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The article presents comments on research papers related to psychology. The article on grief counseling by D. G. Larson and W. T. Hoyt explores the research evidence of the negative characterization of grief counseling. But the findings are reported to be based on a student's unpublished dissertation. Two articles on couple therapy by authors S. D. Davis and F. P. Piercy explore the role of both common factors and specific therapeutic model interventions in couple therapy. It cites a framework to interpret and describe the development of change occurs across specific treatments. These papers require therapists to supplement development on helpful common factors with knowledge of some specific models of therapy.

To introduce this special section about practice-based research and counselling psychology, I first provide a brief overview of the discourses and methods of practice-based research in counselling psychology and psychotherapy fields. I then discuss each of the three papers appearing in this special section, before concluding with some further reflections on the questions and issues raised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes three linked reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, a mix of pragmatic change and reflection that can be seen as action research. Our case studies, stories, come from the UK, Spain and Ecuador and describe three different but overlapping actions all focused on making available or using online questionnaires and drawing on counselling, psychology and psychotherapy ideas and practices and technological solutions to help address the COVID-19 crisis and the lockdown. We believe these experiences have implications for our professions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Second wave positive psychology (PP 2.0), consisting of two pillars – existential positive psychology and indigenous psychology – emerges as a complement to the limitations of positive psychology as championed by Martin Seligman. This special issue illustrates through various papers the depth and breadth PP 2.0 contributes to counselling psychology. Specifically, PP2.0 introduces the following principles and practices: (1) Accepting and confronting with courage the reality that life is full of evil and suffering; (2) sustainable wellbeing can only be achieved through overcoming suffering and the dark side of life; (3) recognizing that everything in life comes in polarities and the importance of achieving an adaptive balance through dialectics; (4) learning from indigenous psychology, such as the ancient wisdom of finding deep joy in bad situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In early 2020, the world was thrust into a crisis with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in the sudden expansion of telepractice in the mental health field for licensed mental health providers and trainees. Prior to the pandemic, few mental health training programs provided training opportunities in telehealth service delivery. The Texas A&M Telebehaviroal Care Program (TBC) is one of a few telemental health training programs in the world. The TBC has provided telehealth services to rural and underserved populations since 2009 with a hub and spoke model of care, but due to constraints related to the pandemic has recently transitioned to an all in-home model of telehealth service delivery. The present paper highlights recent policy changes to in-home telepractice and the TBC methodology for transitioning to in-home service delivery. Results include solutions to common pitfalls in areas such as communication and logistics, clinical supervision and consultation, and boundary setting. Recommendations are also provided for the development of training programs throughout the world to equip mental health trainees in telehealth service delivery. Mental health practitioners are poised to thrive in the face of adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic and trainees should not be left behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portugal is one of the European countries that implemented early protective measures in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Portugal declared a state of emergency on 18 March, and a set of regional and national preventive public health measures was progressively implemented. Studies on the psychological impact of pandemics show evidence of the negative impact on mental health. Of particular concern are individuals with previous fragility (e.g. personal, family or occupational) and those undergoing life transitions. In this paper, we present a telephone-based psychological crisis intervention that was implemented to provide brief, appropriate, and timely psychological help. This intervention follows standard models of crisis intervention and is structured in five phases and five different intervention modules to take into account the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of specific risk groups. With these support services, we hope to help our community better cope with the immediate impact of the pandemic and to contribute to preventing serious mental health problems in the medium and long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counselling psychology is a relatively recent arrival on the professional psychological scene in Britain. This paper examines the ways in which this new branch of professional psychology has been constructed by the counselling psychology community. Articles which embodied this construction process from the 1990 and 1996 volumes of the journal Counselling Psychology Review were subjected to discourse analysis. The main themes of the 1990 articles concerned the construction of identity and legitimation, achieved largely through representations of similarity with and difference from related professions at a general level, whereas in the 1996 articles, the emphasis was on more fine-grained constructions of similarity and difference. Implications for the future construction of counselling psychology are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcending the dark side of life and overcoming negative emotions may lead a person to mature happiness, characterized by inner peace and harmony. Such happiness can be found even in times of suffering through the pursuit of meaning and spirituality. This paper argues that nature happiness involves the spiritual aspects of being human, such as deep appreciation of life, finding joy through suffering, and being in tune with oneself and others (Clements, Hocoy, Hoffman, & Kaklauskas, 2016). Transpersonal Psychology in counseling focuses on cultivating spiritual and transcendent experiences. Through examination of the spectrum of being human, including spiritual yearning and aspirations, deeper meaning can be uncovered leading to personal and spiritual growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on several research papers which have investigated evidence-based practice and researcher allegiance in the field of counselling psychology. In the article the author offers opinions on the research articles, on evidence-based practice and on researcher allegiance in the field of psychology.

