The counselor perspective on the use of directives in counseling in China: Are directives different in China as in the United States?

Eight Chinese counselors were interviewed about their use of directives in counseling. They typically believed that directives can be beneficial in counseling Chinese clients. They used directives to extend the influence of counseling beyond sessions, meet client needs and expectations, and fit their own personality and orientation. In terms of conditions that need to be met for directives to be helpful, they identified client factors such as readiness, communication styles, past experience, and insight; the counselor factor of ability to communicate directives; and the therapeutic relationship. They emphasized the importance of clients acquiring a new perspective as a result of directives. Cultural factors in using directives are discussed.     

A Sandtray a Day Keeps the Doctor at Play: Using Sandtray for Personal and Professional Development

This article details a year-long project in which the author created a series of 365 sandtrays and journaled about them as a professional and personal growth project. The author shares professional and personal lessons learned from this experience and describes how reflective practices can be used as a method to improve clinical work.     

Counselor Cognitive Complexity: Correlating and Comparing the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator With the Role Category Questionnaire

This study examined personality types and cognitive complexity levels in counseling trainees. Data from graduate‐level counseling students were collected (N = 74). Cognitive complexity levels were measured using the Role Category Questionnaire (RCQ) and personality types were measured using the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator. Results showed that perceiving types tended to perform better on the RCQ than judging types, and that those who were highly differentiated in all preferences overall tended to score higher on the RCQ. These findings have implications for employment and career counselors and their clients who are, or aspire to be, in the helping profession.     

Developing Spiritual Competencies in Counseling: A Guide for Supervisors

The recently established competencies for addressing spiritual and religious issues in counseling (Association of Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling, 2009 ) provide guidelines for counselors to implement in conjunction with evidence‐based counseling practices. These spiritual competencies complement the ethics code established by the American Counseling Association ( 2014 ) in promoting increased cross‐cultural sensitivity and proficiency in counseling. Supervisory tools that promote the ethical and spiritual development of counseling trainees are identified and described.     

Faith as a Cultural Variable: Implications for Counselor Training

Counselors are faced with a unique challenge when faith is a prominent clinical variable. Although faith is deemed relevant, counselors may not feel comfortable approaching the subject of faith with clients. Participants in this study were practicing counselors licensed in their respective states; each was also a current doctoral candidate in counselor education and supervision. A scenario involving a complex interaction of faith; family systems; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues in clinical practice was provided. Participants were found to be more likely to value the importance of addressing faith in sessions than they were to actually use faith as an intervention.     

Pedagogical Practices for Teaching Addiction Counseling Courses in CACREP‐Accredited Programs

We used a grounded theory approach to investigate educational strategies for teaching master's‐level addiction counseling courses. An emergent model of pedagogical practices, factors that influence development and implementation, and suggestions for counselor education programs are presented.     

Countering Deficits: A Grounded Theory of Success From Graduate Students of Color

The existing research on students of color in counselor education focuses on the barriers they experience, providing a deficit perspective. Using grounded theory and a critical race theory framework, we studied the racialized experiences of 19 graduate students of color in counselor education. Grounded in participants' voices, we propose a liberatory theory of academic success. Implications for promoting the success of students of color in counselor education and for future critical race theory research are discussed. Las investigaciones hasta la fecha sobre estudiantes de color en programas educativos de consejería se centran en las barreras que afrontan, lo cual ofrece un déficit de perspectiva. Usando un muestreo teórico y un marco de teoría crítica de la raza, estudiamos las experiencias racializadas de 19 estudiantes de posgrado de color en programas educativos de consejería. Basándonos en las voces de los participantes, proponemos una teoría liberatoria de éxito académico. Se discuten las implicaciones para fomentar el éxito de estudiantes de color en programas educativos de consejería y para investigaciones futuras de teoría crítica de la raza.     

Power Within the Counselor Identity Development of African American Women in Pastoral Counseling

This study explored experiences of power among 11 African American female pastoral counselors‐in‐training. Limited research exists within the field of pastoral counseling regarding the dynamics of power within the development of minority counselors‐in‐training. Experiences of power such as microaggressions and empowerment were evidenced in the art created by participants during their qualitative interviews. Use of a heuristic arts‐based research design resulted in 6 final essences (major themes): symbolic analysis of the journey of identity development, empowerment, powerlessness, ownership of power, integration, and pervasive spirituality. Practical implications for counselor educators and pastoral counseling programs are provided.     

Minority status stress,racial centrality,and racial socialization as predictors of Black Americans’ preference for counselor race in a United States sample

In the United States, Black Americans’ counseling experiences are associated with concerns that are unique to their racialized status. Understanding the range of cultural factors that influence Black Americans’ preferences in the context of counseling remains an important topic in marketing and providing high-quality counseling services to this population. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the role of racial centrality, affirming socialization around race, and minority status stress on counselor racial preference among Black college students (N = 139) in the United States. Results from a hierarchical multiple regression revealed that racial centrality and minority stress independently predicted preference for a racially similar counselor in this sample of respondents. A significant interaction between minority stress and affirming racial socialization revealed that the effect of minority status stress on counselor racial preference was attenuated at high levels of affirming racial socialization. Findings are discussed in the context of racial identity and racial socialization theories, with emphasis on implications for counseling practice and clinical training.     

Identifying and Treating Race‐Based Trauma in Counseling

This study investigated 106 counseling professionals’ experiences with identifying and treating race‐based trauma and the relationship between training and treatment. Competency was assessed with the Race‐Based Trauma Survey for Counselors. Although most participants reported working with clients who had symptoms associated with race‐based trauma, many had not received training in identifying and treating race‐based trauma among individuals of color. This finding highlights the disparities between health care and the provision of related services. Recommendations for counseling professionals and researchers are included. Este estudio investigó las experiencias de 106 profesionales en consejería con la identificación y el tratamiento de traumas basados en la raza, así como la relación entre la capacitación y el tratamiento. La competencia se evaluó usando la Encuesta para Consejeros sobre Traumas Basados en la Raza. A pesar de que la mayoría de participantes informó que había trabajado con clientes que tenían síntomas asociados con traumas basados en la raza, muchos no habían recibido capacitación para identificar y tratar traumas basados en la raza en personas de color. Este hallazgo resalta las disparidades entre la atención sanitaria y la provisión de servicios relacionados. Se incluyen recomendaciones para profesionales en consejería e investigadores.