Following the launch of the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) practice
guidelines for psychological professionals working with sexually and gender-diverse people
(PsySSA, 2017), a need was identified to benchmark and track the progress of affirmative
practices. My study focused on assessing the training, experience, confidence, and perceived
competence of clinical and counselling psychologists working with sexually diverse people.
Data were collected as part of a larger transnational project, of which I am a member,
focusing on the role of psychology guidelines regarding mental health access and the
treatment of sexually and gender-diverse individuals. One phase of the transnational project
comprised an online internet survey with mental health professionals. My final sample of 201
clinical and counselling psychologists working with sexually diverse people was skewed to
larger urban areas, white, female, cisgender, and heterosexual respondents in their midforties,
working in the private health sector, whilst over a fifth of the respondents identified as
sexually diverse. The sample’s confidence and perceived competence scored higher relative
to similar samples in the USA. Confidence and perceived competence were correlated with
personal and professional experience, involvement in continued professional development
activities, and familiarity with the PsySSA practice guidelines. Although increasing in recent
years, half of the respondents indicated that they had not been exposed to LGBT+-focused
activities during their graduate studies. With 15% of their case load being LGBT+ clients or
patients, practitioners have engaged in substantial professional development activities and
showed great interest in continued learning in the field. Sexually diverse respondents reported
being significantly more confident and competent; had more contact, professional experience,
and familiarity with the PsySSA guidelines; and had engaged in more professional
development activities than their heterosexual counterparts. Based on the research results, a
total of 16 recommendations were made to inform education, training, research, advocacy,
and policy development efforts to continue improving competence in affirmative practice
with sexually diverse people. This included increased training and supervision, to have more
focus on advocacy skills, certain themes from the PsySSA guidelines, and the application of
knowledge when working with sexually diverse clients or patients.
Ná die bekendstelling van die Sielkundige Vereniging van Suid-Afrika (PsySSA) se
praktykriglyne vir sielkundige professionele persone wat met seksueel- en geslagsdiverse
mense werk (PsySSA, 2017), is ’n behoefte geïdentifiseer om die vordering van regstellende
praktyke te meet en na te gaan. My studie het gefokus op die assessering van die opleiding,
ervaring, selfvertroue en waargenome bevoegdheid van kliniese en voorligtingsielkundiges
wat met seksueel diverse mense werk. Data is ingesamel as deel van ’n groter transnasionale
projek waarvan ek ’n lid is, wat fokus op die rol van sielkunderiglyne rakende toegang tot
geestesgesondheid en die behandeling van seksueel- en geslagsdiverse individue. Een fase
van die transnasionale projek het ’n aanlyn internetopname met geestesgesondheidswerkers
behels. My finale steekproef van 201 kliniese en voorligtingsielkundiges wat met seksueel
diverse mense werk, was skeefgetrek ten opsigte van groter stedelike gebiede, wit, vroulik,
cisgender en heteroseksuele respondente in hulle middel-veertigs, wat in die private
gesondheidsektor werk, terwyl meer as ’n vyfde van die respondente as seksueel divers
geïdentifiseer het. Die steekproef se vertroue en waargenome bevoegdheid het ’n hoër telling
behaal in vergelyking met soortgelyke steekproewe in die VSA. Vertroue en waargenome
bevoegdheid is gekorreleer met persoonlike en professionele ervaring, betrokkenheid by
voortgesette professionele ontwikkelingsaktiwiteite, en vertroudheid met die PsySSApraktykriglyne.
Alhoewel dit die afgelope jare toegeneem het, het die helfte van die
respondente aangedui dat hulle nie tydens hulle nagraadse studies aan aktiwiteite gefokus op
LGBT+ blootgestel is nie. Met 15% van hulle gevallelading wat LGBT+ kliënte of pasiënte
is, het praktisyns by beduidende professionele ontwikkelingsaktiwiteite betrokke geraak en
groot belangstelling in voortgesette leer in die veld getoon. Seksueel diverse respondente het
gerapporteer dat hulle aansienlik meer selfversekerd en bekwaam was; meer kontak,
professionele ervaring en vertroudheid met die PsySSA-riglyne gehad het; en meer betrokke
geraak het by professionele ontwikkelingsaktiwiteite as hulle heteroseksuele eweknieë.
