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

147 Pages·2017·0.71 MB·English

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

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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
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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!

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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.

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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.
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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
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