Welcome to Issue 352 of Institute Inbrief
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Issue 352 // Institute Inbrief
Dear <<First Name>>,

Welcome to Edition 352 of Institute Inbrief. To work effectively with a range of clients, it is important for counsellors to understand the concept of diverse genders and sexualities and to reflect upon what these concepts mean in the context of their own practice and the client-counsellor relationship. That's the focus of this edition's featured article.


Also in this edition:
  1. 2021 Suicide Prevention Summit
  2. Procrastination: What Your Client Needs to Know
  3. A Case of Domestic Violence
  4. Enhancing Wellbeing in the Workplace
  5. Quotations, Seminar Timetables & More!

Enjoy your reading!



Sandra Poletto
CEO, Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors.

 
Diploma of Counselling
Join one of the most personally enriching careers.

There is no more rewarding way to help others than by providing emotional support that assists people get their lives back on track.

AIPC is the largest provider of counselling courses in the country. We have specialised in counsellor training for over 30 years. We have proudly helped over 55,000 people from 27 countries pursue their personal and career interests in counselling.

Our Diploma of Counselling is a journey of self-discovery, providing deep insight into why you think and behave as you do. And when you graduate, you will be extremely well prepared to pursue a career in counselling – employed or self-employed – enjoying our strong industry reputation and linkage.

As a Counsellor you will:
  1. Be truly passionate about what you do.
  2. Help people every day overcome challenges and lead better lives.
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Ready to start your Counselling journey, <<First Name>>?

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Diploma of Financial Counsellinglearn more
Do you want to help others who are facing financial hardship?

Diploma of Community Services (Case Management)learn more
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Do you want to positively influence the next generation?

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2021 Suicide Prevention Summit
The world’s largest Suicide Prevention online conference.


For the third consecutive year, Mental Health Academy & Lifeline have partnered to bring you the 2021 Suicide Prevention Summit.
 
The purpose of the Summit is to equip mental health professionals in Australia with the most up-to-date, advanced knowledge and treatment options for suicide prevention.
 
It’s entirely free to attend. And you can access all sessions online (both in real-time & on-demand), from the comfort of your own home.
 
As a participant, you will enjoy:
  1. Pay nothing to access 13 hours of cutting-edge learning, including best practice suicide prevention models and evidence-based clinical interventions.
  2. Join live interactive webinars and/or watch recordings (on-demand, 24/7).
  3. Learn directly from 24 leading clinicians, researchers, educators, and lived experience experts from Australia and the United States.
  4. Expert panel discussions & presentations covering postvention; Aboriginal & TSI mental health; lived experience; men’s, youth, elderly & LGBTIQ+ suicide prevention; assessment tools; and more.
  5. Speakers from the American Association of Suicidology, University of NSW, Orygen, Blackdog Institute, Lifeline Australia, La Trobe University, The Catholic University of America, MATES in Construction, University of Canberra, and more.

If you work in mental health and community services, this event is not to be missed.

LEARN MORE 
Understanding Diverse Genders and Sexualities

NB: In this article, the term ‘LGBTIQ+’ is used as an umbrella term to refer to lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex and queer people and other people with diverse genders and sexualities.

In keeping with international trends, mainstream understandings of gender and sexuality are changing in Australia. Diverse genders and sexualities are becoming more common and visible in the mainstream, affecting how people identify and understand themselves and each other. 

To work effectively with a range of clients, it is important for counsellors to understand the concept of diverse genders and sexualities and to reflect upon what these concepts mean in the context of their own practice and the client-counsellor relationship.

Diverse genders

‘Transgender and gender diverse’ is an umbrella term used to describe people whose gender is different to the sex that was assigned to them at birth. Beneath this ‘umbrella’ are a diverse range of terms used to describe people’s gender identities.

Non-binary (also referred to enby) people identify as neither a man or a woman, or they identify as more than one gender. Genderfluid people do not consistently identify with a single gender. Gender questioning people are unsure about their gender identity. MTX is a genderqueer or gender expansive person who was assigned male at birth. FTX is a genderqueer or gender expansive person who was assigned female at birth. AFAB / DFAB is a person who was assigned as female at birth / designated female at birth. AMAB / DMAB is a person who was assigned male at birth / designated male at birth.

The lived experiences of transgender and gender diverse people challenge traditional Western views of gender. They demonstrate that gender is not always a simple binary (man / woman), nor an inevitable outcome of one’s biological sex.

Case study

Matt’s eldest child, Jay, is 15 years old and identifies as non-binary. Jay wants to be referred to as ‘they / them.’  Matt has sought counselling to help him better adjust to and understand Jay’s needs. “I don’t really even know what non-binary means,” Matt says to his counsellor. “Does that mean he wants to become a woman?”

