This study examines how gay and bisexual adolescents identify and access support from
their school counselor using a phenomenological inquiry approach. Gay and bisexual
adolescents were interviewed regarding their experiences with their school counselors and
reported that they believed school counselors should be supportive by virtue of their
title. Participants used various methods to determine if their school counselor was
supportive including ascertaining political beliefs, relying on the past history of the
school counselor-student relationship, observing supportive symbols in school counseling
offices, and relying on knowledge gained from other students. Students reported that
school counselors are most helpful when they simply listen to students’ concerns and state
directly that they are willing to discuss LGBT issues. Barriers to accessing support from
school counselors included student concerns regarding confidentiality and fears of being
judged or treated differently by their school counselor. The article also discusses study
strengths and limitations.
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