Addressing Privilege and Oppression in Counselor Training and Practice: A Qualitative Analysis

This qualitative study explored how 16 counselors conceptualize and address issues of privilege and oppression in the counseling session as well as how they perceive their training with respect to these constructs. In an effort to bridge multicultural training and counselor practice, implications for counselor training are provided based on the clinical and academic experiences counselors reported. Additionally, future research directions are included.     

The Impact of the Accreditation Movement on One Counselor Education Program: Idaho State University

This article covers a 30-year-long relationship between the accreditation standards and the development of the counselor education program at Idaho State University. Specifically, accreditation's impact on the faculty members as they pursued doctoral study, the years following the approval of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Standards, and the current impact of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation on the program are addressed.     

Addressing Spiritual and Religious Issues in Counseling African Americans: Implications for Counselor Training and Practice

Addressing spiritual and religious issues in the context of counseling relationships may be beneficial to many African American clients. The authors discuss various roles and functions of spirituality and religion in the lives of many African Americans, with particular attention to the impact of these issues on their mental health functioning and willingness to seek formal mental health services. The importance of academic training programs that prepare counselors to address potential spiritual and religious issues with their clients, is also highlighted.     

Helping Teenage Parents: The Independent and Collaborative Roles of Counselor Educators and School Counselors

In recent years, the leadership of the American Counseling Association (ACA) has posed an earnest and urgent challenge to the counseling profession to develop and apply collaborative approaches to solve the complex problems of society. Teenage parenthood is one example of a major societal concern requiring cooperative, professional interventions. The purpose of this article is to recommend independent and collaborative roles for counselor educators and school counselors in addressing the many needs of teenage parents. In addition, this article serves as a model of how the counseling specialties can work together to resolve other critical social issues.     

Student Changes, Program Influences, and Adult Development in One Program of Counselor Training: An Exploratory Inductive Inquiry

This qualitative study explored how students in 1 program changed as a result of their professional preparation experience. We interviewed 15 counseling students via one-to-one interviews and a focus group. Students were asked how they had changed and what had influenced those changes in their educational experience. Responses were clustered with the assistance of a text analysis computer program. Three broad change themes were named (1) increased reflexivity, (2) increased autonomy, and (3) capacity for dialogue. Four program influences were also identified. They are providing students with (1) experiences in social construction of knowledge, (2) experiential learning, (3) opportunities for independent thinking, and (4) a supportive environment. Connections to adult-development themes and specific instructional strategies that are suggested by the data are named.     

Conceptualizing Nonsuicidal Self‐Injury as a Process Addiction: Review of Research and Implications for Counselor Training and Practice

Nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) may be characterized as a process addiction for some individuals who self‐injure. The authors review findings on the addictive features of NSSI, including compulsivity, loss of control, continued use despite negative consequences, and tolerance.     

School and Rehabilitation Counselor Preparation: Meeting the Needs of Individuals With Disabilities

In preparing students to work with individuals with disabilities, school and rehabilitation counselor educators face a number of challenges. Highlighting the major changes that have occurred in the 10 years following Hosie's (1979) recommendations for counselor preparation, this article suggests many competencies that are required to meet these challenges and describes how they can be integrated within the applicable accreditation guidelines.     

The Treatment and Prevention of Depression: Implications for Counseling and Counselor Training

With depression estimated to exist in as much as 10% of the population, it may be the most prevalent problem facing counselors today. S. D. Hollon, M. E. Thase, and J. C. Markowitz (2002) reviewed the extensive research comparing various psychotherapeutic and pharmaceutical approaches to treating depression. They concluded that certain psychotherapy approaches are as effective as medications, but much remains uncertain about effective treatment. This article reviews the authors' analyses and presents implications for the counseling profession.     

Psychosocial Adjustment of Adult Cancer Survivors: Their Needs and Counselor Interventions

The author presents an overview of the literature on the psychosocial adjustment of cancer survivors, identifying 4 areas that may pose difficulties for cancer survivors as they learn to live with a life-threatening chronic illness: coping with the late physical effects of treatment; living with the uncertainty of long-term survival; resolving problems related to intimacy, marriage, and reproduction; and combating employment discrimination. Counseling interventions are proposed for counselors working with cancer survivors on these issues.     

Counselor Intentionality: Implications for the Training of Beginning Counselors

This article discusses how counselor intentions function within the process of counseling. Counselor intentions are discussed within the framework of the cognitive mediational paradigm. Implications of the use of counselor intentions for the training of beginning counselors are also delineated.     

