Defining Mental Health Practitioners’ LGBTIQ Cultural Competence in Thailand
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Abstract
This study investigated what competencies are crucial for mental health practitioners’ culturally competent practice with LGBTIQ clients in Thailand. The study used two-round Delphi methodology to aggregate views of mental health practitioners with expertise on LGBTIQ issues (n = 14), and of LGBTIQ individuals who had used mental health services (n = 13). Participants proposed competencies in Round 1 through interviews or an online questionnaire, and rated these competencies’ importance in another online questionnaire in Round 2. Forty-one knowledge competencies, 35 awareness/attitude/belief competencies, 14 skill competencies and 35 action competencies were rated. Among key themes were understanding gender/sexual diversity as well as issues affecting LGBTIQ people and their families, and being able to assist on these issues; accepting gender/sexual diversity, respecting clients’ self-determination, and communicating this to clients; being aware of the impact of one’s beliefs, attitudes, identities and values; recognizing and rejecting stereotypes; being open, humble, and willing to learn more; knowing how to use feminist counseling techniques and other specific techniques; refraining from offending actions; social justice action; and obtaining information sensitively. Developing these competencies is likely to improve mental health services’ appropriateness for LGBTIQ clients and should be included in mental health practitioners’ training in Thailand.
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