Integrating Milton H. Erickson's Hypnotherapeutic Techniques Into General Counseling and Psychotherapy

Milton H. Erickson's approach to clinical hypnosis has recently attracted the attention of many professional counselors. Although traditional hypnotherapy presumes the induction and utilization of trance, some of Erickson's hypnotherapeutic principles can be easily translated into the general framework of counseling. This article examines several basic techniques of Erickson that are applicable to four aspects of counseling: (a) rapport building, (b) problem assessment, (c) resistance management, and (d) behavior change. Clinical examples and discussion are provided for illustration.     

Integrating Spiritual Experiences in Counseling

Although the spiritual dimension is an integral part of psychotherapy, most mental health professionals lack the necessary training for working with spiritual experiences therapeutically. The experiential focusing method developed by Eugene Gendlin (eg., 1969, 1981) offers a key tool for counselors to help clients integrate their spiritual experiences in counseling. In this article, the author offers a definition of the spiritual experience, outlines the focusing method, presents examples of its application, and discusses the implications of using focusing to help clients integrate spirituality in counseling.     

Integrating Counseling Research and Practice

The current research-practice gap in the counseling profession poses a number of significant challenges to practitioners, researchers, and the profession as a whole. This introduction to the special feature, “Counseling Outcome Research: Implications for Practice,” identifies the important issues regarding the systematic integration of counseling research into practice.     

Counseling African Americans: Integrating Spirituality in Therapy

African American culture is rich with religious and spiritual traditions and practices that largely have been ignored in traditional approaches to counseling with this population. The purpose of this article is to describe the religious and spiritual dimensions of African American culture and to offer strategies for incorporating them into counseling African American clients.     

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.     

Projective Techniques in the Counseling Process

Projective techniques have a lengthy and vital history in personality assessment, but they have evoked a minimal degree of interest on the part of counselors. Psychometric limitations, lack of training opportunities, and the obscure qualities of the instruments have restricted their use among practitioners. The author proposes a method to stimulate the use of projectives as an integral part of the counseling process and provides justification for the expanded use of the technique as a counseling tool.     

Psychological Aspects of Genetic Counseling. X. Advanced Counseling Techniques

Four procedures commonly used by experienced counselors are described: simple interview formulations, helping clients think through their problems, reframing, and role playing. Each procedure is illustrated by examples. Among other things, the goal of these procedures is to promote the autonomy and self-directedness of clients and thus are particularly valuable in circumstances requiring a nondirective stance. The need is underscored for a more active counseling stance appropriate to the psychological and problem-solving needs of genetic counselees.     

Self-Transcendence: Integrating Ends and Means in Value Counseling

Pastoral counseling is distinguished from secular counseling by “limit experiences.” These are experiences that disclose the fullness of self-transcendence—for Christians, a personal relationship with God. But the radical drive of the human spirit for self-transcendence unifies every dimension of the developing person. This drive thus forms the basis of a fundamental continuity between pastoral and secular counseling in their directions and methods, despite clear differences in boundaries, categories, and languages.     

论五种宗教对话观

宗教对话是国际宗教学界的一个热门话题、一个前沿领域。本文概要评述了五种最有影响的宗教对话观,即排他论、兼并论、多元论、兼容论和实践论,并力求对它们加以比较性的方法论反思。作者认为,这五种宗教对话观不仅各有不可忽视的理论根据,而且均有值得深思的理论得失。因此,从神哲学方法论上反省它们之间的学术论争,并权衡它们之间的理论张力,将有助于我们进而探索宗教对话领域的疑难问题及其理论突破点。     

Integrating Personal and Career Counseling: A Challenge for Counselors

In recent years career counseling has often been viewed as separate and distinct from personal counseling, ignoring a long tradition in the career development field that has consistently recognized the importance of personality factors in the process of choosing and maintaining a career. This paper argues for the use of an eclectic career counseling model that embraces both personality and career development theories. The model requires the counselor to be able to move back and forth between the active and directive role of the career counselor and the facilitative and exploratory role of the personal counselor. A case is presented to demonstrate its application and implications for counseling and training are discussed.     

Brain Wave Biofeedback: Benefits of Integrating Neurofeedback in Counseling

Consistent with the 2009 Standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, counselors must understand neurobiological behavior in individuals of all developmental levels. This requires understanding the brain and strategies for applying neurobiological concepts in counseling practice, training, and research. Neurofeedback, biofeedback for the brain, is one modality based in neuroscience that empowers individuals to recognize, monitor, and self‐regulate brain wave activity to create greater wellness. Neurofeedback has significant potential in counseling preparation, research, and practice.     

Theories and Modules Applied in Islamic Counseling Practices in Malaysia

Some Malaysian scholars believe that the theoretical basis and models of intervention in Islamic counseling practices in Malaysia are deficient and not eminently identified. This study investigated and describes the nature of current Islamic counseling practices including the theories and modules of Islamic counseling that are been practiced in Malaysia. This qualitative research has employed data that mainly consist of texts gathered from literatures and semi-structured interviews of 18 informants. It employed grounded theory analysis, and the result shows that most of the practitioners had applied integrated conventional counseling theories with Islamic rituals, references, interventions and ethics. Some had also applied Islamic theories and modules formulated in Malaysia such as iCBT, al-Ghazali counseling theories, Cognitive ad-Deen, KBJ, Prophetic Counseling and Asma Allah al-Husna Counseling Therapy.     

Contributions of Teleoanalytic Theory and Techniques to School Counseling

Counselor educators should be concerned with presenting varied theoretical approaches to school counseling. This article develops the teleoanalytic position and acquaints the reader with Adlerian concepts and procedures. 10 assumptions for understanding personality are set forth. Unique counseling procedures that develop from this rationale, such as Early Recollections, Family Constellation, and “The Hidden Reason,” are described.     

Application of Personality Theories and Counseling Strategies to Clients With Physical Disabilities

This article describes how certain relevant theoretical concepts, intervention methods, and criteria for determining therapeutic change, which are borrowed from several personality theories and counseling approaches, can be useful in counseling people with physical disabilities. The clinical utility of each discussed personality theory is explored in the context of the efforts directed at (a) gaining insight into the psychosocial impact of physical disability, (b) counseling for personal adjustment to the disability, and (c) becoming familiar with theory-specific guidelines for assessing therapeutic changes. It is argued that counselors who serve clients with disabilities ought to choose those interventions most congruent with their own theoretical orientation, academic training, work setting, and nature of the disability condition.     

Barriers Impacting the Utilization of Supervision Techniques in Genetic Counseling

Clinical supervision is an essential element in training genetic counselors. Although live supervision has been identified as the most common supervision technique utilized in genetic counseling, there is limited information on factors influencing its use as well as the use of other techniques. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers supervisors face when implementing supervision techniques. All participants (N?=?141) reported utilizing co-counseling. This was most used with novice students (96.1 %) and intermediate students (93.7 %). Other commonly used techniques included live supervision where the supervisor is silent during session (98.6 %) which was used most frequently with advanced students (94.0 %), and student self-report (64.7 %) used most often with advanced students (61.2 %). Though no barrier to these commonly used techniques was identified by a majority of participants, the most frequently reported barriers included time and concern about patient’s welfare. The remaining supervision techniques (live remote observation, video, and audio recording) were each used by less than 10 % of participants. Barriers that significantly influenced use of these techniques included lack of facilities/equipment and concern about patient reactions to technique. Understanding barriers to implementation of supervisory techniques may allow students to be efficiently trained in the future by reducing supervisor burnout and increasing the diversity of techniques used.