Breaking the Silence in the Counselor Education Classroom: A Training Seminar on Counseling Sexual Minority Clients

Referred to as the "hidden minority," lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals continue to be a misunderstood and stigmatized segment of society. Even though homosexuality was depathologized in 1973 (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1980) and was no longer considered a diagnosable mental illness per se, clinical practice and training have lagged far behind. The counseling classroom is the ideal starting point for reducing this gap. The purpose of this article is to outline a 3-hour seminar on counseling sexual minority clients and provide results of the subsequent evaluations from participating graduate counseling students. Using popular music as a central experiential component, this seminar was designed to increase understanding of the common internal and external struggles experienced by LGB individuals. DIFFICULTIES ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPING A SEXUAL MINORITY IDENTITY Before outlining the seminar, I briefly discuss the literature regarding the struggles of LGB persons and the current state of counselor training. LGB persons go through a process that involves "shifting one's identity from the socially accepted heterosexual identity to the socially denigrated nonheterosexual LGB identity" (Dworkin, 2000, p. 165). It has been well established that this self-identification and coming out process can lead to significant emotional distress (e.g., Caitlin & Futterman, 1997; Morris, 1997; Trujillo, 1997) and that difficulties related to this process are associated with such mental health problems as depression, affective disorders, chronic stress, substance abuse, and eating disorders (Caitlin & Futterman, 1997; J. Smith, 1988). Because the identity confusion and value conflicts inherent in the coming out process can produce symptoms that mimic psychopathology, Buhrke and Douce (1991) suggested that these symptoms should be interpreted in this developmental context (i.e., the coming out process) rather than as the primary diagnosis. Further complicating matters is the assertion by Gonsiorek (1995) and Caitlin and Futterman that the distress of coming out can magnify existing serious mental illness. In addition, problems related to coming out may be magnified for LGB adolescents (Dworkin, 2000), who often face hostility, harassment, or violence in schools (Callahan, 2001; Fontaine, 1998; McFarland, 1998). Of particular concern is the increased risk of suicide attempts and completions by adolescents reported in the research (e.g., Gibson, 1989; Remafedi, 1987; Remafedi, Farrow, & Deisher, 1991). An important clarification needs to be made when considering the increased risks of distress experienced by LGB individuals. Rather than viewing these problems as a direct function of being lesbian, gay, or bisexual, they should be recognized as the result of living in an oppressive society. Not only are LGB individuals exposed to external homophobic and heterosexist attitudes from society, these attitudes are often internalized and lead to self-hatred (Reynolds & Hanjorgiris, 2000). Discussing the hardships particularly experienced by adolescents, McFarland (1998) succinctly summed up this stance: "The critical point is that a gay or lesbian identity itself does not cause suicide. Rather, it is the oppressive and hostile environment and the youths' limited resources to deal with these environments that contribute to the increased risk of suicidal behavior in gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth" (p. 27). COUNSELORS' KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES Mental health practitioners, school counselors, and students alike are not immune to the negative impact of their socialization (R. Barret & Barzan, 1996; Carroll & Gilroy, 2001; Matthews & Bieschke, 2001; Morrow, 2000). Whether in the form of failing to recognize a happy event, such as successfully coming out at work (R. Barret & Barzan, 1996); assuming opposite gender when referring to romantic relationships; or comparing LGB persons with adulterers, alcoholics, and pedophiles (e. …