Investigated mental health counselors' (N=223) perceptions of ethical and unethical behaviors. Examined ability to recognize whether ethical violations had occurred, to identify ethical issues, and to project how subjects would have behaved. Found significant differences for course work, degree, and situation. (Author/ABL)

This study compared practicing counselors who are licensed and not licensed on four aspects of empowerment: collective identity, propensity to act, self-concept, and overall empowerment. Results revealed that nonlicensed counselors scored significantly higher on collective identity, propensity to act, and overall empowerment. (Contains 24…

Surveys American Mental Health Counselors Association members' perceptions regarding obtaining independent and dependent prescriptive privileges for psychopharmacological agents and requisite training needs. Forty-one percent agreed that independent prescription privilege should be attained; 64 percent agreed that dependent prescription privilege…

Examines differences between professional work setting, gender, and ethnicity, and attitudes toward brief and nontraditional therapeutic approaches. Results indicated that practitioners of minority classification, males, and individuals employed in private practice held more favorable attitudes toward brief therapeutic approaches, and ethnic…

Updated reimbursement literature and sought to remedy some significant limitations in prior reports. Provides a model for conducting future studies of this nature. Updating of reimbursement experience through survey of Ohio counselors has yielded important success-rate data. (JBJ)

Reports on a 33-item questionnaire based on Alexander G. Zaphiris's conceptualization of the terminology of sexual mistreatment. Results indicate that mental health counselors (N=300) who encountered sexual abuse, incest, and sexual exploitation agreed with Zaphiris's conceptualization but did not use this system of classification in actual…

Describes the results of research that explored how mental health counselors consider the confidentiality of minors and conditions under which they would breach it. Results indicate that mental health counselors are protective of their minor clients' confidentiality rights with variation based on degree of seriousness and age of the client.…

Study reports the results of a national survey of 1000 professional counselors regarding the frequency and impact of client suicide. Counselors reported having intrusive and avoidant thoughts regarding the crisis that were higher than those of either psychologists or psychiatrists. Results indicate that the effects of client suicide have…

Explored mental health counselors' and counselor educators' perceptions of the training mental health counselors receive. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 mental health counselors or counselor educators. Key issues that emerged from interviews concerned licensure movement, what distinguishes mental health counseling, variability of…

Uses participant-observation, key informant interviewing, and document analysis to generate a broad understanding of the ways in which counselors advocate for their profession--the elements of an advocacy effort, the possible strategies for advocating, and the people or organizations counselors target when advocating. Compares research results…

Investigates counselors' attitudes toward sex offenders and the relationship of these attitudes to counselors' experience, training, and personal characteristics. Results indicate that counselors tend to have positive attitudes toward sex offenders and that experience, preparation from training, and victim status are related to these positive…

Explores variables that predict counselors' ability to conceptualize clients' mental health issues from a multicultural perspective. Results reveal that counselors with higher levels of multicultural training, an eclectic/integrative orientation to counseling, and higher affective empathy attitudes, were rated as better able to conceptualize a…

Conducted survey of community-based counselors (N=743) to determine standardized test use for individual appraisal. Explored kinds of tests used, educational level of test user, and respondents' perceptions of importance of appraisal. Found bare majority used test instruments; Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory used most; and fewer than…

Questionnaire was submitted to 1,145 Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in Michigan with 67% response rate. Found majority of LPCs waiting to use license at later date, 59% were women, and most undergraduate degrees were in education or the social sciences. Very few LPCs have requested reimbursement, reporting difficulty receiving third-party…

Assessed effects of counselor sex and counselor/client attitude similarity on female college students' (n=143) perceptions of and confidence in a counselor. For profeminist women, perceptions were positively influenced by attitude similarity with female counselors but not male counselors. For traditional women, attitude similarity resulted in…