Sharing Our Stories: Queer Counselors’ Narratives in Use of Therapeutic Self-Disclosure in Internalized Homophobia

Internalized homophobia plays a significant role in the lives of LGBTGEQIAP+ clients, often leading to mental health concerns. Despite quantitative inquiry, internalized homophobia has a dearth of qualitative research containing narratives. This study employed a narrative Bildungsroman to give words to queer counselors about their coming-of-age journey traversing internalized homophobia and solicited insights about modern-day queer youth. Ten interviews were collected, which were analyzed revealing seven themes. Data suggested two useful counseling techniques: using therapeutic self-disclosure and actively challenging homophobic and transphobic discourse in counseling with queer youth. Researchers provide a discussion of findings, implications, and directions for future research.