Multicultural Competence and Social Justice Advocacy

What does this mean?

To advocate for equity for all  LGBTGEQIAP+ people within counseling contexts, greater public policy initiatives, and legislation.

To increase the visibility and to eliminate erasure of sexual, affectional, intersex, and gender expansive identities within the counseling profession

To recognize and to resist the impact of prejudice and bias in all of its forms, including ableism, classism, colonialism, heterosexism, sexism and cissexism, racism, sizeism, xenophobia, and disaffirming religious beliefs in the field of counseling and related professions.

Counseling Identity

What does this mean?

To embrace and to live the essence of professional counseling practices and ethics, including authenticity, unconditional positive regard, integrity, wellness, respect, compassion, dignity, leading with courage, advocacy, and self-care.

To support the counseling profession in applying the lived essence of professional counseling practices for underrepresented and underserved sexual, affectional, intersex, and gender expansive identities.

To recognize, validate, and model the role that radical self-acceptance and sex positivity play in the mental health of underrepresented sexual, affectional, intersex, and gender expansive identities and acknowledge these values as relevant and important in our work.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

What does this mean?

To value and to honor all persons for their wisdom, perspectives, and experiences while recognizing how individuals with multiple marginalized identities have unique worldviews that can bring awareness to individual and systemic unknown biases created by privilege.

To recognize intersectional identities for LGBTGEQIAP+ individuals including age and generation, disAbility, race/ethnicity, health and mental health, indigenous and immigrant status, religion and spirituality, size, socioeconomic status, and lived experiences.

To acknowledge both the strengths and the barriers that are incumbent with these intersectional identities and to work within a social justice and advocacy framework.

Leadership & Service

What does this mean?

To cultivate bold and dedicated leaders in the counseling field.

To lead collectively, reflectively, and transparently with dignity, integrity, courage, and humility.

To create space for differing perspectives and wisdom as a way to continuously grow and improve in meeting the changing needs of the LGBTGEQIAP+ populations.

Professional Community & Relationships

What does this mean?

To create a home for all counselors and other mental health professionals who are doing the important work of counseling and advocating for LGBTGEQIAP+ individuals.

To mentor and support counselors who seek to improve their competence with  LGBTGEQIAP+ individuals.

To ensure that events and spaces created by this organization are deeply inclusive and provide representation, visibility, and belongingness to all identities.

Education, Scientific Practice & Knowledge

What does this mean?

To provide counselors and other mental health professionals with education and development of culturally-appropriate, inclusive, evidence-based counseling methodologies and practices for LGBTGEQIAP+ individuals with intersectional identities.

To provide a space where researchers working on issues relevant to LGBTGEQIAP+ identities may find a collaborative community.

To actively and systematically challenge all outdated and oppressive research on basis of design, inclusion/exclusion criteria, faulty or biased assumptions, faulty or biased conclusion, etc.

Liberation & Celebration

What does this mean?

To teach counselors and related professionals to identify individuals’ strengths, build resilience, and to create space for individuals to empower themselves, liberate themselves from the bonds of colonization and bigotry, and to celebrate their affectional and gender expansive identities as gifts to their families and communities.

To see ourselves and one another as belonging, and to embrace our potential as a community.