Gegrond op die navorsingsresultate, is ’n totaal van 16 aanbevelings gemaak om onderwys,
opleiding, navorsing, voorspraak en beleidsontwikkelingspogings in te lig om voort te gaan
om bevoegdheid in regstellende praktyk met seksueel diverse mense te verbeter. Dit het
toenemende opleiding en toesig ingesluit, asook meer fokus op voorspraakvaardighede,
sekere temas uit die PsySSA-riglyne, en die toepassing van kennis wanneer daar met seksueel
diverse kliënte of pasiënte gewerk word.
Ngemuva kokuqaliswa kokwethulwa kwemihlahlandlela yokuzijwayeza ye-Psychological
Society of South Africa (PsySSA) yochwepheshe bezengqondo abasebenza nabantu
abahlukene ngokocansi nobulili (i-PsySSA, 2017), kuhlonzwe isidingo sokulinganisa kanye
nokulandelelwa kwenqubekelaphambili yezinqubo zokuvumelana. Ucwaningo lwami lugxile
ekuhloleni ukuqeqeshwa, isipiliyoni, ukuzethemba, kanye nekhono elibonwayo lodokotela
bezengqondo bezokwelashwa nokweluleka abasebenza nabantu abahlukene ngokocansi.
Idatha yaqoqwa njengengxenye yephrojekthi enkulu yamazwe ngamazwe, engiyilungu layo,
egxile endimeni yeziqondiso zengqondo mayelana nokufinyelela kwezempilo yengqondo
kanye nokwelashwa kwabantu abahlukene ngezocansi kanye nobulili.. Isigaba esisodwa
sephrojekthi yamazwe ngamazwe sihlanganisa inhlolovo ye-inthanethi yengqondo. Isampula
lami lokugcina labanga-201 lodokotela bezengqondo bezokwelapha nezeluleko abasebenza
nabantu abahlukene ngokocansi baphambukele ezindaweni ezinkudlwana zasemadolobheni,
abamhlophe, abesifazane, abantu bobulili obuhlukile, kanye nabasabelayo abathandana
nabobulili obuhlukile phakathi neminyaka enga-40, besebenza emkhakheni wezempilo
ozimele, kuyilapho abangaphezu kwengxenye yesihlanu yabaphendulile behlonzwe
njengabantu abazibandakanya kuyizinhlobonhlobo zocansi. Ukuzethemba kwesampula
namandla abonwayo athole amaphuzu aphezulu uma kuqhathaniswa namasampuli afanayo e-
USA. Ukuzethemba kanye nekhono elibonakalayo kwakuhlotshaniswa nolwazi lomuntu siqu
kanye nolwazi lomsebenzi, ukuzibandakanya emisebenzini eqhubekayo yokuthuthukiswa
kochwepheshe, kanye nokujwayelana neziqondiso zokuzijwayeza ze-PsySSA. Nakuba ikhula
eminyakeni yamuva nje, ingxenye yabaphenduli ibonise ukuthi ayizange ibonakale
emisebenzini egxile ku-LGBT+ phakathi nezifundo zabo zeziqu. Njengoba ama-15% wecala
labo kungamakhasimende e-LGBT+ noma iziguli, odokotela bazibandakanye emisebenzini
emikhulu yokuthuthukiswa kochwepheshe futhi babonise ukuthakazelela okukhulu
ekuqhubekeni nokufunda kulo mkhakha. Abaphendulile abahlukene ngokocansi babike
ukuthi bayazethemba futhi banekhono; waba nokuxhumana okwengeziwe, ulwazi
lomsebenzi, kanye nokujwayelana nemihlahlandlela ye-PsySSA; futhi babezibandakanye
emisebenzini yokuthuthukiswa kochwepheshe kakhulu kunozakwabo abathandana nabobulili
obuhlukile. Ngokusekelwe emiphumeleni yocwaningo, izincomo eziyi-16 zenziwa ukwazisa
kwezemfundo, ukuqeqeshwa, ucwaningo, ukukhulumela noma ukwazisa kanye nemizamo
yokuthuthukisa inqubomgomo ukuze kuqhutshekwe nokuthuthukisa ikhono ekusebenzeni
kokuqinisekisa nabantu abahlukene ngokocansi. Lokhu kuhlanganisa ukuqeqeshwa
nokugadwa okwandisiwe, okuhlanganisa ukugxila okwengeziwe kumakhono okumela,
izingqikithi ezithile ezivela kuyizinkombandlela ze-PsySSA, kanye nokusetshenziswa
kolwazi lapho usebenza namakhasimende noma iziguli ezihlukene ngokocansi.