Diverse sexualities

The growing list of terms used to define and describe different sexual orientations reflects an increasingly nuanced and complex understanding of human sexuality. 

Aromantic (ARO) is used to describe a person who does not experience romantic attraction. Asexual (ACE) is used to describe a sexual orientation characterised by a lack of sexual attraction. Demisexual is used to describe a sexual orientation to people with whom you have an emotional connection.Gray asexual / Gray Ace is used to describe a person who experiences sexual attraction rarely. Pansexual is used to describe a person who is attracted to all genders, including cisgender, transgender and non-binary.

Diverse sexualities challenge the traditional Western belief that a person’s sexual orientation is limited to three possibilities: straight, gay or bisexual.

Case study

Tai is a 33-year-old nurse. He came out as bisexual in high school but has since realised that the term pansexual is a more accurate reflection of his sexual orientation. Tai has come to counselling to talk about a range of issues, including a budding relationship with a woman he is dating.

“She’s great, she’s such a great person,” Tai says as he describes his girlfriend. “It’s just, she’s pretty conservative. She’s assumed that I’m straight and at some stage I’ll need to tell her I’m not. But people have a hard enough time understanding what it means to bisexual, let alone pansexual so... it’s going to be interesting.”

Gender and sexuality

Sexual orientation and gender identity are distinct characteristics.
  1. Sexual orientation is a pattern of enduring romantic or physical attraction to another person
  2. Gender identity is a person’s innermost sense of themselves as a man, a woman or other gender (e.g. non-binary).

Although it seems obvious to point out, someone can be gay, lesbian, bisexual or queer without being transgender, and someone can be transgender without identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual or queer. Making this distinction is important because it was once commonly assumed that gay men were women ‘trapped’ in men’s bodies and lesbians were men ‘trapped’ in women’s bodies. This assumption was based on the heteronormative idea that the only people who could (or should) be attracted to men are women, and the only people who could (or should) be attracted to women are men. 

Michael Bronski and his colleagues (2013) argue that conflating sexual orientation with gender identity undermines the diverse and complex lived experiences of LGBTIQ+ people. For example, many gay men and lesbians report gender non-conformity in childhood, but not everyone who is gender non-conforming as a child will later identify as transgender. Similarly, conflating sexual orientation with gender identity often leads to the assumption that transgender people are gay. In fact, transgender people can identify with any sexual orientation along the continuum – gay, heterosexual, bisexual, pansexual and so on.

Although there is a clear distinction between gender identity and sexual orientation, people with diverse sexualities and people with diverse genders have a common social and political history. Both communities have been subject to violence, discrimination and stigma and there are myriad examples of the communities working together to advocate and fight for the rights of LGBTIQ+ people.

“The relationship between gay and transgender people is one of social and political survival. Gay and transgender people have sought one another’s support because they could not find it in environments, such as schools and workplaces, that are hostile to those who deviate from heterosexual gender norms” (Bronski et al, 2013, p. 128).

Case study

Li is 17 years old. She identifies as a trans woman. Li lives in a regional area with a loving and supportive family however she confides in her counsellor that she sometimes feels isolated and lonely.

“There’s a few gay kids at my school and they’re great, we all get along really well and we band together when someone’s getting bullied or harassed. But I’m the only trans woman in the group and even though I have heaps in common with the gay kids, being trans is not the same as being gay. I just wish there a few more trans people around who I could talk to, you know?”

Working with LGBTIQ+ clients

Affirmative approaches

One of the barriers to help-seeking among LGBTIQ+ people is fear of discrimination. For example, a recent report by the National LGBTI Health Alliance (2020) reported that 71% of LGBTIQ people aged 16 – 27 did not use a crisis support service during their most recent personal or mental health crisis and, for a significant proportion (32%), their reason for not seeking help was “anticipated discrimination”. 

It is important that counsellors are aware of the subtle and overt signs that convey homophobia and transphobia in a counselling session. These include:
  1. Stereotypical assumptions about a client based on their sexual orientation or gender identity
  2. Assuming that sexual orientation or gender identity is the cause of the client’s presenting problem
  3. Avoidance or minimization of the client’s sexual orientation or gender identity
  4. A limited understanding of diverse sexualities or diverse genders
  5. Judgmental attitudes or discomfort discussing sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.

In contrast, affirmative approaches to diverse genders and sexualities are characterised by:
  1. An understanding of diverse genders, diverse sexualities and LGBTIQ+ communities
  2. Awareness and acknowledgment of discrimination, prejudice and stigma
  3. A positive view of LGBTIQ+ lives
  4. Sensitivity and respect for same-sex relationships
  5. An assumption that LGBTIQ+ clients have the internal resources and creative capacities to manage the challenges they experience.

