Counseling Commons^™

Ciis Today, Spring 2010 Issue, Ciis

CIIS Today

This volume is the Spring 2010 issue of CIIS Today, the Magazine of the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Ethical Issues In Rehabilitation Counselor Supervision And The New 2010 Code Of Ethics, Harriet L. Glosoff, Kathe F. Matrone

Department of Counseling Scholarship and Creative Works

The 2010 revision of the Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors addresses changes in ethical standards related to rehabilitation counselor supervision. In an effort to promote awareness of these changes, this article offers a brief overview of the revisions and implications for practice including the responsibility of supervisors to actively engage in and support professional development activities.

Alcohol-Related Help Seeking In Problem Drinking Women Sexual Assault Survivors, Sarah E. Ullman, Cynthia J. Najdowski

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Correlates of alcohol-related help seeking were studied in women sexual assault survivors who were current problem drinkers (N = 526) in a large metropolitan area in 2002-2003. Volunteer participants completed several valid and reliable instruments, which assessed alcohol use and misuse and related help seeking (i.e., the TWEAK, GFM, and MAST). Data were analyzed using logistic regression models. Results suggest that correlates of women survivors’ alcohol-related help seeking vary depending on the specific source. Limitations and implications are noted and recommendations for future research are made. This study was funded by the National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Understanding Alcohol-Related Sexual Assaults: Characteristics And Consequences, Sarah E. Ullman, Cynthia J. Najdowski

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Sexual assaults commonly involve alcohol use, but little is known about alcohol’s effects on many aspects of assaults and their aftermath. We investigated characteristics of victims, perpetrators, and assaults as a function of whether alcohol was involved in the assault, as well as differences in women’s post-assault experiences. Assaults prior to which only perpetrators were drinking differed not only from non-alcohol-related assaults, but also from those prior to which both perpetrators and victims were drinking. Understanding the effects of alcohol-related assaults is important for identifying victims who should be targeted for mental health and substance use interventions.

Effects Of An Educational And Support Program For Family And Friends Of A Substance Abuser, Amanda Jeffrey Platter

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Many family members are adversely affected by their loved ones drinking or drug problem. The aim of the present study was to explore changes in coping and enabling behaviors among family members who attended a community educational and psychosocial group for friends and family of a substance abuser, and to examine the concerns of these family members.

Participants were 32 family members (i.e., parents, spouses/romantic partners, and siblings) who attended one of four consecutive Family and Friend (FF) programs between fall and spring of 2008. Participants completed the Behavioral Enabling Scale (Rotunda & Doman, 2001) and Brief COPE Inventory (Carver, …

Child Sexual Abuse, Ptsd, And Substance Use: Predictors Of Revictimization In Adult Sexual Assault Survivors, Sarah E. Ullman, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Henrietta Filipas

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

This study examined the unique effects of child sexual abuse simultaneously with post-traumatic stress disorder symptom clusters, problem drinking, and illicit drug use in relation to sexual revictimization in a community sample of female adult sexual assault victims. Participants (N = 555) completed two surveys a year apart. Child sexual abuse predicted more post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in adult sexual assault victims. Posttraumatic stress disorder numbing symptoms directly predicted revictimization, whereas other post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (reexperiencing, avoidance, and arousal) were related to problem drinking, which in turn predicted revictimization. Thus, numbing symptoms and problem drinking may be independent risk …

Traumatic Stress As A Predictor Of Suicidality, Sherry Malana Todd

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Suicide is a deliberate act of annihilation against one's self due to a crisis of problem solving. Far too many youth are dying by their own hands resulting in suicide being the third leading cause of death for 10-19 year olds (CDC, 2005). Suicide is particularly problematic for adolescents due to the impulsivity inherent in adolescent development. Since 1980, the national suicide rate of African American youth has increased by 114 percent (CDC). Suicidality has been positively correlated with depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Kessler et al., 1999). Suicidality is more prevalent when a person experiences a tragic or …

Prospective Effects Of Sexual Victimization On Ptsd And Problem Drinking, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Sarah E. Ullman

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and problem drinking are common and often co-occurring sequelae experienced by women survivors of adult sexual assault, yet it remains unclear whether survivors drink to cope with PTSD symptoms or whether PTSD symptoms are exacerbated by drinking. Thus, we used a cross-lagged panel design with a large (N = 555), ethnically diverse sample of women assault survivors to determine whether PTSD prospectively led to problem drinking or vice versa. We also examined whether cumulative sexual victimization experiences related to greater PTSD and problem drinking. Structural equation modeling revealed that child sexual abuse was associated with …

Correlates Of Suicidal Ideation And Attempts In Female Sexual Assault Survivors, Sarah E. Ullman, Cynthia J. Najdowski

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Relations between (a) serious suicidal ideation and attempts and (b) demographics, trauma history, assault characteristics, post-assault outcomes, and psychosocial variables were examined among female adult sexual assault survivors. Younger, minority, and bisexual survivors reported greater ideation. More traumas, drug use, and assault disclosure related to greater attempts, whereas perceived control over recovery was related to fewer attempts. Child sexual abuse and some assault characteristics predicted suicidal behavior. Depression was related to suicidal behavior until psychosocial variables were accounted for. Specifically, using substances to cope and self-blame predicted greater ideation, whereas receiving aid/information support was related to less ideation. Implications for …

Ptsd Symptoms And Self-Rated Recovery Among Adult Sexual Assault Survivors: The Effects Of Traumatic Life Events And Psychosocial Variables, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Sarah E. Ullman

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Prior research has demonstrated that self-blame is predictive of more PTSD symptoms and poorer recovery (Frazier, 2003; Koss, Figueredo, & Prince, 2002), and perceived control over recovery is associated with less distress (Frazier, 2003) in adult sexual assault (ASA) survivors. A structural equation model was tested to examine the role of traumatic events, self-blame, perceived control over recovery, and coping strategies on PTSD symptoms and self-rated recovery in women ASA survivors. Adaptive coping partially mediated the effects of other traumas, self-blame, and perceived control over recovery on PTSD symptoms, and showed a small positive association with increased PTSD symptoms. As …

The Gift And Challenge Of "Free Will": The Connection To Transformational Archetypal Energies, Carroy U. Ferguson

Carroy U "Cuf" Ferguson, Ph.D.

