A Narratology of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Clients' Experiences Addressing Religious and Spiritual Issues in Counseling

Juleen K. Buser, Kristopher M. Goodrich, Melissa Luke, Trevor J. Buser

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although spiritual and religious themes have been found to be salient for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) individuals, a paucity of research has explored how these themes are attended to in the counseling context. This qualitative investigation used a narratology approach to explore the counseling experiences of seven LGBT clients around spiritual and religious issues. The narrative which emerged included (a) negative counseling experiences, (b) client perseverance in locating additional counseling, (c) positive counseling experiences, and (d) a reframing of counselor responsibility. The results of this study contain implications for future research, clinical practice, and counselor training.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)282-303
Number of pages22
JournalJournal of LGBT Issues in Counseling
Volume5
Issue number3-4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2011

Keywords

  • LGBT clients
  • narratology
  • qualitative research
  • religion
  • spirituality

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Gender Studies
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Applied Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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