Therapeutic Alliance and Perceived Counselor Bias among University Queer Students in Selected Universities in Nairobi County, Kenya

Author

Juma Vincent Damiano and Joyzy Pius Egunjobi


Abstract

 University queer students experience disproportionately higher levels of psychological distress than their heterosexual and cisgender peers, yet many continue to encounter barriers when accessing mental health services. Among these barriers, perceived counsellors’ bias may undermine the development of a strong therapeutic alliance, which is essential for effective counselling outcomes. This study explored how university queer students in selected public and private universities in Nairobi County, Kenya, perceive counsellors’ bias and experience the therapeutic alliance during counselling. Guided by Bordin's Working Alliance Theory and Meyer's Minority Stress Theory, the study employed a qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) design to examine participants' lived experiences. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit 9 queer students aged 18 years and above who had attended at least one counselling session. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using IPA procedures involving iterative reading, coding, theme development, and interpretation. Five interconnected themes emerged: entering counselling with hope and apprehension, developing therapeutic alliance through trust and empathy, negotiating acceptance and counsellor bias, emotional safety as a prerequisite for self-disclosure, and creating inclusive counselling environments. Participants identified counselors' bias through heteronormative assumptions, excessive focus on religion, pathologizing sexual orientation, and efforts to change their identity. Such biases negatively affected the therapeutic alliance by reducing trust, emotional safety, and self-disclosure. Conversely, when counselors demonstrated empathy, acceptance, and respect, participants felt safer, leading to increased self-disclosure and engagement in counseling. Some individuals even withdrew from counseling early due to the perceived harm of bias. The findings highlight the importance of affirmative, culturally responsive counselling practices in promoting therapeutic alliance and improving mental health outcomes for queer students. The study recommends enhanced LGBTQ+ affirmative training for counsellors, inclusive institutional policies, and continued research on therapeutic relationships among sexual and gender minority in Kenyan universities.



Keywords

therapeutic alliance, counsellor bias, queer students, LGBTQ+, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, minority stress, university counselling, Kenya



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