Sexual Abuse Litigation

Summary

Practicing psychologist Janet Sonne and attorney Julian Hubbard illuminate how the different aims and languages of psychotherapy and law can be either an asset or a liability in the emotionally-charged environment of sexual abuse litigation. Properly understood, these differences can optimize the ability of each professional to assist their common client, the sexual abuse survivor, in the litigation process and beyond. Dr. Sonne reviews the psychological and behavioral sequelae of childhood sexual abuse and identifies six elements of the client's psychological functioning key to the litigation process, as well as posing questions for the attorney's self-evaluation for the unique demands of sexual abuse litigation. Mr. Hubbard then addresses what survivors and therapists need to know about the litigation process, exploring dynamics of legal strategy that can exacerbate the client's psychological problems. In the final section, both offer tips to enhance professionals' focus on education and communication as a means to better serving the sexually abused client.     

History of the Association for Creativity in Counseling

Abstract

The Association for Creativity in Counseling (ACC), though granted status as the 19th division of the American Counseling Association only three years ago, is rich with history. This article takes the reader through the evolution of ACC and its official journal: The Journal of Creativity in Mental Health (JCMH). The ACC and the JCMHare committed to promoting the values of diversity, creativity, and relational development. Goals include providing a forum for counselors and other mental health professionals to forge growth-fostering relationships and form positive connections. This historical account is a tribute to all those involved in making ACC a reality. It provides interesting and valuable information for anyone interested in ACC or in forming an association.     

Implications of the National Agenda to Improve Results for Children and Youth with or at Risk of Serious Emotional Disturbance

Abstract

Fragmented, agency-centered services contribute to poor educational and social outcomes. The National Agenda to Improve Results for Children and Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance targets approaches that are knowledge-based and have a high likelihood of improving outcomes. This article explores the implications of the Agenda's seven targets andthe importance of early identification and prevention.     

The moral of the story: The importance of applying an ethics lens to the teaching of positive psychology

In a short-time positive psychology has progressed into a scientific and multidisciplinary field of enquiry. It is now necessary for positive psychology to develop clear practice standards which will be collectively endorsed and upheld by members and those undergoing training in positive psychology. Teachers of positive psychology are in a prime position to disseminate ethical knowledge. Moreover, the objectives of ethics and positive psychology are closely aligned in their focus on achieving optimal outcomes; hence, the pairing of the two is ideal. Consequently, it would be ironic if positive psychology did not explicitly embrace ethical standards in guiding those training for a future in positive psychology. As a professional entity, positive psychology needs to provide more direction and encouragement for teachers, students, scholars and practitioners of positive psychology, and in time, this should be codified and discussed in positive psychology university degrees to promote consistency among its future members.     

Career adaptability,hope and life satisfaction in workers with intellectual disability

The unpredictable and unstable current work market is impacting in particular at-risk workers, such as individuals with disability. Based on Life Design approach, the present study focused on two variables, career adaptability and hope, relevant to coping with the current work context and their role in affecting life satisfaction. A partial mediational model between career adaptability and life satisfaction, through agency and pathway (hope), was tested. 120 (60 women and 60 men) adult workers with mild intellectual disability were involved. Results provided support for the model. Specifically, career adaptability indirectly, through agency and pathway, predicted life satisfaction. These results have important implications for practice and underscore the need to support workers with disability in their life design process.     

Testing a calling model of psychological career success in Australian young adults: A longitudinal study

Theory-based longitudinal research on career calling is sparse. In a two-wave, cross-lagged panel design we assessed Hall and Chandler's (2005) calling model of psychological career success using 216 young adults (M age = 20.44 years, SD = 2.54). We tested if changes in career calling over time were associated with changes in goal-directed effort (work effort and career strategies) and psychological career success (life meaning and career adaptability) over time, and if goal-directed effort mediated between career calling and psychological career success over time. The standard causal model showed a better fit over the base, reverse, and reciprocal causation models. T1 career calling predicted T2 work effort, career strategies, life meaning, and career adaptability. Only career strategies mediated between T1 career calling and T2 life meaning and T2 career adaptability. Limitations and future directions are discussed.     

Adversity quotients,environmental variables and career adaptability in student nurses

The cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the career adaptability and its associated factors among 431 student nurses. Participants completed questionnaires on demographics, career adaptability, adversity quotient, clinical learning environment and social support. Findings revealed that student nurses' adversity quotients, individualized clinical learning environment, and family social support associated positively with their degree of career adaptability, even after multiple adjustments. Additionally, career adaptability scores were higher among associate degree student nurses and those who had served as student leaders. These findings may provide referable evidence for schools and educators to improve student nurses' career adaptability.     

Competency‐based Models of Supervision: Principles and Applications,Promises and Challenges

Major changes initiated by the Psychology Board of Australia (the Board) and by professional bodies both nationally and internationally have placed professional supervision in the spotlight for the practising psychologist and supervisor. Further, within the context of a growing impetus towards competency‐based pedagogies for professional training across disciplines, a recent Board document has indicated that supervisor training must adhere to a competency‐based model within a best‐practice supervision framework (Psychology Board of Australia). For the practising psychologist, the recent recommendation closely follows other initiatives including the introduction of mandatory peer consultation and supervisor accreditation. The current article seeks to clarify for the Australian psychologist the characteristics of competency‐based supervision models for training and supervision, and to unpack the many implications for professional practice. The article outlines the features that distinguish competency models from other supervision models, explains the rationale for and the merits that competency‐driven pedagogies promise, and discusses the challenges these changes will bring to supervision theory and practice.     

Talking about sex after cancer: A discourse analytic study of health care professional accounts of sexual communication with patients

There is consistent evidence that health care professionals (hcps) are not addressing the sexual information and support needs of people with cancer. Thirty-eight Australian hcps across a range of professions working in cancer care were interviewed, to examine constructions of sexuality post-cancer, the subject positions adopted in relation to sexual communication, and the ways in which discourses and subject positions shape information provision and communication about sexuality. Participants constructed sexual changes post-cancer in physical, psychological and relational terms, and positioned such changes as having the potential to significantly impact on patient and partner well-being. This was associated with widespread adoption of a discourse of psychosocial support, which legitimated discussion of sexual changes within a clinical consultation, to alleviate distress, dispel myths and facilitate renegotiation of sexual practices. However, this did not necessarily translate into patient-centred practice outcomes, with the majority of participants positioning personal, patient-centred and situational factors as barriers to the discussion of sex within many clinical consultations. This included: absence of knowledge, confidence and comfort; positioning sex as irrelevant or inappropriate for some people; and limitations of the clinical context. In contrast, those who did routinely discuss sexuality adopted a subject position of agency, responsibility and confidence.     

Health professionals: A source of variance in health outcomes

Abstract

The behaviour of health professionals is rarely considered systematically by psychologists. This paper makes the following argument: first, that the behaviour of health professionals is influenced by other factors as well as medical knowledge; second, that various psychological models of human behaviour previously used only in considering the behaviour of patients may also be used to explain, predict and change the behaviour of health professionals; third, to implement effective care the behaviour of health professionals needs to be considered alongside that of patients.