Rainbow Counselors: Becoming Competent in Affirmative & Celebratory Counseling with Queer and Trans Clients
Information
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
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Describe the essential components of competence in working with LGBTGEQIAP+ clients, including self-awareness, knowledge of client experiences, and an understanding of privilege and marginalization.
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Identify their current position on the ALGBTIC competency framework for counseling LGBTGEQIAP+ individuals and areas for growth.
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Apply affirmative, liberatory, and celebratory counseling skills to enhance the quality of mental health services provided to LGBTGEQIAP+ clients.
Description
What does it take to be competent to work with LGBTGEQIAP+ people? Many mental health specialists are open to working with Queer and Trans people, but openness does not translate to competence. Within this workshop, participants will learn how self-awareness, knowledge of client’s lives, privilege, marginalization, advocacy, and specific affirmative, liberatory, and celebratory counseling skills are needed to provide quality counseling to LGBTGEQIAP+ people. Using ALGBTIC competencies, participants will identify where they currently are on their continual journey of learning and building competence when working with LGBTGEQIAP+ people.
Presenters
Dr. Misty Ginicola is a Professor in the Counseling and School Psychology department at Southern Connecticut State University. Dr. Ginicola’s personal experiences and professional interests have developed into specific research interests and social justice advocacy in the areas of working with diverse clients and teaching multicultural competence, creative counseling strategies and counseling for the LGBTQ+ population.