Therapeutic Considerations of Wilderness Experiences for Incest and Rape Survivors

The purpose of this article is to examine the relevancy of traditional wilderness programs, such as Outward Bound, to women who have been violated by experiences of childhood incest and/or adult sexual assault. Applications to African-American women, women with physical challenges, and women who are economically disenfranchised will be emphasized. The overview is from a feminist perspective, one that advocates empowerment over struggle and resisting revictimization on any level. The Rape Assistance and Awareness Program (RAAP) is a non-profit agency in Denver, Colorado dedicated to providing low-cost group psychotherapy for women who have been recently sexually assaulted as well as for women with histories of incest. About five years ago, a three-day Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) experience was incorporated into RAAP's treatment program. While the COBS weekend generally has been viewed positively by most of the clients and group facilitators, aspects of this element of the program have become increasingly problematic. Its applicability to women with physical disabilities and women with conflicting social and economic priorities is questioned. When RAAP received a special grant to provide sexual assault services specifically targeting women of color, groups for Latinas and African-American women were established and facilitated by therapists of color. These women of color, both clients and therapists, consistently challenge the relevance and practicality for them of the COBS experience. In this article, we contend that wilderness experiences, in their traditional application, do not support the feminist, woman-centered approach to life which is advocated and nurtured at RAAP, nor does it specifically honor cultural diversity or ethnic multiplicity. Recommendations for wilderness experiences attracting a broader range of the feminine experience are made.     

Prevention of Sexual Assault Through the Resocialization of Women

No abstract available for this article.     

The counselling and psychotherapy profession in Canada: regulatory processes and current status

ABSTRACT

Like the Canadian landscape and culture, the status of professional regulation for counselling and psychotherapy is a mosaic reflecting the unique cultural, linguistic and contextual realities of Canada. Statutory regulation in Canada is constitutionally a provincial/territorial matter. In the past five years, a major movement towards professional regulation has emerged. The authors describe the variable status of regulation, focusing on three provinces: Quebec, Nova Scotia and Ontario. They explore the federal Agreement of Internal Trade, designed to facilitate inter-provincial/territorial mobility of regulated professionals. Finally, the authors summarise national research and development activities of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association that enhance the pan-Canadian mobility of practitioners and support shared professional understandings. These activities range from bilingual, national validation of competencies, definitions, titles and scopes of practice to symposia and an entry-to-practice competency assessment.     

Historiography and psychoanalysis

Abstract

The act of writing the history of psychoanalysis poses crucial questions with regard to the openness of society. This article examines the fundamental issues faced by researchers when they set about writing the history of psychoanalysis in a specific country. The significance of reconstructing features of the psychoanalytical practice is discussed. The opposition that exists between the current academic ideals and those of the psychoanalytic societies is outlined with reference to the changes that society has undergone, particularly during the past 30 years. In this context, the stance maintained by psychoanalysts with regard to psychiatry, academic psychology, and the university education of psychotherapists is defined. Government accreditation processes for psychologists and psychotherapists are likewise illustrated in the light of the opinions held by psychoanalysts at different moments in time.     

Body and meaning

Abstract

This paper discusses the very important but disregarded theme of somatization. Somatizers comprise a wide-ranging group of patients, who normally choose to consult doctors rather than psychoanalysts for treatment. We present two clinical reports of somatizing patients in which the psychoanalyst played a considerable role in the study and treatment of their problems. The subjects were not only totally relieved of their physical symptoms, but also dramatically changed their psychic lives.     

“So wat do u want to wrk on 2day?”: The Ethical Implications of Online Counseling

Internet counseling is an area of rapid expansion in the field of applied psychology. Internet counseling or psychotherapy involves a variety of activities such as psychoeducation, individual therapy, and automated self-help interventions delivered via the Internet. Although other professional societies such as the National Association of Social Workers, the American Counseling Association, and the National Board of Certified Counselors have tackled the issues of Internet counseling ethics head on, the American Psychological Association has been conspicuously absent from this debate. Yet online therapy clinics are operating, and intervention efficacy is being studied. This discussion provides an overview of online counseling modalities, details the ethical concerns associated with each, and offers suggestions for the ethical practice of online counseling.     

Ethics in Academia: Students' Vies of Professors' Actions

Although psychologist impairment has received attention from researchers, there is a paucity of empirical data aimed at determining the point at which such impairment necessitates action. The purpose of this study was to provide such empirical data. Members of Division 42 (n = 285) responded to vignettes describing a psychologist whose symptoms of either depression or substance abuse varied across five levels of severity. Results identified specific levels of impairment at which psychologists were deemed too impaired to practice psychotherapy, as well as significant differences between ratings of increasingly severe impairment. Practical and ethical implications of these results are discussed.     

Portable Digital Devices: Meeting Challenges to Psychotherapeutic Privacy

Portable digital devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and netbooks, now permeate our society. These devices allow substantial efficiencies in access to and communication of information by mental health professionals. They also bring with them risks to psychotherapist–client privacy. This article reviews these threats and offers suggestions as to their mitigation.     

When Does a Professional Relationship with a Psychologist Begin? An Empirical Investigation

Research on multiple relationships by practicing psychologists has typically presumed the presence of a professional relationship and focused on the ethicality of subsequent, nonprofessional relationships. Instead, this study focused on the question of what, exactly, constitutes the professional relationship in the first place. Practicing psychologists and undergraduates responded to vignettes portraying various early stages of interaction between a therapist and a prospective client. Participants' responses indicated that determinations of professional relationship establishment, and the ethicality of subsequent nonprofessional relationships, depended upon the degree of engagement. Some differences emerged between perceptions by professionals and nonprofessionals. Ethical and professional implications are discussed.     

Treating the Sexual Concerns of Adult Incest Survivors and Their Partners

SUMMARY

Negative attitudes about sex and sexuality and many types of sexual dysfunction are common aftereffects of sexual child abuse and incest. The traumatic sexualization and the aversive sexual conditioning resulting from childhood abuse have long gone unrecognized, however. This article presents research findings regarding the impact of incest on sexual attitudes and functioning along with treatment recommendations.