This guest editorial reflects upon the vast amount of research that is being undertaken by trainees in the therapeutic professions that never sees the light of day and considers the question: ‘where does all the research go?’ We begin by reflecting upon the relationship between therapeutic practitioners and research, before considering the reasons why trainees do not commonly publish their work (e.g. ‘completing poor quality work’; ‘time’; ‘ignorance/inexperience’ and ‘lack of support from their supervisor’). Particular focus is given to the importance of the research supervisor–trainee relationship and we hope to make transparent the discussions that individuals may engage in when agreeing to work together and produce research papers. This includes a discussion of the issues surrounding authorship credit and order in supervisor–trainee publications. We then go on to outline potential expectations of both these parties during the lifespan of a research project, explicitly considering the following stages: ‘choosing a topic’; ‘design’; ‘data collection’; ‘writing up’; ‘making a submission for publication’; ‘peer review’; ‘feedback and revision’ and ‘publication and beyond’. We finally provide a number of publishing scenarios that individuals may encounter with a view to considering your own view on the issues being discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines the notion that marginalized clients through their socio-cultural and geo-political histories are positioned “outside” the masculine cultural metaphors and conventional theoretical epistemologies of counselling, psychology and psychotherapy. In other words, these minoritized clients are “outside the sentence” of the texts and contexts of therapy. The discursive practice of therapeutic reconstitution and restoration produces a particular set of vocabularies and sentences that facilitate transformation and psychic equilibrium consistent with the process of individuation and self actualization. However, for marginalized groups, such as black and other visible minority, women, deaf, gay and lesbian clients the hegemonic masculine narratives of counselling psychology and psychotherapy only make it possible for these clients to be “outside the sentence”, not just grammatically and metaphorically of the therapeutic project, but in the external reality of how the practice is clinically governed. In other words, the social and cultural marginalization outside the clinic room is in a dialectical relationship with the therapy dyad. For the minoritized client being “outside the sentence” produces the effect of being “inside” another process, i.e., the history of subjugation, domination, diaspora, and displacement. This paper explores this issue and argues that the only way for counselling, psychology and psychotherapy to bring the diversity client “within the sentence” of therapy is to assign and re-inscribe the history, memory and pain of “the Other” voices to the “inside” of the therapeutic space, to interrupt and disrupt the hegemonic masculine narratives, thus transforming “non-sentences” into sentences and paragraphs, and eventually into essays of the discursive subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islam constitutes the world's second largest religious group. In the United Kingdom (UK), Islam is the second largest religion after Christianity; the largest group of Muslims in the UK is of Pakistani heritage. This qualitative practice-based research study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the experiences of six second-generation Pakistani Muslim men (SGPMM) who had completed cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) in the UK. Three superordinate themes were generated: "Pre-CBT difficulties," "The process of CBT," and "The interaction between CBT and Islam." This paper elaborates the second theme, "The process of CBT," as the researchers believe it offers the strongest implications for clinical practice and research. This theme captures participants' thoughts and feelings about the process of their therapy, and further consists of four sub-themes: "Experience of therapeutic dialogue: Guide or conversation?" "Experience of matching: Tailor or taboo?" "Benefits of CBT: Simple tools, big impact, enlightenment", and "Limitations of CBT: Problems with language." These findings seek to inform counselling psychologists and services working with SGPMM, to contribute meaningfully to existing research literature, and to encourage future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is a reflective summary of my identity as a counselling psychologist. It discusses personal life, work and training experiences. The reason I would like to publish such a work is to encourage students in Greece, where the field of Counselling Psychology is less developed, to consider this kind of specialization, as well as to continuously enhance their professional identity, assimilating both practice and research opportunities, throughout their career paths. The paper focuses on three major influences in my development and training in the field: (a) graduate experiences as a doctoral student, writing a thesis on women's professional development, (b) work experiences in a career center of a large academic institution, and (c) academic and instructional experiences in a School of Psychology, where I teach and supervise research of both undergraduate and graduate students. The above influences delineate three separate, yet integrating identities: the identity of a feminist, the identity of a practitioner, and the identity of a researcher and instructor in the academia-that is, the identity of a scientist. My intention is to show how these three identities have been well integrated all these years, improving continuously my level