This text presents current, accessible information on enhancing the counseling process using a brain-based paradigm. Leading experts provide guidelines and insights for becoming a skillful neuroscience-informed counselor, making direct connections between the material covered and clinical practice. In this much-needed resource-the first to address…

Although school psychologists have been called on in recent literature to assume a leadership role in a collective and comprehensive effort to address students' mental health needs, many practitioners find that their professional roles continue to be narrowly focused on special education-related activities, such as individualized assessment…

A large body of research has indicated that rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) is highly effective for treating many chief complaints. Because of the neurological and developmental limitations of young children, a counselor is required to use concrete and stimulating ways to treat young children. By incorporating art, color, and texture to…

Trauma-related assistance in response to disasters or catastrophes is needed locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally, and the authors argue that there is a necessity for counseling psychologists and counseling psychology programs to incorporate it into their prevention, training, and social justice repertoire. Counseling psychologists…

Creativity is a crucial component in the advancement of all major cultural entities, including effective counseling. It is through creativity that major theories of counseling and skills in counseling have been developed. Creativity is longitudinal in its impact. If counseling is to progress in the future, it is essential that counselors be…

Introduces special journal issue on ecosystemic mental health counseling, defining ecosystemic thinking as thinking that recognizes indivisible interconnectedness of individual, family, and sociocultural context. Contends that ecosystemic mental health counseling enlarges the field of inquiry and interventions and leads to depth perception and…

Contends that ecosystemic model represents counter-cultural movement in mental health field. Contends it is worldview that does not fit narrative story, politics, economics, normal science, or traditional therapeutic practice in Western culture. Discusses implications of ecosystemic perspective for practice of mental health counseling as…

A sound theoretical orientation is essential to the professional integrity of mental health counseling. Existential theory is congruent with the values of mental health counseling and offers a useful theoretical framework for explaining interventions. The basic concepts of existential theory as a basis for practice are delineated. (Author/EMK)

Drawing on social constructionism, presents a clinical model for mental health counseling called solution-focused counseling (SFC). SFC is distinguished from rational emotive behavior therapy in that SFC is presented as a process or framework for change rather than as a content to be learned. (EMK)

A review of counseling theory and research demonstrates that emotionally arousing and expressive techniques are used in both brief and long-term mental health counseling. Techniques of emotional discharge or ventilation, insight, attitude change, creation of cognitive dissonance, and completing unfinished actions are supported in the literature.…

Contends that ecosystemic therapy can be approached from two epistemological perspectives, each providing different way of thinking about nature of human systems, way problems develop, and means by which mental health counselor understands and works within systems. Presents case illustrating different "thought" rules and actions underlying these…

Reacts to previous article in which Becvar and Becvar contend that ecosystemic model represents counter-cultural movement in mental health field. Reviews each of the concepts presented by Becvar and Becvar, concluding that many effective counselors already function in a manner consistent with the ecosystemic model presented. (NB)

Discusses rationale for life review, considering its advantages and limitations, and making suggestions concerning how to conduct review. Notes that technique can be used with various populations: for community-living, intact older people, life review can be valuable adjunct to life planning; for more frail population, life review can help people…

Reacts to previous article in which Becvar and Becvar contend that ecosystemic model represents counter-cultural movement, turning point, in mental health field. Finds it sad that, to many helping professionals, ecosystemic approach is still considered revolutionary. Hopes that Becvar and Becvar's article will stimulate continued discussion of…

Discusses Erickson's and Maslow's empirically based formulations of healthy development. Through integration of their systems, six trends are derived: survival, growth, communication, recognition, mastery, and understanding. Trends relate to self-functions, interpersonal functioning, and task performance. Relates trends to three aspects of…