Advisor
Murdock Bishop, Jennifer L.
Committee Member
Smith, Jennifer
Committee Member
Black, Linda L.
Committee Member
Bezyak, Jill L.
Department
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences; Department of Applied Psychology and Counselor Education, Counselor Education and Supervision
Institution
University of Northern Colorado
Type of Resources
Text
Place of Publication
Greeley, (Colo.)
Publisher
University of Northern Colorado
Date Created
8-2020
Extent
290 pages
Digital Origin
Born digital
Abstract
Tis, Matthew S. The Experience of Affectional and Gender Minority Students at CACREP Accredited Counseling Programs Housed within Conservative Christian Institutions: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2020. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore the lived experiences of affectional and gender minority students who currently attend or previously attended CACREP accredited counseling programs housed within Conservative Christian Institutions (CCIs), and the sense they make of those experiences. Eight themes emerged from individual interviews conducted with five participants, with most themes existing across all participant accounts. Participants described discriminatory environments in their master’s programs, the damaging effects of those experiences, and the safe spaces and relationships that mitigated that damage. They also discussed the ways in which those experiences impacted their spiritual development and stunted their development with respect to counselor identity and affectional and gender identity. The results of this research highlight the opportunity and responsibility that CCIs have to both protect these vulnerable student populations and provide models for them. The study also underscores the need for the counseling field to align the expectations of practitioners with the expectations placed upon training programs regarding the treatment of individuals who identify as affectional and gender minorities.
Degree type
PhD
Degree Name
Doctoral
Local Identifiers
Tis_unco_0161D_10865.pdf
Rights Statement
Copyright is held by the author.