of work in each and every dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2This paper discusses limitations of Western psychological practice and the calls for integrating traditional healing practices into counselling and psychotherapy. It also explores challenges to and opportunities in integrated psychological practice systems which revolve around issues related to different paradigmatic perspectives about health and ill-health, practice issues and negative characterization of traditional healing and traditional healers, research into traditional healing and uses of herbal medicines. The paper concludes with discussions on educational and training opportunities, for traditional healers, counsellors and psychotherapists, for addressing challenges to integration and ensuring effective services delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of ceremonies, characteristic of many Indigenous healing systems, is an area from which Western psychotherapy still has much to gain. The purpose of this paper is to support the potential for integrating the Indigenous practice of Curanderismo, Mexican traditional healing, into Western psychotherapy by examining three areas of similarity. Throughout each area of similarity, the psychotherapeutic qualities of ceremonial intervention will be explained using research from both Western psychotherapy and Curanderismo. Finally, four processes from Mexican traditional healing and Western psychotherapy will be compared across these areas of similarity to further illustrate the potential for integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of time, people have been using a range of healing practices to resolve health and mental health concerns. Among these are the traditional healing practices which appear to be growing among immigrant communities in the West, for example, Yoga, Ayurveda, Astrology, Voodoo, Santeria; and, the newer forms, viz., Maat, Morita therapy, Naikan therapy, and many others. These indigenous healing methods seem to address some of the many shortcomings of conventional health care and are practiced in conjunction with, and at times in the place of, modern Western forms. It seems that including two different health care modalities is possible since competing and contradictory cures can be held alongside each other without creating conflict in the client. This paper discusses traditional and cultural healers and healing in non-Western countries and those practices that are engaged with in the diaspora. The paper also considers the use of traditional healing alongside Western counselling and psychotherapy-dual interventions. Finally, the paper explores several strategies that counsellors could undertake when working with ethnic minority clients, particularly those clients who also enter into dual relationships with traditional healers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whole approach of counselling researchers to ethics may be assumed to have been improving in recent years, especially with the BACP research guidelines (Bond, 2004), with its focus on trustworthiness and on the researcher engaging with ethical issues. In this paper we share our concerns about the background to ethical decision making for researchers today followed by our specific concerns for counselling researchers namely: why do counselling research at all?; research that hurts participants; the impact of research on the therapeutic process; restrictive notions around what is data; the politics of funding and informed consent revisited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of conflict is pervasive to most human undertakings at both individual/intra level and group level. Conflicts are the source of internal and external suffering. It has been argued by many authors that although humans have advanced in the technological sphere tremendously and managed to find solutions to countless scientific and material challenges, their ability to effectively resolve internal and external aspects of conflicts remains elusive. Given the level of pain and suffering that can derive from both psychological and social conflicts, it can be argued that any advances in helping improve the resolution of conflicts can have immense benefits in alleviating human suffering making this issue a very worthwhile area of study. Accordingly this paper aims to describe a developing counselling methodology for addressing conflict. The methodology, which was originally inspired by Fuzzy Logic, adopts a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) perspective despite awareness of its limitations. The paper traces the origins of the methodology and the areas within counselling it could be applied to. The paper concludes with recommendations regarding the relevance of this approach to an increasingly multicultural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's career development is more complex than that of men due to a number of internal and external barriers, including early gender-role orientation, employment inequities, and family responsibilities, which both complicate and restrict women's career choices and advancement. This paper attempts to examine the application of career development theoretical models in the context of career development and counselling for women. It begins with a discussion of some of the internal and external barriers associated with North American women's career development. It then briefly reviews some of the key tenets from three career development theories, namely, Gottfredson's theory of circumscription, compromise, and self-creation, Super's life-span, life-space theory, and the social cognitive career theory (SCCT) in relation specifically to women's career development experiences. The paper concludes with considerations of