Personality Assessment and Counseling Psychology

This article examines the place of personality assessment in counseling psychology. Three areas are considered: (a) the types of tests counseling psychologists use, (b) the perspective counseling psychologists apply to the use of tests, and (c) projective techniques and counseling psychology. Each area is examined, and the issues it raises for counseling psychology are presented. Some conclusions about personality assessment practices in counseling psychology are made, and several directions for future training are identified.     

Personality assessment and counseling psychology

This article examines the place of personality assessment in counseling psychology. Three areas are considered: (a) the types of tests counseling psychologists use, (b) the perspective counseling psychologists apply to the use of tests, and (c) projective techniques and counseling psychology. Each area is examined, and the issues it raises for counseling psychology are presented. Some conclusions about personality assessment practices in counseling psychology are made, and several directions for future training are identified.     

Physical Facilities for Elementary School Counseling

This article describes 3 desirable counseling centers for elementary schools with student populations of four to eight hundred. Adaptations for schools outside these population limits will readily be seen. 4 assumptions about the counseling setting are discussed: that it should (1) be attractive, (2) permit group as well as individual counseling, (3) encourage the use of play media in counseling, and (4) permit observation of counseling. Functional aspects of the counseling setting are presented in diagram and outline form. It is hoped that this presentation will encourage dialogue relative to the setting for elementary counseling, and that some direction may be found by those who are planning counseling offices or centers.     

addressing career issues online: perceptions of counselor education professionals

The Internet is the latest arena in which counseling services are available for a variety of issues. This study surveyed counselor education professionals about their perceptions regarding the use of online counseling to address various mental health issues including career counseling. It also examined their perceptions about 3 formats of online counseling: e‐mail, text‐based chat, and videoconferencing. Results indicated that counselor education professionals were open to the use of online counseling to address career issues. The implications for the practice of online career counseling and for the training of counselors are discussed.     

Developmental Counseling in the Elementary School

Some of the fundamentals basic to a theory and practice of developmental counseling with the elementary school child are set forth. Pertinent child development research is cited that implies the need for developmental counseling with normal children. The value of this counseling in the elementary school setting is in facilitating the total learning process. Unique factors of this counseling, including short-term service, focus on developmental problems, and the establishment of goals, are described. Principles for working with children in the counseling process are discussed.     

Dual Relationships and Pastoral Counseling: Asset or Liability?

Dual relationships are proscribed in the standards of ethical conduct for most professional groups that provide counseling or psychotherapy. Dual relationships are thought to be unethical because they cloud the clinical judgment of the counselor and may present conflicts of interest that prevent the counseling relationship from being beneficial. Pastors frequently provide counseling for troubled persons or families, yet they often maintain other roles and relationships with these persons and families. This article addresses the issue of the inevitability of dual relationships in pastoral counseling. Courses of action for handling dual relationships in pastoral counseling are identified.     

Sex Bias in Educational-Vocational Counseling

Literature pertinent to sex discrimination in educational and vocational counseling is reviewed. Among the many factors that contribute to inequitable counseling are the sex role socialization that clients bring to the counseling interaction, the sex role attitudes and biases of counselors, deficiencies in counselor training, and shortcomings of tests and other source materials used in counseling practice. Recommendations are made toward more comprehensive counseling services for women and men.     

Systemically-Based Psychotherapeutic Techniques in Genetic Counseling

The uses of systemically-based psychotherapeutic methods in genetic counseling are discussed in the context of the origin of genetic counseling, the definition of genetic counseling, and the adjustments that one must make in order to implement these methods. Selected systemic methods which can be readily incorporated into genetic counseling are presented: use of genograms to explore family attitudes and beliefs about genetic risk, communications skills, and applications of family of origin work in genetic counseling. The need for research regarding the methodology and process of genetic counseling is presented with discussion of the need for theories of practice for genetic counseling.     

BRCA1 Testing: Genetic Counseling Protocol Development and Counseling Issues

This article discusses the genetic counseling protocols which were developed and counseling issues that have arisen in the first 2 years of evaluating a large kindred with a BRCA1 mutation. The rationale for the development of the genetic counseling protocols and specific genetic counseling visual aids are presented and discussed. The protocols and counseling aids can serve as models for other programs offering cancer susceptibility testing. The observations of study counselors about study subject concerns and responses to genetic testing at the time of the pretest and posttest counseling sessions are presented.     

THE INVOLUNTARY CLIENT

The involuntary client is a frequently encountered problem in employment counseling and other social agency counseling. Possible reasons for his recalcitrance are examined and their implications for the counseling relationship are discussed. Four necessary conditions for working with involuntary clients are proposed and strategies are suggested for meeting these conditions.     

Current Findings Regarding the Effectiveness of Counseling: Implications for Practice

Research on the effectiveness of counseling is reviewed, and conclusions are drawn about the consequences for professional practice. The research literature clearly shows that counseling is effective in relation to no-treatment and placebo control conditions. The effects of counseling seem to be relatively lasting. These effects are attained in relatively brief time periods, with the percentage of clients who show substantial improvement increasing as the number of counseling sessions increases. There continues to be little evidence of specific efficacy for particular techniques or counseling theories, and a small portion of clients seem to deteriorate while undergoing, and perhaps because of, counseling interventions.     

