Theories of Family Adaptability: Toward a Synthesis of Olson''s Circumplex and the Beavers Systems Models

Two typologies of family process, Olson's Circumplex Model and the Beavers Systems Model, are discussed, focusing particularly upon their definitions of family adaptability. It is argued that the two typologies are not simply "separate but equal" (11), but, rather, that there is an ambiguity in the Circumplex Model that disguises a fundamental theoretical overlap between the two. Olson's definition of adaptability is founded upon the concepts of morphogenesis and change; Beavers builds upon the concepts of negentropy and competence. It may be shown, however, that both understandings are necessitated by the theoretical writings of Olson and his colleagues. The nature of this ambiguity in the Circumplex Model is critically explored, and a higher-order model that attempts to synthesize these two theories is proposed.     

Privileged Communication in Selected Helping Professions: A Comparison Among Statutes

The authors present findings of an examination and assessment of existing privileged communication statutes and rules of evidence in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for clients of selected helping professionals: psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists or counselors, school counselors, and licensed professional counselors. Data are reported regarding the extent to which each of these professional groups has succeeded in establishing that their clients' communications with them are entitled to legal privilege, the scope of privilege extended, and specified exceptions to privilege. The report concludes with implications and suggested guidelines for practice.     

Hospitalization of Single-Parent Families of Disturbed Children

In this paper, six years of experience with well-planned, short-term family hospitalization is described. Each family has at least one identified patient who is a child. The approach to treatment is systemic and structural. Areas discussed are selection of families, planning of the hospitalization, stages of the hospitalization, and the organization of the staff. Illustrations are provided by seven case vignettes.     

Undergraduate students as academic advisers

An experimental college tried to solve its academic advising problems by employing undergraduate students to advise freshmen. The evaluation of faculty, freshmen students, and the undergraduate students themselves was generally positive, although some problems arose.     

Is empathy ear-to-ear or face-to-face?

If counselor and counselee cannot see each other, is the quality of their relationship affected? This study compares the empathy ratings of trained and untrained counselors in three different situations: counseling by telephone, in a confessional-type arrangement, and face-to-face. Although trained counselors scored significantly higher empathic understanding ratings than untrained counselors, there was little difference among the ratings for the three methods used.     

关于神經衰弱綜合快速治療中病人主觀能动性的初步探討

两年多来,在神經衰弱綜合快速治疗过程中,发現病人的主观能动性是影响疗效的重要因素。在其他各种慢性疾病的綜合快速治疗中,同样也看到主观能动性在治疗过程中的重大作用。因此,如何发揮病人的主观能动性,乃是治疗疾病中一項急待解决的問题,但也是一項复杂而又艰巨的研究任务。本研究企图从心理学角度对主观能动性問题进行     

Counseling in an Enlightened Society: Values for a New Millennium

In the year 2001, civilization will enter a new century and a new millennium as well. For counseling professionals the start of a new millennium encourages an examination of the philosophy and practice of mental health intervention. The purpose of this article is to share a vision that can possibly lay the foundation for an enlightened world society. It also attempts to outline how the counseling profession can influence the possibility of such a society.