -God tells us in the bible we are not to judge- I can maintain that safe
space for diverse clientele by remaining judgment free and not displacing my personal beliefs
on my client.
American Counseling Association. (2014).
2014 ACA code of ethics
.
https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2014-code-of-ethics-finaladdress.pdf
Brown, C., Frohard-Dourlent, H., Wood, B. A., Saewyc, E., Eisenberg, M. E., & Porta, C. M. (2020). “It makes such
a difference”: An examination of how LGBTQ youth talk about personal gender pronouns.
Journal of the American
Association of Nurse Practitioners
,
32
(1), 70-80.
Hays, D. G., Erford, B. T. (2018).
Developing Multicultural Counseling Competence: A Systems Approach.
New
York, NY: Pearson Education.
2 replies 200- 300 words - 1 source
Hi Richard. Great post. I also learned of the term heterosexism during our readings. I find your point about it being
interesting that it is less about being a member of the LGBTQ+ community and more about going away from the
normative attitude that it is not normal. We as members of the healthcare community should definitely advocate
from a place of normative ideals and be open to the idea that there is no abnormality when it comes to humans and
their identifiers. Even though religious beliefs may lead one to believe that certain lifestyles are sins I feel religious
counselors should again leave those normative ideals and remember that we as religious members are taught not to
judge. If a counselor is truly providing spiritual assistance their duty is not to judge but to lead a person to believe in
Christ. Even counselors who specialize in religious counseling must abide by the ACA Code of Ethics which clearly
states in Code A.1.a which specifies we as counselors should refrain from destroying a clients dignity and instead
promote their welfare (ACA, 2014). I believe that is why it is so important as you stated to live as though Jesus did
with a perspective that does not condemn nor approve. Our job as counselors is to lead our clients to their best self
and to their own growth not to convert them or lead them towards our spiritual truth.
American Counseling Association. (2014).
2014 ACA code of ethics
.
https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2014-code-of-ethics-finaladdress.pdf
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