The role of moral reasoning and attitudes regarding bisexuality in the development of bisexual counseling competence.

Abstract

Research on counselor competence regarding bisexuality is scarce, despite the greater prevalence of negative attitudes about bisexuality as compared to other sexual minorities (Flanders & Hatfield, 2014) both within the general public and the LGBTQ + community (Matsick & Rubin, 2018). Therapist attitudes and moral development are 2 constructs known to affect multicultural counseling competence; however, although some research has examined competence in working with lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals altogether, bisexual individuals specifically are underrepresented or absent in examinations of the relationship between these 2 constructs. Therefore, this study examined whether postconventional moral reasoning has an indirect relationship with bisexual counseling competence through attitudes regarding bisexuality. Currently licensed therapists were surveyed using the Defining Issues Test 2, Attitudes Regarding Bisexuality Scale, Counseling Bisexual Clients Competence Scale, and a modified version of the Multicultural Case Conceptualization Ability Task. Results indicated an indirect relationship between levels of postconventional moral reasoning and self-report of bisexual counseling competence through attitudes regarding bisexuality. However, no such relationships were found when bisexual counseling competence was measured by ability to utilize cultural factors related to bisexuality in case conceptualization of etiology and treatment. Significance of these findings as well as implications for education and training, practice, and research, are discussed.

To conceal or not to conceal: Supervisee and client identity processes in clinical supervision.

“…However, the unfortunate reality is that even though these ideals have been clarified and disseminated, translating them into action can be difficult. Recently, Wilcox et al (2020) and Monceaux et al (2021) found that despite widespread, codified expectations for multicultural training, therapists did not attend adequately to cultural factors in case conceptualization or at times did so in inappropriate or stigmatizing ways. There is a tension that exists between the push for culturally driven intervention and formulation and the historical influence of the monolithic, dominant culture on the field of psychology as a whole.…”

Development and initial validation of the Multicultural Training and Education Questionnaire.

“…As well, it is possible that colorblind racial attitudes do not serve as a useful criterion variable from multicultural training, or at least multicultural training as measured in the present study. As for the MCKAS, scholars have questioned whether self-report multicultural competence measures are measuring competence per se, or rather, self-efficacy (e.g., Constantine, 2000; Constantine et al, 2002; Lantz et al, 2020; Wilcox et al, 2020), and have noted that participants tend to rate themselves highly on self-report measures, even despite limited integration of cultural variables into case conceptualization (Lantz et al, 2020; Monceaux et al, 2020; Wilcox et al, 2020). Thus, self-report measures may not adequately capture participants’ multicultural knowledge, awareness, and skills as originally intended.…”

A phenomenological exploration into therapists’ multicultural case conceptualizations.

“…Due to researchers highlighting a ceiling effect on MCC self-report measures, this is concerning (e.g., Lantz et al, 2020;Wilcox et al, 2020). Recent research (e.g., Monceaux et al, 2021;Wilcox et al, 2020) has sought to extend inquiry into cultural responsiveness by examining performancebased measures of MCC, specifically, case conceptualization.…”

“…Lantz et al (2020) found therapists higher in social dominance orientation self-reported lower multicultural awareness and knowledge; therapists, and psychology as an institution, are inherently rooted in HEREFORD, WILCOX, AND POLLARD dominant culture, rugged individualism, and the myth of meritocracy. This may explain why researchers have recently found that therapists do not appropriately address cultural factors in vignette studies focusing on conceptualization (Monceaux et al, 2021;Wilcox et al, 2020).…”

“…Existing vignette studies have predominantly been conceptualized and analyzed using the quantitative methodology, despite the inherently qualitative nature of narrative responses to vignettes (e.g., Constantine, 2001;Monceaux et al, 2021;Wilcox et al, 2020). The Multicultural Case Conceptualization Ability task (Ladany et al, 1997) asks participants to provide written responses to conceptualize a client; then, answers are assigned a score from one to five based on the participants' attention to cultural factors and integrating cultural factors into the treatment plan.…”