Within the diverse LGBTQ+ community, queer people of color (QPOC) represent a variety of gender, affectional and cultural identities and experiences. Intersectionality offers a unique lens for understanding multiple minority identities, cultural strengths and resilience. Using intersectionality as a conceptual framework, the presenters will review current research, share personal and professional reflections from the field and identify culturally relevant affirming counseling practices with QPOC.
Learning Objectives:
Describe intersectionality as a framework for understanding the diverse experiences of Queer people of Color.
Identify, assess and emphasize cultural strengths and resilience with Queer people of Color in counseling practice.
Implement culturally competent affirmative counseling knowledge and skills in counseling practice.
This session will examine the resiliency factors and the strategies transgender (trans) college students use to navigate gender-dichotomous collegiate environments. The multiple intersections of college trans* students and their various social identities are highlighted as well as the importance of coping strategies for a successful college experience. One of the presenters identifies as trans* and will share his insights as well as provide first hand suggestions that will inform and assist college counselors, student affairs professionals, faculty, and administrators working with college trans* students. Additional recommendations such as the (un)learning of normative gender constructs, the use of appropriate language in the curricula, and suggestions for providing a safe environment, inside and outside the classroom, will also be explored. Affirmative- and resilience-based counseling and “helping” approaches for working with trans* college students will conclude this training.
Learning Objectives:
Awareness and understand the intersection of multiple identities of college trans students.
Strategies that trans students use to navigate the campus and the college experience.
Begin the process of (un)learning the use of traditional gender constructs.
This article synthesizes the literature relevant to coping with racism to provide a 4-stage model for addressing clients' discriminatory experiences. Major suggestions drawn from the literature include applying frameworks with a contextuallens, using broaching and eliciting skills to promote client exploration of racism and the effects of racism on persons of color, enhancing client racial and ethnic identities, and tailoring interventions to the clients' culture and preferred coping strategies
Objectives:
Synthesize professional literature relevant to coping with racism
Explore a four-stage model for addressing clients' discriminatory experiences
*Counselors requiring New York State approval must contact ACA upon completion to obtain customized CE certificate
The UN estimates that there are 60 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide, a number that has not been seen since during World War II. Rachael D. Goodman, Ph.D., LPC, educates counselors about the unique concerns and strengths of refugees; explains useful models for understanding trauma and related mental health concerns among refugees; and provides appropriate interventions that are grounded in ecosystemic and multicultural-social justice counseling frameworks. Dr. Goodman has served as an assistant professor in the Counseling and Development Program at George Mason University since 2010. Her work is grounded in social justice and multiculturalism, with a focus on trauma counseling.
Provide an overview of Counseling Refugees: Addressing Trauma, Stress, and Resilience.
Provide recommendations for counselors when working with the refugee population.
Discuss intervention approaches and additional considerations.
*Counselors requiring New York State approval must contact ACA upon completion to obtain customized CE certificate
With between 800,000 and 4 million individuals sold for sex or labor every year, modern-day slavery (human trafficking) is the world’s second largest criminal industry in the world, and the fastest growing. Jared S. Rose, M.A., LPC/CR, NCC, provides an overview of this social justice problem, its impact on victims, and the necessary supports to assist individuals in their movement toward being survivors and thrivers. He discusses the warning signs, screening methods, and counseling approaches and interventions that are appropriate with this population and provides counseling resources for this population. Participants will learn how counselors can be social justice advocates against the trafficking of people. Mr. Rose’s areas of expertise include HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, sex/sexuality/gender minorities, sexual health, and the impact of culture on sexualization of children and the sexual exploitation of women/girls.
Provide an overview of human trafficking, its impact on victims, and necessary support.
Discuss warning signs, screening methods, interventions and counseling approaches appropriate with the human trafficking survivor population.
Provide resources for the population and discuss ways counselors can be social justice advocates against the trafficking of people.
With increasing frequency, professional counselors are needed to respond to communities that have experienced major traumatic events. Cirecie A. West-Olatunji, Ph.D., provides background information on the sociohistorical nature of trauma within socially and culturally marginalized communities and highlights evidence-based interventions that can be used to facilitate recovery and empowerment. Dr. West-Olatunji discusses traumatic stress and how it differs from posttraumatic stress disorder. She provides specific interventions that have proven effective in addressing traumatic stress due to social and cultural marginalization. Dr. West-Olatunji is an associate professor and director of the Center for Traumatic Stress Research at Xavier University of Louisiana, and she is a past president of the American Counseling Association.
Discuss traumatic stress and how it differs from posttraumatic stress disorder.
Discuss the relationship between social marginalization and evidence of traumatic stress symptomology.
Provide specific interventions proven effective in addressing traumatic stress due to social and cultural marginalization.
Description: The
counseling experiences of 13 transgender and gender nonconforming individuals
were examined via semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Using multiple
standards of trustworthiness (e.g., member checking, negative case analysis),
researchers analyzed each interview from an interpretative phenomenological
analytic framework. Four main themes were identified: (a) mental
health professional selection process, (b) trans-affirmative approach, (c) trans-negative approach, and (d) support systems beyond counseling. Implications
for implementing culturally responsive TGNC affirmative counseling, TGNC
sensitive counselor training, and social justice oriented research are
discussed.
Objectives:
Examine transgender and gender-nonconforming clients’ counseling experiences.
Explore factors that support culturally responsive affirmative counseling for transgender and gender-nonconforming clients.
Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee communities face unique challenges when moving to a new country and culture. Drs. Vivian and Courtland Lee spent two years in Malta exploring and studying these cultures to gain an understanding of how to better counsel these groups, including asylum seekers. Understanding the motivation behind the decision to leave one’s home, and the relationship between acculturative stress and quality of life are key to understanding the counseling needs of the immigrant and refugee population.
Millions of families in the United States, children included, endure profound disruption due to the deportation of one or more family members. Potential consequences of fear of parental deportation will be discussed followed by an introduction to several creative interventions that may be helpful in working with children of undocumented parents. Implications for counselors, counselor educators and researchers will also be included.
Learning Objectives:
Gain a general understanding of the potential familial, marital, financial, and psycho-social consequences of fear of parental deportation on children.
Learn about implications and recommendations for working with immigrant children affected by deportations.
Learn about creative interventions that may be useful in helping children impacted by fear of parental deportation.
For several decades, civil rights-based protections for LGBTQ- identified individuals were increasingly solidified through case law, federal guidance, and legislation. Through the lens of Title IX, college student affairs and other equity issues resources, we will discuss how counselors can support their students and clients through awareness of legal and policy protections in school and workplace. Identifying the available legal rights and resources that can support client advocacy, whether in a school or agency setting, is vital to the focused empowerment by counselors that encourage client self advocacy.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will learn to identify and monitor LGBTQ civil rights protections in school and workplace.
Participants will learn to identify options for advocating for LGBTQ rights as well as offering students and clients tools for self advocating in a strength-based atmosphere.
