Intergroup relations in action: Questions asked about lesbian,gay and bisexual issues in diversity training

This paper focuses on the questions which heterosexual trainees ask about lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) experience within diversity training about LGB issues. Drawing on a data corpus of 162 questions asked by trainees in 13 tape‐recorded training sessions, questions were coded into six categories: (1) general ‘understanding’ questions; (2) questions about the trainer's life, experience and practices; (3) professional practice questions; (4) questions about lesbian and gay related legislation, policies and procedures; (5) questions about specific people and projects and (6) questions about the meanings, derivations and correct use of terms and symbols. ‘Real’ questions are compared with the decontexualized questions (and answers to them) that are provided in training manuals and it is demonstrated that these questions differ markedly from how questions actually get asked and how they actually get answered. Recommendations are provided for improving training and the argument made for turning towards analyses of the real world in action, especially when considering intergroup relations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How competent are trainee and newly qualified counsellors to work with Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual clients and what do they perceive as their most effective learning experiences?

Aim: Professional therapy organisations promote the importance of working with difference, yet subtle negative biases towards lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients continue. Issues of competence in this area have only recently been addressed. This research aims to study the effectiveness of training to support therapists working with LGB clients in Britain. Method: Students (past and present) of an integrative counselling diploma course completed questionnaires including: background details, a Sexual Orientation Counselor Competence scale (Bidell, 2005), and two qualitative questions about previous learning relating to LGB issues. Quantitative analysis utilising a one way ANOVA test was used to compare the levels of competence at different times in training, and grounded theory to analyse the qualitative responses. Results: Results show that students have a high level of awareness, although a lower level measured in year two of the programme. The qualitative results indicate the learning value of personal experiences. Further themes describe the ways in which students learnt about LGB issues. Discussion: The reduction in scores for awareness may indicate that training facilitates a deeper understanding of self. Key themes indicate the importance of challenging old internal working models of sexual orientation. Implications for practice: The results will enable competences and effective learning experiences to be mapped in the curriculum.     

EMDR and Emotionally Oriented Couples Therapy

When reviewing past and current research on the role of emotion in couples therapy, there appeared to be a lack of articulation concerning how emotional expressions and relational dynamics are affected by emotional trauma that has not been accessed. The authors demonstrate how emotionally and experientially oriented therapy with couples can be enhanced by accessing stored trauma through the use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This approach is called Eye Movement Relationship Enhancement (EMRE) therapy and includes key clinical areas such as accessing and tolerating previously disowned emotion, reprocessing emotional experiences, and amplifying couple intimacy. These key areas are discussed and illustrated with case examples.     

Finer Distinctions: Variability in Satisfied Older Couples’ Problem‐Solving Behaviors

This study utilized observational and self‐report data from 64 maritally satisfied and stable older couples to explore if there were meaningful differences in how couples approached marital disagreements. Using a typology approach to classify couples based on their behaviors in a 15‐minute problem‐solving interaction, findings revealed four types of couples: (1) problem solvers (characterized by both spouses’ higher problem‐solving skills and warmth), (2) supporters (characterized by both spouses’ notable warmth), (3) even couples (characterized by both spouses’ moderate problem‐solving skills and warmth), and (4) cool couples (characterized by both spouses’ greater negativity and lower problem‐solving skills and warmth). Despite the differences in these behaviors, all couples had relatively high marital satisfaction and functioning. However, across nearly all indices, spouses in the cool couple cluster reported poorer marital functioning, particularly when compared to the problem solvers and supporters. These findings suggest that even modest doses of negativity (e.g., eye roll) may be problematic for some satisfied couples later in life. The implications of these typologies are discussed as they pertain to practitioners’ efforts to tailor their approaches to a wider swath of the population.     

Who Knew? Writing LGBT People in Judaism

Advocacy for open recognition and equality by Jewish LGBT people, both in their social communities and within temples and synagogues of each branch of contemporary Judaism, began in the 1970s with the founding of openly gay and lesbian congregations in England and the United States. This article traces the evolution of the arguments for and against inclusion over the last forty years through diverse publications from organizational and denomination documents and reports, periodical articles from the social sciences, personal accounts by LGBT Jews (both lay and members of the rabbinate), dissertations, and monographs.     

Dual-earner couples’ willingness to relocate abroad: the reciprocal influence of both partners’ career role salience and partner role salience

Successful international assignments are important for international organizations. Research has shown that employee willingness to relocate internationally strongly depends on spouse’s willingness to follow. However, the mechanisms driving these effects are not thoroughly investigated. This study gives more insight into the processes that explain both partners’ willingness to (co-)relocate internationally. We examine the influence of both partners’ career role and partner role salience on each other’s (co-)relocation willingness. On the basis of Identity theory, Interdependency theory, and Attachment theory, we hypothesize combined interaction effects of career and partner role salience. Data were collected from 226 couples (professional employees and their spouses) working in a multinational Anglo-Dutch company. Results show that, in particular, spouses’ willingness to follow their partners abroad is determined by both career importance and partner role salience. We conclude that, for theory and for organizational practice, it is indeed crucial to involve both the employees and their spouses in the decision-making for an international relocation.     

Religion,sexuality, and (in)equality in the lives of older lesbian,gay, and bisexual people in the United Kingdom

This article explores how older lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people in the United Kingdom engage with religion in later life. Drawing on research with older persons who are LGB and with activists, it explores religious spaces as sites of both inclusion and exclusion, historically and in the present day. Particular consideration is given to the equality implications, in the form of parity of participation, including in the context of religious-based social care provision for older people. Future research implications are addressed.     

Researching Grief: Cultural,Relational, and Individual Possibilities

This review of the author’s writings on grief focuses on cross-cultural research, research with 19th-century diaries, and qualitative interview studies of couples and families. The cross-cultural studies show that there are strong cultural differences in how people grieve. The diary data show that some people cycle into and out of intense grieving, even for years after a death, and the cycling is governed partly by what they do to control emotions and what they encounter that reminds them of their loss. The interview studies make clear that grieving is, for many people, relational, so looking only at individual grieving we miss much of the relational dynamics that are central to the experience of grieving for many people.     

Does It Help or Hinder? Technology and Its Role in Healing Post Affair

For couples experiencing infidelity, technology can be either a source of comfort or a constant threat. Technology has created an atmosphere where individuals have access to more people, in more ways, and at more times than ever before. While this accessibility has increased partners' ability to connect with each other, it has also increased opportunities for infidelity and makes it easier to maintain an affair. From an attachment perspective, infidelity can lead to heightened sensitivities that alter how an individual experiences the availability, responsiveness, and engagement of their partner. Everyday interactions like text messages, phone calls, and computer use become potential threats that compromise the safety of the relationship. Using an extensive clinical vignette, this article highlights the systemic relationship between technology, attachment, and infidelity and provides clinicians with a framework to use when helping couples heal post affair.