Case study

Zakiah works as a counsellor in a community-based health service. One way she makes sure that she is not making assumptions about a client’s sexual orientation is by using gender neutral phrases. So, when working with a new client, Zakiah will ask, ‘Are you in a relationship at the moment?’ or ‘Is there someone special in your life?’ If Zakiah asked her client ‘Do you have a girlfriend / boyfriend at the moment?’, she would be assuming that the client is heterosexual.

Reflecting on privilege

Peter Finnerty and his colleagues (2017) argue that mere tolerance of diverse genders and sexualities is not sufficient for counsellors who want to work with clients in an affirmative way. They argue that an affirmative approach to LGBTIQ+ clients requires:
  1. Understanding and
  2. A willingness to resist and defy:
    • Heterosexism: beliefs, values and practices which imply that heterosexual relationships are the only natural, normal and legitimate expressions of sexuality and relationships,
    • Hender binaries: the classification of gender into two categories (man or woman) based on biological sex and
    • Heterosexual and cisgender privilege. 

To develop these qualities, counsellors – including those who identify as LGBTIQ+ - need to identify their own biases and privileges and assess how these factors influence their work with clients.

Reflecting on heteronormative privilege

Heteronormative privilege is the unconscious or taken for granted benefits afforded to heterosexual people. Here are some examples of heteronormative privilege developed by Sam Killerman (the full list is available
here). 
  1. Receiving public recognition and support for your intimate relationships
  2. The ability to express affection in most situations without expecting a hostile reaction
  3. The ability to move into any neighbourhood without worrying whether your neighbours, local service providers, schools etc. will accept you and your family
  4. Having the choice to belong to a religious denomination without worrying what the leaders of that religion say or believe about your sexual orientation
  5. Not having to ‘come out’ (pronounce or explain how your sexual identity).

Do any of these privileges apply to you? If so, how might these privileges influence your work with clients?

Case study

Giancarlo is a tolerant and open-minded person and he regularly applies those principles to his counselling work. During a recent professional development course, Giancarlo and his colleagues were asked to reflect upon their heteronormative privilege.

Giancarlo reflected on the multiple places he had lived: he grew up in Italy, then moved to the United States, where he met his wife. They lived in Dubai for a few years, then Singapore, before migrating to Australia.

“The travel itself is a privilege, of course,” Giancarlo explains to the group of people at the workshop. “But not having to worry was a form of privilege as well. I never had to worry that I wouldn’t be accepted in a different country because I was in love with and married to a woman.”

Reflecting on cisgender privilege

Cisgender privilege is the unconscious or taken for granted benefits afforded to cisgender people. Here are some examples of cisgender privileges (also developed by Sam Killerman,
click here for more information).
  1. Being able to use public toilets and access changing rooms without fear of confrontation
  2. Not having to put up with people asking you what your genitals look like or how you have sex
  3. Your validity as a man or woman is not based on how much surgery you have had
  4. Not having to remind people to use the correct pronouns when referring to you
  5. Not having to worry that people might assume you’re confused, troubled or misled because of your gender identity

Do any of these privileges apply to you? If so, how might these privileges influence your work with clients?

Case study

When Nat’s colleague gives her an article to read about cisgender privilege, Nat reflects on the fact that no one has ever questioned her right to use the women’s toilets or the women’s changing room at her gym. She imagines what it’s like to have to remind people to use the correct pronouns when referring to her. 

As a woman, Nat has an understanding of gender-based discrimination. However, it is not until she consciously reflects on being cisgender that she begins to understand the privileges associated with that identity. A person whose gender corresponds to the sex they were assigned at birth (a person born female who identifies as a woman, and a person born male who identifies as a man) is cisgender.

Conclusion

Most LGBTIQ+ Australians live happy and fulfilling lives. They face the same challenges as other Australians in their relationships, family and working life and demonstrate remarkable resilience in the face of stigma and discrimination.

Counsellors can play an important role in ensuring the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ people. To fulfill this role, counsellors need to have an awareness and understanding of diverse genders and sexualities, a commitment to affirmative practice, and the ability to reflect upon their own privilege.


