Responding to unemployment and inequalities in income and health

This paper discusses the social and economic context in which counselling and psychotherapy are practised. The use of ‘outplacement counselling’ and personal skills training programmes for dealing with unemployment and redundancy is criticized. It is argued that they involve a form of psychological reductionism which fails to acknowledge socio-economic realities. Research showing a strong link between inequalities of income and physical and mental health is reviewed. It is suggested that counsellors and psychotherapists have a professional obligation to acknowledge the social and economic circumstances likely to contribute to clients' mental distress and avoid the dangers of reductionism.     

CONFRONTING THE DISADVANTAGED

A review of recent innovations in counseling style is presented along with an analysis of the advantages of these innovations over the more traditional counseling framework when dealing with disadvantaged clients. The authors recommend the use of these new, directive methods (categorized as “confrontive counseling”) for the effective counseling of clients of low socioeconomic status.     

COUNSELING IN INDUSTRY: A SELECTED REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

This paper reviews the literature on counseling in business and industry. It summarizes what is known about (a) the extent to which personal and career counseling services exist within industry and (b) the effectiveness of various counseling programs in dealing with specific employee problems or concerns. The review is divided into three major sections. The first describes various programs and research involving counseling for personal problems. This is followed by a summary of efforts by industry to provide various forms of career counseling and guidance. Finally, the last section offers several conclusions about the current state of counseling in industry and discusses some implications for future research and evaluation such as the need for more clarity in what is typically referred to as counseling, increased specification of objectives and outcome criteria, comparison of different types of counseling approaches, a broader examination of the extensiveness of counseling in industry, and a higher standard for practitioner-oriented magazines which publish articles about counseling in industry.     

Career Services in the Post‐COVID‐19 Era: A Paradigm for Career Counseling Unemployed Individuals

The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic has caused unprecedented economic disruption and unemployment worldwide, threatening to become both a financial and a humanitarian crisis. Prolonged labor market recession and an acute rise of unemployment are expected. The main question for career counselors will be how to provide effective career counseling to unemployed people in the post‐COVID‐19 world, where they may face many other unemployment‐related problems. In this article, we suggest application of a holistic intervention model of career counseling for unemployed people that was designed to address the consequences of the acute financial recession in Greece.     

THE USE OF ADVOCACY AND CONFRONTATION COUNSELING THE DISADVANTAGED

Middle-class counselors and disadvantaged clients appear to be alienated due to a basic difference in values. This alienation can be overcome by the counselor assuming the role of “social advocate.” Several examples are given to illustrate how social advocacy might be utilized. As the counseling relationship develops, and the client's trust and confidence strengthen, the counselor can begin to assert himself and confront the client concerning the unsolvable problems he presents as reasons for his unemployment and failure. Some differences exist as to counseling needs on the basis of sex and ethnic background. The confrontation program described would seem to be more effective with disadvantaged men than with disadvantaged women.     

Solution‐Focused Counseling for Clients With Religious and Spiritual Concerns

Solution‐focused counseling is presented as a framework for clients with religious and spiritual concerns. The theory of solution‐focused counseling is described. Implications for using this model with religious and spiritual clients are considered. A case example is provided to illustrate the application of solution‐focused counseling for a client dealing with religious and spiritual issues.     

Spirituality and Religion: Implications for Counselors

In recent years, the topics of spirituality and religion have become more evident in the counseling literature. It seems logical that these areas could be of great interest to those in the counseling profession. This article summarizes W. R. Miller and C. E. Thoresen's (2003) overview of the field of research dealing with spirituality, religion, and health. Possible roles for spirituality and religion in counselor education and school counseling are highlighted.     

Implications,for Counseling the Unemployed in a Recessionary Economy

Unemployment in a recessionary economy is unique and requires special attention. This article addresses the implications of recessionary unemployment for the field of counseling.     

Staying in the Race: Counselor Visits and Job Search Confidence Among People With Disabilities

Support that helps job seekers maintain confidence might decrease unemployment rates among people with disabilities. In this study, clients described their employment barriers (disability, education, and work history) and then reported their job search confidence 3 times at 6‐month intervals. Their employment support agency provided information about the support (counseling visits, support hours, and financial resources) it delivered. Clients with more disabilities and education barriers experienced declines in job search confidence unless they received intensive levels of employment counseling. Three visits to a counselor maintained client confidence, and confidence improved only after 18 visits. Other service intensity indicators (support hours and financial resources) did not halt confidence declines.     

Emerging Administrative Strategies for College and University Counseling Centers

The current environment in higher education is influencing college and university counseling centers in several new ways. Issues surrounding funding patterns, definitions of service entitlement, and personnel policies have emerged, as have a variety of responses on the part of counseling centers. Administrative and managerial strategiesfor dealing with these issues are described and discussed.     

Negotiating Identity During Unemployment

The unemployment experience is viewed from the perspective of identity negotiation during a time of transition. Within this process, elements such as support from others, self-talk, marketing strategies, and focused and persistent effort play an important role. Employment counseling strategies are discussed in terms of how they promote successful negotiation.     

