Counseling Commons^™

Multicultural Gerotranscendence: A Theoretical Approach To Working With Older Adults, Whitney George, Danielle Schlittler

Adultspan Journal

With the growing number of the aging population, the call for counselors to understand the developmental processes of all clients is essential. The theories of gerotranscendence and multicultural counseling and therapy are central to the understanding of adult development in later life. The use of these two theories together provides a theoretical basis for counselors wishing to provide services to diverse older adults.

Addressing Weight In Primary Care: Perspectives Of African American Young Adults With Serious Mental Illness, Sang Qin, Lindsay Sheehan, Janis Sayer, Kristin S. Williams, Julius Mercer, Ashley Scott, Tevin Anderson

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

Young adults with serious mental illness (SMI) experience disproportionate rates of physical illness. Morbidity and mortality are even worse for young African Americans with SMI, especially those who are overweight. Primary care physicians (PCPs) have an important role in addressing weight management. Current research explored these young patient’s perceptions of weight management and how PCPs can best address their weight concerns. Using community-based participatory research, we interviewed 25 African American aged 18-30 who were overweight and had a SMI. Results revealed 1) patient perceptions around weight and 2) patient preferences. Participants identified both positive and negative aspects of being overweight, …

Acculturation And Immigrant Parental Perceptions Concerning Sexual Communication, Kwame Owura Frimpong

Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration

Abstract:

Acculturation presents challenges to many immigrant parents that are adjusting to new lives in the United States. The rationale for conducting this study stemmed from the effects that acculturation can have on the wellbeing of immigrants, adversely affecting their health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of Sub-Saharan African immigrant parents concerning having a conversation with their pre-adolescent children about sexuality and sexual practices. Findings revealed communication barriers due to cultural beliefs, cultural taboos, and shame. The findings from this study are beneficial to behavioral healthcare providers that work with immigrant families, parents, and …

Counselors’ Stigma Toward Addictions: Increasing Awareness And Decreasing Stigma, Natalie M. Ricciutti

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The purpose of this study was to explore licensed counselors’ level of stigma toward individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and process/behavioral addictions (PBAs) and note any differences. A total of 138 licensed mental health counselors from one Midwestern state completed the SRTSS and the BRTSS to determine levels of stigma toward SUDs and PBAs, respectively. Participant scores from the SRTSS and BRTSS were normally distributed, and 15% to 32% of participants’ scores were reflective of stigma toward individuals with either SUDs or PBAs. A significant difference was not found between participants’ stigma toward individuals with SUDs or PBAs. Hypotheses …

Rural Social Work Practice: Trauma-Focused Interventions Social Workers Use, Jose Carbajal

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This research study examines rural social workers’ level of trauma knowledge and trauma treatment self-efficacy and the use of evidence-based interventions (CBT, TF-CBT, CPT, EMDR and PE). A retrospective design was used to examine Texas rural social workers’ use of evidence-based interventions. The Texas rural social worker sample (N=19) was extrapolated from a larger study (N=1007) conducted in 2014 examining Texas social workers’ trauma treatment and their use of evidence-based interventions. Descriptive and correlation statistical procedures were implemented to analyze the data for the current study. The results show social workers’ knowledge of trauma and treatment self-efficacy scores are above …

Peer-Supervision Of Nursing Professionals: A Shield Against Burnout, Kyle Gamache, Sarah Gamache, Joseph Robillard

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Burnout is a major risk in healthcare professions and is a significant contributor to the current nursing shortage. Strategies to combat burnout of healthcare professionals are in desperate need. The purpose of this project is to introduce the clinical peer supervision model as a method to alleviate burnout in nursing professionals.

