Group counseling with adolescent special education students: challenges and useful procedures

While group counseling frequently is mandated for emotionally handicapped early adolescents, few studies have dealt with this population. This paper presents an overview of the challenges to offering group counseling with early adolescents. A set of methods of selecting students for group counseling is described, and group leadership and goals are presented. A series of useful therapeutic activities are also outlined.     

Models of genetic counseling and their effects on multicultural genetic counseling

This theoretical paper examines challenges to multicultural genetic counseling, counseling between culturally different clients and counselors, in the context of Kessler's typology of models of genetic counseling (Kessler S (1997) J Genet Counsel 6:287–295). It is suggested that challenges such as resistance to multicultural genetic counseling education may be due to conceptions about genetic counseling as a biomedical field that transcends questions of culture as well as lack of multicultural training or prejudice. Directions for future research and recommendations for multicultural genetic counseling education are briefly explored.     

Native american alcoholism: A transcultural counseling perspective

Alcohol-related mental and physical health problems are critical problems among Native Americans. The intensity of these problems increased proportionately to the destruction of traditional/aboriginal ways. Despite centuries of attempts at physical and cultural genocide a semblance of traditionalism survived to the presence among many tribal groups. Nonetheless the vast majority of contemporary Native Americans are ‘marginal’—caught between their traditional culture and the demands of the dominant United States society. Treating Native Americans merely from the conventional clinical perspective spells of ethnocentrism while a pure traditional approach often serves to restrict both off-reservation mobility and inter-tribal interactions. Here the transcultural approach offers a needed bridge for effective Native American alcohol and mental health counseling.     

Confidentiality in crisis counseling: a philosophical perspective

Crisis interventionists frequently confront a moral dilemma when violating client trust seems necessary if self-destructive behavior is to be prevented. Two fundamental moral values conflict in such cases: concern for client welfare and respect for client rights and autonomy. Each of these values is grounded in one of two important Western ethical traditions: Utilitarianism and Kantian Formalism, respectively. Following critical examination of each of these theories, attention is given to a series of hypothetical cases involving the confidentiality dilemma.     

The adolescent with a learning disability: a developmental perspective

The psychosocial difficulties that usually accompany learning disabilities are examined from a framework of developmental theory, particularly that of Erik Erikson. The implications of this perspective for treatment of adolescents with learning problems is discussed, and a specific program described.     

Nondirectiveness and genetic counseling

Nondirectiveness is the generally required and professed standard for genetic counseling. However, studies are lacking in the field of human genetics and in other disciplines which address either the theory or practice of this type of therapeutic procedure in the context of genetic counseling. Moreover, there is no indication the further development this concept has undergone in client-centered therapy has been acknowledged in human genetics. This could be due tot he historical development of genetic counseling, its inherent conflicts and often undefined goals, and the latent need of human geneticists to defend themselves against being accused of eugenic tendencies. Nondirectiveness and directiveness, however, can neither adequately describe what takes place in genetic counseling, nor can they — according to their original meaning — be used to define an ethical standard of genetic counseling. Starting with the writings by Carl Rogers (1942), an experiential approach is described, in which counseling is seen as a process of influence, which is wished by all the persons involved, during which activities are oriented toward the experience of the client, and which allows the counselor to communicate openly and directly with the client. The present study illustrates the use of the experiential approach in genetic counseling and shows that it can uphold the principle of ethics, which nondirectiveness demands and, at the same time, prevent the inevitable and unresolvable contradictions. This means that in their training genetic counselors must learn to recognize and constantly reflect on the influence they can and want to exert. In order to be able to use this influence in a responsible manner, genetic counselors must also learn to have a certain degree of flexibility so that they are able to check at any time how their client responds to this influence.     

The development of adolescent sexual intimacy: implications for counseling

This paper proposes a perspective for understanding the development of adolescent sexual intimacy. A "transitional stage" is described in which adolescents, driven by a variety of developmental needs influenced by external forces such as peers and family, experiment with sexual behaviors. The completion of the transitional stage results in the adolescent's ability to achieve "relational" sexual intimacy, which is also described. The problems and implications for counseling associated with the biophysiological and family dynamic influences on the development of adolescent sexual intimacy are discussed.     

Pastoral counseling challenges in the Javanese hospital: A cross-cultural perspective

The following article presents some of the challenges experienced by a European pastoral counselor during a two year service period in a Protestant hospital in Central Java, Indonesia. The incompatibility of some of the Western, First-world counseling approaches with Javanese culture suggests the urgent need for pastoral counselors to rethink their methods in the face of cultures not their own.     

Cultural competency in genetic counseling

Incorporating a cross-cultural curriculum into genetic counseling training programs demonstrates a professional conviction of genetic counselors that cultural issues are important in genetic counseling. Funded by the Special Projects Fund in 1993 from the National Society of Genetic Counselors and the Kitson Fund from the Department of Social, Organizational, and Counseling Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, theHandbook of Cross-Cultural Genetic Counseling was developed to provide genetic counseling programs a curriculum to teach cross-cultural genetic counseling. The theoretical rationale for the development of a cultural curriculum is presented. By expanding cultural knowledge, developing an awareness of oneself and others, and increasing the repertoire of culturally relevant counseling skills within a socio-political context, genetic counselors will be able to better serve all clients seeking genetic counseling.     

A systems perspective to marriage counseling

The influence of General Systems Theory on mental health disciplines and pastoral care has grown rapidly in recent years. The central concepts of a systems perspective-organization, control, and stability, and energy-provide an effective means to address organic, relational, and wholistic dimensions of marriage and marriage counselingThis article reflects research for a dissertation/project, including A Guide for Clergy.     

