Asynchronous LGBTQ+ Affirming Counseling Training With Early Career Counselors: A Mixed Methods Program Evaluation

ABSTRACT A growing body of research shows that training in LGBTQ+ affirming counseling (LGBTQ+ AC) positively impacts counselors’ perceived knowledge and skills in providing mental health services to LGBTQ+ communities. Existing program evaluations of LGBTQ+ AC, however, have primarily used synchronous delivery formats and cultural competency models for the training design. This study is part of an action research agenda to develop an introductory training in LGBTQ+ AC, using asynchronous online delivery and cultural humility as the conceptual framework for the training design. We used a fixed convergent parallel mixed methods quasi‐experimental design to examine the impact of our LGBTQ+ AC training on perceived LGBTQ+ clinical skills and cultural humility. Participants were 136 early‐career counselors, with 65 in the training group and 71 in the no‐training group. Quantitative results showed significant improvements in the training group's LGBTQ+ clinical preparedness posttraining, and content analysis identified three primary themes of Expanding Knowledge and Perspectives , Clinical Practice Reflection , and Community and Sociocultural Impact . Integrated findings show the impact of the training on LGBTQ+ clinical self‐assessment, cultural humility development, and limitations of current instrumentation. Our findings show LGBTQ+ clinical preparedness outcomes similar to those reported in evaluations of synchronous LGBTQ+ AC trainings. Additional implications include that LGBTQ+ AC training can foster key attributes of cultural humility and underscore the pivotal role of advocacy within LGBTQ+ AC.