intervention strategies that aim to address the particular needs of women, including essential aspects such as the counsellor's knowledge and skill, and relevant helping approaches and methods that pertain to the career welfare of female clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teasdale, Segal and Williams (2003) present the combination of mindfulness and cognitive-behavioural therapy as “one of the most exciting and potentially productive avenues for future exploration.” (p. 160). In the same paper they also recommend moving beyond the current general-purpose, non-case-specific applications of mindfulness (p. 157). By integrating mindfulness interventions more closely with cognitive behavioural theories, clinicians should be in a better position to administer tailor-made mindfulness-based interventions in response to specific case formulations. This paper examines important similarities and differences between mindfulness and Rational-Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), in view of integrating the two practices closely within a one-on-one counselling environment. The latter half of the paper then presents recommendations of how such integration might be achieved in practice. This is illustrated with examples of three new interventions that combine mindfulness with three specific types of cognitive dysfunction as per REBT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the arguments related to contemporary notions of multiculturalism, including the ethical dilemmas involved in multicultural counselling. The paper argues that the present proliferation of untried, untested, and unreliable counselling theories in Western countries is inimical to the construction of genuine multicultural counselling bridges. It advocates the abandonment of such theories. It offers a model, which combines Eastern (mainly Indian) and Western approaches, and with judicious use it would enable counsellors and psychotherapists to cross cultural boundaries, construct more multicultural counselling bridges, and work in tandem. However, for the counselling theories to have substance, meaning, and validity, it is indispensable that the theories subscribe to an objectivist epistemology, instead of the subjectivist epistemologies into which most of them have lain so far. The differences and distinctions between subjectivist and objectivist epistemologies are clearly articulated. Finally, it is argued that counsellors and therapists must keep searching for valid multicultural counselling theories in the hope of discovering the Holy Grail of multicultural counselling and discard the poisoned chalice, by which many of the present theories appear to be contaminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counselling psychology in New Zealand has a relatively brief history, one that has been characterized by a struggle to establish a clear identity and muster widespread support both within the profession and with the public. From its inception it has had to compete with other disciplines in psychology: clinical, educational, community, and industrial. It has had to withstand indifference and, at times, opposition. Nevertheless, a Division of Counselling Psychology has maintained a presence within the New Zealand Psychological Society since 1985 and there are recent signs of renewed vigour and commitment to developing the specialization as a valuable alternative psychological service. This paper describes the struggle endured by counselling psychology and outlines the current challenges facing counselling psychology and psychologists in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper argues that counselling and psychotherapy within a multi-cultural setting raise several unresolved issues that are specific to the process of counselling and therapy, such as the language(s) spoken, meanings shared, verbal and non-verbal misunderstandings, the uses and misuses of metaphors, differential expectations, and conflicting values systems of the client and therapist. At a general level, the values underlying multiculturalism are in danger of being compromised by the very process of globalization. Despite some of the economic, scientific, and technological advantages in globalization, it carries within it in-built dangers of homogenization. The paper argues that this is likely to lead to an erosion of cultural identities and values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses and illustrates three evidence-based clinical strategies that could be used to work with modifying clients' dysfunctional thoughts. An effective strategy in shifting the client's dysfunctional thought is to engage the client in an examination of the logic of his/her dysfunctional thinking and to develop objective and abstract thinking that the client could relate to his/her personal experience/problem. Another useful strategy is to help the client to realize the consequences of holding on to his/her dysfunctional thinking and the potential benefits of changing. The purpose of the present paper is to discuss the conceptual and practical issues that underpin an evidence-based clinical framework for working with dysfunctional thoughts. This framework will be of interest to practitioners and counsellor working in diversity of settings such as schools, university and college counselling centres, mental health clinics and hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the nature of a counselling interview. It concerns itself with the first interview between the counsellor and the client, when both, the client and the counsellor are attempting to form their first impressions of one another. The paper discusses three major problems that arise in the process of forming impressions, viz., 1) maintaining neutrality and objectivity, 