COUN 591 – Summer 2007

Special topics in Counseling:

Counseling Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender populations

2 credits

Instructor: Dibya Choudhuri, Ph.D., LPC, ACS

Office: 304 Porter Building

Phone: 734-487-0255

Fax: 734-487-4608

Email:

Course times: Saturdays, 9:00 to 1:30, July 7 – August 11

Course Description:

This seminar will address issues related to counseling gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender clients. These include issues of sexual identity development, coming out, homophobia and heterosexism, family and relationship issues, multicultural issues, youth, aging, spirituality, HIV/AIDS, and substance abuse as well as ethical and professional issues in working with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender clients through affirmative counseling/therapy.

Course Objectives:

1. Students will increase their understanding of the impact that the homophobia and heterosexism of the dominant culture has on LGBT individuals.

2. Students will increase their understanding of the multifaceted issues facing specific populations of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender clients, including women, ethnic minorities, youth, and older adults.

3. Students will become familiar with theories of identity development important to understanding LGBT clients.

4. Students will increase their awareness of the need for affirmative counseling/therapy with the LGBT population and their knowledge and skill in providing it.

5. Students will increase their understanding of a variety of counseling issues that have particular relevance to LGBT clients.

6. Students will increase their awareness of and access to local and national resources available to assist in work with LGBT clients.

Readings:

Required: Articles on e-reserves

Recommended: Perez, R.M., DeBord, K.A., & Bieschke, K.J. (2007). Handbook of counseling and psychotherapy with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients (2nd Ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Course Assignments

A. Personal Log Assignment: 10% of grade

You will use this log to document your reflections, understandings, insights, and struggles with the issues presented and your experiences in and out of class with the material, guest speakers, as well as experiential activities. Due to the instructor as a MS Word file by email attachment by August 11th, 2007.

B. Experiential activities: 15% of grade

You will develop a set of three activities that facilitate your entering the LGBT community. You can choose a mix of activities that pertain to worship, recreation, advocacy or social services. For e.g. you may attend worship services of a LGBT affirmative church, visit a predominantly gay social event, or attend a meeting at the Washtenaw Rainbow Coalition. You will write up each of these activities in a reflective one page narrative (you can attach any flyers or brochures you may receive). Due to the instructor by August 11th, 2007.

C. Book review: 10% of grade

Read a book from the list provided (or choose your own with permission of the instructor) that is a personal account or memoir of some aspect of sexual orientation identity. You will write a 2-3 page book review detailing your responses, reflections, and applications to future counseling practice.

Memoirs/Biographies

Aizley, H. (Ed.) (2006). Confessions of the other mother: Non-biological lesbian moms

tell all. Boston: Beacon Press.

Albing, M. (2005). Called into Ministry: to be a good and faithful pastor: reflections of a

partnered lesbian. Kirk House publishers.

Berzon, B. (2002). Surviving madness: A therapist’s own story. Madison, WI: University

of Wisconsin Press.

Blum, L. A. (2001). You’re not from around here, are you: A lesbian in small-town

America. Madison, WI; University of Wisconsin Press.

Borich, B. J. (2000). My lesbian husband. Graywolf Press.

Buxton, A.P. (1994). The other side of the closet: The coming-out crisis for straight

spouses and families. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Chase, C. (1999). Queer 13: Lesbian and gay writers recall seventh grade. NY: Harper.

Gillespie, P. (Ed.) (1999). Love makes a family: portraits of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and

transgender parents and their families. University of Massachusetts press.

Griffin, C.W., Wirth, M.J., & Wirth, A.G. (1996). Beyond acceptance: Parents and gays

talk about their experiences. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Heron, A. (Ed.). (1994). Two teenagers in twenty: Writings by gay and lesbian youth.

Boston, MA: Alyson Publications.

Howey, N. & Samuels, E. (Eds.) (2000). Out of the ordinary: essays on growing up with

gay, lesbian, and transgender parents. NY: St. Martin’s Press.

Hutchins, L. & Kaahumanu, L. (Eds.) (1991). Bi any other name: Bisexual people speak

out. Los Angeles: Alyson books.

Jensen, K. L. (1999). Lesbian epiphanies: Women coming out in later life. NY:

Harrington Park Press.

Jones, C. (2006). Squirrel Cage. Lulu.com

Kumashiro, K. K. (Ed.) (2003). Restoried selves: autobiographies of queer Asian-

Pacific-American Activists. Haworth Gay and Lesbian Studies. Harrington Park Press.

Larkin, J. (Ed.) (2000). A woman like that: Lesbian and bisexual writers tell their coming

out stories. NY: Harper Press.

Luczak, R. (Ed.) (1993). Eyes of desire: A deaf gay and lesbian reader. Alyson

Publications..

Orndoff, K. (Ed.) (1999). Bi lives: Bisexual women tell their stories. Sharp Press

Rafkin, L. (Ed.).(1996). Different daughters. Pittsburgh, PA: Cleis Press.

D. Watching films: 5% of grade

Watch a selection of 5 films that you have not seen before from the following list and document in a single sheet. Feel free to add your own that significantly explore LGBT concerns.

Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

And the Band played on

Baghdad Café

Birdcage

Boys Don’t Cry

Brokeback Mountain

Chasing Amy

Chutney Popcorn

The Crying game

Desert hearts

Fried Green Tomatoes

A home at the end of the world

Kissing Jessica Stein

Lianna

Longtime Companion

Ma Vie En Rose

Mango Kiss

Maurice

The Mostly unfabulous social life of Ethan Green

My Beautiful Launderette

My Summer of Love

Paris is Burning

Priest

Scenes from the Class struggle in Beverly Hills

Times of Harvey Milk

Torch Song Trilogy

To Wong Foo, thanks for everything, Julie Newmar

Transmerica

Wedding Banquet

E. Development of a Counseling LGBT Clients Portfolio 50% of final grade

Your portfolio will be an intentional collection of artifacts (i.e., examples of your work) that exhibit your efforts, development, and achievement in this course. Artifacts can be journal entries, case studies, transcripts of counseling sessions, completed exercises, book reviews, or anything else that demonstrates the development of your counseling competence with LGBT clients. Your portfolio should include the following sections:

A. Preface – Describe the organization of your portfolio, and let the reader know what you are trying to accomplish through your portfolio in a one page narrative.

B. Categories – Select a minimum of one artifact per objective to demonstrate progress in the following areas:

Rationale statements – For each artifact include a rationale statement that addresses: why you selected this artifact, a description of the process you went through to meet your goal, and what you learned. This should be a paragraph of 150 to 200 words.

1. Choose two of the following skills:

  1. affirmative counseling
  2. appropriate interviews/assessments with LGBT clients
  3. creating a safe environment for counseling LGBT clients
  4. client conceptualization with LGBT individuals
  5. recognition of limitations and seeking out consultation and resources for your work with LGBT clients
  6. Choose four of the following areas of knowledge:
  7. coming out and identity issues
  8. diversity and prejudice within LGBT community
  9. discrimination, oppression, prejudice, homophobia, and heterosexism
  10. domestic violence in the LGBT community
  11. ethical issues and professional guidelines for working with LGBT clients
  12. health issues (including HIV)
  13. religion/spirituality
  14. relationships and sexuality
  15. mental health issues affecting LGBT clients
  16. training as an ally of LGBT individuals
  17. substance abuse issues

C. Conclusion – Address the following areas in a 1-2 page narrative:

  1. What you have learned about yourself as a potential helping professional from developing the portfolio and from the class.
  2. Specific skills and information that will enhance your work with LGBT clients as well as desired growth in this area and plan for achieving growth.

Portfolio presentation – You will present your portfolio to the class on August 11, 2007. You will share highlights of your preface and conclusion and a selection of artifacts for approximately 10 minutes. You will turn in your portfolio to the instructor on that day.

Notes:

·  It is important to demonstrate the process of growth, as well as the achieved objective.

·  Your portfolio is your individual creation, therefore it is expected that no two will look alike, and the format is flexible.

F. Class participation and attendance: 10% of grade

Thoughtful and engaged participation in the class activities will be appropriately rewarded.

Course Outline

Readings are available on E-reserves

COUN 591 Password is LGBT

Session / Topic / Activities / E-reserve Readings
1 / Sexual identity development. Gender construction. Homophobia and heterosexism / Experiential activities
Film Clips / Sexual Identity folder
2 / Coming out process / Film: Coming out process
Working with Gay men / Coming out issues
3 / Sexuality and love. Relationships and intimacy / Film: Affirmative Psychotherapy
Working with Lesbian women / Gay and lesbian relationships; Gay and lesbian parents and their children
4 / Bisexuality / Film: The Bisexual experience
Working with Bisexual persons / Bisexuality; Transgender
5 / Sexual minority youth; Multicultural, aging, spiritual and disability issues / Film: Sexual Minority Adolescents
Working with Transgender folk / Sexual minority youth; Aging among Gays and Lesbians
6 / Ethical and professional issues / Portfolio presentations / Therapy issues

Bibliography

Assessment in Counseling

Chernin, J., Holden, J.M., & Chandler, C. (1997). Bias in psychological assessment:

Heterosexism. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 30, 68-77.

Prince, J.P. (1997). Assessment bias affecting lesbian, gay male and bisexual individuals,

Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 30, 82-88.

Bisexuality

Beemyn, B. & Steinman, E. (Eds.) (2001). Bisexuality in the lives of men: Facts and

fictions. NY: Harrington Park press.

Fairyington, S. (2005). Bisexuality and the case against dualism. Gay & Lesbian Review,

12(4), 32-36.

Firestein, B.A. (Ed.). (1996). Bisexuality: The psychology and politics of an invisible

minority. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Grannis, K. (2005). Bi and invisible. Advocate (November 22, 2005), p.24.

Hemmings, C. (2002). Bisexual spaces: A geography of sexuality and gender. NY:

Routledge.

Matteson, D.R. (1999). Intimate bisexual couples. In J. Carlson, & L. Sperry (Eds.), The

intimate couple, pp. 439-459.

Rust, P C. R. (Ed.) (2000). Bisexuality in the United States: A social science reader. NY:

Columbia University Press.

Coming Out

Bilodeau, B. L. (2005). Analysis of LGBT identity development models and implications

for practice. New directions for Student Services, 111, 25-39.

Marcus, E. (1999). Is it a choice” Answers to 300 of the most frequently asked questions

about gay and lesbian people. San Francisco: Harper.

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Examining identity and development in lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Counseling

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