Approach: Eight nurses from in-patient settings participated in a peer-supervision support group, modeled after existing European nursing and mental health provider-support protocols. To assess the effect of this intervention, qualitative data analysis was conducted on the transcripts of session and the results described. All participants reported statistically high …

Physical Activity Among Adults With Psychiatric Illness In Karachi, Pakistan: A Survey Based Research, Aneeta Jevtani, Erum Perveen, Mustafa Uroosa, Nazia Zeya, Farkhanda Emad, Fareeha Kanwal, Mahum Azhaar, Faisal Yamin

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: In Pakistan, psychological wellbeing is still considered a stigma and has limited resources to provide maximum care. Individuals with mental illness struggle with maintaining their sedentary behaviors and have poor wellbeing. The aim of the study is to investigate the physical activity among individuals with a psychiatric illness. Materials and Methods: A sample data of 144 outpatients, diagnosed with a psychiatric illness were collected from the Outpatient Department (OPD) of a public sector psychiatric set-up in Karachi, Pakistan. The participants were assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Results: Females with a psychiatric illness were found to be …

A Grounded Theory Of Counselors’ Post-Graduation Development Of Disability Counseling Effectiveness, Michele Rivas, Nicole R. Hill

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Many persons with disabilities engage in counseling services in a variety of settings. However, the development trajectories of counselors who seek to compensate for the lack of training and advance their post-graduation skillset to work effectively with clients with disabilities has not been explored. This grounded theory study illuminated several dimensions involved in twenty-one Licensed Professional Counselors’ post-graduation development of disability counseling effectiveness. In this study, counseling effectiveness refers to self-perceived improved skillset rather than a benchmark (i.e., competence). The core category, Evolving Commitments, was common to all participants’ trajectories when developing disability counseling effectiveness. The other categories (causal conditions, …

Recognizing Ableism And Practicing Disability Humility: Conceptualizing Disability Across The Lifespan, Katherine M. Atkins, Tamekia Bell, Tilottama Roy-White, Maria Page

Adultspan Journal

Disability culture is often misunderstood by counselors who lack extensive training in working with individuals with disabilities (IWDs) (Stuntzner & Hartley, 2014). This quantitative study used the Counseling Clients with Disability Survey (CCDS) to explore the beliefs and perceived knowledge of counselors-in-training (CITs), counselors, and counselor educators regarding preparation to counsel IWDs, which is particularly important as disability status can change across the lifespan, and given that the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Standards Review Committee provided a guide to the draft standards incorporating the infusion of disability concepts. Results indicate that counselors were competent …

Connecting With Clients In Later Life: The Use Of Telebehavioral Health To Address Older Adults’ Mental Health Needs, Jordan B. Westcott, Nicolette Castagna, Megan K. Baker, Jaclyn Musci, Nick Gowen, Benjamin Wiley, Benjamin Cormire, Anne Patterson, Matthew C. Fullen

Adultspan Journal

Telebehavioral health offers a unique opportunity to expand access to mental health services for older clients by addressing systemic barriers that often render mental health care inaccessible in later life. Although health interventions facilitated by technology, including telebehavioral health approaches, proliferated at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, little guidance exists for counselors seeking to provide such services to clients in later life. In this manuscript, we describe challenges accessing mental health services, how telebehavioral health services can address these barriers, and practical consideration for delivering telebehavioral health approaches for counselors who work with older clients.

Integrating Feminist Approaches In Counseling Work With Adult Women, Kristen M. Toole

Adultspan Journal

The scope of ‘women’s issues’ in counseling is an ever-evolving landscape. Recent events such as the reversal of Roe v. Wade and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women serve as powerful reminders of the necessity of this focus while underscoring a deep-rooted history of oppressive patriarchal structures. Therefore, counselors must remain informed of the unique considerations surrounding adult women in counseling and acquire proficiency in versatile techniques to meet this population’s nuanced needs. This article examines the complexity of contemporary womanhood and explores the fundamentals of Feminist Counseling Theory (FCT), a holistic, multiculturally conscious, social justice theory in counseling. …

Forged In The Fires Of Covid-19: The Evolution Of Systemic Therapy For Online Practice And Beyond, Lauren Skuba M.A., Mftc, Lindsay Edwards , Ph.D.

