Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Counselor Education and Supervision

Committee Chair

Frances Ellmo

Committee Member

Jade Xu

Committee Member

Melanie Burgess

Committee Member

Taneshia Greenidge

Abstract

There is a growing need for counselors and counselors-in-training to provide affirming services competently and confidently to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clients. Previous research has demonstrated that factors such as personal attitudes, religious commitment, and exposure to LGBT individuals influence counselors’ perceived competence in this area. However, little is known about how these variables interact to shape LGBT-affirming counseling self-efficacy, a critical component of effective and ethical practice. The present study investigated predictors of LGBT-affirming counseling self-efficacy among a sample of 131 professional counselors and counselors-in-training. Specifically, the study examined the direct effects of gender, religious commitment, and exposure to LGBT individuals on self-efficacy, and explored whether attitudes toward LGBT individuals mediated these relationships. Results indicated that religiosity significantly and negatively predicted LGBT-affirming counseling self-efficacy, while personal exposure to LGBT individuals positively predicted self-efficacy. Although religiosity also predicted attitudes toward LGBT individuals, attitudes did not significantly mediate the relationship between religiosity and self-efficacy. These findings highlight the independent influence of religiosity and exposure on counselors’ perceived competence and suggest that counselor education programs should emphasize experiential learning and reflective engagement to enhance trainees’ readiness to work with LGBT clients. Implications for counselor training, supervision, and future research are discussed.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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