TxCSJ Newletter
Volume 2, Edition 4 Spring 2019
Texas Counselors for Social Justice TxCSJ
Website: https://txca.org/txcsj/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Texas-Counselors-for-Social-Justice-207556856561381/
Twitter: @TX_CSJ
Letter From the President
The final days of the Texas Legislative Session are quickly approaching. The time to double down on our advocacy efforts is now! If you have not made your voice heard to your Senator or Representative, please take the time to make phone calls or send emails today. There are a couple of critical issues for Texas counselors.
- The House passed HB 1501 which would authorize all mental health licensing regulatory administrative activities to be moved to a newly created agency, Behavioral Health Executive Council, in order to increase efficiency and operate more economically. The separate licensing boards would continue to have regulatory authority of their licensees. This bill is a response to the last two Sunset Commission reports making this recommendation. TCA, TAMFT, NASW, and TSCSW are all in support of this. The Psychology Board is opposed and is trying to get their board pulled from the Senate Bill and remain independent. Please advocate with members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that the current language of the bill be moved forward to the Senate without any amendments.
- The Senate passed SB 17 that prevents all regulatory agencies from adopting rules that would sanction a licensee for any actions taken as a result of sincerely held religious beliefs. This is the authority to discriminate and refuse services based on a conflict of values. A couple of similar bills are in action in the House. We need to contact our representatives immediately to ask them to oppose any legislation that authorizes discrimination by licensed professionals. ·
The final TCA Advocacy Day of the session will be held on May 14. If you have not had the opportunity to attend, I strongly encourage you to go. TCA does a great job of educating attendees on what is currently happening. You can be paired up with someone who has attended before if you have never participated. I take students every session and, without exception, they walk away saying they have been changed as a professional.
Social Justice Matters!
Le’Ann Solmonson, Ph.D., LPC-S, CSC
President
Perks of Being a TxCSJ Member!
- TxCSJ Days of Action/ Days of Learning
- Discounts to awesome events such as the Day of Learning listed below
- Online CEU events once a quarter (coming soon)
- TxCSJ Quarterly E-Newsletter
- Build a community of social warriors statewide through our up-to-date social media
- Increase awareness and knowledge of social justice concerns
- Enhance your own ability as a counselor to engage in social justice action and advocacy
Counseling Sexual Minorities
Counseling Issues for Sexual Minorities
Sexual minorities face considerable personal dilemmas regarding coming out. Coming out may be a threatening process as stigmatization and marginalization are by-products of sexual prejudice. Stressors include, but are not limited to, fears pertaining to acceptance, bullying, harassment, safety and oppression. It is widely acknowledged that during the coming-out process, individuals may experience negative emotions. Internal discord may prompt feelings of loneliness, disconnection, confusion, grief, shame, anger, fear, vulnerability and depression that lead to potential suicidal ideations. Individuals facing this internal conflict may suffer from low self-esteem as low confidence and incongruence in identity prompts individuals to expend energy on suppressing identity. This stifling often prompts impulsive, negative coping mechanisms such as substance use, self-harm and engaging in risky sexual behaviors.
Sexual minorities are faced with the risk that not everyone will understand or accept their identity. Individuals may react in a multitude of ways that include shock, hostility, confusion and disappointment. Reactions may reach levels of harassment and abuse. In choosing to disclose, sexual minorities must accept the risk that relationships, regardless of closeness, may permanently change. Regardless of a sexual minority’s internal awareness, acceptance and congruence, it is important to acknowledge the risk involved every time one chooses to disclose their identity, thus highlighting the cyclical, recurring decision-making process every time one reveals their identity. Therefore, it is essential for counselors to be aware of the stressors involved in the coming-out process in order to effectively aid clients.
Although stressors exist, the decision to disclose one’s sexual minority identity may be enticing and empowering. From enduring the process, individuals may experience coming-out growth. Researchers often have discussed that coming out may improve the quality of one’s life. Moreover, studies have shown relationships between disclosing identity and reduced levels of distress. Researchers learned that positive attitudes towards identity were related to lower anxiety and depression among sexual minority youth. Similarly, in a study of 2,401 lesbian and bisexual women, researchers found that coming out reduces psychological distress. Furthermore, identity disclosure also has been associated with positive and strengthened identity, which often improves resilience and overall mental health.
--Excerpts from the article "Considering the Cycle of Coming Out: Sexual Minority Identity Development" by Shainna Ali and Sejal Barden
LGBT Affirmative Therapy
Basic Tenets of Affirmative Therapy:
Principles:
- Therapist competence
- Therapist affirmation of LGBT culture
- Therapist openness in attending to sexual orientation and identity issues
Goals:
- Enhance understanding of sexual fluidity and attractions to more than one gender
- Improve self-esteem
- Increase sense of self
- Develop communication and relationship skills
How are laws affecting our counseling practice
The Department of Health and Human Services has announced a rule that would allow healthcare workers like doctors, nurses, emergency personnel, and hospice workers to discriminate if they cite their religious beliefs as justification.
The rule would allow workers to refuse to provide basic health care like birth control, refuse to treat women who have had abortions, and discriminate against gay or lesbian individuals and their families, including their children. The change is part of the Trump administration’s push to give Christians a license to discriminate under the guise of “religious freedom.”
“Religious freedom doesn’t mean carte blanche to discriminate, especially in a health care setting. People should never fear that they’re going to be denied care because of their gender, who they love or their past medical decisions. Today’s rule codifies discrimination and it will result in deep harm to patient care,” Mary Alice Carter, Executive Director of Equity Forward, said in an emailed statement.
--Excerpt from "Trump admin issues rule that gives healthcare workers rights to discriminate against LGBTQ people" by Bill Browning
What about our ethics?
(o) In individual and group counseling settings, the licensee shall take reasonable precautions to protect individuals from physical or emotional harm resulting from interaction within a group or from individual counseling.
It is reasonable to assume that discrimination by a counselor or mental health provider could result in emotional harm which directly violates our code of ethics.
Day of Learning!
- 5 Continuing Education credits will be provided for the day
- Coffee and pastries will be offered in the morning
- Lunch will be provided
Registration is limited so please sign up quickly at the link below!