South African clinical and counselling psychologists’ training, experience, perceived competence, and confidence in practising affirmatively with sexually diverse people

Abstract

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.