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

There has been a swift uptake in the use of teletherapy since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has corresponded with an increase in clinical scholarship focused on conducting systemic therapy in an online format. A majority of this scholarship offers ideas for adapting therapeutic tasks developed around in-person contact for a remote format. The current article moves beyond adapting and offers ideas for remote systemic therapy that are born from our experiences of evolving through teletherapy. We begin by noting some of the significant differences between in-person therapy and teletherapy before describing how these differences can influence client …

Bowen Informed Therapy Integrated With Gene Keys, Kristen Oliver M.A.

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

The mental health professions require innovation in order to advance theory and practice. This article presents reimagined therapeutic work that joins the metaphysical element of Gene Keys with the largely accepted theoretical approach of Bowen Family Systems Theory. We propose the integration of metaphysics as a way to facilitate higher levels of differentiation – particularly in clients who have an expanded worldview inclusive of metaphysics. The reader is asked to stretch their beliefs and perspective as they read through this paper.

Mft Trainee Experiences Of Shame, Self-Criticism, And Self-Compassion In Their First Practicum, Mark Karris , Ph.D., Angela B. Kim Ph.D.

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of MFT trainee shame, self-criticism, and self-compassion. Additionally, this study also sought to understand how those experiences may affect a trainee’s clinical work as a first-time practicum student. Interviews were conducted with 15 trainees in a graduate program who were performing therapy at a practicum site. Utilizing Moustakas’ transcendental phenomenology, six essential themes emerged: (1) shame and self-criticism are interrelated and can affect therapeutic presence; (2) self-criticism can have a positive impact on clinical work; (3) trainees use metaphors to describe shame and self-criticism (4) self-compassion …

Using Stories With Families: A Scoping Review, Sam Hadji Cyrous Ph.D. (Candidate), Sofia Valadares Nishiyama Cordeiro, Ana Caroline De Caldas

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

This article is the fruit of a systematic scoping review, according to PRISMA precepts. Its objective was to explore the use of stories and other symbolic genre on family therapy settings. Thus, it explains how the researchers made the selection of articles in phases or steps, in a total of six, having a final result of 11 articles, in a time-lapse of 28 years. By the one hand, it was observed a relationship between different techniques that are usually grouped separately and, by the other hand, the disparate way in which the same concepts are confused among researchers, where each …

Notes On Language In The Clinic In A Lacanian Key, Sean J. Carroll

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

There is no shortage of therapeutic modalities and interventions at the therapist’s disposal. Psychotherapy, because it claims to treat the individual, is necessarily multifaceted and complex. The dimension of language which structures much of our experience should be considered as a starting point for a psychotherapeutic technique. French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan developed a theory and technique of the talking cure beginning from this assumption: that language structures our experience. In the early 1950s he sought to recover a linguistic Freud: to re-center psychoanalytic psychotherapy on language itself. In this paper, I sketch the theoretical reasons for this turn in Lacan …

A Tide Of Technical Trends: Technology Competence Among Licensed Counselors, Brittany G. Suggs, Mary Sanderfer Stull, Spencer R. Baker, Kathie T. Erwin, David M. Savinsky

Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision

The inclusion of technology in mental health care can revolutionize the accessibility, affordability, and effectiveness of counseling services, while furnishing practical solutions to reduce mental health disparities and meet widening care demands. Steered by the Coalition for Technology in Behavioral Science (CTiBS) telebehavioral health (TBH) competencies, this study employed a descriptive survey design to investigate licensed counselors’ (LCs’) perceived technology competence in mental health care. The following research question steered the study’s exploration: What is the nature of perceived technology competence among LCs? The overarching hypothesis speculated that LCs’ exposure, familiarity, and current utilization of various mental health technologies would …

The Experiences Of Collegiality By Early-Career Counselor Educators, Jessica M. Tyler, Malti Tuttle, Marina Naviaux, Sara Ellison

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

It is essential to develop a work culture that supports faculty needs, be it professional for promotion and tenure, or personal. This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of collegiality by early-career counselor educator faculty members (CES) working in a CACREP institution. Relational support, expectations, administration, and doctoral experiences emerged as themes from these narratives. Implications for the field are discussed to address these experiences and provide recommendations to counselor education faculty and departments.

