CACREP Accreditation,Ethics, and the Affirmation of Both Religious and Sexual Identities: A Response to Smith and Okech

In response to Smith and Okech ( 2016 ), the authors reason that protections for sexual minorities can thrive with protections for religious liberties. The authors (a) acknowledge that the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs' accreditation process is designed to ensure that counseling programs of religious or secular institutions meet established standards to prepare counselors to work with all client groups, (b) describe the Ethical Acculturation Model (Handelsman, Gottlieb, & Knapp, 2005 ), and (c) provide an example of a theological perspective for educators to help students integrate their professional and religious identities.