2) exercising cognitive control, and 3) expressing empathy. It is the contention of this paper that the above problems have not been clearly understood from their historical, philosophical, and psychological perspectives, and as a result, they have not been satisfactorily resolved. As a result, they have not been given sufficient consideration by counsellors and psychotherapists. The article considers the three problems and discusses ways and means by which they can be clearly understood and hopefully 'taken on board' by professionals working in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the evaluation of the therapeutic use of photocards by prisoners and facilitators in a counselling psychology led European project, based on responses to open-ended questionnaires. It is part of a wider project, involving seven partner organisations in six European countries (England, Finland, Greece, Italy, Malta and Romania), which developed and trialled four different approaches to using photography in the context of counselling in prisons. Of the 51 inmates that participated in the project, 48 (94%) completed the questionnaires; of those, 39 (77%) were available for individual analysis due to prison restrictions in one partner organisation only allowing group data. Of those 39, who returned their completed questionnaires, over 92% found the therapeutic use of photographs either very helpful (56.4%) or helpful (35.9%), and the remaining 7.7% described it as average. From the thematic analysis, main themes emerging regarding inmates’ experiences of working with photocards were that it: facilitates emotional expression and sharing; unlocks memories and reconnects with life outside; fosters insight, reflection and self-growth; breaks the monotony of prison life and, overall aids emotional learning. A thematic analysis of 11 psychological therapists/facilitators’ perspectives showed that the use of photocards: gives clients a voice; provides a safe and collaborative frame and a therapeutic relationship; and, provides a useful icebreaker, helpfully overcoming anxieties of both client and psychotherapist/facilitator. Overall, photocards were considered useful as their projective nature can help facilitate prisoners’ strong need for expression in a context where there are limited opportunities and trust is fragile. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ABSTRACT This paper responds to key points raised in Launagani's article (this issue). In particular, it focuses on the effectiveness of therapy and questions whether or not therapy is dangerous. Also it considers the future of counselling, counselling psychology and psychotherapy and predicts that therapies that do not adapt to brief or time-limited settings may become relegated to private practice. Treatment manuals based on techniques and strategies and not particular therapies will be developed which may include recommendations for the type of interpersonal approach required for different clients. It concludes that due to pressure of work, members of the therapeutic professions will have less time to sit on committees in support of theft professional bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counseling psychologists are working in correctional settings; yet, research on how the profession and setting interact to achieve successful solutions for corrections is lacking. This paper provides a conceptual starting point for such research by describing three core themes of counseling psychology: strengths-based approaches, person and environment interaction, and developmental approach across the lifespan. Each core theme is applied to various correctional setting needs (e.g. multiculturalism, violence prevention and rehabilitative treatments, developmentally appropriate vocational services across the lifespan) illustrate the unique fit and ability of counseling psychology to produce successful solutions within this non-traditional counseling setting. Describing the solutions generated by the profession of counseling psychology in the correctional setting may encourage more counseling psychologists to consider applying their knowledge skills and abilities to this important and diverse area of public service and professional work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten female students who were considering therapy as a career path wrote self-reflection papers and were interviewed regarding their career choice. Consensual qualitative research was used to analyze the data. These participants all indicated a passion for helping others, believed in the importance of giving back, and had prior experiences in helping activities. They considered themselves to have personal helping-related strengths (e.g. empathy) as well as challenges (e.g. avoidance of interpersonal conflict), and worried about potential problems they would encounter as therapists (e.g. being too emotionally invested). Participants expressed both other-oriented (e.g. to help others who had similar painful experiences) and self-oriented (e.g. to help self) motivations for wanting to become therapists. Implications for helping undergraduate students reflect about therapy as a career choice are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The author explains that he wish to share some of the thoughts that have been generated during the course of co-editing this special edition of "Counselling Psychology Quarterly." He says that it has been a satisfying as well a challenging task to bring together a collection of papers which reflect the variety and diversity of settings in which marital and sexual aspects of clinical, theoretical and empirical thinking are present. He suggests that training in the recognition and assessment of sexual problems should not be confined to clinicians.

