Topic 6 DQ 1
Assessment Description: Examine the "Homosexuality Identity Formation" content in your
textbook. Concentrate on pages starting at page 130 that explains the stages of identity
development for gay and lesbian individuals. How do you think identity development impacts
the mental health of LGBTQ individuals? How can knowing the stage of identity development
of a client help a behavioral health professional?
Answer:
Similar to how there are different models for developmental life stages, there are different
models for sexual identity development. Our textbook describes models from Coleman, Cass,
Troiden, McCarn and Fassigner, and Weinberg et al. as having at least four stages. The first
stage is when a person is figuring out for themselves that they are questioning their identity
while the second stage is a person accepting their identity and trying to figure out how they fit
in socially (Hays & Erford, 2018). Stage three is when the person becomes more open to their
immediate social group about their identity while stage four involves building relationships
and being more confident in their identity (Hays & Erford, 2018). Coleman's and Cass's model
both have a stage five, which involves a person completely accepting their identity; and Cass's
model also has a stage six, which is an expansion of stage five (Hays & Erford, 2018).
After looking at the stages and their key traits, I think that identity development impacts the
mental health of LGBTQ individuals in different ways. If we look strictly at identity
development and not various other factors, I think it overall impacts the mental health
negatively. Generally when people question who they are, what they value, and even what they
believe in, they are already at a point in their life where they are struggling with something
internally. Questioning yourself can lead to anxiety and depression, especially if it happens
often or a person is receiving backlash for questioning themselves. I believe that a professional
knowing the stages can help both parties because the professional can explain the stages to the
client and help them work through the stages, and it helps the client because they can feel less
anxious or depressed about trying to understand what they are going through.
Source:
Hays, D., & Erford, B. (2018). Developing multicultural counseling competence: A systems
approach (3rd ed.). Pearson. ISBN-13: 9780134523804
Assessment Description: Examine the "Homosexuality Identity Formation" content in your
textbook. Concentrate on pages starting at page 130 that explains the stages of identity
development for gay and lesbian individuals. How do you think identity development impacts
the mental health of LGBTQ individuals? How can knowing the stage of identity development
of a client help a behavioral health professional?
Answer:
Similar to how there are different models for developmental life stages, there are different
models for sexual identity development. Our textbook describes models from Coleman, Cass,
Troiden, McCarn and Fassigner, and Weinberg et al. as having at least four stages. The first
stage is when a person is figuring out for themselves that they are questioning their identity
while the second stage is a person accepting their identity and trying to figure out how they fit
in socially (Hays & Erford, 2018). Stage three is when the person becomes more open to their
immediate social group about their identity while stage four involves building relationships
and being more confident in their identity (Hays & Erford, 2018). Coleman's and Cass's model
both have a stage five, which involves a person completely accepting their identity; and Cass's
model also has a stage six, which is an expansion of stage five (Hays & Erford, 2018).
After looking at the stages and their key traits, I think that identity development impacts the
mental health of LGBTQ individuals in different ways. If we look strictly at identity
development and not various other factors, I think it overall impacts the mental health
negatively. Generally when people question who they are, what they value, and even what they
believe in, they are already at a point in their life where they are struggling with something
internally. Questioning yourself can lead to anxiety and depression, especially if it happens
often or a person is receiving backlash for questioning themselves. I believe that a professional
knowing the stages can help both parties because the professional can explain the stages to the
client and help them work through the stages, and it helps the client because they can feel less
anxious or depressed about trying to understand what they are going through.
Source:
Hays, D., & Erford, B. (2018). Developing multicultural counseling competence: A systems
approach (3rd ed.). Pearson. ISBN-13: 9780134523804