Wellness And Professional Quality Of Life In Counselor-In-Training Interns: Assessment Of Wellness And Non-Wellness-Infused Supervision, Ashley J. Blount, Abby L. Bjornsen, Daniel B. Kissinger, Kara Schneider, Lindsay Vik, Jessica Gonzalez-Voller

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Counselors-in-training (CITs) commonly encounter issues of burnout, compassion fatigue, and/or vicarious traumatization due to the nature of their jobs in the helping profession. Wellness infused supervision may help CITs foster personal wellness and mitigate deleterious effects of helping. This investigation examined connections related to counselor-in-training wellness and professional quality of life during an internship-level supervision course across a wellness and control section.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was piloted, comparing a wellness-focused supervision internship section with a non-wellness control group supervision internship section during one academic semester. Participants included 15 clinical mental health CITs (9 experimental; 6 control), who were …

Classical Music In Depth Psychology: Listening To The Unconscious In Active Imagination, Ellen Wimmer Sheahan

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

This article aims to explore the role of classical music in depth psychology, with insight from the author’s experience as a classical musician and psychotherapist. The author posits that classical music possesses deep archetypal wisdom that supports awareness for client individuation. Through personal reflection and case examples, the author examines archetypal potentials when classical music arises in active imagination. This writing aims to substantiate the importance of sound and music, as well as image, in the field of depth psychology.

Using Client And Supervision Feedback To Improve Supervision In Health Care, Daryl Mahon Ba, Ma

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

This paper seeks to establish a conceptual model of client and supervisee feedback that can be used to improve supervision processes and outcomes in health and social care settings. Supervision is a beneficial practice development endeavor that practitioners find rewarding for various reasons. However, the impact of supervision on client outcomes in health and social care settings is scant and not all supervision is helpful; indeed, harmful and inadequate supervision is also prevalent. Using supervisory measures of the alliance between supervisor and supervisee may be one method to help improve processes and outcomes. In addition, providing client feedback to practitioners …

An Application Of The Two Routes In Counseling Philosophy, Lance Kair

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

This is a case study of a session with a subject. The subject’s name is philosophy. Philosophy needs a counseling intervention due to the development of an epistemological rupture revealing two routes into or upon knowledge. This problem that philosophy faces arises along two epistemological routes, called truth and reality. The significant issue of philosophy is how to reconcile a true reality. The proposal at hand for this consideration by philosophy is that a reconciliation is most effective though argumentative validation in orientation over argumentative proof in ideological reduction. Our effort here works toward the truth of reality found through …

A Humanistic, Culturally Sensitive Approach To Telesupervision: A Case Study, Tony Falasca

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

In this case study, the unique features of providing telesupervision in a humanistic, systematic approach that takes in cultural issues are discussed.With the COVID-19 pandemic, therapists who supervise students have not only moved to various online platforms to supervise students, but also had to adjust to the uniqueness of telesupervision and to issues brought into supervision such as culture. In this case study a strong working alliance start to develop with this student prior to starting telesupervision. It allowed trust to develop by getting to know the student, looking at what the student wanted in during supervision and the requirements …

Deriving Meaning: A Conceptual Analysis, Lea Powell M.A

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

This article serves as a conceptual analysis to explore and interrogate the definition of meaning through the framework of collective trauma and uncertainty. The author uses the COVID19 pandemic as a reference point to illustrate models of behavior sustained by the onset of collective trauma. Unpredictability and adversity are amongst the factors identified as key underpinnings preluding the search for meaning, while the implication of resilience, identification of self, and group dynamics are examined. Previous research is integrated to understand the foundational constructs of meaning, while semantic interpretations challenge the objectivity of identified constructs. The relationship between self-satisfaction and meaning …