The article presents an editor's note regarding the growth of qualitative research in the past 20 years. Topics include the exponential growth of qualitative research papers and journals, a brief of research articles published by the periodical, "American Psychologist," and the editor's suggestions for research authors.

Aim: This study explores the author's experience of coding a single session of her therapeutic practice with a client for her therapeutic intentions. Method and analysis: A session of counselling was audio-recorded, transcribed and coded for intentions using the Therapist Intentions List [Hill, C.E., & O’Grady, K.E. (1985). List of therapist intentions illustrated in a case study and with therapists of varying theoretical orientations. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 32, 3–22]. Following this, the trainee's journal entry focusing on the training exercise was analysed using tools from the grounded theory approach [Corbin, J.M., & Strauss, A.L. (2008). Basics of qualitative research. Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. London: Sage]. Findings: A core category of “Reflective learning: a process of ‘self-supervision’” was generated with four subcategories: (1) “experience of audio-recording a client session”; (2) “experience of transcribing a client session”; (3) “experience of coding for intentions”; and (4) “further reflections beyond the training exercise.” Discussion: The findings are consistent with literature suggesting that engaging in exercises promoting reflection on practice is experienced as beneficial in training. Furthermore, they are broadly consistent with the suggestion that transcribing and coding a session of counselling and reflecting on one's therapeutic intentions in a paper can be a “profound training experience” [Hill, C.E., Stahl, J., & Roffman, M. (2007). Training novice psychotherapists: Helping skills and beyond. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 44, 364–370, p. 368]. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper aims to extend understanding of student counsellors' perceptions of participation in personal development (PD) groups during training. PD participants were invited to record their experiences in relation to these groups over a three month period. The accounts were then subjected to thematic analysis. Safety was found to be a dominant theme - both in the sense of how the group felt safe for them and also how the safety was threatened. These concepts are discussed and lessons the data has offered in terms of good practice in facilitating PD groups during counsellor training programmes are elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relative helpfulness of counselling/psychotherapy to individuals experiencing specific learning difficulties, as a means of reducing barriers to learning by allowing the individual to return to learning from experience. Highlighting earlier studies which indicate the positive impact of psychological therapy on educational attainment and inhibiting factors such as stress, this research investigates the experience of counselling from the perspective of the person with specific learning disabilities. Using Empirical Phenomenological Research, the study explores their understandings of the circumstances and factors by which therapy is found to be helpful or unhelpful, seeking to contribute to debate on whether psychological interventions that are 'specialist' in orientation are potentially more helpful than 'generalist' therapeutic approaches. The findings point both to the potential value of psychological therapies for persons with special educational needs as a complement to other interventions and also to the importance of considering the experiences of the client in addition to diagnostic assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The institutional regulation of counselling conversations does not always provide optimal conditions for counselling. Many teachers experience that some “normal” conversations develop into conversations which are of a counselling nature. Conversations which resemble counselling can be optimal counselling opportunities. In this paper we describe and develop these counselling conversations, which we call Informal Situated Counselling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing trend in the West to seek alternative, complementary and traditional healing not only as a reaction to Western biomedicine but also to the mindset of “talking heads” in psychotherapy. Traditional healing aims to restore harmony and balance within the individual through a symbiosis of the body, mind and spirit. Through this process traditional healing offers a holistic conceptualization of wellness and wellbeing, both within the individual, and between the individual and his or her environment. Comparative studies on alternative healing practices indicate that many patients/clients often see a mental health professional and a traditional healer concurrently. This paper considers the use of traditional healing alongside Western counselling psychology as a process of dual interventions for clients who engage traditional healing practices alongside psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of positive sequelae to trauma is increasingly a focus of attention in the trauma research literature. This paper describes the construct of posttraumatic growth, a phenomenon that involves positive changes and benefits gained through coping with traumatic experiences. Variables associated with