Guidelines for gay/lesbian/bisexual-affirmative educational practices in graduate psychology programs.

Abstract

How can professional psychology graduate programs foster gay/lesbian/bisexual (GLB)-affirmative educational practices? In this article, we develop and make recommendations on such practices with respect to (a) institutional climate and support and (b) education about GLB issues. We find that there is a relationship between the institutional climate and the quality of education about GLB issues; it thus behooves programs and their institutions to attend to both aspects of GLB-affirmative strategies. Institutions and programs that actively embrace such strategies will be rewarded with a more stimulating, accepting, and affirming environment for all members of their community. MARYKA BIAGGIO received her PhD in combined professional-scientific psychology from Utah State University. She is a professor and director of research on feminist issues in the School of Professional Psychology at Pacific University. Her scholarly interests are in psychology of women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues (LGBT). SUE ORCHARD received her MS at Eastern Washington University and is completing her PsyD in clinical psychology at Pacific University. Her scholarly interests are in feminist psychotherapy, multicultural counseling, and LGBT issues. JANE LARSON received her MS in clinical psychology from Pacific University. She is now a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Pacific University, and her research interests include sexual minority issues. KELLY PETRINO received her BA from the University of Montana. She is currently enrolled in the clinical psychology doctoral program at Pacific University. Her scholarly interests are in adolescent development and LGBT issues. ROBERTA MIHARA received her MS in clinical psychology from Pacific University. She is in the clinical psychology doctoral program at Pacific University. Her research interests are in LGBT issues. WE THANK Gladys L. Croom for her review and suggestions, Kelly Duceny

Examining the Development of Positive Space in Health and Social Service Organizations: A Canadian Exploratory Study

“…As well, practice standards and professional competencies vary with complex standards and related professional curriculum for regulated health professionals (e.g., nursing, social work) and limited education for personal support workers. There are challenges to implementing provider education and training that reflects the affirmative educational practices that are recommended in the literature (Biaggio et al, 2003;MacDonnell, 2009;Ussher, 2009). While many social work programs may use a social justice, anti-oppression lens and attend to intersectionality, not all disciplines including nursing or medicine are using this approach, instead focusing on transcultural approaches without attention to power and privilege.…”

“…The term affirmative practice, rather than positive space, has been used in social work, counseling, and some educational literature to refer to practitioner practices that create positive and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ people (Biaggio, Orchard, Larson, Petrino, & Mihara, 2003;Bridges, Selvidge, & Matthews, 2003;Crisp, 2007;Mottet & Tanis, 2008), although attention to the organizational environment varies in this context. 1 For instance, Crisp (2007), noting that affirmative practice is a fairly recent concept, built on Appleby and Anastas' (1998) six principles for affirmative therapy, which focused on the individual client-provider interaction.…”

Diversity and inclusivity at university: a survey of the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) students in the UK

“…By focusing on providing 'safe spaces' for LGBT people and increasing awareness of these issues, they are limited in their ability to effect change in the wider social setting of the university. Only a few papers explore the need for support at an institutional level through policy development and the development of innovative student support services (Messinger 2002;Biaggio et al 2003), and none address extra-curricular concerns.…”

Fostering research collaborations in LGBT psychology: an introduction to the special issue

“…Research on the education of LGBT psychologists also suggests that 'heterosexist' environments (Herek, 2007) may engender minority stress (c.f., Meyer, 2003). Undergraduate and postgraduate sexual minority students do not always find themselves recognized in the psychology curricula that purport to represent them (Biaggio, Orchard, Larson, Petrino, & Mihara, 2003, Hodges & Pearson, 2008. Their textbooks erase LGB lives, or use them to illustrate nature-nurture questions (Barker, 2007;Simoni, 1996).…”

“…Going beyond the textbook to Psycinfo, a student will find mostly articles that pathologize children who do not identify with their assigned gender (Ansara & Hegarty, 2012). Theories of heterosexism describe the fear of negative treatment as a major component of minority stress (Herek, 2007;Meyer, 2003), and many postgraduate researchers are tutored to fear that an interest in LGB psychology will be bad for their careers (Biaggio et al, 2003). Stigma theories also show how LGB people are resilient against minority stress when provided with spaces in which they do not have to counter heterosexist ideologies, and innovative teachers of LGBT psychology have moved away from textbooks toward exercises that draw out students own thinking about difference in organic ways (Battle, 2004;Hillman & Martin, 2002, see also the essays in Green & Croom, 2000).…”