Psychological Realities and Culturally Competent Therapy with LGBTQ+ Clients and Their Families

Fulfills requirement:Diversity & Cultural Sensitivity

This course is designed to educate the clinician about the diversity of sexual and gender orientation and to familiarize the clinician with the appropriate terminology when working with LGBTQ+ clients and their family members. Participants in this course will learn how minority stress and stigmatization negatively affect the mental health and wellbeing of clients who identify as non-binary, transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, etc. The course will also familiarize the participant with the specific realities of second-class citizenship, prejudice, discrimination, and violence.

This intermediate course is comprised of three sections and is comprised of five videos, with audio versions, and transcripts available. The first section of the course identifies important LGBTQ+ terminology, history, and concerns for the LGBTQ+ population. Basic definitions, acronyms, and terms associated with the LGBTQ+ population are covered along with information pertaining to sociopolitical issues that LGBTQ+ people face, including discrimination and hate crimes.

The second section of the course includes recorded interviews with leaders, therapists and educators of specific LGBTQ+ populations, including Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, LGBTQ+ Latinos, and transgender children and adults. The third section discusses the role mental health providers, have had and continue to have, in the lives of LGBT people. While this section focuses on the role of psychologists, the information contained is relevant to all mental health professionals.

Additional resources and references are provided for further study, but they are not part of the course.