Sexual Identity Issues in Education and Training for Professional Psychologists

Ethical and professional guidelines in psychology highlight the importance of psychologists having competence regarding issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Thus, sexual orientation and gender identity should be addressed in education and training in psychology just as are any other aspect of diversity (e.g., age, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, social class). This chapter reviews key terminology and conceptual issues regarding sexual orientation and gender identity, and then uses the framework of multicultural competence in psychology (e.g., Sue, et al. 1982; Sue, Arredondo, & McDavis, 1992) to examine how knowledge, skills, and attitudes about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals may be incorporated into education and training in psychology. It then discusses several administrative concerns related to LGBT issues in accredited programs in professional psychology, including “Footnote 4” and conscience clauses. It concludes with a discussion of additional training considerations, including the mentoring of LGBT students.