The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or
position of the Uniformed Services University or the Department of Defense.
Journal of Social Change
2021, Volume 13, Issue 2, Pages 67–79
DOI: 10.5590/JOSC.2021.13.2.06
© The Author(s)
Essay
Counseling LGBT Military Clients Using the Multicultural
and Social Justice Counseling Competencies
Framework
Rebekah F. Cole, PhD, LPC, NCC
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2628-8658
Contact: [email protected]
Abstract
When working with LGBT service member clients, counselors should use the Multicultural and Social Justice
Counseling Competencies as a framework to guide their practice as they navigate the intersection between the
military culture and LGBT culture. This framework addresses four domains that are foundational for
multicultural and social justice competency: (a) counselor self-awareness, (b) the client worldview, (c) the
counseling relationship, and (d) counseling and advocacy interventions. Included in the framework are the
following aspirational competencies within each domain: attitudes and beliefs, knowledge, skills, and action.
Best practices for culturally competent, social-justice-focused work with LGBT service members within each
of these domains are discussed.
Keywords: military culture, sexual identity, multicultural and social justice counseling competencies
Date Submitted: March 23, 2021 | Date Published: August 7, 2021
Recommended Citation
Cole, R. (2021). Counseling LGBT military clients using the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies
Framework. Journal of Social Change, 13(2), 67–79. https://doi.org/10.5590/JOSC.2021.13.2.06
Introduction
In the U.S. military, 12% of female service members and 3% of male service members identify as LGBT (Davis
et al., 2016). LGBT service members have been affected by legislation throughout history (Naval Institute
Staff, 2018; Sinclair, 2009). The first official policy affecting this population was made by the Department of
Defense in 1982, which prohibited anyone identifying as LGBT from serving in the U.S. military. The next
monumental legislation involving this population was in 1993, when President Clinton signed the “Don’t Ask
Don’t Tell” legislation, allowing LGBT service members to serve in the military as long as they did not openly
discuss or express their sexuality (Georgetown Law Library, 2021). This legislation was repealed by President
Obama in 2011, allowing LGBT service members to openly express their sexual orientation (USC, 2018). Later
in 2015, the Department of Defense announced that same-sex military spouses would receive military
healthcare benefits, a revolutionary advancement for LGBT service members and their families. However, in
2017, President Trump banned all transgender individuals from serving in the military (Naval Institute Staff,
2018). This policy was then reversed by President Biden through an executive order in January 2021, allowing
transgender service members to openly serve in the military (Tran, 2021).
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Journal of Social Change 68
LGBT Service Members’ Mental Health
LGBT service members have demonstrated poorer mental and physical health, are subject to more sexual
trauma, experience more of a stigma toward receiving mental health services, and are at a higher risk of
suicide compared with heterosexual service members (Blosnich et al., 2015; Johnson et al., 2015; Maltseva et
al., 2019; Matarazzo et al., 2014; Mark et al., 2019). Additional mental health risk factors for LGBT service
members include high rates of substance abuse, a stigma regarding their sexuality, sexual harassment, and
victimization (Meadows et al., 2015; Johnson et al., 2015; Matarazzo et al., 2014).
Military Culture and Collectivism
To fully understand the experiences of LGBT service members, it is important to take a close look at the
military culture, especially its collective nature. The military culture has its own set of customs, rules,
expectations, and language that affects a service member’s daily life (Meyer, 2015). When joining the military,
service members forfeit aspects of their personal identity—i.e., their choice of dress, the right to free speech,
the right to a trial by jury—and to follow strict rules and regulations (Burek, 2018). This mission-focused
orientation creates a sense of self-sacrifice and a warrior ethos among service members, who commit to
collectively carrying out the mission of the military in every aspect of their lives (Meyer, 2015).
The Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC)
To help LGBT service members navigate the complex intersection of the military culture and their LGBT
culture, counselors should use the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC) as a
framework to guide their practice (Ratts et al., 2015). The MSJCC provides a comprehensive approach for
increasing self-awareness and gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to take action and advocate for this
population. Sue et al. (1992) initially developed this framework for culturally competent approaches to
working with diverse populations and labeled it MSJCC. Later, in 2015, this framework was revised by The
MSJCC Revisions Committee and was endorsed by the Association for Multicultural Counseling and
Development Executive Council and American Counseling Association Governing Council (Ratts et al., 2015,
2016). This revised framework includes a new focus on social justice and action and addresses how power,
privilege, and oppression influence the counseling relationship between the counselor and client. It describes
four domains that are foundational for multicultural and social justice competence: (1) counselor self-
awareness, (2) client worldview, (3) counseling relationship, and (4) counseling and advocacy interventions.
Each of the first three layers includes the following aspirational competencies: attitudes and beliefs,
knowledge, skills, and action. The fourth, the counseling and advocacy intervention layer, uses a multilevel
socioecological model to inspire and equip counselors to intentionally and actively engage in social justice
advocacy. Overall, in the MSJCC model, counselors are called to recognize their clients’ multiple cultural
identities as well any intersecting privileged or marginalized statuses between the counselor and the client
(Ratts et al., 2016).
In this article, I focus on counselors’ work with LGBT service members experiencing a unique intersection
between their military and sexual minority identities and how counselors can utilize the MSJCC to effectively
work with this population. Due to their sexual minority status, these clients are categorized as marginalized
clients. Therefore, it is important for counselors to consider the intersection of their client’s identity as a
service member, as well as their marginalized sexual identity, as they apply the MSJCC in working with this
population (Ratts et al., 2016). While past research has explored culturally competent approaches to working
with service members and veterans (Carrola & Corbin-Burdick, 2015; Cole, 2015; Meyer, 2015; Westphal &
Convoy, 2015), there is a gap in best practices regarding culturally competent work with LGBT service
member clients (Goldbach & Castro, 2016). Therefore, I use the MSJCC as a framework for how professional
counselors can demonstrate cultural competence in their attitudes and beliefs, knowledge, and skills when
working with LGBT service members. By using this framework as a guide, counselors can develop greater self-
awareness, gain more in-depth understanding of the LGBT service member’s worldview, and take action to
advocate for and with this population from a systemic perspective.
Cole, 2021
Journal of Social Change 69
Counselor Self-Awareness
When beginning their work with LGBT service members, counselors must focus on the first MSJCC
developmental domain, self-awareness, which involves taking action to become more aware of and
knowledgeable about one’s attitudes and beliefs, ultimately obtaining the knowledge and skills to effectively
work with LGBT service members in a culturally competent manner (Ratts et al., 2015).
Attitudes and Beliefs
Multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors believe that their own culture, including their civilian
culture, affects their attitudes, values, and biases as a professional counselor working with LGBT service
members (Ratts et al., 2015). Counselors should likewise determine their position as a privileged or
marginalized member of society and how this position affects their work with marginalized LBGT service
member clients (Ratts et al., 2016). A self-exploration regarding one’s position in society (i.e., marginalized or
privileged) and personal beliefs might be done in individual or group supervision or their own counseling
sessions. When engaging in this self-reflection, counselors should explore their limits of cultural competence
as a civilian who has not experienced the military lifestyle and, possibly, as a privileged member of society if
they do not identify as LGBT.
Finally, according to the MSJCC, counselors should recognize and explore any source of discomfort in
working with LGBT service members as a result of past perceptions or encounters with either the LGBT
community and/or military culture (Ratts et al., 2015). Questions such as “what have my perceptions of LGBT
service members been in the past?” and “what is the root of my discomfort?” are key to ask and process
throughout the counseling process to screen for any discriminatory thoughts or feelings that may cause harm
to the client.
