Transpersonal Counseling and Wholistic Counseling are two relatively new approaches to psychotherapy. Transpersonal counseling is based on the work of transpersonal psychologists who believe that there are potential cognitive, moral, and motivational stages of development beyond those reached by most adults. It suggests a "fourth force"…

Describes ways in which Erickson's discoveries and thinking might be used by counselors, specifically describing hypnocounseling. Discusses how Ericksonian language patterns can be adapted by most counselors to their primary orientations and techniques. (Author/ABL)

Summarizes history and current status of feminist counseling and psychotherapy. Describes formation and development of feminist therapy during the 1970s, compares early commitments with aspects of change and maturation, and reviews areas of agreement and disagreement during 1980s and early 1990s. Draws on literatures of social work and psychology…

Differentiates codependent from contradependent behavior and defines both in an interpersonal context. Proposes model to address gender issues, diagnosis, and treatment from an emotional health perspective. Assuming codependence and contradependence are actually caused by experiences of shame and victimization, suggests that treatment of these…

Considers innovations to client-centered therapy that have been proposed and delineates some requirements for accepting such innovations. Contends that innovations should be consistent with the philosophy and theory of client-centered approach, should demonstrate that conditions proposed by Rogers as necessary and sufficient are not sufficient,…

The consequences of burnout, including therapeutic ineffectiveness, premature occupational attrition, depression, and substance abuse, are potentially serious for counselors, both personally and professionally. After identifying the characteristics of burnout in professional counseling and introducing a humanistic existential theoretical model of…

Selecting a single psychotherapeutic orientation can be a challenge for counselor education students. The authors examined the relationship between counseling theory selection and personality variables of students enrolled in a counseling theories course. A discriminant function analysis was used to identify the personality traits that would…

As technology advances and the use of online counseling becomes more routine, attention must be paid to instruction regarding online counseling skills. The authors present considerations for teaching basic online counseling skills to master's-level counseling students. Recommendations are made for helping students to establish and maintain…

Through a joint research committee sponsored by the Association for Play Therapy (APT) and the American Counseling Association (ACA), The National Play Therapy in Counseling Practices Project conducted the first phase of investigation. Findings offered a snapshot of mental health providers of play therapy, regarding the nature of who they are and…

The purpose of this paper is to explore the implications of chaos theory for counseling. The scientific notion of chaos refers to the tendency of dynamical, nonlinear systems toward irregular, sometimes unpredictable, yet deterministic behavior. Therapists, especially those working from a brief approach, have noted the importance of the client's…

Examines eclecticism in counseling from a developmental perspective. Suggests that an individual's view of eclecticism may be influenced by his/her level of intellectual development. Discusses two types of eclecticism: one recognizes alternatives and the other seeks to limit them. Includes comments and further suggestions by other authors and a…

Considers the strengths and weaknesses of an integrative approach to family therapy. An integrative approach can explain a broad range of human behavior and can shape intervention strategy in a manner appropriate to each case. The potential pitfalls basically revolve around the complexity of practice. (JAC)

In part one, changes in counseling theory from the perspectives of the self-organization paradigm, quantum theory, and sex-role development are discussed. In part two, the change structure of counseling practice is discussed, including articles on uses of imagery, dream therapy, metaphors, learning style, voluntary self-regulation, and…

Results showed that the two-chair dialog applied at a split produced more depth of experiencing than did focusing plus emphatic reflection. Both treatments produced significantly greater reported shifts in awareness and progress than the no-treatment controls. (Author)

Although animals have been historically associated with promoting physical and mental health benefits for humans, only recently has there been support for such claims in the literature. This article is a preliminary attempt to bring together scientific studies and anecdotal reports that provide evidence of the benefits of using animals in…