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A detailed resource outlining how cisgender heterosexual mental health providers can engage in cultural humility when working with LGBTQ+ people.
What does cultural humility look like when working with LGBTQ+ clients?
Let us take a look at what using cultural humility with LGBTQ+ clients truly means. Watch experts in the field expand on each component in the sections below. At the bottom of the page, we will explore some common LGBTQ+ experiences and how to engage in culturally humble practice.
Click arrow to go to scenarios & audio.
1. Self-awareness
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Self-awareness includes providing a safe space for your LGBTQ+ clients—not just reflecting on yourself introspectively, but recognizing the need for your clients' safety and security and putting that into practice.
SAFETY
John Cho, LMHC, proposes that a culturally humble mental health professional provides a safe space, or "safer space," for LGBTQ+ clients. The cisgender heterosexual mental health provider's acknowledgment that no space may feel safe for an LGBTQ+ client is imperative in culturally humble practice. How can you make your space safe and secure for your LGBTQ+ clients?
SECURITY
"Let me pause..."
Self-awareness is taking a step back and reflecting on what you are bringing to the table. What beliefs could you be projecting onto your LGBTQ+ clients as a cisgender heterosexual mental health provider?
STOP
Natalie Bembry, Ed.D., MA, MSW, LCSW, suggests that in a culturally humble practice, cisgender heterosexual mental health providers should "pause" and think about what they are projecting onto their LGBTQ+ clients in culturally humble practice. What are you bringing to the table?
PAUSE
2. Attitude
Start from zero
Many mental health providers fall into the trap of starting from what they know, rather than what they do not know. Cisgender heterosexual mental health providers working with LGBTQ+ people in a culturally humble practice exhibit a positive attitude, curiosity to learn about their LGBTQ+ clients' lived experiences, and start from what they do not know about their clients.
START
FROM
ZERO
John Cho, LMHC, expands on what it looks like in practice to "start from what you don't know" as a cisgender heterosexual mental health provider engaging in cultural humility in practice. How can you start from zero?
What do you NOT know?
3. Knowledge
This step involves critically evaluating your own social positioning as a cisgender heterosexual mental health provider. How do you think your privilege as a cisgender heterosexual mental health provider influences your implicit and explicit bias towards your LGBTQ+ clients?
C. Winter Han, Ph.D., suggests we critically evaluate our own social positioning as cisgender heterosexual mental health providers. He expands further by discussing how our idea of a relationship may be challenged when working with LGBTQ+ clients. How do you think your social positioning as a cisgender heterosexual mental health provider may influence your understanding of relationships?
4. Skills
"Behavior change is hard..."
Many of us engage with clients by leading with what we know and what we were taught. True cultural humility is connecting learned knowledge about our LGBTQ+ clients to their individual lived experiences and letting our LGBTQ+ clients lead the conversation.
John Cho, LMHC, encourages cisgender heterosexual mental health providers to connect learned knowledge to each LGBTQ+ client's lived experience. It is not what you know, but what you do not know and need to learn about your LGBTQ+ client. It is not a checklist of what CEUs you have taken. It is about learning along the way and repairing the relationship because we will, and do, make mistakes.
What are the "real" questions we should ask ourselves?
C. Winter Han, Ph.D., encourages cisgender heterosexual mental health providers to allow the following questions and our LGBTQ+ clients' lived experiences to "lead the conversation."
As a cisgender heterosexual provider...
Do I have awareness?
Can I truly understand or connect with LGBTQ+ people's experiences?
Last thoughts...
Natalie Bembry, Ed.D., MA, MSW, LCSW, reminds cisgender heterosexual mental health providers, and all providers, of the importance of knowing and "recognizing" who we are.
Common LGBTQ+ experiences and how to engage in cultural humility
This section will provide examples of some common LGBTQ+ experiences that mental health providers may see in the clinical setting with a brief audio for each that provides guidance for engaging in culturally humble practice.
Josephine audio
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Chris audio
Gina audio
James audio
Dev audio
Christine audio
X audio
Rebecca Daneshpour, DSW, MSW, LCSW, gives some last thoughts for culturally humble practice.
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