TPC-Digests-V1-Issues-123

isolation, and ageism. LGBT individuals may encounter additional complexities surrounding discrimination based on his or her sexual identity, harassment in care facilities, a lack of legal protections with domestic partners, and the inability of their domestic partners or designated families of choice to legally participate in end-of-life care and decisions. Professional counselors, working with an older adult LGBT client, should remain open to his or her client’s individual history beyond any preconceived stereotypes about sexual minorities or the elderly. Indeed, there is much diversity for individuals identifying within the LGBT acronym based on factors such as race and ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, and rural or urban living. Professional counselors also are encouraged to assist their older adult LGBT clients in recognizing positive skills that he or she has developed related to their sexual identity. For example, how the process of overcoming any negative societal messages about LGBT populations has perhaps developed a unique set of skills within the client that can be utilized to navigate, and ease adjustment to the aging process. The counseling profession is recognized internationally for exemplifying the synthesis of inquiry and practice. As populations of older adult LGBT individuals continue to increase in size with limited research in existence, an expanded inquiry within professional counseling can support the existing work with this growing population by addressing gaps in the research as well as discovering new directions in theory and practice. Professional counselors, working with an older adult LGBT client, should remain open to his or her client’s individual history beyond any preconceived stereotypes about sexual minorities or the elderly. TPC Digest