A Narratology of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Clients’ Experiences Addressing Religious and Spiritual Issues in Counseling

Abstract

Although spiritual and religious themes have been found to be salient for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) individuals, a paucity of research has explored how these themes are attended to in the counseling context. This qualitative investigation used a narratology approach to explore the counseling experiences of seven LGBT clients around spiritual and religious issues. The narrative which emerged included (a) negative counseling experiences, (b) client perseverance in locating additional counseling, (c) positive counseling experiences, and (d) a reframing of counselor responsibility. The results of this study contain implications for future research, clinical practice, and counselor training.