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?     

Eclecticism revisited

Eclecticism as a counseling point of view has experienced a history of contempt and skepticism mixed with sporadic enthusiasm. A viewpoint described here as emerging eclecticism has promise as a counseling position for the practitioner faced with the needs to be comprehensive, flexible, and open in his theory and method. The emerging eclectic is a skilled observer in the scientific behavioral tradition; he knows the history of counseling theory and contemporary views; he is aware of his unique style and counseling setting. From these he forges his own comprehensive evolving view of behavior change.     

So Suzie Wants to Become a Counselor

In this article, a father speaks to his college-bound daughter about the field of counseling, her intended major. The father, an experienced counselor, discusses significant others in his life who have had and continue to have a strong influence on his philosophy and practice of counseling. The love that exists between the father and daughter provides the reader with understanding of the most important ingredient in effective counseling.     

George Gazda: Steps Ahead of the Group

Dr. George Gazda has been and remains a pioneer in the counseling profession. During the past several decades, he has been instrumental in several movements and has influenced the direction of the field of counseling. His leadership in bringing group counseling to the respected status it holds today is a remarkable feat. The development of the comprehensive and practical “Life Skills Model” has influenced the way many counselors work with clients. In this brief interview, he talks of the significant people in his professional development, and some of the many people he has touched speak to his caring and commitment to his chosen profession. This short synopsis of Dr. Gazda's career hardly does justice to his many contributions. He is indeed a remarkable professional and person. The counseling profession, in may ways, owes him considerable credit for where we are today and for where we may strive in the future. His dreams provide a true vision for the rest of us.     

Norman C. Gysbers: A Proponent of Comprehensive School Guidance Programs

Norman C. Gysbers has been a major contributor to the field of counseling and guidance for more than 30 years, not only through scholarship, but also through leadership. Gysbers is best known for his work in comprehensive school guidance and for his many national leadership positions. In this article, he discusses both his life and the evolution of counseling and school guidance programs.     

Cross-cultural pastoral counseling: Method or hermeneutic?

This article explores some of the meta-questions that emerge when talking about “cross-cultural pastoral counseling.” Is it a distinct counseling method or a practical hermeneutic that prompts the counselor to examine his or her therapeutic approach? The author argues that “cross-cultural pastoral counseling” is really a hermeneutic that challenges the pastoral counselor to an ongoing evaluation of how and to what extent his or her approach to pastoral counseling may be guided by dominant social convention versus the gospel mandate of Matthew 25: 31–46 [RSV]. The article reviews relevant literature, discusses three fundamental changes (“conversions”) that are necessary for the pastoral counselor in order to do cross-cultural pastoral counseling, and presents a case illustration involving a multi-cultural pastoral counseling intervention.     

Guidance counseling from the right

An objectivistic philosophical conviction has prompted the author to abandon the “uh-huh” response of existentialist counseling, and to do many things popularly considered forbidden to counselors. The search for possible solutions, given as alternatives without advising or choosing, is a source of great satisfaction and pleasure to this counselor. He is minding his own business—which is not to serve the needs of students, but to enjoy himself!     

Profiling Derald Wing Sue: Blazing the Trail for the Multicultural Journey and Social Justice in Counseling

This article reviews contributions of Derald Wing Sue to the counseling profession through his scholarship, teaching, leadership, and innovation in articulating multicultural issues in counseling. The article profiles Sue's multicultural journey by blending summaries from his writings, comments from professional colleagues, and information from a personal interview. The profile provides a snapshot of Sue's pioneering contributions to building the multicultural counseling movement while giving an overview of personal and professional benchmarks within his career.     

E. Joseph Shoben,Jr.: Synthesizer in an Age of Specialization

E. Joseph Shoben, Jr., a pioneer in the development of counseling, was interviewed about his intellectual and career development, his views of the present and future of counseling, his ideas about several issues in psychotherapy, and his reflections about himself and his career. In addition, several others who know Shoben were interviewed about him.     

Allen E. Ivey: Transforming Counseling Theory and Practice

Allen E. Ivey discusses the major influences on his life. He delineates and comments on his contributions to the counseling profession in the areas of microcounseling, developmental counseling and therapy, and multicultural counseling. He explores spirituality, social activism, and professional activities. The interview reveals Allen Ivey the person as well as Allen Ivey the professional.     