Knowledge
When using the MSJCC as a framework for their work with LGBT service members, counselors become more
self-aware about their own civilian cultural worldview and sexual identity and how this worldview and identity
affect their interactions with LGBT service members in the counseling relationship (Ratts et al., 2015). The
counselor should also consider how their unfamiliarity with the military lifestyle and culture as well as the
LGBT culture and lifestyle, including the language and terminology used during the counseling session, might
become apparent to the client and how this will affect the client’s trust in the counseling process. Finally, to
become more prepared to work with this population, counselors should engage in research regarding the
nature of military culture and LGBT culture, the intersection of both, and the many challenges that LGBT
service members have faced throughout the course of military history to understand the roots and context of
their presenting problems and to better understand the nature of the client’s struggles.
Skills
As described in the MSJCC, culturally skilled counselors working with LGBT service members seek out
educational, consultative, and training experiences so that they can develop the necessary skills to help this
population (Ratts et al., 2015). If counselors feel like they are not able to develop these specialized skills, they
should refer LGBT service member clients to providers who have the specialized skills to work with that
population (Ratts et al., 2015). Counselors should create a comprehensive list of these specialized providers in
the community, in preparation if a referral is needed.
Overall, multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors actively and continually seek to understand
themselves as cultural beings and actively look to maintain a culturally competent professional identity
through supervision, continued education, and practice (Ratts et al., 2015). Multicultural and social-justice
competent counselors working with LGBT service members must be committed to constantly growing in their
cultural competence throughout their professional careers as the needs of this population evolve over time.
Cole, 2021
Journal of Social Change 70
Action
According to the MSJCC, counselors must take action to learn about their assumptions regarding this
population and to increase their comfort level in counseling LGBT service members (Ratts et al., 2015).
Questions for self-reflection (or with a counselor, a college, or with a supervisor) might include: “What initial
reaction do I have when thinking about LGBT service members?” “What do I know about the history of LGBT
service in the military?” “What are my individual assumptions about the military, about the LGBT
population?” “How do these assumptions impact my work as a professional counselor with this population?”
In addition to exploring answers to these questions, culturally social-justice-competent counselors should
assess how much they know about the history of LGBT in the military, the challenges this population faces,
and best practices in the professional literature for addressing these challenges. They should then seek out
professional development for any knowledge areas in which they are lacking to better prepare themselves to
work with this population (Ratts et al., 2015, 2016).
In addition to this active self-reflection, counselors should immerse themselves as much as possible into both
the LGBT and military communities. They should interact with LGBT service members as much as possible
and analyze and evaluate their comfort level in working with this population (Ratts et al., 2015). Opportunities
for this immersion may come in the form of participating in activities on base/post and volunteering with
organizations that serve active-duty members, veterans, and military families (Cole, 2014). Counselors should
then process these immersion experiences with their own counselor or supervisor, asking questions such as
“what was my reaction to integrating into this community?” or “what was it like for me to interact with LGBT
service members?”
Finally, counselors should consider how an LGBT service member’s communication style is influenced by
their marginalized status (Ratts et al., 2015). For example, the client may be hesitant to reveal and
communicate their true self in their counseling sessions because it has been oppressed by the military for so
long. The counselor, therefore, will need to build trust in the counseling relationship, creating a safe space for
the client to reveal and share themselves in an authentic way (Okun & Kantrowitz, 2015), something they may
not feel free to do in their daily life as a part of the military community.
LGBT Service Members’ Worldview
In addition to actively exploring their own worldview and becoming more self-aware, it is important that
counselors have a full understanding of LGBT service members’ worldview, the next developmental domain in
the MSJCC framework. They must be fully aware of their own attitudes and beliefs about it, develop an in-
depth understanding of it, demonstrate skills applicable to it, and take action to continually learn more about
it (Ratts et al., 2015).
Attitudes and Beliefs
First, to understand their attitudes and beliefs about LGBT service members’ worldviews, culturally aware
counselors engage in continued self-exploration (Ratts et al., 2015), asking questions such as “what are my
personal and political beliefs about LGBT service members?” and “how might my perceptions of LGBT service
members’ reality differ from their true reality?” The answers to these questions might be explored through
supervision, consultation with peers, and consistent reflective journaling to gain a full and robust awareness
of how the counselor’s perceptions of the client’s worldview may be affected by their own worldview (Farmer
& Disque, 2013; Woodbridge & O’Beirne, 2017).