In a previous writing, I spoke of “The Voices of Transformational Archetypal Energies,” and how they serve as the primary “Psychic Energy” behind AHP’s mission and “kindred spirits on the edge.” Again, I use easily recognized terms to evoke a common sense of these Higher Vibrational Energies, each with their own transcendent value, purpose, quality and “voice” unique to the individual that operate deep within our psyches (i.e., Love; Acceptance; Inclusion; Harmony). I want to use this opportunity to briefly call attention to the use and misuse of a wonderful human gift and its connection to these Transformational Archetypal Energies. …

Predicting The Use Of Campus Counseling Services For Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino/Hispanic, And White Students: Problem Severity, Gender, And Generational Status, Kieran T. Sullivan, Lucila Ramos-Sánchez, Stephanie D. Mciver

Psychology

The purpose of the current study was to identify predictors of counseling center use among Asian, Latino/a, and White college students. Findings indicated that females and second generation students report the most severe difficulties. Problem severity and gender predicted counseling center use for White and Asian students, whereas only problem severity predicted use for Latino students. Generational status was not a significant predictor of use for any group.

Path Of The Bridger: Ahp's Role In Co-Creating A "New Reality" For Human Togetherness And The Evolution Of Consciousness, Carroy U. Ferguson

Carroy U "Cuf" Ferguson, Ph.D.

As the newly elected President of AHP, I feel very honored to become part of an ongoing, transformational, creative, and inspiring history. As I mentioned in my recent introductory letter to you all after being voted AHP’s new President this summer, since its founding the Association for Humanistic Psychology (AHP) has been engaged in an historic, “transformational undertaking”—to actualize “a bold new affirmative approach in psychology and life” and “to explore the edges of what is known, looking for new and workable methods to facilitate our evolution as individuals and as a society.” Humanistic Psychology and AHP represented a shift …

The Value Of The Awareness Of Near-Death Experiences, David San Filippo Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A principal value of Near-death experiences may be in the telling of the stories and the effect these stories have for others to reduce their fears of and concerns about death. This E-book explores the impact and value knowing about, not having a near-death experience has on those who have heard, watch, or read reports of this phenomenon.

Dancing Around The Fire (Book Review), Kristina M. Kays

Faculty Publications - Psychology Department

Reviews the book, "What Therapists Don't Talk About and Why: Understanding Taboos That Hurt Us and Our Clients" by Kenneth Pope, Janet Sonne, and Beverly Greene (see record 2006-03273-000). What truly hauntstherapists in private practice are not the basic countertransference issues discussed in most graduate training programs but the unspoken secrets of their inner world. Too often, therapists are preoccupied by sexual responses to clients, hostile thoughts, and desire for professional approval, but training and peer discussions rarely focus on these forbidden topics. "What TherapistsDon't Talk About and Why: Understanding Taboos That Hurt Us and Our Clients" is an updated …

Levels Of Consciousness, Archetypal Energies, And Earth Lessons: An Emerging Worldview, Carroy U. Ferguson

Carroy U "Cuf" Ferguson, Ph.D.

Worldviews emerge from our individual and collective Levels of Consciousness at given points in time and space and from what we come to “believe” is possible or not. In my own experience, my research on Consciousness, and my study of various cultures, societies, and Consciousness literature, I have identified at least seven Levels of Consciousness, twenty-five Archetypal Energies, and various Earth Lessons, which we seem to commonly experience as human beings, in our own unique personal, societal, and global life spaces.

Culturally Appropriate Career Counseling With Gay And Lesbian Clients.

Mark Pope

Borderline Personality Disorder : A Comparison Of Linehan And Kernberg's Treatment Modalities, Janet M. Riley

Graduate Research Papers

About 30% of clients worldwide are diagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) (Bohus et al., 2000). BPD is a complex disorder and difficult to treat. Therefore, it is necessary for counselors to gain as much knowledge about treatment modalities and their effectiveness as possible. This paper attempts to define BPD by looking closely at its history.and describing the criteria for diagnosis. Linehan's Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Kernberg's Object Relational Theory (ORT) are compared as to their effectiveness in working with clients who exhibit symptoms of BPD.

Integrating Spirituality Into Mental Health Counseling, Mary Jane Madsen

Graduate Research Papers

This paper represents an attempt to bring together information from the existing literature that, when combined, could form a basic framework of thought and application for counselors who wish to integrate spirituality into mental health counseling. As mental health counseling students or more seasoned professionals consider this information, they may choose to take practical ideas into their work with clients, or at least become more involved in further reading and research on the topic. The paper concludes with a presentation of ethical issues that specifically relate to the integration of spirituality into the traditional mental health counseling paradigm.

Relationships And Universal Energy Laws, Carroy U. Ferguson

Carroy U "Cuf" Ferguson, Ph.D.

Relationships are our most intense forms of "mirrors" in the world. They show us in direct and indirect ways how we are using our personal energy systems in what I call our three life spaces. They show us how we consciously and unconsciously employ what some authors have called Universal Energy Laws (see attached descriptions of these laws) to co-create the quality of our relationships. Whether or not we "attract" and/or deal with relationships in conscious or subconscious ways, what I call the "mirror effect" is reflected in our three life spaces—personal life space, societal life space, and global life …