Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a common clinical concern. We surveyed a national sample of 94 licensed clinicians to better understand their work with clients who self-injure. Our data revealed that over the past year, 95.7% (n = 90) of the sample reported working with at least one client who self-injured. Thirty-six clinicians (38%) reported…

A gender gap currently exists in college STEM majors, with a lower percentage of females entering math intensive fields. One possible explanation is the advice students receive in high school. We conduct a survey of high school guidance counselors, soliciting their advice regarding hypothetical high school students' college and major choices. We…

Differences in presenting problems and counselor age were perceived as intended. Subjects' marital status was unrelated to any measures. Counselors were judged as most expert, attractive, and trustworthy when dealing with presenting problems that were least intimate. Subjects anticipated greater satisfaction with younger rather than older…

Two counselors, one a self-described feminist and the other holding more conservative attitudes toward women's liberation, led separate, semistructured consciousness-raising groups. It was found that participants in the group led by the feminist counselor showed higher postsession scores on the Attitudes Toward Women Scale. (GC)

Providing student clients with background information about their prospective Chicano or Anglo counselors may increase the counselor's attractiveness, regardless of his ethnicity. Male counselors appear significantly more attractive as more information is provided about them, although subjects appear to have no preference for counselors of the…

Therapists were compared for intrasession initiative behavior with a standard female client as well as with nonstandard female clients. No differences were found between male and female therapists on this behavior dimension. (Author)

Explored attitudes held by elderly women (n=96) towards female counselors when analyzing vignettes of a more intimate or less intimate nature. Results indicated that older counselors were preferred when discussing less intimate concerns, whereas younger counselors were preferred when discussing more intimate problems. (Author/BHK)

Analyzed 20 sexually abused girls' pretreatment and posttreatment preference for sex of their counselor and girls' anticipated comfort with male versus female counselor, along with clients' actual posttreatment comfort. Girls treated by male counselors expressed significantly greater preference for and anticipated comfort with male counselors…

Compared women in feminist v traditional therapy. There were no differences on demographic characteristics. Clients of feminist therapists were more likely to describe their political views as radical and to identify with members of the women's movements. They rated therapy as more helpful than clients of traditional therapy. (Author)

Investigated influences of physical attractiveness and self-disclosures of nonprofessional counselors in initial counseling interviews. College females saw audiotaped interviews in which an unidentified male counselor revealed no self-information or expressed demographic or personal similarity self-disclosures. Nondisclosing, unattractive…

Interpersonal behaviors and factors may facilitate or hinder the ability of one person to exert influence over another. To investigate the impact of counselor smoking behavior and status on potential clients' perceptions of counselor attributes, credibility, and expected helpfulness, 134 female college students viewed one of three vignettes…

The research literature on the impact of counselor smoking has yielded unexpected results, indicating no difference in perceptions of smoking or nonsmoking counselors, or more favorable reactions to smoking counselors. To further study clients' perceptions of therapists' smoking, a study was designed which evaluated the impact of a female…

Female undergraduates listened to audiotaped recordings of a counseling interview between an experienced male counselor and a female client. Subjects rated counselor's expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness, and generated written responses to self-disclosing or self-involving counselor statements. The self-involving counselor was rated as…

Used archival research to compare intake judgments made by African-American and white women counselors about 41 African-American and 41 white women clients. Results showed no significant differences in counselor judgments for matched client groups. Results support need to control for sociopsychological variables that may influence counselor…

Investigates the importance of counselor sex, race, and empathy on clients' perceptions of the counselor. Counselor sex and student sex had no significant effect on counselor rating. Black counselors were rated significantly higher than white counselors on attractiveness, expertness, and trustworthiness. Counselors were rated higher on all…