Metamotivational complexity: The case of Justin,obscene phone caller

An individual's motivational state at any one moment in time is complex. In working to treat dysfunction, anti-social behaviour or deviance, the counsellor needs to understand this complexity and design a treatment strategy that takes full account of the effects of treatment upon the complex of motivational states. This paper examines this jprocess in the case of justin, an obscene phone-caller. The theory of psychological reversals is used as a basis for the case analysis. Interventions are described in terms of their impact on the motivational state of the client.     

The Buddhist Spiritual Path: A Counselor's Reflection on Meditation,Spirituality, and the Nature of Life

The author describes her spiritual path from the perspective of a person who was raised in a Buddhist tradition and trained in a Western mental health profession. A foundation for the Buddhist concept of mental health is presented, and the relationship among counseling. Western developmental theory, and the development of a spiritual path is discussed. Strategies are presented for assisting clients with their search for spiritual development.     

'Coping' and the Crisis Counsellor

In the last decade the theory of coping strategies and the development of coping-skills-training and stress-management programmes have been a major innovative feature of British and American developments in relation to stress and crisis counselling. This paper-reviews the available coping literature of relevance to crisis counselling practice. The theory of psychological reversals is used to provide a link with crisis theory.     

Family Relationships and Counselling

During the last ten years, family therapy has developed a number of distinctive schools of work. Four such schools—structural, strategic, the Milan school, and psychoanalysis - are described, and their importance to British workers is examined. Comments are offered on a variety of issues likely to face those engaged in family therapy in the coming decade.     

Pupil perceptions of counselling: A case study

Using a case-study school with a highly-developed counselling service employing three trained school counsellors, pupil perceptions of counsellors are examined in terms of their duties within the school and their potential helpfulness. Despite the fact that many of the features of the school were ideally adapted to the effective development of counselling, the counsellors were broadly perceived as senior teachers with a great deal of administrative responsibility. Few of the pupils indicated a willingness to approach any of the counsellors voluntarily with a personal problem.     

Reversal theory: A new perspective on crisis counselling

Caplan, in a variety of publications, has presented a model of crisis development which seeks to exemplify the core conditions of a crisis. Brandon has elaborated this model and shown its relevance to counselling and therapy. The recent development of the theory of psychological reversals, however, poses questions about the validity of Caplan's model. In this paper, a critique of crisis theory is presented, focusing particularly upon the notion of homeostasis and upon the relationship between arousal and anxiety. It is suggested that the five crisis models derived from the theory of reversals offer a fuller understanding of crises and crisis counselling than can be derived from Caplan's work.     

Epigenetic programming of the HPA axis: early life decides

Stress during early life can impact the developing brain and increase vulnerability to mood disorders later in life. Here, we argue that epigenetic mechanisms can mediate the gene-environment dialogue in early life and give rise to persistent epigenetic programming of adult physiology eventually resulting in disease. Early life stress in mice leads to epigenetic marking of the arginine vasopressin (AVP) gene underpinning sustained expression and increased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. This epigenetic memory is laid down in the parvocellular neurons of the paraventricular nucleus and involves Ca(2+)/calmodulin kinase-mediated phosphorylation of the methyl-CpG binding domain protein MeCP2 leading to dissociation from its DNA-binding site and derepression of the AVP gene. The reduced occupancy of MeCP2 during this early stage of life facilitates the development of hypomethylation at the AVP enhancer, which sustains derepression throughout later life and thereby serves to hardwire early life experiences. The sequential order of these events may represent a critical time window for the preventive therapy of severe trauma.