Transforming a Past into a Future: Counseling Psychology in South Africa

Cet article décrit une analyse SWOT de la profession de psychologue du counseling en Afrique du Sud. Deux sources d'information constituent la base de cette investigation: une revue de la littérature sur la profession et l'analyse thématique d'une enquête réalisée auprès de psychologues du counseling pratiquants ou en formation. Il apparaît que cette profession cherche à se constituer une identité pertinente qui serait en prise avec les problèmes spécifiques relevant de l'histoire sociopolitique et socioéconomique de l'Afrique du Sud. On envisage différentes pistes esquissant une vision d'avenir de la profession aussi bien dans un contexte national qu'international.
This article describes a SWOT analysis of the counseling psychology profession in South Africa. Two sources of information formed the basis for the analysis: An examination of the literature on the profession and a content theming of a survey conducted with practising counseling psychologists and those in training. The analysis suggests that the counseling profession is struggling to establish a relevant identity that will address the inherent problems created by South Africa's sociopolitical and socioeconomic history. Several suggestions are made for creating a future vision for the profession within both a national and an international context.     

Models of Development: Understanding Risk in Adolescence

In this paper, we review developmental models for understanding adolescence as they might be applied to emerging sexuality and the challenges and risks that may be associated with different sexual orientations and identities. Models have been identified as: cumulative events or simultaneous change, accentuation, or trajectory models. Inclusion of risk and protective factors and considering the extent of balance between these elements of an adolescent's life is also discussed in terms of predicting mental health outcomes. These models have been particularly useful in the study of the development of psychopathology and clearly relate to the broader issue of understanding suicide risk during adolescence.