On Sexuality and Religion

One of my assignments this week in "Counseling and Advocacy with Diverse Populations" was to address how my personal spiritual or religious beliefs may present challenges in working with clients who are sexual minorities. I usually only share my academic papers, but I thought that such a topic would be an important one to discuss, so I have included my answer to the question posited. 


As a member of both a religious and sexual minority, I feel confident in my ability to counsel sexual minorities as effectively as those who are among the majority, in both religion and sexual orientation. My personal views, combined with my experiences, both environmental and those sought out to gain information, have led to make me an individual who is capable in many situations. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California expanded my horizons of life, culturally and personally, in addition to a family in which there was a gay member, made sexual orientation a subject that wasn’t taboo. 

Conversely, being in the military led me to realize that not everyone shared my background and thoughts about sexuality and religion. While I realize that my viewpoint and lifestyle fall within the minority category, I do not think it will provide a hindrance to effective therapy, as I firmly believe that people are individuals first, and that trauma and other psychological distress knows no boundaries. I hope that my varied background can provide a diverse set of skills, which can be of use to a large population in need.

Continuous learning is one aspect that I enjoy, and one that I make a conscious effort of pursuing. While I may not identify with the major religions, I have taken several courses on the subject matter, including both Eastern and Western belief systems. Additionally, I have taken several courses on human sexuality, feminism, and social psychology, which have helped to broaden my spectrum of knowledge. Another personal interest is fringe religions and cults, which also help to expand upon the ability to think about others who do not share my own personal belief system, yet are still central to the individual seeking counseling. By keeping blinders on, a great disservice to both the individual and the counseling profession as a whole is at risk. Actively seeking out information about groups of which one does not affiliate themselves with is key in becoming an effective counselor and member of society.

Upon examining the Social justice Advocacy Readiness Questionnaire (Chen-Hayes, 2001), I find that I possess a level of sexual and religious competence that would assist in my counseling of individuals who find themselves within the minority category. By taking the initiative in pursuing a broad spectrum of education, counselors can avoid the pitfalls associated with heterosexual presumption (Matthews, 2005), which hinders the therapeutic relationship, and in turn, can cause further psychological trauma. If a counselor does find himself or herself in a situation with a client that they do not feel they are able to effectively counsel, it is imperative to utilize the referral system.

References

Chen-Hayes, S. F. (2001). Social justice advocacy readiness questionnaire. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 13(1-2), 191-203.

Matthews, C. R. (2005). Infusing lesbian, gay, and bisexual issues into counselor education. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, 44(2), 168-184.