Date of Conferral

2-8-2024

Date of Award

February 2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Counselor Education and Supervision

Advisor

Nicole Bradley

Abstract

Sexual orientation and gender minority (SGM) counseling students in the United States are exposed to minority stress, which has been linked to psychological distress, during counselor training. There is an expectation that counseling students are well so that it does not interfere with their helping role. Scholarship in other disciplines shows that a sense of belonging and community can serve as protective factors against minority stress for SGM individuals. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to investigate the influence of minority stress and relational health (in counselor education and broader communities) on SGM counseling students’ psychological well-being, a topic that has received little attention. A survey was administered to 84 SGM counseling students. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, a one-way analysis of variance, and a hierarchical multiple regression. Findings revealed that male, female, and nonbinary participants experienced low levels of minority stress whereas those who identified as transgender experienced elevated levels of minority stress in counselor education communities. All participants reported elevated levels of minority stress in broader communities, elevated levels of relational health in counselor education communities, and low levels of relational health in broader communities. Future researchers should take care not to generalize findings for specific identities that fall under the SGM umbrella. The study may foster positive social change by providing evidence that counselor educators need to foster more equitable and inclusive environments for all SGM counseling students with a specific focus on those who identify as transgender.

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