Reproductive issues in adults with cystic fibrosis: Implications for genetic counseling

This article reviews reproductive issues faced by the growing number of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) who reach adulthood. Approximately 97–98% of males with CF are infertile and they may have an increased risk for genitourinary anomalies. Females with CF may experience delayed puberty, irregular menstrual cycles, and decreased fertility. Women with CF who have good clinical scores, good nutritional status, and normal lung volumes with mild to moderate airway obstruction, have a better chance for successful pregnancies. The role of the genetic counselor in counseling adults with CF is discussed and resources for CF adults are provided.     

Suicide prevention in the genetic counseling context

Utilizing a case report, this paper explores psychosocial aspects of suicidal intent in a woman seeking prenatal diagnosis. Using knowledge and practice of appropriate assessment, referral, and intervention procedures, the therapy team of genetic counselor and psychotherapist facilitated successful identification and management of this potentially suicidal client. The main counseling goals for the genetic counselor are to assess the situation adequately, decrease the immediate danger, and, with supervision and/or consultation, stabilize the seriously suicidal person until that individual can be triaged to mental health or medical professionals for treatment. The prevalence of suicide issues in genetic counseling contexts is unknown and reports mentioning suicidal ideation unusual in the genetic counseling literature. Is this reported case a rarity among genetic counseling referrals? Systematically collected information on the prevalence and resolution of suicidal issues in genetic counseling contexts would be helpful for those setting curricula for genetic counseling training programs, standards for professional certification exams, and policy and procedures manuals for clinical units.     

Minority recruitment into the genetic counseling profession

In the past, genetic counseling training programs have had an abundance of applicants for the number of slots available. They have, however, had a very limited pool of minority applicants. At the June 1992 meeting of the genetic counseling training programs directors the topic of minority recruitment was explored. The resources and recommendations that resulted from this discussion can be used by other medical training programs.     

Practice variability in prenatal genetic counseling

This study demonstrated that the content of prenatal genetic counseling sessions varied from counselor to counselor and from center to center. The study was designed to examine which specific issues were included by genetic counselors in prenatal genetic counseling sessions, and to determine which factors led genetic counselors to include or exclude this information from such sessions. Data were collected by randomly surveying 200 full, master degree members of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC). Respondents provided information by deciding which of 45 specific issues they would include in a standard prenatal genetic counseling session, and which one factor from a bank of 11 factors most accurately described the reason for this decision. The results indicated that the issues included/excluded from sessions varied widely among genetic counselors. The results also indicated that Patient Education/Informed Decision Making (34.5%) played the largest role in decision making overall, with Standard at Center/Departmental Policy (17.6%), Personal Experience/Preference (12.4%), and Applicability (10.9%) serving as the next three most important reasons for including or excluding issues from prenatal genetic counseling sessions.     

Perception of risk in genetic counseling

Abstract

Genetic counseling is a psychological process of communicating and perceiving information about risks. As such, it is important to assess how information is understood by counselees and how psychological factors affect risk perception. Subjects were 76 patients at a genetic clinic whose understanding of genetic counseling was assessed, along with their motivation and way of thinking about risks. Results indicated that subjective interpretations of recurrence risks are better predictors of their reproductive intentions than the “objective” risks. Also, specific cognitive and motivational factors appear to explain much of the variance in risk perception in genetic counseling. The results have important implications for how counseling is conducted, as well as for theoretical issues about cognitive processes.     

Prototypical analysis of adolescent psychopathy: investigating the juvenile justice perspective

The past ten years have seen a dramatic increase in the empirical investigation of psychopathic characteristics in children and adolescents. In general, the focus of this research has been on the validation of assessment instruments to evaluate psychopathy as well as concurrent and predictive validity. Little attention has been directed toward elucidating the core characteristics of this construct. The current study expands on previous research by asking juvenile justice personnel (424 juvenile detention and probation officers) to identify the core characteristics of the construct via prototypical analysis for both male and female adolescents. Results of separate factor analyses by gender revealed five identifiable dimensions: juvenile delinquency, serious/violent conduct problems, narcissistic/manipulation of others, impulsivity/acting out, and family problems. The results suggest that juvenile justice personnel focus on a wide range of behavioral indicators as indicative of adolescent psychopathy in addition to affective and interpersonal characteristics typically viewed as crucial to the construct by clinicians.     

The psychoanalytic perspective of adolescent homosexuality: a review

Psychoanalytic theory asserts that adolescent homosexuality is the result of unresolved infantile conflict experienced during the Oedipal and pre-Oedipal periods, in which inadequate object relations and identifications with parents predispose the individual to homosexuality in adolescence. Classical psychoanalytic thought emphasizes the importance of drives and defenses in the formation of homosexuality, while more contemporary approaches understand adolescent homosexuality from a psychosocial and early developmental perspective. In addition to childhood predispositions, the various developmental tasks of adolescence influence the degree and course of homosexuality. This article notes the different types of homosexuality that emerge in adolescence which are influenced by different psychodynamic conditions in each stage of adolescence. Changing developmental roles in relation to individuation, object relations, identification, and identity formation are a few of the factors that contribute to adolescent homosexuality.     

涧水疗法要义——心理咨询的中国阐释

以周易哲学为基础,采西方咨询理论之精华,建构一套开放的本土心理疗法--涧水疗法.认为每个人都有一个心理调节系统,该系统有六个维度,即时间、意志、身体、爱心、参照和战略,并且每个维度均有阴阳两极.心理咨询可围绕这六个维度展开.咨询的指导思想是"真诚谦卑,镇定安详;以退为进,以柔克刚;因势利导,阴消阳长;惧以终始,笑对无常".咨询过程分为"望"、"闻"、"问"、"辨"和"导",五个部分分别与五行的"火"、"水"、"金"、"土"和"木"对应.