Does a Counsellor’s Sexuality Factor in Couple Counselling?
Posted by on 6 Sep, 2012 in Sexuality | 0 comments
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Counselling “Sexuality Workshop” training.
During my counselling training in the 90s, a workshop on sexuality was arranged. The students had questions about working with homosexual clients and – interestingly – the tutor firstly avoided answering directly, then later actively vetoed the questions. The trainer put to us that although he understood that some of us were interested in homosexuality and working with gay clients, this topic was not going to be included in the scope of the training.
Fair enough?
A number of my colleagues and I noticed with further interest that some of the role playing exercises during that workshop contained matters regarding all sorts of sexual matters including bestiality (sex with animals).
Bestiality OK to discuss? Homosexuality not OK to discuss?
We wondered what that message was meant to convey to us, and wondered also if such a trainer also (unconsciously?) communicated something about this interesting imbalance toward the clients that they took into therapy.
Several years later, whilst attending a BACP conference on sexuality facilitated by Dominic Davies from Pink Therapy, the delegates were ask if homosexuality had not been covered on our counselling training courses. I noted that a majority of attendees to the seminar raised their hand.
It leaves me wondering about what sort of messages therapists get during such training – as if matters of sexuality are taboo.and trainer-therapist (with – possible – unresolved issues relating to their facing sexuality issues in others, or their own sexuality or sexual identification) this avoidance of homosexuality may be giving to some of their clients.
Perhaps by the nature of society and the homosexual child, LGBT counsellors (as individuals growing up through their lives) will be experiencing issues that encourages them to be prepared to be reflexive around matters regarding their sexuality, and sexuality, during their counselling training … and, I believe, psychodynamic counsellors in particular will be predisposed to dealing with this.
I believe this predisposes an LGBT counsellor toward LGBT client’s issues in a more empathic manner than, say, some heterosexual therapists who have rarely been required to review their position regarding sexuality.
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