The therapeutic alliance and the interface of career counseling and personal counseling

This article proposes a very specific pathway for bringing career counseling back into mainstream counseling psychology: more explicit research and clinical attention to the therapeutic alliance. The author hopes that this abbreviated review on the alliance serves as an impetus for increased attention to the alliance in career counseling theory, research, and practice as well as for including training in alliance formation and strengthening in career counselor education and supervision.     

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.     

the interaction of work adjustment and attachment theory: employment counseling implications

Career development is a lifelong process beginning with career choice. However, career choice alone does not guarantee career success. Rather than focus on choosing a career, the theory of work adjustment (TWA) focuses on the process of becoming an exemplary employee through each stage of an individual's career. Within TWA, employee relationships with peers and bosses create reputations that may help or hinder promotion. Understanding attachment theory in relation to TWA may help clients to become more successful in their career. Case examples explain how employment counselors may integrate TWA and attachment theory with clients.     

Social and personal adjustment of elementary and secondary students

The present study examined school adjustment problems of about 1000 students aged 6 through 17 years. The Behavior Problem Checklist was factor-analyzed to identify multivariate factors of adjustment problems. Age- and sex-based subgroups were then compared on these factors, and some estimates of criteria for abnormality were derived. Finally, the prevalence of each problem on the checklist was derived separately for age- and sex-based subgroups, which were then contrasted on the items. The results provide basic information about the adjustment problems of those students who are not considered socially or personally maladjusted.     

A 1-year follow-up study of children's divorce adjustment,custodial mothers' divorce adjustment,and postdivorce parenting

This study examined stability of and change in divorce adjustment in a sample of 20 white custodial mothers and their children (8 boys, 12 girls; mean age = 10.45 years) who were examined an average of 12.85 months after separation and again one year later. Pearson correlations generally revealed moderate stability in children's adjustment, mothers' adjustment, and parenting dimensions. Significant changes over the one-year period were found only with respect to children's beliefs about the divorce: problematic beliefs regarding peer ridicule and avoidance, fear of abandonment, and self-blame decreased over the 1-year period. Children's adjustment at Time 2 was related to the following variables assessed at Time 1: low rhythmic and low reactive child temperaments; children's mature understanding of conflict resolution; high social support for children and for mothers; low maternal stress; high maternal adjustment; cooperative parenting; high paternal involvement; and frequent visitation by and phone contact from the fathers. Children with few problematic beliefs at Time 2 regarding fear of abandonment and hope of reconciliation had mothers who functioned poorly at Time 1. Although the small sample size necessitates that the findings be viewed with caution, they support the view that children's divorce adjustment is related to children's own competencies, intrafamilial processes, and extrafamilial conditions.     

Early rejected status and later social adjustment: A 3-year follow-up

Sociometric measures and rates of social interaction were obtained from 186 kindergarten children. Subjects were classified into popular, rejected, and average status groups on the basis of sociometric data. Teachers' ratings on the Bristol Social Adjustment Guides were obtained when the children were in grade 2 and again in grade 3. Analyses of variance showed rejected children to be significantly more acting-out than popular or average children by grade 3. Rejected children were rated as less physically attractive, doing less well in reading and in arithmetic. Negative peer nomination in kindergarten was more predictive of later acting-out in grades 2 and 3 than rate of interaction.Research was funded by Alberta Mental Health Advisory Council, and Alberta Advisory Committee for Educational Studies. I wish to thank Steven Asher for his helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper.     

The effects of personal alienation on organizational identification: A quality-of-work-life model

It was hypothesized that personal alienation has a negative impact on organizational identification. The negative relationship between alienation and organizational identification was explained through a set of mediating variables involving need deprivation, job satisfaction, and job involvement. More specifically, it was hypothesized that alienation increases need deprivation, which in turn decreases job satisfaction, which in turn decreases job involvement, which ultimately decreases organizational identification. A study was conducted involving 219 service deliverers to the elderly. Self-report measures were administered. The data was subjected to a path analysis. The results provided moderate support for the quality-of-work-life model. Management implications are discussed.The authors would like to express their gratitude for the constructive comments made by the anonymous review of this journal.     

Long-term support and personal adjustment of adolescent and older mothers.

Adolescent and older mothers reported the size and quality of social networks and perceptions of family support at 1, 6, and 12 months postpartum. Maternal behavior, general life satisfaction, and parental satisfaction were assessed at 12 months. No significant differences were found in the size of social networks and quality of interactions within those networks, though older mothers had significantly higher scores on perceived family support than did adolescent mothers. Perceived family support and quality of interactions within the social network generally were associated positively with maternal behavior, life satisfaction, and parental satisfaction. This was true in more cases for the adolescent than for older mothers.