Adolescent males' view on the use of mental health counseling services

This study investigated adolescent males' view on mental health counseling. Additionally, participants were asked if they had ever used mental health counseling services, if they expected to use such services in the future, and what types of services/activities would constitute a successful counseling experience. The participants' responses indicated that they associated mental health counseling with mental illness and pathology. Eighty-eight percent of the participants reported having never used mental health counseling services. Surprisingly, 69% reported a willingness to use mental health counseling services for life's concerns. Finally, the participants identified a preference for action-oriented counseling strategies. Implications for mental health counseling practice are discussed.     

Self-Disclosure as an Approach to Teaching Ethical Decision-Making

This article presents arguments for and against weight loss counseling in feminist therapy. Conflicts between feminist therapy and weight loss counseling are explored and the implications of counseling and not counseling on women's empowerment are considered. Although each case requires an individual ethical decision, the author, a feminist therapist who has done weight loss counseling in the past, concludes that the answer to the title question should, in general, be "no."     

Career and personal counseling: Comparing process and outcome

Increasingly, there is a call to support the integration of career and personal counseling. However, few empirical studies have examined the overlap between these 2 domains. This study examined how career and personal counseling compared on both process and outcome measures. The participants included real clients who sought career and personal counseling at 3 college counseling centers in the U.S. The findings indicated that except in the area of expectations about counseling, there were no significant differences between career counseling and personal counseling. The implications for counseling practice and training are discussed.     

Empowerment in Counseling

This article examines the use of empowerment as a central component of counseling and as a criterion for evaluating counseling interventions. Definitions of empowerment across several perspectives are discussed and a definition of empowerment in the context of counseling is proposed. Based on this definition, potentially empowering and disempowering aspects of counseling are presented. Measurement and research issues and recommendations related to empowerment are highlighted.     

Evaluating educational—vocational counseling: a model for change

This study sought to assess students' reactions toward their vocational and educational counseling at a university counseling center. Students receiving educational-vocational counseling during the 1968-69 academic year served as subjects whose responses to a 29-item questionnaire were used to determine their reactions to counseling. The majority of clients who were counseled by advanced trainees or doctorate level staff viewed their counseling experience positively. A large percentage of the clients of beginning practicum students viewed their counseling negatively. The findings suggested weaknesses in vocational counseling facilities, in counselors' skills, and in training of beginning practicum students. Implications for change are suggested and the need for assessment in counseling agencies is emphasized.     

Applications of Group Career Counseling Techniques in Asian Cultures

In this article, applications of group career counseling techniques to Asian cultures are discussed. The article first identifies how group-oriented cultures differ from individually oriented cultures, reasons that group career counseling is especially appropriate for group-oriented cultures, and relevant issues in group career counseling with Asian populations. Interventions that illustrate the use of group career counseling with Asian clients are prescribed.     

Marriage preparation and marriage enrichment: The preventive approach

Premarital counseling and marriage enrichment are viewed as two areas of a life continuum prevention program. Premarital counseling is seen as the first step in preparation for marriage, to be followed six months to a year after marriage by a neomarital counseling experience. Content and process for the counseling are elaborated. Marriage enrichment groups are recommended at various points during the life of a marriage. Three models for enrichment are presented. Prevention programs are viewed as vital experiences for personal and relationship maintenance and growth.He is also a member of the faculty of Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Waterloo, Ontario.     

Clinical and Counseling Experiences of Early Adopters of Whole Exome Sequencing

Currently, there are limited data regarding the practice of genetic counseling for whole exome sequencing (WES). Improved understanding of how genetic counselors and other providers are educating, counseling, and communicating results may identify practice trends, and patient or provider needs. Between April 2013 and December 2014, we surveyed providers who ordered WES testing from GeneDx, a CLIA-certified laboratory. Forty-nine respondents completed the survey; 41 % of participants reported board certification in genetic counseling. Pre-test and post-test counseling was completed in all but one case each. Pre-test counseling lasted less than 1 h for 53 % of cases and 1 to 2 h for 43 %. Topics discussed with all patients included consent for testing, and incidental findings; other topics were variable. In contrast to pre-test counseling, 59 % reported post-test counseling lasting 1 to 2 h and 33 % less than an hour; post-testing counseling was significantly longer in cases with a definitive diagnosis than those without (p?=?0.0129). The survey findings indicate some variability regarding the amount of time spent on counseling and the topics discussed during pre-test counseling. Additional exploration, patient and provider educational resources, and potentially more specific guidelines regarding counseling for WES may be warranted.     

Counseling Past and Present: Is There a Future?

Major criticisms directed at counseling are identified and prominent suggestions for their elimination are described through an analysis of the counseling literature of the past 10 years. A brief outline of the history of counseling offers a historical perspective to the discussion. One suggestion to improve counseling, that counselors become change agents in their institutions, is examined and described with steps for its implementation. The implementation of the change-agent role for counselors would address much of the substantive criticism directed at counseling, and would remold the profession to more effectively meet today's needs.