posttraumatic growth are summarized. Specific interventions for counselling psychology practice are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we look at various conceptual models of hope and research evidence for the integral role that hope plays in counselling. We recognize hope as a dynamic process during which counsellor and client interact in ways that can be mutually influencing and we review research that explores this reciprocal process. A model for the intentional use of hope in counselling that recognizes both implicit and explicit approaches is offered. Metaphors for hope-work that position and re-position both counsellor and client in ways that may foster hope are explored. Finally, we provide suggestions for initiating conversations in which hope can be an explicit therapeutic focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes four individuals who report concerns with social phobia and the use of alcohol and the misuse of prescription drugs as a means of coping with their difficulties. These case studies illustrate vulnerabilities that place people at-risk for self medicating. Although the four participants exhibited different patterns and frequencies of drug and alcohol use, they seemed to use the substances to regulate affect or self care capacities. Although three of the four cases did not meet the criteria for "addiction" to a substance, they did demonstrate dysfunctions with self regulation. Each individual case is presented to illustrate its uniqueness in relation to social phobia, related symptomatology, and self medication. The findings and their implications for counselling are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The person-centred approach based on the work of Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was designed to promote openness, growth and change in understanding the counseling processes. It is an approach which is practical and helpful in education, because it can solve some of the problems outside the curriculum faced by students. For example it provides a way of understanding and solving issues of relationships, emotional development and ethical behaviour that seem to be at the root of most of the problems in school and society at large. However, it is essential to incorporate some accelerating ingredients to inform conditions which facilitate growth. These include acceptance, empathy and positive regard from others. For example it has been realized that if an individual is denied acceptance and positive regard they fail to relate the meaning of their experience to themselves and positive growth in such a relevant way is inhibited. However, the approach is faced with some drawbacks which will be explored. Teaching today in British schools is a very challenging job. It is becoming increasingly difficult to establish a classroom environment that is free from disruptive behaviour. The person-centred approach, where the student as the client is made responsible of his or her own behaviour, could be part of the solution. This could be the focus of an educational yet assertive discipline program. This paper will discuss the person-centred approach in counseling touching on the process of the helping relationship, empathy, congruence, unconditional positive regard as important concepts of the approach and some suggestions on classroom management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic violence is a common complaint encountered by counselling psychologists and other mental health professionals. Common psychological treatment practices separate perpetrators and victims into individual intervention modalities. However, there is some research that has been emerging that suggests in some cases a couples treatment approach may be a useful adjunct to existing treatments. The present paper examines research and considerations in making the decision to employ a conjoint approach to treating domestic violence issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the Special Issue on counselling psychologists as scientist-practitioners. The primary goal of the Special Issue is to examine the evolving nature and current status of the scientist-practitioner (S-P) model in counselling psychology from the perspectives of four early career counselling psychologists who illustrate the implementation of the S-P identity in their particular work settings. A concluding commentary by a senior counselling psychologist describes the evolution of the model throughout his career and highlights the role of context in defining scientist-practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one in a series of papers examining the application of scientist-practitioner training in different contexts, an early-career master's-level counsellor educator describes how his training has positively influenced his professional work. Specifically addressed are his work setting, his own individual training experiences, how his training affects what he does, and challenges he faces. Observations on the status of the scientist-practitioner model in his context are shared, with the broad applicability of the model highlighted as a major strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies the importance of valuing clients’ experiences when seeking to understand hindering experiences in counselling. Since the research literature reports that client perceptions of counselling are better predictors of outcome than counsellor ratings, client viewpoints are critical to furthering understanding of hindering experiences. Clients