The purpose of this study was to explore middle or high school counselors' experiences when working with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) student population. LGBTQ+ students face victimization, physical harassment, and violence in school settings. A generic qualitative approach was utilized for this study. Ten certified school counselors throughout the Southeastern parts of the U.S. participated in semi-structured interviews to share their experiences when working with the LGBTQ+ student population. This study provided a greater understanding of the challenges school counselors experience when they do not have the necessary resources or support needed to assist LGBTQ+ students. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis with constant comparison in which the author generated themes that aligned with the consistency of the data results. The research results revealed the following themes (a) my ideas and (b) open recognition. It was determined that for school counselors, knowledge and awareness affect their experiences when counseling LGBTQ+ students. Middle and high school counselors had experience implementing strategies aligned with LBGTQ+ students' needs but also wanted continual support, training, and professional development from their school districts. Additional insights and suggestions are provided that can help school counselors and counselor education programs better prepare school counselors for working with the LGBTQ+ population. Further research could focus on school counselors' experiences when working with LGBTQ+ students across different states. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]