Cross-Cultural Competence: The Role of Emotion Regulation Ability and Optimism

Cross-cultural competence (3C) is critical for military personnel to understand and perform effectively in complex cultural environments and to interact with individuals from other cultures. The knowledge, skills, and abilities that make up 3C can result in clearer communication, build trust, and strengthen relationships in cross-cultural social contexts ( Selmeski, 2009 Selmeski, B. (February, 2009). Military Cross-cultural competence: Core concepts and individual development. Proceedings from the 7th Biennial Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Culture Research Symposium. Patrick Air Force Base, FL. [Google Scholar]). This research investigated the role of emotional regulation and optimism in the development of 3C in military personnel. Results demonstrate that the ability to regulate emotions is positively related to 3C, both directly and through its effect on optimism.     

Addiction‐Specific CACREP Standards in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Programs: How Are They Met?

In 2009, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) included training standards specific to addiction for clinical mental health counseling programs. This study surveyed CACREP‐accredited program coordinators to determine how addiction‐specific standards were addressed.     

Therapist Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence: A Replication of Harway and Hansen's Study after More than a Decade

ABSTRACT

More than a decade ago, Hansen, Harway, and Cervantes (1991) Hansen, M., Harway, M. and Cervantes, N. 1991. Therapists' perceptions of severity in cases of family violence. Violence and Victims, 6: 225–235. [PubMed] , [Google Scholar] and Harway and Hansen (1993) Harway, M. and Hansen, M. 1993. “Therapist perceptions of family violence”. In Battering and family therapy: A feminist perspective, Edited by: Hansen, M. and Hansen, M. 42–53. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.  [Google Scholar] examined mental health providers' ability to accurately perceive violence within couples presenting for therapy and to intervene in a manner that reduces risk. Alarmingly, 40% of therapists sampled failed to identify the presence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and none predicted lethality. Over a decade later, the present replication of Harway and colleagues' study was completed with the expectation that today's therapists are better prepared to identify IPV within a clinical vignette. Results show that therapists have indeed improved their ability to identify IPV. However, only one therapist accurately predicted lethality in the present study. Implications concerning IPV training for therapists are discussed.     

Initial Implementation of the ARC Framework in Juvenile Justice Settings

Virtually all youth in detention have been exposed at least one traumatic event in their family system or in the community, and a vast majority have experienced cumulative traumatic events that led to major dysregulated states. Building on several seminal works on trauma-informed juvenile justice programs and on implementation research, this theoretical research-based paper aims to describe the preparation stage for implementation of the Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency framework (ARC) to a population of youth in detention. The ARC framework is well-suited to meet the complex needs of young offenders by focusing on building blocks that promote resiliency, including caregiver affect management and attunement, affect identification and modulation, and executive functions and self-identity. Based on this extensive preparation stage and a case illustration, recommendations and best practice protocols for making a shift towards a trauma-informed youth justice system are highlighted.     

The Value of Children to Hong Kong Chinese Parents

Married adults (N = 720) between 30 and 60 years old responded to the 12-item Chinese Value of Children Scale (Shek, Lam, Tsoi, & Lam, 1993). Although the respondents generally agreed that children contribute to parents' own personal growth, spousal relations, family happiness, and family wholeness, a majority also perceived that parenthood was associated with increased financial burden and personal sacrifice. In contrast to the heavy emphases on the traditional Chinese values of security and posterity, these Hong Kong Chinese parents did not seem to emphasize such values strongly. Results also showed that the Chinese fathers tended to perceive parenthood as more positive and less burdensome than the Chinese mothers did.     

Attributions of Responsibility for Problem Cause and Problem Solution: Their Relationship to Self-Esteem

The relationship of self-esteem to attribution of responsibility for problem cause and problem solution was studied in a sample of 205 college undergraduates. The results revealed a tendency for self-esteem to be negatively associated with the endorsement of an attribution style that features high responsibility for problem cause but low responsibility for problem solving. This result may be due to the lack of instrumentality and the feelings of failure associated with such an attribution style. The results are also discussed with reference to previous research on self-esteem and attribution of responsibility.     

The Wisdom Jar

Abstract

Supervisors can use a wide range of skills and exercises when terminating counseling supervision with supervisees at the end of a practicum class. This article presents an experiential creative activity, the Wisdom Jar, as a metaphor for discussing specific lessons with supervisees. The use of creativity and the integration of symbols and metaphors provided supervisees with images to reflect upon after completing a counseling practicum clinical experience.     

Promoting Clinical Knowledge,Skills, and Empathy via a Creative Self-Suicide Assignment

Abstract

Suicide is a leading cause of American deaths. Given suicide's overall frequency and negative effects, specialized suicide training is warranted. This article describes a creative self-suicide assignment designed to enhance doctoral students? suicide assessment and intervention knowledge and clinical skills, and promote greater counselor empathy for clients presenting with suicidal ideation. Doctoral students who participated in the assignment reported increased suicide assessment and intervention knowledge and skills, and enhanced empathy toward clients presenting with suicide-related issues. Student summarizations related to their assignment experiences are included.     

Promoting Relational Competencies in Counselor Education Through Creativity and Relational-Cultural Theory

Abstract

This article addresses the need to identify requisite relational competencies that professionals providing creative and innovative counseling services must hold when facilitating responsible, growth-fostering connections between service providers and others. This article also includes a discussion on how the relationally responsible use of power must be included in any forum that examines relational dynamics and competencies. Although subsequent writings will discuss creativity-related competencies in greater depth, the focus of this paper rests on some relational challenges that students and professionals in the counseling and related fields face and on the need to identify relational competencies that can facilitate successful resolution of these challenges.     

Mixed-Design Training Outcomes for Fellows Serving At-Risk Youth Within Integrated Care Settings

We used an exploratory mixed-methods design with single-case comparative analysis and analysis of covariance to evaluate the potential effectiveness of an interprofessional clinical training in a mental health counseling program. Initial findings indicate those engaging in specialized learning experiences that attended to critical aspects of youth behavioral health care experienced benefits with regard to their professional development, interprofessional socialization and valuing, and counseling self-efficacy. Implications for the usefulness of trainings focused on interprofessional experiences are framed in relation to professional trends concerning integrated health care.