References:
  1. American Psychological Association. (2012). Guidelines for Psychological Practice With Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients. Retrieved from: Website.
  2. Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS). (2019). LGBTIQA+ communities: Glossary of common terms. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies. Retrieved from: Website.
  3. Bronski, M., Pelligrini, A., & Amico, M. (2013). You can tell just by looking and 20 other myths about LGBT life and people. Boston: Beacon Press.
  4. Finnerty, P., Kocet, M. M., Lutes, J., & Yates, C. (2017). Affirmative, Strengths-based counselling with LGBTIQ+ people. In M. M. Ginicola (Ed.), Affirmative Counseling with LGBTQI+ People (pp. 109-125). American Counselling Association.
  5. Killerman, S. (2012a). 30+ Examples of Heterosexual (Straight) Privileges. Retrieved from: Website.
  6. Killerman, S. (2012b). 30+ Examples of Cisgender Privileges. Retrieved from: Website.
  7. Lytle, M. C., Vaughan, M., Rodriguez, E. M., & Shmerler, D. L. (2015). Working with LGBT Individuals: Incorporating Positive Psychology into Training and Practice. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(4).
  8. National LGBTI Health Alliance. (2014). Working therapeutically with LGBTI clients: a practice wisdom resource. Newtown, NSW. Retrieved from: Website.
  9. National LGBTI Health Alliance. (2020). Snapshot of mental health and suicide: Prevention statistics for LGBTI people. Retrieved from: Website.
  10. PFLAG. (2020). PFLAG National Glossary of Terms. Retrieved from: Website.
  11. Weir, C., & Piquette, N. (2018). Counselling Transgender Individuals: Issues and Considerations. Canadian Psychology, 59(3), 252-261.
Procrastination: What Your Client Needs to Know

95% of us procrastinate (Steel, 2010) – accruing negative consequences – despite having recognised for 500 years that we do it! Yet even modern psychological science still does not have definitive answers for why we procrastinate, or ironclad solutions for how to stop. If the client sitting in front of you is lamenting all the negative consequences he’s had for engaging in this habit, what can you tell him to help? What does he need to know to change his behaviour? This article looks at recent research illuminating what’s behind this most irritating habit, and the approaches that may help deal with it. 

READ MORE 
A Case of Domestic Violence

he client, Gary, called to make his first appointment and said he was persuaded by “a mate” to attend counselling to control his anger. In short Gary was a perpetrator of physical abuse against his intimate female partner, Julie, who is 22 years of age. The couple have no children but his partner has recently expressed a desire to have a child with him. The client is 28 years old and a labourer by occupation. He has only had casual/ contractual employment and has been subject to periods of unemployment, the longest being three months. At the time of beginning counselling Gary was unemployed and renting with his partner in a shared house with another couple. 


READ MORE 

More articles: www.aipc.net.au/articles
Science and Practice of Wellbeing Credential
Cutting-edge practical tools to improve your - and your clients' - wellbeing.

Mental Health Academy have recently launched their latest Credential Course, Science and Practice of Wellbeing.
 
This digitally badged program is led by internationally-renowned speaker and master trainer, Sue Langley.
 
It is a comprehensive 24-hour course that will teach you the foundational theories, professional tools and evidence-based interventions that contribute to enhanced wellbeing. 
 
As a course participant, you’ll enjoy on-demand access to a wealth of knowledge and exclusive practical resources, including:
  1. 17 video lectures (8 hours of one-on-one, on-demand content) presented by globally renowned educator and master trainer, Sue Langley.
     
  2. A carefully selected collection of articles exploring cutting-edge topics and research including theories of wellbeing; mindfulness; the neuroscience of habits; emotions and broaden & build theory; mental, physical and environment wellbeing strategies; the power of social connection, kindness and altruism; identifying and using strengths; relationship strategies; and much more.
     
  3. 16 workbooks with activities to help put your learning into practice, including assessment tools and exercises for your therapy/coaching clients. 
     
  4. Self-paced online assessments, easily accessible via the MHA Learning Portal.

Click the link below to learn more about and enrol in this program (with a limited time discount - you'll save $650.00). If you have any questions, please email the Mental Health Academy team on help@mentalhealthacademy.com.au. 

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Have you visited Counselling Connection yet? Our official blog has over 500 posts counselling, psychology, self-growth, and more! Make sure you too get connected. Below is a link to one of our popular blog posts.

Enhancing Wellbeing in the Workplace

The morning alarm jolts you awake, and you roll over to swat the snooze button – just like that, Monday has come again, along with another working week. You mourn the freedoms of the weekend and drag yourself out of bed whilst wondering why your alarm’s tone is so irritating. “I need coffee”, you think. “And I need another holiday soon.” Is this scenario familiar? For many people, the daily act of getting ready to go to work (or its Pandemic sister, login to work) can be daunting, especially for those whose workplaces lack measures to enhance (and maintain) staff wellbeing. But does it have to be this way? 

READ MORE 

More posts: www.counsellingconnection.com
"Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant – there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing – and keeping the unknown always beyond you."

~ Georgia O’Keeffe
Many students of the Diploma of Counselling attend seminars to complete the practical requirements of their course. Seminars provide an ideal opportunity to network with other students and liaise with qualified counselling professionals in conjunction with completing compulsory coursework.
 
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  3. Communication Skills II
  4. Counselling Therapies I
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  7. Brief Interventions and Loss & Grief Support
  8. Individualised Support and Working with Mental Health
  9. Advanced Counselling Techniques

Click here to access all seminar timetables online.
 
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