The Passage of Counselor Legislation in the 1991 Arkansas State Legislature

In the summer of 1990, the Board of Directors of the Arkansas Associationfor Counseling, Guidance, and Development (now the Arkansas Counseling Association) committed to proposing a legislative package to the 1991 Arkansas General Assembly that included bills to grant privileged communication to school counselors; a third-party payment bill for licensed professional counselors; and a resolution calling for the reduction of noncounseling-related duties for school counselors. This article details the legislative efforts of the Arkansas Association for Counseling, Guidance, and Development in the 1991 Arkansas General Assembly and provides insight for other American Association for Counseling and Development (now the American Counseling Association) state affiliates in planning and implementing a successful legislative program.     

An Empirical Exploration of the Occupational Satisfaction of Counselor Educators: The Influence of Gender,Tenure Status,and Minority Status

In higher education, occupational satisfaction is influenced by the environment as well as by the dispositional variables explored for occupational satisfaction in general. Within the context of counselor education, there are no empirical studies that explore the occupational satisfaction of counselor educators. This article provides an overview of the empirical research exploring group differences based on gender, tenure status, and minority status in occupational stress, coping strategies, and personal strain ratings for counselor educators. Implications for counselor education and future research are discussed.     

Investigation of Ethnic Self‐Labeling in the Latina Population: Implications for Counselors and Counselor Educators

Using a qualitative approach, the author explored the process of ethnic label selection, change, and the meaning assigned to ethnic labels. Ten women of Mexican descent participated in semistructured, in‐depth interviews. Phenomenological analysis of the data revealed several themes, including the importance of family, ancestral traditions, and cultural traits; label as identity; and labels as complex and dynamic. Factors that influenced label choice, meaning, and change; implications for counselors and counselor educators; and limitations and suggestions for future research were addressed.     

Gerontological Counseling Training: The State of the Art

This study reveals that 37% of counselor education departments nationwide offer coursework to train counselors to work with older people, a significant increase since 1975.     

Addressing the Needs of Adolescents and Adults with Autism: A Crisis on the Horizon

The cohort of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosed as part of the first wave of what is often referred to as the autism epidemic is rapidly approaching adulthood. This cohort represents only the proverbial tip of the iceberg with some reports noting that 70% of the currently identified individuals with ASD are less than 14-years old. These numbers represent a looming crisis of unprecedented magnitude for adults with autism, their families, and the ill-prepared and underfunded adult service system charged with meeting their needs. A review of the current literature on outcomes for adults with ASD indicates that, independent of current ability levels, the vast majority of adults on the spectrum are either unemployed or underemployed and, further, that large numbers of adults with autism remain without any appropriate services. Many have had inadequate transition programming including little attention to service coordination, minimal direct family involvement and/or absence of treatment based on evidence-based practices. Lastly, issues related to staff and provider recruitment and retention present significant, systemic challenges to the provision of effective services. As such there is a significant and growing need for greater attention to individual needs of adults with ASD if we are provide the opportunity for a positive quality-of-life.     

Addressing the Developmental Needs of Urban,African-American Youth: A Preventive Intervention

This article describes the design and implementation of a multiservice, community-based intervention aimed at promoting the personal and career development of urban, African-American youth.     

Multicultural Competency Training of School Counselor Trainees: Development of the Social Class and Classism Training Questionnaire

The Social Class and Classism Training Questionnaire was developed to assess multicultural competency and training of social class and classism for school counselor trainees (SCTs). The authors analyzed the differences between accreditation status, social class backgrounds, and factors contributing to SCTs’ competence and training. Results showed that socially desirable responding, number of multicultural courses, and training level contributed most to perceived competence and training. This study provides insight into factors influencing SCTs’ competence and training of social class. El Cuestionario de Capacitación en Clase Social y Clasismo fue desarrollado para evaluar la competencia multicultural y capacitación en clase social y clasismo de consejeros escolares en formación (SCT, por sus siglas en inglés). Los autores analizaron las diferencias entre el estado de acreditación, la clase social de origen y otros factores que contribuyen a la competencia y capacitación de los SCT. Los resultados mostraron que las respuestas socialmente deseables, el número de cursos multiculturales y el nivel de capacitación contribuyeron en mayor medida a la percepción de competencia y capacitación. Este estudio ofrece una perspectiva de los factores que influyen en la competencia y capacitación en clase social de los SCT.     

The Interface Between the Practice of Medical Genetics and Human Genetic Research: What Every Genetic Counselor Needs to Know

Genetic counselors have historically used human genetic research as an advanced information resource for their patients. Most commonly, this has been via access to information provided by gene identification studies in advance of commercial testing. More recently genetic counselors have been participating in human genetic research studies as part of the investigative team. This review provides a framework to help genetic counselors in research and clinical practice understand the historical perspectives, ethical principles, and federal regulations that govern the current practice of human subject research. Special consideration is given to the IRB process and unique issues in human genetic research. This overview is intended to help improve the ability of genetic counselors to act as advocates for their patients.