Twenty Years Since and Beyond: An Interview With Roger Aubrey

The author and Roger Aubrey talked about Aubrey's early professional influences and significant historical trends in the field of counseling over the 20 years since his landmark 1977 article on the history of guidance and counseling appeared in the Personnel and Guidance Journal. In addition, Aubrey addressed revisions he had made in his contributions to the field of counseling since 1977 and commented on the “search for a system” in counseling. Aubrey also offered implications for the future of the field. On June 20, 1997, Roger Aubrey passed away at his home in Nashville, Tennessee.     

Courtland Lee: A Global Advocate for Counseling

Courtland Lee is exemplary in his accomplishments nationally and internationally. His academic achievements are notable in multicultural counseling and social justice. His leadership in counseling has been outstanding with his having served as president of the American Counseling Association, the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development, and the International Association for Counselling. In this interview, Lee describes his development as a person, a counselor, and a counselor educator.     

The Self of the Counselor

The counselor generally finds more difficulty in examining his “self” than in looking at the self of other counselors or of clients. On the assumption that the best display of counselor self occurs during the counseling relationship, a number of counseling excerpts are examined in an attempt to illustrate the level of counselor freedom. Counselor freedom is viewed as being related to the ability of the counselor to establish an empathic relationship with the client, to his ability to operate within the client's frame of reference, and to his ability to be genuine and honest in his relationship with the client.     

Preaching with counseling insight

Conclusion Preaching with counseling insight can mean the maximum inspiration for growth to the listeners, and it is bound to mean maximum growth for the preacher. When one preaches with counseling insight he can not borrow many ideas, for there are few sermons available of this type. This throws him on his own resources to study and observe and leads him to throw himself on the Grace of God. For the more he prays the more effective his study and the more real and vital and dynamic will be his preaching.     

Pastoral counseling and pastoral care: is there a difference?

The author argues that there is little difference between pastoral counseling and pastoral care. Utilizing an evidence-based and narrative approach, he examines the ideas of a variety of historical and contemporary writers to illustrate this thesis. Along with historical and contemporary writings on the topic, the author includes his own clinical experiences and associations to illustrate his conviction that pastoral counseling and pastoral care are more alike than different.     

Multimedia in guidance and counseling

This article examines some of the typical functions of the guidance program and describes the usefulness of multimedia as extensions of the counselor's abilities and work. Media may also be important where the counselor's own potential is limited. The author describes briefly his own research and use of affect simulation and videotape recall to accelerate the usual counseling processes and to better assure that traditional goals in counseling will be achieved. He also examines the potential of multimedia for allowing a client to view objectively his own “inner” reactions as well as his “outer” behaviors to himself and his environment.     

The Theological Contributions of Bishop K. H. Ting to Christian/Pastoral Counseling

As China enters an era of urbanization and change, mental health issues are increasingly becoming a concern of the Christian church. Pastoral counseling is taking new shape as people of faith respond to those in their midst in need of care. Bishop K. H. Ting, a long-time leader of the Chinese church, has stressed the importance of an indigenous Chinese Christianity. This article is based on an examination of Bishop Ting’s theological writing with the aim of eliciting themes that might be foundational in the construction of inherently Chinese models of pastoral counseling. Based on a survey of his work, six themes emerge with particular importance for pastoral counseling: the Three-Self church, God is Love, the Cosmic Christ, ethical responsibility, theological reconstruction, and religion in society. These themes are explored within their uniquely Chinese context and suggestions for application to the practice of pastoral counseling are discussed. Original publication: Wang, P. (Ed.) (2006). Seeking Truth in Love. Nanjing, China: Nanjing Seminary Press. This essay was originally published in a collection of essays honoring Bishop K. H. Ting on his 90th birthday. Bishop Ting has been the head of the Chinese Protestant church for over five decades and his leadership has profoundly shaped Chinese theology and church life. The purpose of this essay is to explore how his collected theological writings might inform a uniquely Chinese approach to pastoral counseling. This article is published with the permission of the original publisher.     

Pioneers of Multicultural Counseling: An Interview With Paul B. Pedersen

This personal interview with Dr. Pedersen highlights his contributions to the field of counseling and psychology in general and to the field of multicultural counseling in particular. This interview includes four major sections: personal background and development, professional development, focus on multicultural counseling issues and interests, and future directions in multicultural counseling.     

THE INVOLUNTARY CLIENT

The involuntary client is a frequently encountered problem in employment counseling and other social agency counseling. Possible reasons for his recalcitrance are examined and their implications for the counseling relationship are discussed. Four necessary conditions for working with involuntary clients are proposed and strategies are suggested for meeting these conditions.