Female Intimate Partner Violence Survivors' Experiences With Accessing Resources

This phenomenological study investigates the types of personal and community resources that female intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors used when leaving an abusive male partner. Three African American and 2 European American IPV survivors, ages 24 to 38 years, described positive and negative experiences with social support, personal validation, self‐care, connection, IPV assessment, community validation, protection, and community support. On the basis of their experiences, a checklist of IPV competencies for counselors is presented.     

A Mixed Methodological Analysis of the Role of Culture in the Clinical Decision‐Making Process

Even though literature indicates that particular cultural groups receive more severe diagnoses at disproportionate rates, there has been minimal research that addresses how culture interfaces specifically with clinical decision making. This mixed methodological study of 41 counselors indicated that cultural characteristics of both counselors and clients—including the degree of match between these characteristics—affect attention to cultural issues in clinical decision making. In addition, there was a significant relationship between participant cultural bias and perceived level of client functioning.