Knowledge
Culturally knowledgeable counselors should be well-versed in how their life experiences, cultural heritage,
and historical background affect their professional identity and their work with LGBT service members (Ratts
et al., 2015). For example, a counselor might ask, “what is my extended family’s view of the LGBT community?
Cole, 2021
Journal of Social Change 71
of the military community? of LGBT service members?” and “how will my family’s beliefs affect my
interactions with LGBT service members?” Overall, this level of understanding comes through deep and
honest reflection and examination of one’s values and beliefs and how these values and beliefs relate to both
the military population, the LGBT population, and the intersection of these cultures resulting in the
marginalized LGBT service member population.
In addition to this in-depth self-analysis, when deciding on which counseling approach to use with LGBT
clients, counselors are called upon to understand how the intersection of the military culture and LGBT
identity affects the client’s personality, career path, and mental health (Ratts et al., 2015). Open-ended
questions such as “what is it like for you to serve as an LGBT individual in the military?” or “how would your
life be different if you weren’t in the military?” may help to understand how the intersection of the military
and sexual orientation have impacted the client’s overall mental health and functioning.
Finally, multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors should be knowledgeable about sociopolitical
influences that affect the worldviews of LGBT service members (Ratts et al., 2015). Military service members
are governed by the military’s strict rules and regulations (Cole, 2014). Their ability to abide by these rules
and regulations impacts their career and their family’s financial situation. Thus, the pressure to behave and
conform (and, perhaps, to hide their true identity) is immense for them. Understanding this pressure of LGBT
service members to hide their true identity is key to demonstrating genuine empathy for this population.
Skills
To use best practices and counseling approaches for working with LGBT service members, counselors are
called upon to familiarize themselves with relevant research and the latest findings regarding mental health
and mental disorders that affect this population (Ratts et al., 2015). In addition, counselors should actively
seek out educational experiences that enrich their knowledge, understanding, and cross-cultural skills for
their work with LGBT service members (Ratts et al., 2015, 2016). These experiences could be found at local,
state, and national conferences or in the form of professional development webinars, provided by professional
organizations, that are aimed at counseling LGBT service members and their families.
Finally, according to the MSJCC framework, counselors should become involved with the military community
as much as possible so that they can become more comfortable and familiar with the lived experiences of
LGBT service members and are better able to understand their worldview (Ratts et al., 2015). Many volunteer
opportunities exist on military bases through organizations like the USO, where volunteers can directly work
with active-duty service members and their families and become more confident and knowledgeable about
navigating the military culture. Spending time and interacting with this community as much as possible will
help the counselor better understand the culture and the worldview of the LGBT service member client.
Action
Action-oriented culturally competent counselors should seek out opportunities to talk about the experiences
of LGBT service members throughout history (Ratts et al., 2015). These conversations may happen with
colleagues, in meetings with military leadership, politicians, and LGBT service members themselves. In
addition, counselors should actively seek out opportunities within the military community where they can
support and affirm the intersection between the LGBT culture and military culture (Ratts et al., 2015). For
example, the month of June is designated as Pride Month in the military (Washington Headquarters Service,
2020). During June, ceremonies are held on military bases highlighting the importance of LGBT service
members to the mission of the military. Counselors might attend these ceremonies as a volunteer, public
speaker, or advisor to the planning committee so as to meet LGBT service members and support them as they
are honored for their contributions to the military (Cronk, 2019).
Finally, counselors should regularly assess their limitations and strengths in working with LGBT service
members (Ratts et al., 2015). Counselors might include questions for reflection: “How have I grown in my
knowledge of the challenges that LGBT service members face?” “In what ways can I become more comfortable
Cole, 2021
Journal of Social Change 72
and competent in working with this population?” Any limitations should be addressed through continuous
professional development and/or consultation with colleagues who are experienced advocates for this
population. Overall, throughout their careers, counselors should set measurable benchmarks for themselves
in growing more comfortable and confident in working with LGBT service members and self-assess their
progress in meeting these benchmarks.
