Here in Ireland, it is not part of the course that I did and I looked specifically for training in this area. Sexuality was a workshop we did for one weekend workshop and it was not about sexual orientation but more about our sexual beliefs and how this countries sexual repression has a had a long lasting affect on how we view sexuality as a whole.
I do believe that you have touched on a very good point here Lola, there is a huge gap in training course around this and as a therapist about 50% of my clients come to me with sexual problems and some with sexuality issues. I have had to enrol in extra course at my own expense and will be taking a class this year on psychosexual issues. I am not surprised a lot of therapists remain ignorant and unaware of the difficulties and complexities of these relationships, not just LGBT relationships but there is a whole new language and terminology used now that therapists need to be aware of when working with already vulnerable clients. I agree with the BACP ethics in that therapists should educate themselves and not expect clients to educate them. There is also the issue of therapists knowing their limits and their qualifications and I believe a lot of them have no business working with this clientele. I find that if they have worked with one client who happens to be gay they out it on their website stating they have experience working with these clients.
I had to ask one of my ts who had on their website they had experience what exactly their experience was, they said they had had two clients who were gay. I said but thats not training or experience, needless to say, they were not impressed.