ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

Th e purpose of this study is to understand sexual identity experience in counseling of lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. For the purpose, we interviewed 6 LGB clients who participated in more than 10 counseling sessions. Data analysis focused on the experience and meaning of the research participants by applying the phenomenological method and tried to fi nd out what the meaning of experience was in counseling. As a result, 5 categories and 15 themes were derived. - 1. Finding a good counselor to whom I can show myself: 1) choose the venue where I can speak, 2) want a non-judgmental counselor, 2. Mustering courage to break up the resistance of the mind: 1) heavy confl ict over coming-out, 2) wary of seeing only about sexual identity, 3) take courage to tell the counselor, 3. Looking at each other’s hearts and soul: 1) the counselor sees them without prejudice, 2) feel free aft er coming-out, 3) feel secured aft er revealing my sexual identity, 4. Seeing the treasure in my heart, shining bright with light of wisdom: 1) see the mind, struggling with sexual identity, 2) stare at my phobia, 3) expand the view on identity, 4) find the proper boundary for my family, 5)loose the bitterness from relationships, 5. Meeting my bigger self: 1) understand me better, 2) accept myself and move forward. Th e fi ndings showed that LGB clients want counselors who are open-mined and trustworthy for sexual minorities when they apply for counseling. When they did not get counseling from agencies for sexual minorities, the LGB clients usually turned to counselors and came out to them. If the counselors accepted the LGB Clients’ coming-out without bias, then, they came to trust the counselors even more. Th rough counseling, LGB clients come to realize the negative feelings or thoughts that they experienced in homophobia and heterosexism-oriented society. Furthermore, LGB clients experienced changes in self-recognition to become more acceptable to their sexual identity. Based on the results, we discussed the implications and measures to improve the attitude and professionalism of counselors who are counseling LGB clients.

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