Creating a Participant Text: Writing,Multiple Voices,Narrative Multiplicity

This article uses the ideas of social constructionism to explore how families change by investigating the way our perceptions of ourselves in relation to others are formed through language. The idea that language has the inherent potential to generate a reply has strongly influenced our thinking. We propose that the reply to others is shaped by our initial reply to ourselves in inner conversation. Interaction moves back and forth from inner conversation to conversation with others, from monologue to dialogue, becoming the “stuff” of new narratives. The particular focus on language in this article is on how adding writing to the session conversation produces a “participant text,” a therapeutic narrative that is composed of the voices of the family and the therapists. These voices, often newly discovered or invented, allow our narrative discourse to expand and multiply. Using this approach with individuals, couples, and families from different socioeconomic levels, we have worked with mourning, divorcing couples, recovery from abuse, marital conflict, parenting dilemmas, and physical illness.     

The experiences of remarried stepfathers who pay child support

Abstract Remarried stepfathers' experiences paying child support for nonresidential children were explored using a multiple‐interview phenomenological approach with 11 fathers in the United States. Circumstances that negatively affected satisfaction with paying child support were seldom related to money, per se. Rather, the pervasive phenomenon that emerged was attempts at managing competing interests among themselves, their children, and their new families. Remarriage magnified feelings of disempowerment and introduced additional complexities to existing child support arrangements. Although generally satisfied with their child support obligations at divorce, fairness concerns arose over time and are situated within equity theory. Nonetheless, identity conceptualizations were more salient than exchange principles, and identity theory therefore frames a discussion on the centrality of a provider mentality among these fathers.     

Counselors and Self-Help Groups

Self-help groups have become legion in both number and purposes. The authors review the growth of this movement and its current status and suggest ways in which counselors can draw upon such groups in their professional practices.     

Mentoring as a Career Enhancement Strategy for Women

Swoboda, M.J., & Millar, S.B. (1986). Networking-mentoring: Career strategy of women in academic administration. Journal of NAWDAC, 49, 8–13.     

Substance Abuse and Child Abuse—Neglect: Implications for Direct-Service Providers

This study investigates the relationships between substance abuse and child abuse—neglect. It presents recommendations for program development and training for direct-service providers.     

The Uses of Juvenile Fiction and Self-Help Books With Stepfamilies

This article advocates the use of bibliotherapy as an adjunct to counseling with stepchildren and remarried adults. Information to guide the selection and use of fiction and self-help books for children and adolescents is provided. Also mentioned are other audiences and uses for the adolescent fiction.     

Family Secrets and Family Functioning: The Case of Donor Assistance

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between adult offspring's perception of family functioning and of parental use of topic avoidance to maintain secrecy regarding the use of donor assistance to conceive. A cross‐sectional design was used to study a convenience sample of 69 young adult donor offspring who completed a demographic questionnaire, a topic avoidance scale relative to each of their rearing parents, and the Beavers Self Report Family Instrument. Findings indicated that participants perceived both parents as avoiding the topic of donor assistance more than other topics, mothers as avoiding all topics less than fathers, and topic avoidance was negatively associated with family functioning. Mothers' general topic avoidance was the strongest predictor of family functioning. Parents' disclosing together was predictive of higher family functioning. Implications for practice and future research are suggested.