Employment counseling and life stressors: coping through expressive writing

Job loss can be one of life's most traumatic experiences, especially if the unemployment is extended. In addition to more common interventions used by employment counselors and others dedicated to assisting clients in the search for work, it can be helpful to assist clients in expressing their negative feelings through writing. Expressive writing is a powerful technique used successfully to confront traumatic life events. Beneficial effects of expressive writing include understanding why feelings occur. Factors that favorably influence expressive writing and specific procedures for implementation in the employment counseling context are discussed.     

Rational-emotive therapy: A discussion of its applicability for deaf clients

This review was conducted to explore the feasibility of Rational-Emotive therapy as an approach to addressing the problems of providing mental health services to persons who have a severe hearing impairment. Informational resources dealing with the topics of Rational-Emotive Therapy and counseling with persons who are hearing impaired were reviewed. References indicated that RET is reasonably well suited to the task of counseling with clients who are hearing impaired, provided that appropriate modifications are incorporated. Specific modifications of RET are recommended and discussed.     

application of the social marketing model to unemployment counseling: a theoretical perspective

A. R. Andreasen's (1995) social marketing model (SMM) is applied to structure feedback counseling for individuals who are unemployed. The authors discuss techniques used in commercial marketing and how they are equally applicable to solving societal problems; SMM and its application to social interventions; and structured feedback that moves a person from contemplating change to sustained behavioral modification, which can facilitate attitudinal and behavioral change. The relationship of SMM to motivational theories that support the potential of SMM for unemployment counseling is also discussed. The article concludes with a review of the integration of SMM by the New Zealand Employment Service.     

Mental Disorders Associated with COVID-19 Related Unemployment

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions on economic activities have resulted in a sharp rise of unemployment. The purpose of this research is to explore mental disorders associated with COVID-19 related unemployment using a large, nationally representative dataset, the 2020 COVID-19 Household Pulse Survey. ANOVA with post hoc tests (Tukey HSD) are utilized to reveal the mean difference of mental disorders between various employment status, as well as between reasons of unemployment. Binary logit model is used to investigate the potential effect of different reasons of unemployment on mental disorders. Individuals who were not working during the pandemic due to involuntary reasons had higher probabilities of mental disorders than those who were working and those who voluntarily separated from work. Among respondents who were not working due to COVID-19 related reasons, respondents whose employer went out of business were the most likely to experience mental disorders. Household job uncertainty in the next four weeks positively contributed to mental disorders. Government should consider measures to contain the spread of virous while keeping as many people employed as possible. Government should also consider providing adequate financial and counseling assistance to individuals who are in the greatest need for such support.

     

A Framework for Sex Role Counseling

The androgyny model of masculinity and femininity serves as the basis for a framework for sex role counseling applicable to both sexes. A conceptualization of individual differences in sex role-related characteristics suggests criteria for personal sex role adjustment other than universal conformity to traditional sex role requirements. It is suggested that consistency among an individual's feminine and masculine self-attributions, sex role ideals, environmental demands with their accompanying rewards and costs, and the behavioral repertoire available for dealing with current situations is needed for a comfortable sense of self as a woman or man. Examples of sex role problems, counseling goals, and interventions are described within this framework. Sex role counseling thus requires a clear comprehension of the impact of sex roles on a personal level.     

Psychological Aspects of Genetic Counseling: XIII. Empathy and Decency

The issues confronting genetic counselees, the demands of the new genetics and other factors suggest strongly the need for greater attention to counseling procedures which convey understanding of clients and help them feel more hopeful and more capable of dealing with their life problems. This should include interventions to help them feel more effective in their coping efforts as well as such ego-bolstering techniques as the expression of kindness, the provision of appropriate rewards, and other attempts to raise the client's self-esteem. These attempts should be a standard part of all genetic counseling. The traditional arguments of potential harm and time limitations often used to avoid counseling efforts are viewed through the lens of countertransference.     

Vocational Certainty and Indecision in College Freshmen

Three groups of entering college freshmen, possessing varying degrees of identification of educational-vocational goals, were compared on a variety of personality, achievement, aptitude, school, and family factors. The major differences indicated that the most undecided group was more dependent than the other two groups, but equal to the most decided group in academic achievement, while a middle, or tentatively decided group, was not as successful academically as the most and least decided groups. These findings suggest that educational-vocational indecision has at least two dimensions. A need for different counseling approaches in dealing with uncertain students depending upon the antecedents of their uncertainty is likely.     

The three worlds of the counselor

The counselor is seen as one who is personally involved as he deals with his client, but in much of his counseling he cannot escape dealing with himself as well. Three dilemmas of the counselor are analyzed: Can he enter the value world of his more youthful client in order to deal with such questions as respect for authority and learning from the past without compromising his own values? Can he “care” for the client and still show concern about what the client does? Can the counselor grow as a person and at the same time achieve professional success?