Gender Identity Counselor Competency Scale: A Validation Study

Abstract

Gender Identity Counselor Competency Scale: A Validation Study The purpose of the current study was to explore the validity of the Gender Identity Counselor Competency Scale, a measure meant to examine counselor competency for working with clients identifying as trans*. A national sample of counseling students and faculty accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Programs (CACREP) was obtained. The data from 187 participants were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis during the first phase of data analysis. After extraction, two items were removed from the measure and it was renamed GICCS-Revised (GICCS-R). Three factors emerged from analysis and supported the tripartite model for multicultural counseling competencies and these factors were labeled knowledge, awareness, and skills. High internal consistency was found and evidence convergent validity was observed. Some evidence for discriminant validity was found. During the second phase of data analysis, analysis of covariance was used to explore mean differences among levels of education on overall GICCS-R scores as well as the subscale scores, while controlling for social desirability. There were group differences on the overall and subscale scores, with the exception of the awareness subscale. A hierarchal multiple regression was conducted to determine whether a set of variables (social desirability, levels of education, number of workshops attended or facilitated, and number of trans*-identified clients worked with) could predict scores on the overall GICCS-R and each subscale. The variables combined explained 45.5% of the variance on overall GICCS-R scores. Social desirability was not a significant predictor of scores. First year counseling master’s students; participants who attended or facilitated 0-4 workshops; and participants who worked with 0-1 clients were significant predictors of low overall competency scores. Levels of education and levels of experience explained a significant proportion of the variance on the knowledge and skills subscales, but not on the awareness subscale. The findings from the current study have important implications for how trans* counselor competency is measured in students and faculty. The findings also have implications for ways to improve levels competency.