The combination of an art therapist's personal trauma with secondary traumatic stress can lead to compassion fatigue. Inspired by narrative art therapy methods, the author engaged in memoir writing, art responses, authentic movement, and public exhibition. This creative life review identified ways in which her nervous system responses to clients'…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between "wellness factors" and "psychological factors" on perceived stress among Licensed Professional Counselors. This study was concerned with the predictability of "wellness factors", specifically self-care, other-care, and "psychological…

This qualitative study examined female Black school counselor's perceptions regarding their role when working with students -- specifically Black students. More so, this study looked at cultural influence on female Black school counselors' thoughts and feelings relative to role confusion and burnout. Black Feminist Thought and Maslow's Hierarchy…

The loss of a client to suicide is a painful personal and professional experience for mental health providers. Whether trainee or experienced professional, the affected clinician often reports feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for the experience of client suicide, together with significant emotional distress and diminished work performance. In…

While considerable research has examined how clients learn from psychotherapists, there is only sparse literature on what therapists learn from their therapy clients. In a qualitative, exploratory study, nine researchers interviewed 61 psychologists from across North America in order to see what psychotherapists may have learned and how they have…

Many counselors lack a clear understanding of the phenomenon of self-injury. This article presents results of a qualitative study examining the experiences of young adult women who engage in self-injurious behaviors. Interpretation of the participants' narrative data offers insight into the value of a humanistic approach to counseling this…

The burgeoning recognition of the influence of religion and spirituality in personal, cultural, and political affairs has spurred discussions regarding the need for social work practice to be sensitive and responsive to the presence of spirituality in the lives of clients. However, though attending properly to clients' coping styles involving…

Counselors in a variety of settings will most likely be faced with clients with a history of child sexual abuse. Counselors should be aware of what to expect in terms of their own personal issues when confronted with a sexual-abuse survivor. This article describes counselor reactions to sexual-abuse survivors and examines ways counselors can cope…

Discusses counselor feelings of loss due to client departure from therapy. Describes components of loss within a five-stage model including denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Outlines strategies for coping with counselor loss. Suggests feelings of loss are natural. (RC)

Examined direct and indirect coping styles of school-age mothers (N=61) and counselors (N=28) working with school-age mothers. Analysis revealed school-age mothers preferred indirect coping strategies (e.g., avoidance), whereas counselors perceived the direct coping strategies of assertion, negotiation, and demanding as more helpful. (WAS)

This study examined the outcome effects of cognitive match between Asian and White outpatient clients and their therapists. Many clinicians believe that one hindrance to the treatment of ethnic minority clients is that therapists and clients may not share common assumptions and attitudes about therapy and about the problems that are presented in…

Examines the experience of four female therapists working with male sex offenders on an outpatient basis, and the variety of difficulties that they faced in maintaining care of the perpetrators. Four general themes emerged: developing a positive view of perpetrators, managing client beliefs and behaviors, controlling personal reactivity, and the…

Although recognition of problems posed by critical client statements and recommendations for counselors' understanding, empathy, and confrontation abound, interventions to aid counselors in coping with critical client statements are rare. Graduate-level counselor trainees (N=40) were assigned to one of four methods of supervision: interpersonal…

Empowering clients from multicultural communities is a major thrust of cross-cultural counseling. Discusses the issues of learned helplessness and proposes learned hopefulness as an outcome of counseling interventions. (Author)

Although there are few studies that include empirical information on the subject of counseling American Indians, an informative and provocative literature base exists. The literature deals with appropriateness of techniques, the delivery of mental health services, the operation and programming of Indian service delivery units (including Indian…