Feminist Identity Development: Implications for Feminist Therapy With Women

This article discusses the implications of the Downing and Roush (1985) model of feminist identity development for feminist therapy with women. Following a summary of the model, the potential pitfalls of feminist therapy with the passive-acceptant client are described, as well as potential issues at subsequent stages of the client's identity development. Suggestions are made regarding how to facilitate clients' movement to higher levels of development. Finally, a research agenda is proposed that suggests hypotheses to be tested that arise from applying this model to conducting therapy with women.     

Effect of Client Sense of Humor and Paradoxical Interventions on Test Anxiety

This study investigated the effectiveness of paradoxical and non-paradoxical interventions with clients [henceforth known as participants] possessing a high or low sense of humor. Fifty-three test-anxious participants were divided into a low sense of humor group and a high sense of humor group and were assigned to a paradoxical intervention condition, a nonparadoxical intervention condition, or a no-treatment control group. Participants in all groups improved over time but, contrary to the hypothesis, low sense of humor participants improved significantly more with a paradoxical intervention than high sense of humor participants with a paradoxical intervention. There were no differences in improvement due to treatment condition for the high sense of humor group. Low sense of humor participants perceived the counselor as more able to help than did high sense of humor participants. The paradoxical intervention was seen as more surprising than the nonparadoxical intervention. Implications for the use of paradoxical interventions are discussed.     

A Comparison of Cognitive-Behavioral and Process-Oriented Group Counseling for General Anger Reduction

Two counseled groups—one using anger reduction for cognitive-relaxation coping skills and the other using time-limited, anger-focused, process-oriented group counseling—were compared to an uncounseled control group. Both forms of counseling led to significant reductions on a number of trait, state, and person-specific measures of anger as well as nontargeted general anxiety. Effects were maintained at 5-week and 15-month follow-ups. At no point did counseling conditions differ significantly from one another, suggesting process groups are effective for general anger reduction and as effective as one of the best researched options in the field. Limitations of this conclusion are outlined along with needed research.     

The Relationship Between a Counselor's Ethical Orientation and the Stress Experienced in Ethical Dilemmas

The interaction of a counselor's ethical orientation, the ethical dilemmas within the counseling profession, and the stress experienced in resolving ethical dilemmas is examined in this research. A significant relationship was found between a societal orientation of ethical reasoning and the perception of stress associated with ethical dilemmas. The demographic variables of setting and gender also were significantly related to the stress associated with making ethical choices. Implications of the findings and future research on the relationship between ethical orientation and the stress involved in the ethical dilemmas of counseling are discussed.     

Paperwork,Pressure, and Discouragement: Student Attitudes Toward Guidance Services and Implications for the Profession

This article goes beyond the traditional survey of student attitudes toward the school guidance service. The student data are used as a springboard to the broader issues affecting the counseling profession. The focus is on counselor discouragement and what all concerned practitioners can do to revitalize the profession.     

Counseling the Children of Handicapped Parents

The children of the handicapped frequently need counseling to help them cope with the consequences of their parents' handicaps. Parental handicaps typically lead to modifications in parenting behavior and family structure that may be perceived as deficiencies. Kennedy and Bush discuss the child's reaction to parental handicap in the context of object loss and attachment. Evidence suggests that the children of the handicapped are overrepresented among those who are in some way maladjusted or in need of counseling. This article focuses on multiple sclerosis in parents, including its impact on children, suggested interventions, and a case study.