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The lived experiences of queer identified couple/marriage and family therapists PDF

147 Pages·2017·0.71 MB·English
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University of Iowa Iowa Research Online Theses and Dissertations Spring 2016 The lived experiences of queer identifed couple/marriage and family therapists : a qualitative study Tracie Ann Yeckley University of Iowa Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd Part of the Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons Copyright 2016 Tracie Ann Yeckley This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/3227 Recommended Citation Yeckley, Tracie Ann. "The lived experiences of queer identifed couple/marriage and family therapists : a qualitative study." PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis, University of Iowa, 2016. https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.w7b6yifn Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd Part of the Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF QUEER IDENTIFIED COUPLE/MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY by Tracie Ann Yeckley A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Rehabilitation and Counselor Education (Couple and Family Therapy) in the Graduate College of The University of Iowa May 2016 Thesis Supervisor: Professor Volker Thomas Copyright by TRACIE ANN YECKLEY 2016 All Rights Reserved Graduate College The University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL ____________________________ PH.D. THESIS _________________ This is to certify that the Ph.D. thesis of Tracie Ann Yeckley has been approved by the Examining Committee for the dissertation requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Rehabilitation and Counselor Education (Couple and Family Therapy) at the May 2016 graduation. Thesis Committee: ____________________________________________ Volker Thomas, Thesis Supervisor ____________________________________________ Rachel Williams ____________________________________________ Jacob Priest ____________________________________________ Armeda Wojciak ____________________________________________ Gerta Bardhoshi To my mother, Donna Krum You have shown me how to truly be strong ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank those who have helped to make this study possible. First and foremost, I would like to thank my dissertation committee, Dr. Volker Thomas, Dr. Jacob Priest, Dr. Armeda Wojciak, Dr. Rachel Williams, Dr. Gerta Bardhoshi for being supportive and flexible while we figured this whole thing out. I would especially like to thank Dr. Volker Thomas for starting this program, for helping me figure out all the ins and outs of graduate school, and for all the support he has given me both in the doctoral program and within my personal life. Thank you for always having your door open and for sharing in the struggles and joys of the past four years. It was an honor being your student. I would also like to thank my colleagues who have helped me along the way. I would like to thank Andrew Beer for being my partner in the strange journey of being the first cohort of the program. I would like to thank Michael Gerald and Timothy Kelly for all of the research conversations we have had, and for their willingness to always be there to help out when needed. I would especially like to thank Nancy Wegand for being the glue that holds the department together and for always greeting me with a smile and words of encouragement. I would like to thank all of my participants for taking the time out of their busy schedules to participate in this study. I would also like to thank them for the passion and commitment they have for their jobs and for the people they serve. Their stories are truly inspirational. Finally, I would like to thank my family. To my mom and my twin sister, Stacie, I would like to thank them for all of their love and support. Even though they were thousands of miles away, they were always willing to answer the phone no matter the time iii of day. They always offered words of encouragement, they often made me laugh, and were always willing to talk me through tornado watches and warnings. I would like to thank my dog Karson and my cat Arwen for keeping me company throughout the late nights of graduate school, and for making sure that I would take breaks to play. To my son, Max, I would like to thank you for always putting a smile on my face, and for inspiring me to do my best. And most importantly, I would like to thank my beautiful wife, LeeAnn. Thank you for putting up with the long nights, the several freak-outs, and my increasingly greying hair. Your never-ending love and support have been the driving force that has helped me become the person I am today. I love you. We did it! iv ABSTRACT In the history of this country queer-identified individuals have faced discrimination and harassment in their places of school and work for many years. Research has found that exposure to these experiences can have a negative impact on mental health. Prior to this study, no data were available as to whether or not queer- identified Couple and Family Therapists (C/MFTs) also have faced discrimination and harassment within the field of C/MFT. This study explored the lived experiences of queer-identified C/MFTs in an attempt to identify what unique struggles this population faces, and if these struggles include coping with discrimination and harassment. Participants identified concerns over inadequate training and resources, issues related to self-disclosure, the role of being a spokesperson for the queer community, the role that context plays with regard to their experiences, the strengths of being a queer-identified C/MFT, and the relationship that the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) has had with queer-identified C/MFTs and the queer community in general. Finally, participants were asked to give words of advice to other therapists based on their own experiences. The results of the study suggest that queer-identified C/MFTs find their sexual orientation as a strength; it not only benefits their clinical work, but can enable a sense of empowerment in advocating for the rights of their community. v PUBLIC ABSTRACT In the history of this country queer-identified individuals have faced discrimination and harassment in their places of school and work for many years. Research has shown that these experiences can cause significant mental distress. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of queer-identified Couple/Marriage and Family Therapists (C/MFTs) and highlights the needs of this unique population. Participants revealed that they did in fact have unique needs that other, straight identified therapists, may not require, and expressed their desire for an increase in resources to help them navigate these needs. Even though the study identifies the struggles that queer-identified C/MFTs face, it also reveals the strengths that are inherent to this unique population. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 Problem Statement ...................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Study.................................................................................................................... 3 Research Questions ..................................................................................................................... 5 Definition of Terms ...................................................................................................................... 5 Queer ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Therapist .................................................................................................................................. 6 Couple/Marriage and Family Therapists .................................................................................. 7 Self of the Researcher .................................................................................................................. 7 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................................ 8 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................... 10 Lived Experiences of the Queer Community ............................................................................. 10 Heteronormativity/Heterosexism .......................................................................................... 10 Language ................................................................................................................................ 12 Media ................................................................................................................................ 13 Religion ............................................................................................................................. 13 Harassment ............................................................................................................................ 14 Legal .................................................................................................................................. 15 Hate Crimes ....................................................................................................................... 16 Impact .................................................................................................................................... 17 AAMFT and the Queer Community ............................................................................................ 17 Relation to Queer-Identified C/MFTs ......................................................................................... 19 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................... 21 Phenomenological Research ...................................................................................................... 21 Recruitment ............................................................................................................................... 22 Sample Size ................................................................................................................................ 24 Participants ................................................................................................................................ 25 Inclusion Criteria .................................................................................................................... 25 Exclusion Criteria.................................................................................................................... 25 vii

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