When east meets west: reflections on the use of Buddhist mindfulness practice in mindfulness-based interventions

The Western mental health profession has included Buddhist practices in its clinical applications, and Buddhisms’ contribution to mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) could be considered as one of its main inputs. However, MBIs appear to depart in some key ways from their Buddhist origins whereby it may reduce its psychotherapeutic value and affect the accurate dissemination of the Buddhas’ teachings. This paper reflects on some of these departures, by firstly discussing the term mindfulness, which, as used in the MBIs, has a more restrictive meaning than that meant by the Buddha. Secondly, this paper discusses the usefulness of MBI therapists being knowledgeable in a range of meditation techniques, rather than in only a few. And thirdly, this paper discusses the usefulness of MBI therapists having a personal mindfulness practice of ones’ own, and concludes by suggesting that an explicit acknowledgement of the Buddha in the formation of the MBIs be considered.     

Physical and Psychological Health Predict Adherence to an Online Mindfulness Program for College Students

We examined predictors of students' adherence to a 10-session online mindfulness program. Undergraduates naive to meditation (N = 169) were recruited from an introductory psychology subject pool. Students completed assessments examining physical and psychological health and were asked to complete a 10-session online mindfulness activity. More than half (53%) of the sample was fully adherent to the program. Better physical health and lower levels of anxiety predicted adherence. We present recommendations for increasing adherence in the clinical use of mindfulness with college students.     

Interventions for inappropriate sexual behavior in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A brief review

Although prevalence rates vary, 6% to 28% of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDDs) engage in inappropriate sexual behavior (ISB), ranging from public masturbation to sexually aggressive behavior. Along with increased risk for contacting the criminal justice system, people with IDDs who display ISB may encounter negative social consequences, restricted community access and barriers to independence, and a variety of counter-therapeutic outcomes. The purpose of the present review is to highlight recent, efficacious behavior-analytic treatments for ISB in individuals with IDDs. Ethical considerations and areas for future research will be discussed.     

Can job seekers achieve more through networking? The role of networking intensity,self-efficacy,and proximal benefits

The authors develop and evaluate an online networking intervention, Building Relationships and Improving Opportunities (BRIO), built in conjunction with the networking literature and social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986, 1999). A field experiment using 491 unemployed job seekers shows that the intervention increases networking intensity, networking self-efficacy, and proximal networking benefits. Further, the intervention generates higher quality reemployment through its positive effects on networking self-efficacy. Individuals who completed the intervention and were also lower in extraversion showed the most positive improvements in networking self-efficacy and reemployment quality. The study advances the literature by uncovering the mechanisms through which a networking intervention may result in improved reemployment success, and demonstrating the moderating role of individual differences in affecting intervention outcomes. The study helps practice by providing a publicly available, research-based training to improve job search networking.     

Exploration of Mechanisms behind Changes after Participation in a Parenting Intervention: A Qualitative Study in a Low‐Resource Setting

Parenting interventions are effective for preventing psychological difficulties in children. However, their active ingredients have not been comprehensively explored. How do they work? What are the mechanisms operating behind changes? In 2012, a randomized controlled trial of a parenting intervention was conducted in low‐resource communities of Panama. Effects on child behavioral difficulties, parental stress, and parenting practices were large in the short and long term. This was an ideal opportunity to explore potential mechanisms operating behind effects found in this low‐resource setting. Twenty‐five parents were interviewed. Data were analyzed through an inductive semantic thematic analysis. Three themes emerged from the data: (a) psychological mechanisms behind changes, (b) behavioral changes in parent, and (c) changes in the children. Parents described that the intervention triggered changes in emotion regulation, self‐efficacy, and problem solving. Parents also reported behavioral changes such as praising their children more often, who in turn seemed more responsible and better at following instructions. The study offers participant‐driven insight into potential pathways of change after participation in this parenting intervention, pathways that are often overlooked in quantitative studies. Future studies should further explore these pathways, through mediator and moderator analyses, and determine how much is shared across interventions and across different cultural settings.     

Stronger Than You Think: Older Women and Physical Activity

Many negative stereotypes of older women are related to changes in the body that render it incompetent (e.g., weak, frail, debilitated). Such stereotypes disempower women in the eyes of others and in their own eyes if they come to embody the stereotype. One way to resist the stereotype and remain empowered is to engage in regular physical activity, which increases stamina, energy, muscle strength, joint flexibility, and balance. Here we review the physical and mental health benefits of physical activity for older women and discuss the barriers that keep many older women from regular exercise. We discuss ways that feminist therapists can encourage their older clients to become more physically active, provide information about role models who can inspire clients, and suggest resources suitable for recommendation.     

A Content Analysis of the Offender Population in Counseling Journals

We discuss the findings of an exploratory content analysis related to the offender population by examining literature from 2008 to 2018 in 23 American Counseling Association (ACA) and ACA‐affiliated counseling journals. The findings and implications of the analysis are discussed.