Counseling Relationship
In addition to focusing on how to increase their self-awareness and better understand LGBT service members’
worldviews, counselors should understand how both the counselor’s and the client’s privileged and
marginalized statuses affect the counseling process and relationship (Ratts et al., 2015, 2016). This
understanding comes through actively learning about and understanding the nature of privileged versus
marginalized statuses in society and in the military and how client and counselor worldviews affect the
counseling relationship (Ratts et al., 2016). In addition, counselors develop and fine tune their basic helping
skills to have productive and meaningful conversations with LGBT service member clients about what it
means to be marginalized and how this marginalization may affect the counseling relationship (Ratts et al.,
2015).
Attitudes and Beliefs
Multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors understand that a counselor’s attitudes and beliefs
heavily influence the counseling relationship (Ratts et al., 2015). Multicultural and social-justice-competent
counselors respect LGBT service members’ military culture and values (i.e., honor, courage, commitment to
the U.S. military) because they believe that these values affect their worldview, psychosocial functioning, and
expressions of distress (Krueger, 2000). It is important to understand and respect the values they hold as a
service member and their intersecting sexual identity, and counselors need to understand the ways in which
this intersection proves challenging (Ratts et al., 2016).
Culturally skilled counselors respect helping networks and sources of support within the military community
(Ratts et al., 2015), such as on-base or on-post military mental health resources and chaplains. Counselors
must become familiar with on-base or on-post mental health resources and coordinate with these resources to
provide support for LGBT service members. Counselors are likewise called to value bilingualism as a part of
their cultural competence, recognizing the unique nature of the military language and being willing to learn
and use this language in their interactions with LGBT service members (Ratts et al., 2015). Understanding
and using this language can build rapport and trust with the client throughout the counseling process
(Canady, 2018).
Knowledge
Culturally knowledgeable counselors understand institutional barriers that prevent LGBT service members
from seeking or receiving counseling (Ratts et al., 2015). These barriers include a stigma in military culture
surrounding mental health and seeking mental health services or past negative experiences with military
healthcare providers who are not accepting or supportive of LGBT service members (McNamara et al., 2021).
Other barriers may be the difficulty of accessing military and/or civilian mental health services where they are
stationed that are familiar and comfortable working with the LGBT population. In addition, multicultural and
social-justice-competent counselors have a thorough knowledge of the military community and its resources,
or lack thereof, in supporting LGBT service members, including on-base or on-post counseling, chaplains, and
Military One Source, where service members and their families can access comprehensive information
regarding mental health and wellness (Ratts et al., 2015).
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Journal of Social Change 73
Skills
Counselors working with LGBT service members are called on to use a variety of verbal and nonverbal helping
responses as they recognize the diverse and unique needs of this population (Ratts et al., 2015). Counselors
should understand that not all LGBT clients will need the same course of treatment, as each is a unique
individual with diverse experiences and backgrounds (Okun & Kantrowitz, 2015). Counselors should use their
supervisors to determine which counseling approach may work best with each client and evaluate the
effectiveness of this approach throughout the counseling process.
Multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors seek consultation with knowledgeable cultural experts
within the military community, such as chaplains and on-base/on-post counselors, to best understand the
military culture and the mental health needs of LGBT service members within this culture (Ratts et al., 2015).
Culturally skilled counselors are likewise committed to learning the military language so that they can fluidly
use it in their counseling sessions with LGBT service members (Ratts et al., 2015). This language can be
practiced through volunteer work or attending community-wide events open to the public within the military
community to gain fluency.
Multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors additionally evaluate assessment instruments normally
geared toward heterosexual clients to determine if they are biased toward LGBT service member clients in any
way (Moe et al., 2015; Ratts et al., 2015). For example, counselors must consider “is the language in the
assessment inclusive?” or “are the results being interpreted from an inclusive perspective?” or “does the client
feel comfortable in providing authentic responses?” (Prince, 1997). Ensuring this comfort level is key in using
assessment instruments with LGBT service members, given reluctance they may feel in presenting their
authentic selves (McNamara et al., 2020).