are generally reluctant to share negative experiences and a discussion regarding the difficulty in soliciting these experiences is presented. Examples of the process of conducting a client-oriented investigation into hindering experiences convey some of these difficulties. Several implications for counselling practice are addressed: (1) the need for counsellors to notice and repair hindering experiences, (2) the value of attending to the quality of the relationship, (3) the need for counsellors to cultivate flexibility and responsiveness, and (4) the use of methods to encourage clients to share their unspoken experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Career counselling aims to help clients become more effective agents in solving problems in their vocational aspects of life. To achieve this goal, theorists and practitioners are called upon to form useful helping approaches that can help clients in a more efficient and effective manner. This article proposes an alternative model toward this end by considering and adopting principles and techniques from the solution-focused therapy in career counselling practice. After a very brief introduction of the basic features of the solution-focused counselling, the paper reviews some key theoretical principles of the solution-focused therapy, and connects these principles to career counselling context. It then illustrates several solution-focused counselling techniques that are particularly applicable to career counselling intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the Self Confrontation Method has garnered significant attention as both a method of assessment and change in counseling. In this paper, the authors provide a review of the utility of the Self Confrontation Method as a practical tool for counselors. Toward this end, the conceptual and empirical foundations of the Self Confrontation Method are first examined followed by a focus on its practical application to counseling. Consistent with narrative and constructivist approaches to counseling, the Self Confrontation Method represents a viable procedure for contextualizing client problems, assessing the unique organization of client self-schemas and emotional patterning, and facilitating progressive client change and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conception of the self as arising in narrative and sustained and transformed in dialogue carries novel implications for understanding the nature of client difficulties and resources and how change might be fostered in the counselling context. In this paper I comment on these implications, and extend their practical import by reviewing several specific tools for both reflecting upon and enacting narrative and dialogical processes that maintain and transform problem patterns. In particular, I present and illustrate a “Chapters of our Lives” technique whose aim is to articulate and potentially deconstruct client constructions of their experience across time, as well as a form of “externalized problem interviewing” that helps clients perform, and ultimately resist, the influence of the symptom or difficulty on them. These and numerous other methods more briefly described can help augment the toolbox of techniques available to counselling psychologists approaching their work from a broadly postmodern perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power is a problem for all approaches to psychotherapy. However any therapy based on principles of dialogue face a specific but inevitable task: it must construct the other as a dialogical being, but it must do so in a dialogical and non-imposing way. In other words, an account of the power-dialogue dynamic is needed. In this paper certain features of power that may be intrinsic to therapeutic applications of the dialogical self are identified. It is argued that therapist and client are institutionalized “primary positions” that significantly, though often invisibly, regulate the circulation of power in the interpersonal dialogue, and thereby influence the production and shape of “secondary positions” in the client's dialogical self. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is general agreement that race, culture and ethnicity are critical variables in counselling and psychotherapy, very little is known about how they are psychologically constructed. Race, for example, in its current usage is far too broad and indefinite to be clinically useful. However, race and racism does enter the therapy room, and if left unexplored or disavowed can, in a pervasive way, dislocate and alienate clients and create much anxiety in therapists. Although there appears to be no consensus theoretically, scientifically or clinically on its meaning, race is still an important issue to explore in therapy. Yet, to engage with race and racism in therapy is theoretically and practically difficult, and could be made impossible by some counselling approaches. This paper examines how race can be explored in the therapy room. For clients who are afraid of talking about race and racism gender appears to be a safe place to communicate unwanted and split off feelings. Race then becomes more acceptable because the discourse of gender provides it with a particular set of vocabularies, epistemologies and linguistic resonance that can provide a good enough holding environment, offering both client and therapist with an opportunity to explore through the gendering of race other complex interpersonal issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]