Systematic desensitization: a technique worth trying

Systematic desensitization is a limited form of behavior therapy used in the treatment of anxiety attached to specific objects or situations. The principles underlying the technique as developed by Wolpe and others are described briefly in this article. The author also relates his experiences in using a modified form of systematic desensitization in a public school setting with counselees whose success and development are hampered by test anxiety and fear of public speaking.     

THE LABORATORY APPROACH: A VEHICLE FOR FACILITATING AMERICAN INDIAN EDUCATION

The Research and Guidance Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin, Madison is a center for advanced study and development of procedures for education and guidance of promising students as they progress through high school and college and into adult citizenship. The Laboratory was founded in 1957 on the tenet that the problem of identifying and providing for such students is basically an obligation of the schools. The Laboratory attempts to stimulate and assist high school faculties to develop effective local practices which meet this obligation. At the same time it carries on research on methods of discovery and development of youth of superior promise in any field. The Laboratory is a research-through-service organization which attempts to demonstrate what a joint attack by a university, public schools, and parents can accomplish in the conservation and development of human resources. (Rothney & Sanborn, 1966)     

OCCUPATIONAL PRESTIGE AS A FACTOR IN THE NET RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OCCUPATION AND JOB SATISFACTION

In contrast to earlier evidence that the relationship between level of occupation and job satisfaction is positive and monotonic, analysis of a recent national survey shows that craftsmen are more job satisfied than other males in clerical, sales, and professional-technical occupations and that this variation is independent of a number of other variables. Removal of occupational prestige modifies the occupation-job satisfaction relationship in a manner which suggests that job satisfaction may arise more from ascribed prestige than from such job characteristics as work autonomy, authority, and income.     

Preschool Assessment: Implications for Counselors

Paget, K.D., & Nagle, R.J. (1986). A conceptual model of preschool assessment. School Psychology Review, 15, 154–165. Wilson, C.C. (1986). Family assessment in preschool evaluation. School Psychology Review, 15, 166–179.     

Social Interpersonal Skills of Handicapped and Nonhandicapped Adults at Work

The pattern and content of social interactions of successful handicapped and nonhandicapped employees were observed in two employment settings. Data suggest that both groups were active social interactants who frequently worked cooperatively, yet interacted relatively infrequently with their supervisors. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Employment Counseling for the Elderly: Legislative History and Outlook

Employment counseling for older persons has traveled a rocky road in the United States. Awareness of the need was triggered by the 1929 depression and the manpower dislocations following World War II. The principal deliverers of services, the state employment services and nonprofit counseling agencies, are hard pressed to maintain adequate levels of support. Although Congress wants the agencies to do more, the Department of Labor and the Employment and Training Administration seem reluctant to capitalize on congressional interest. Future prospects seem brighter, as the baby boom of the 1950s becomes the senior boom of the next century.     

Forgiveness and Psychosocial Development: Implications for Clinical Practice

Using the Enright Forgiveness Inventory (Subkoviak, Enright, & Wu, 1992) and the Measure of Psychosocial Development (Hawley, 1988), the relationship between forgiveness and psychosocial development was examined using a sample of 113 upper-division students in their first year of a professional teacher education program at a midwestern university. Resolution of relationship matters associated with trust, intimacy, and generativity psychosocial tasks correlated with positive aspects of forgiveness. The results suggest that psychosocial development provides a potentially useful assessment framework for understanding how a client will understand and implement the forgiveness process.     

Science and Practice: Reconsidering the Pepinskys

Two issues from the Pepinskys' Counseling: Theory and Practice (1954)—the scientist-practitioner model of counseling and the use of scientific thinking in counseling practice—are examined in light of their current implications for the counseling profession.