Career Assessment for Couples

Most clients are in committed relationships in which both partners are engaged in paid employment, yet counselors have not readily shifted to “couples-oriented” career assessment. This article is devoted to addressing this problem and (a) reviews general approaches to career assessment focused on the individual and provides recommendations for revising these assessment strategies to better fit couples, (b) examines the limited literature on couples-oriented career assessment including strategies to analyze the impact of workplace and social policies on families, and (c) outlines implications for practice, theory, training, and research.     

A Case of the Blind Leading the “Blind”: Reframing a Physical Handicap as Competence

Structural and strategic family therapy inform the course of treatment of a family with a blind member. Alteration of the family's view of the problem through reframing the blindness as competence is reported.     

An Introduction to the New DSM-III

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) published in 1980 is increasingly used by counselors. This article discusses and clarifies DSM-III's diagnostic system.     

The Buros Institute of Mental Measurements: Commitment to the Tradition of Excellence

This article reviews briefly the history of the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements and then provides an overview of the expanded mission of the Buros Institute. The origins of the Mental Measurements Yearbook series are highlighted, along with discussions of goals and the evolving structure of the Yearbook series. In addition, the bibliographic reference series, Tests in Print, and the specialized monograph series are placed in historic perspective. Goals of the “new” Buros Institute of Mental Measurements, located at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, are also presented.     

Family of Origin Violence and Courtship Abuse

Research has shown that family of origin violence is related to later courtship and marital abuse. Few researchers, however, have distinguished between observed and received violence as a child and expressed and received abuse in adult relationships. Questionnaires addressing these issues were completed by 336 undergraduates. Results indicated that 75% of the sample had expressed threats or actual violence and 64% had received such abuse in an intimate relationship. Only 25% had been publicly identified as a result of the violence. In this sample, 30% had parents who abused each other. Less often, the mother (9.1%) or father (8.5%) had been the sole abuser. Most (76.4%) had been abused as children. Multiple regression indicated that being abused as a child predicted receiving and expressing violence as an adult.     

Résumé Preparation Workshop for University Students

A workshop to help university students prepare résumés is described and evaluated. Part of the workshop discusses the purpose of a résumé and describes its “advertisement” aspect. Another portion encourages participants to inventory their assets and experiences, and to gather information about their chosen occupational areas. The third segment of the workshop explains traditional formats, and the final segment offers suggestions for attractive layout and reproduction. Preliminary evaluations of workshop participants' and nonparticipants' résumés resulted in ratings that were higher for the workshop group. In general, it was found that persons who talk with counselors or friends about résumés produce more effective résumés than those who get their information only through reading materials. A pilot evaluation instrument is included. Implications of this study for counselors are discussed and suggestions for developing similar workshops are made.     

The Influence of Gender on Job Loss Coping Behavior Among Unemployed Managers

Using the Job Loss Coping Behavior scale (JLCB; Leana & Feldman, 1992), this article examines the behaviors of 131 unemployed male and female managers in coping with their Job loss. The results indicate that the men had significantly higher job search efficacy. The article's findings suggest that women may need more help in identifying a network of colleagues and friends to assist with then-Job search activities than men. The authors encourage employment counselors to be mindful of this finding and to help unemployed women to develop more appropriate proactive behaviors and skills that will assist them with their Job search activities.     

The Healing Circle: An Alternative Path to Alcoholism Recovery

Recovery from alcoholism has typically involved the program of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). However, the values espoused by AA, especially those related to spirituality, can be in conflict with the values of traditional Native Americans. This article discusses healing methods founded in the traditions of Native American culture in general and the Oglala Lakota (also called Oglala Sioux) nation specifically. An understanding of these methods gives non-Native American counselors additional tools for guiding Native American clients to an effective program of recovery.