Course Overview
Welcome to the Counseling Individuals from the LGBTQ+ Community Certification Course. You are about to embark on a journey that will advance your knowledge and skills to support and counsel individuals from the LGBTQ+ community.
Goals
The primary goal of the Counseling Individuals from the LGBTQ+ Community Certification Course is that you gain the knowledge and skills to work in a holistic way to support and counsel individuals from the LGBTQ+ community to live meaningful and satisfying lives. The second goal of this course is to provide you, the learner, with opportunities for personal growth.
Objectives
During this Course, you:
1. Increase awareness of sexual orientation and sexual identity.
2. Advance knowledge of challenges faced by people from the LGBTQ+ community including suicide risk and homelessness.
3. Advance abilities to provide trauma informed counseling.
4. Acquire skills in supporting and counseling individuals, family and friends during the Coming Out processes.
Time Frame
Sixty hours of education and skill attainment are required for certification. Hours are allowed for completion of the Required Readings and the Take Home Final Exam.
Reasons for Success
The Model of Healing taught in this course has been evaluated by hundreds of course participants, who consistently report, that the methods taught and applied, positively impact both the client and the counselor. The evaluation scores have been analysed and published. Reasons the Model of Healing applied in this course demonstrates success over other models include:
1) Many helping models do not offer strategies appropriate to the social and cultural history of the person needing support.
2) Most models designed to offer help during times of crisis focus on asking the right questions of the person at risk, and all but fail to address the degree of physical, mental, social, and soul pain being experienced by a person needing support.
The Counseling Individuals from the LGBTQ+ Community Certification course gives you the up-to-date knowledge and skills to assess any physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual pain being experienced by persons from the LGBTQ+ community and provides you with practical applications of effective wholistic and culturally sensitive interventions that promote healing in every aspect of their humanness.
Evaluation Methods
A comprehensive Take Home examination is used as the measure of success.
Required Resources
- Simington J (2025). Counseling Individuals from the LGBTQ+ Community Certification Course Handbook. Edmonton, AB. Taking Flight International Corporation.
- Simington, J (2019). Cutting Cords with Addictions, Edmonton, AB. Taking Flight International Corporation.
Course Arrangements
1) The Counseling Individuals from the LGBTQ+ Community Certification Course is offered regularly in the Alberta area.
2) The Counseling Individuals from the LGBTQ+ Community Certification Course can be delivered at a location of your choice.
- A minimum of ten people and a maximum of eighteen people are required to be able to offer the course at your location.
- Please call our office on 780 473 6732 for assistance with arrangements.
References
Information from the following programs, designed to support Individuals from the LGBTQ+ Community, is included in this Course.
- The Safe Zone Project provides LGBTQ+ awareness and a two-hour curriculum for creating safe and supportive environments. http://thesafezoneproject.com
- The Trevor Project’s CARE provides training focused on suicide prevention and sensitivity for LGBTQ+ youth. Interactive LGBTQ Sensitivity Training for Supportive Adults.
- SAMHSA’s LGBT offers a curriculum aimed at improving the health and well-being of the LGBT+ population. LGBT Training Curricula | SAMHSA
- SAGE CARE offers training to improve the care and support for older LGBTQ+ adults. Resources to Support People Who Are LGBTQIA2S+.