Finally, culturally skilled counselors educate their LGBT military clients about the counseling process and
carefully explain topics, such as confidentiality, that are important to the military lifestyle (Ratts et al., 2015).
Because of the stigma associated with receiving mental health services that exists in the military culture
(Sharp et al., 2015), it is important to assure the service member client that the issues discussed in the session
will remain confidential and will not be disclosed to military superiors for any reason.
Action
Multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors initiate conversations with LGBT service member
clients to understand how the client-counselor relationship is influenced by worldviews, values, beliefs, and
biases (Ratts et al., 2015). The counselor should seek the expertise of the client in these conversations,
creating a safe environment for honesty in reflection from a person-centered approach (Seligman &
Reichenberg, 2013). Multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors likewise partner with clients to
decide what type of advocacy is needed both in the military and in the civilian community (Ratts et al., 2015).
Counselors involve and empower clients in this conversation and treat them as the experts on their own
experiences and potential (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2013). Finally, multicultural and social-justice–
competent counselors use cross-communication skills to connect with clients (Ratts et al., 2015), including
active-listening, open-ended questioning, and reflection of feelings. These skills will allow the client to feel
truly heard and will build trust within the counseling relationship (Okun & Kantrowitz, 2014).
Counseling and Advocacy Interventions
The fourth and final MSJCC domain focuses on how counselors can advocate for their LGBT service member
clients and can empower them to advocate for themselves from both an individual (intrapersonal and
interpersonal) and systemic (institutional, community) perspective (Ratts et al., 2015).
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Journal of Social Change 74
Intrapersonal
Multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors help LGBT service member clients develop a critical
consciousness by understanding their challenges in the context of an oppressive society or how they are
affected by the military’s past and current viewpoint on their sexual orientation (Ratts et al., 2015).
Counselors are called upon to help LGBT service member clients build confidence and learn how to self-
advocate both within the military community and in civilian society (Ratts et al., 2015). Clients need to be
supported as they go against the collective norm in the military, which they have been trained to conform to as
a part of the military culture since the first day of their careers.
Interpersonal
Next, multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors help LGBT service member clients analyze the
relationships they have with others in the military as well as in their personal lives that may be impacted by
their marginalized status (Ratts et al., 2015). LGBT service members should understand the impact of
historical legislation on LGBT service members in the military and how this legislation may affect their
interactions with others in their work and daily life (Ratts et al., 2015). To provide support for LGBT service
members in engaging in this reflection, multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors create support
groups for LGBT service members to discuss the challenges they have faced and the coping strategies they
have found to be helpful. In these groups, counselors can help LGBT service members articulate their
intersecting cultural identities and discuss how they can openly and authentically describe their experiences to
their family, friends, and co-workers.
In addition to these support groups for LGBT service members, counselors might facilitate support groups for
the family members of LGBT service members to provide them with the education, tools, and resources for
navigating the military lifestyle and their marginalized status. Multicultural and social-justice-competent
counselors should also connect LGBT service members with mentors in the military and in the community,
such as active duty or veteran LGBT service members, who can share their own experiences and help support
them in overcoming the challenges they face within the military culture.
Institutional
In addition to an interpersonal focus, multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors determine which
social institutions can help LGBT service members overcome the challenges they are facing (Ratts et al.,
2015). For example, the Fleet and Family counseling centers on military bases, military-friendly agencies
within the civilian community, or local houses of worship may serve as sources of support and referrals for the
LGBT service member community. In addition to making client referrals to these institutions, multicultural
and social-justice-competent counselors join with social institutions to address injustice (Ratts et al., 2015).
These partnerships may include joining with military leadership who are committed to advocating for LGBT
service members. Counselors should likewise collaborate with Public Affairs Offices on military bases to
promote LGBT equality on military social media pages and on local and national media outlets, ultimately
working to shape the public’s opinion and viewpoint of the contributions this population makes to the military
community.
