Chaplain, soldier, counselor, pilgrim

The author offers examples of supervision drawing on object relations therapy and Christian faith, doctrine, and life, designed to facilitate theological integration of pastoral identity and clinical practice in the training of U.S. Army Family Life Chaplains. Therapeutic and supervisory relationships are conceived of as dia-Logos encounters requiring the same degree of ascetical sobriety, presence, and vulnerability as prayer and worship. Concepts of therapeutic aggression, functional atheism, and "not knowing" are linked with on-going self-examination and repentance stimulated by empathic engagement of clients as primary ingredients for spiritual growth and effective pastoral counseling.     

The psychiatrist,the counselor,and the school

Based on a general systems analysis model, the holistic approach to counseling spans every level and interaction effect from the gene to the interpersonal to the community and beyond. One of the major functions of the counselor in this approach is opening and maintaining communications among groups in the various school and community subsystems. The author of this article, a psychiatrist, stresses the use of the holistic approach in (a) the training and role of the psychiatrist, (b) the school and its subsystems, (c) the role of the guidance counselor, and (d) the interaction between the guidance counselor and the psychiatrist.     

Effects of profanity,touch, and sex of the counselor on perceptions of the counselor and behavioral compliance: Implications for rational-emotive therapists

The present study investigated the effects of profanity, touch, and sex of the counselor on perceptions of the counselor and on behavioral compliance. Ninety six undergraduate psychology students attended a self help presentation on principles of mental health, according to rational-emotive theory. At the end of each presentation the counselor recommended that the subject pick up a book request card (initial compliance) and mail it away (delayed compliance) in order to receive a free copy ofA New Guide To Rational Living. The subjects were also asked to rate their preceptions of the counselor on the dimensions of expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness. The results indicated that the use of profanity led to significantly lower perceptions of trustworthiness and a significantly lower level of delayed compliance. Female counselors were rated as more expert, attractive, and trustworthy as compared with male counselors. There was no effect of touch on any of the dependent measures. Implications of these findings for the rational emotive therapist are discussed.This study is based upon a doctoral dissertation completed by the first author, under the direction of the second author.We would like to thank Jean Cirillo who prepared an initial version of the rational emotive, mental health lecture used in this study.Mindy Phillips Ph.D. is a school psychologist in the Farmingdale, N.Y. public schools. She completed her doctoral degree, including her training in RET, at Hofstra University.Howard Kassinove, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology and Director for Clinical Psychology at Hofstra University in New York. He is a Fellow of the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy and holds the ABPP diploma in Clinical Psychology.     

Student protest and the counselor

The problem of student protests provides a challenge to counselors because it indicates, among other things, that guidance has been ineffective. Five trends in student attitudes are described that seem to underlie widespread student unrest against the establishment. Then the role of youth in present-day social change is defined and related to activism, and suggestions are made for counselors interest***ed in channeling student protests into educational improvements. Finally, a more aggressive and active stance by the counselor is called for as part of a revamping of the priorities governing counselor activities.     

Dimensions of counselor functioning

In 1957 the editor of the Journal of Counseling Psychology rejected an article on group counseling because, by definition, “Counseling is a process in which two persons….” Since then the functions of a counselor have broadened to include working with groups in many ways. Some will maintain that we have expanded far beyond our domain into that of the organizational psychologist. The authors of this article assume that the counselor's functions should include a wide range of interventions and have organized them within a “Cube.” This model provided the structure for this Special Issue. The three dimensions of the Cube are: (a) the target of the intervention, (b) the purpose of the intervention, and(c) the method of intervention. We think this model has great heuristic potential as a tool for both research and practice.     

The counselor and individualized instruction

This article describes some ways counselors can use their skills to help teachers individualize instruction. The author describes the four basic components of most programs of individualized instruction, suggesting tasks counselors could perform relating to each component. The author concludes that the interested counselor is able to contribute greatly toward the improvement of instruction and in so doing become substantially involved in helping pupils to meet their needs.     

The alienated counselor

This paper deals with the question of the difficulty of communication between the counselor and those individuals who live in the ghetto and who are usually described as alienated. It describes the alienated client and the alienated counselor. On the assumption that the alienation is the responsibility of the counselor rather than the client, the article then goes on to describe the kind of counselor who might be referred to as “non-alienated.”     

The counselor and civil liberties

Although educators tend to talk positively about freedom, civil liberties are often denied to students as a matter of course. Since the counseling profession is committed to the concepts of individual development and human dignity, counselors have no choice but to stand firmly in favor of civil liberties and against repression. Their role should include working toward democratization of the environment, acting as civil liberties advocates for individual students whose rights are in jeopardy, and providing support for counselees who choose to dissent against conventionally accepted policies of school or society.     

The law and counselor ethics

Counselors cannot look only to the law to solve their professional problems in dealing with information about students. Nevertheless, they must understand confidentiality, privilege, and privacy in the context of ethical standards and legal requirements if they are to meet their responsibilities to clients, the profession, and to themselves.     

Community as counselor

This article discusses a process in which people in a community setting offer counsel to one another. The author shares with us the results of an experiment in group living and learning based on a personal growth model. As the experiment progressed, the community itself—rather than the counselor in a formal role—became the catalyst for growth and change.     

The counselor as metaphysician

Despite their scientific temper of mind, counselors should be interested in metaphysics because of its concern with, among other things, the problem of distinguishing the real from the not-real—obviously, a vital issue to every counselor and client. This article sketches the scope of metaphysical inquiry as this discipline is understood in the traditional philosophical sense. The authors also illustrate the significance of metaphysics for counseling by presenting the principal tenets of one metaphysical position—personalistic idealism—and by delineating some implications for counseling that flow from an adherence to this metaphysical view.     

the counselor and armed forces recruitment

Young people considering enlistment in the armed forces often need objective assistance in the decision-making process. Recruiters themselves are under too much pressure to be able to provide that objectivity. The authors discuss how counselors are in a unique position to help: by increasing the scope of information available, by safeguarding the rights of potential enlistees, and by working to eliminate recruitment abuses.     

Client dogmatism and perceived counselor attitudes

This study examined the relationship between client dogmatism and perceptions of the counselor's empathy, level of regard, congruence, and unconditional positive regard. Counselor dogmatism was held constant. It was hypothesized that the client's dogmatism would be negatively related to his perceptions of these four counselor attitudes. The analysis revealed small but significant negative correlations between client dogmatism and three of the four counselor-expressed attitudes (congruence, empathy, and unconditional positive regard).     

The counselor as psychoecologist

Counselors may be in need of a new model of practice. Current approaches based on the intrapersonal models of psychotherapy are not congruent with institutional realities. More important, they assume, often falsely, a “disturbed” person who must be adjusted to a “normal” environment. This article suggests that emotional disturbance be viewed as an ecological phenomenon that exists in the transactions among people. The task of the counselor is to alter disturbed transactions in ways that promote individual competence. The implications for practice of viewing the counselor as a psychoecologist are discussed and illustrated through a case study.     

Addiction,the addict,and career: Considerations for the employment counselor

Employment counselors have been resistant to working with persons in recovery from addiction except under the strictest of criteria. This article examines the relationship between this resistance and the concepts of addiction and addict. Following this is an examination of substance abuse recovery and practical suggestions on incorporating recovery knowledge into career counseling. The goals of the article are twofold: (a) to present a framework that highlights the necessity of employment counseling for the recovery process from substance misuse and (b) to affirm that many employment counselors have the skills needed to assist clients who have been labeled as addicts.