Fashion Psychology: The Relationship Between Clothing And Self, Georgia Maxey

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

This exploratory article discusses the systemic influence of the law, culture, society, and Self on the relationship between a person and their clothing. The point of this article is to discuss how the influence of Self can be proportionally balanced with the law, culture, and society. This article aims to address the influence of Self on dressing choices in a system where culture and society hold most of the influence. The author aims to explore if the systemic balance of Self in the influence on dressing could aid Fashion Psychology in a humanitarian effort towards a formal study of the …

For Love Of The Father: An Archetypal Exploration, Elizabeth Hall

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

Great stories articulate the movement of the individual and collective psyche and withstand the tests of time, location, cultural and gender distinctions. Through the study of myth, we recognize our shared humanity and the particularities that inform a life. As a depth psychotherapist, I come to archetypal stories with expectancy, hoping to re-cognize myself and my clients within the action of the other. The Biblical story of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25-35) offers the scholar boundless opportunity for theological, ethical and historical analysis. However, this story of familial relationships requires of me a different kind of telling. This essay is …

The Gender Freedom Model: A Framework For Helping Transgender, Non-Binary, And Gender Questioning Clients Transition With More Ease, Rae Mcdaniel, Laurel Meng

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Transgender/non-binary experiences and identities are often represented in academic literature through narratives of distress and are often pathologized through a medical lens. This holds implications for the field of psychotherapy, as interventions aimed to support transgender/nonbinary individuals often focus solely on risk mitigation. This article presents a therapeutic framework that rests on three pillars—Play, Pleasure, and Possibility—as the focal points for reimagining work with transgender/non-binary clients. This model aims to help this population explore gender transition with more ease through building practical skills, cultivating personal and collective pride, and centering pleasure equity.

Analysis Of Zero Balancing Case Studies Through An Occupational Therapy Lens, Deanna Waggy Otr, Msa, Czb, Csla

Journal of Transformative Touch

Does Zero Balancing positively impact occupational performance? This is a question many Occupational Therapists (OTs) ask when discerning if Zero Balancing (ZB) is an evidence-based treatment modality. Case studies from the book Experiencing the Power of Zero Balancing: Case Studies of Journeys to Health and Wholeness (Quarry & King, 2016) were reviewed and compared to the Occupational Therapy domain of practice to show clear evidence that each case study had a positive impact on occupational performance. A comparison chart shows a direct link between the occupational categories and documented evidence of improved occupational performance through practitioner observation and client feedback …

Fidelity Monitoring In The Solution Focused Wellness For Hiv (Sfwh) Intervention For Women, Helen Taylor Yates, Spencer Elise Lee

Journal of Solution Focused Practices

Solution Focused methods are often interpreted by different practitioners with a degree of flexibility and adaptation to specific practice settings (Lehmann & Patton, 2012). This flexibility is one of the features that makes SFBT a very client-centered approach and has been highlighted as one of the key aspects of successful co-construction of desired outcomes with clients (Franklin et al., 2017). This collaborative approach is possible due to SFBT’s utilization of social constructionist principals in the solution-building process (Blundo & Simon, 2015). While encouraging flexibility of implementation of SFBT, identifying the main tenets of the therapy, including specific techniques and mindsets …

Advancing Behavioral Health Literacy, James Scollione

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Accessing, comprehending, and using information to make informed decisions and improve one’s overall health or well-being are the foci of health literacy. The concept of behavioral health was introduced in the early 1980s and, since then, it has influenced new ideas (e.g., behavioral health literacy and integrated behavioral health care) and gained research and public attention. My aim is to provide an overview of definitions (i.e., health literacy, mental health literacy, and behavioral health literacy) and their connection to each other. I propose an expanded and honed definition of behavioral health literacy to enhance the behavioral health literacy and well-being …