As trained cultural experts (Pieterse, 2009), counselors can offer insights to military leadership on the mental
health needs of LGBT service members and ways in which the military community can support this
traditionally marginalized population. In addition, counselors should work with military leadership in
creating inclusive environments in the workplace where LGBT service members will be safe and celebrated.
One step that military leadership might take, for example, is creating a diversity council in each unit that will
plan practical strategies for creating a culture of acceptance and inclusion within the military culture.
Counselors might look to other industries that have created inclusive working environments for additional
strategies that would prove effective in the military work environment as well. Overall, counselors should
collaborate with military leadership to discover ways to mitigate the challenges faced by LGBT service
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Journal of Social Change 75
members. By skillfully facilitating these difficult conversations and challenging military personnel to face and
address the past, an action plan for change can be made.
Finally, multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors should offer training for military mental health
providers regarding the healthcare needs of the LGBT population. This type of training has been found to be
well received and effective in the past by military medical personnel (Shrader et al., 2017) and could be
designed or adjusted to educate on-base or on-post mental health counselors. Counselors should also partner
with school counselors in Department of Defense schools on military bases to offer professional development
related to working with LGBT service members and their families.
Community
Multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors discuss and explore the experiences of LGBT service
members (Ratts et al., 2015). Counselors should also conduct research (i.e., focus groups, surveys) to
investigate how much military norms, values, and regulations, both past and present, influence LGBT service
members and the marginalization they experience in the military (Ratts et al., 2015). This research could be
done with LGBT service member participants, heterosexual service members, and military leadership
participants to analyze and explore each of their perspectives. In addition, counselors might conduct needs
assessments with civilian and military providers working with LGBT clients to understand their experiences
and training needs. Then, an action plan can be drafted and implemented in collaboration with these
stakeholders to fill any training gaps (Zajac & Godshall, 2020).
Overall, multicultural and social-justice-competent counselors should empower their LGBT service member
clients to help shape the military’s norms, values, and regulations to normalize diversity in sexual orientation
in military culture (Ratts et al., 2015). For example, the counselor might help the LGBT service member client
overcome fears of revealing their sexual identity to their peers or brainstorm ways in which the client can
systemically challenge the oppressive culture of the workplace so that LGBT service members are no longer
marginalized members of the military community.
Future Research
Future qualitative research should explore the experiences of LGBT service members to understand the true
nature of their worldviews and the intersection between their sexual identity and position in the military.
Qualitative research might likewise explore the experiences of both military and civilian counselors working
with this population to determine clinical strengths as well as in what areas they might need additional
professional development to best help this population overcome the challenges that they face as a
marginalized population within the military culture.
Future quantitative research might survey LGBT service members to determine how the effects of recent
oppressive legislation during the Trump administration have affected their physical and mental health. These
results would be useful in advocating for additional services for this population within the military as well as
creating an awareness of the effects of such policies on their mental health. Future quantitative research might
likewise survey the families of LGBT service members to understand their experiences as marginalized
military families and to determine what supportive resources may be needed for them both from military and
civilian mental health providers.
Finally, both quantitative and qualitative research should investigate the effectiveness of using the MSJCC as
a framework for counseling LGBT service members. Then, this evidence-based framework can be widely
integrated into professional development opportunities for civilian and military mental health providers and
could be used as a model framework in counselor education programs to train counselors to effectively help
LGBT service members and to actively advocate for their needs from both an individual and systemic
perspective.
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Journal of Social Change 76
Conclusion
Because of the complex and unique nature of the intersection between the LGBT sexual identity and military
culture, it is important for counselors to approach their work with this population in a culturally competent
manner. The MSJCC provides a guiding framework for gaining the knowledge, skills, and awareness to work
with LGBT service members as well as an action plan for advocating for just treatment of this population
within the military culture. Counselors cannot be satisfied with counseling LGBT service members from the
comfort of their office, but must take on a systemic, action-oriented, advocacy perspective to effectively meet
the needs of this population.
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Journal of Social Change 77
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