The Counselors’ Sexual Identity Development, Heterosexual Privilege Awareness, Faith Identity Development, And Religiosity As Predictors Of Their Sexual Orientation Counseling Competency In Working With LGB Clients

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate counselors’ sexual identity development, heterosexual privilege awareness, faith identity development, and intrinsic religiosity as predictors of their sexual orientation counseling competencies in working with LGB clients. The design of the study is a correlational survey design. The data analysis that was used is standard multiple regression. The participants were 103 self-identified heterosexual licensed counselors. They were asked to fill out a survey consisting of the Measure of Sexual Identity Exploration and Commitment (MoSIEC), the Heterosexual Privilege Awareness (HPA), the Revised Faith Development Scale (RFDS), the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL), and the Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale (SOCCS). It was found that Heterosexual Privilege Awareness and Faith Identity Development were predictors of overall Sexual Orientation Counseling Competencies and, more specifically, counselors’ Awareness of sexual orientation issues. Another finding was that counselors’ Heterosexual Privilege Awareness and their level of sexual exploration, as reported on the MoSIEC subscale, were predictors for one of the competency areas -- Knowledge of sexual orientation counseling