Volume_7_Issue_2_Digest

2 TPC Digest 2 L esbian-, gay- and bisexual- (LGB-) affirmative counseling includes counselors’ knowledge, awareness of attitudes and skills that support sexually diverse clients. With the evolving social and political landscape surrounding LGB issues in the United States, counselors’ ability to effectively serve LGB clients is increasingly important. Among studies of LGB-affirmative counseling competence, counselor religiosity has been examined as a contributing factor; however, counselor spirituality has not been explored as a potentially different aspect of identity. The author sought to examine counselors’ self-identified religiosity and spirituality as they relate to LGB-affirmative counseling competence. In this large study of practicing counselors and counseling students (N = 453), the following factors were examined to determine their relationship to LGB-affirmative counseling competence: counselors’ self-identified religiosity, self-identified spirituality, education level, counseling experience with LGB clients and LGB interpersonal contact. Multiple regression analysis revealed that all five predictors explained 31% of variance in LGB-affirmative counseling competence. Of particular interest, there was a negative β value for religiosity, indicating an inverse relationship with LGB-affirmative counseling competence compared to a positive β value for spirituality and LGB-affirmative counseling competence. An Examination of Counselors’ Religiosity, Spirituality, and Lesbian-, Gay-, and Bisexual-Affirmative Counselor Competence Laura Boyd Farmer