Counseling Association Research Articles

Advocacy and Social Justice Within and On Behalf of the LGBTGEQIAP + Community

The American Counseling Association’s ACA Code of Ethics (2014) makes clear that advocacy and social justice are to be integral elements of practice for professional counselors. LGBTGEQIAP + people have unique, intersectional, identity- and multicultural-related needs. LGBTGEQIAP + counseling services, supervision, education, and service cannot be truly appropriate nor effective without actively addressing the advocacy concerns and social justice issues facing LGTBEQIAP + people. Provided are cornerstone recommendations and assistive tools for addressing LGBTGEQIAP + advocacy and social justice, both within, and on behalf of, the LGBTGEQIAP + community.

History of LGBTQQIA Rising Up in the American Counseling Association: In the Beginning

This article was based on the keynote address by Dr. Mark Pope at the second ALGBTIC national conference held in San Antonio, Texas, on September 17, 2016. In this address, Dr. Pope addressed the beginnings of the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling (now the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities), a division of the American Counseling Association. Dr. Pope integrated those beginnings within professional counseling with the historic times in which this occurred in American society.

Collaborative Digital Research: Case Study of Text Mining a Corpus of Academic Journals

More faculty are making the foray into digital scholarship as its tools offer novel and efficient approaches to answering research questions. However, faculty seeking to incorporate digital methods into their research may not have the necessary technical skills. Increasingly, libraries are adding digital scholarship support to the research support offered to faculty. In this article, we document the collaboration between a team of librarians and researchers to leverage each group’s unique skills to analyse and better understand the breadth and specific usage of social class and socioeconomic status terminology used in American Counselling Association (ACA) journal articles over a 17-year span. The work process and outcomes of this project are explained to offer an example of how such collaborative digital scholarship projects can be implemented.

Adverse Childhood Experiences: A 20‐Year Content Analysis of American Counseling Association and American School Counselor Association Journals

The purpose of this content analysis was to illustrate trends related to the use of the term adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), or terms related to the 10 components of ACEs, within 140 peer‐reviewed articles published in 22 journals affiliated with the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) between 1998 and 2018. Of the 9,120 articles published in the 22 ACA‐ and ASCA‐affiliated journals in that time, only three articles (0.03%) explicitly mentioned the term adverse childhood experiences in the title, abstract, or keywords. Authors of 93 journal articles mentioned terms related to the original 10 categories of ACEs 104 times (1.0% of all published articles). The need for consistent language across research and practice is highlighted. Implications include ways that the counseling field may benefit from an increased clarity and focus around ACEs.

School Counselors' Experiences With Lockdown Drills: A Phenomenological Investigation

Lockdown drills are used in pre‐K–12 public schools throughout the country; however, little research exists regarding their impact on students and school staff (Ilk, 2018). Because of school counselors' role in both prevention of and response to school gun violence (American Counseling Association, 2018), we used a phenomenological approach to investigate their experiences with lockdown drills (N = 26). Results included the following three themes: (a) school counselors' sense of duty to follow school protocol, (b) unintended emotional consequences related to lockdown drills, and (c) school counselors navigating complexities. Implications for school counselors and corresponding school procedures are discussed.

Professional School Counseling in Vietnam Public Schools

School counseling as a profession is in its embryonic stage in Vietnam. National education reform initiatives have focused on curricula, standardized tests and textbooks, yet have essentially ignored problems of violence and students’ mental health. The American School Counseling Association model can serve as a guide for a culturally appropriate school counseling model for Vietnam. We explore the Vietnam education context and the existing practice of school counseling and make recommendations for professional school counseling in Vietnam.

Knowledge is Power: An Analysis of Counseling Professionals’ Medicare Policy Proficiency

This study examines counseling professionals’ knowledge concerning the Medicare program and related advocacy efforts. American Counseling Association members (N = 5,097) answered a series of true-false questions that were intended to measure proficiency in two areas: Medicare policy and the counseling profession’s advocacy for provider eligibility. Statistical analyses indicated that members have a wide range of Medicare knowledge. A significant difference in advocacy history knowledge was found when comparing counselor educators, practicing counselors, doctoral students, and master’s students. However, no differences in policy knowledge were present among these groups. Implications for the counseling profession and counselor training are discussed.

A Call for Social Justice in the American Counseling Association (ACA)

Leaders and members of seven social justice-oriented divisions of the American Counseling Association (ACA) met at a Social Justice Summit called by the Counselors for Social Justice in March 2019 at the ACA National Convention in New Orleans. The goal of the summit was to create conversations among members of these seven divisions around ways to improve social justice within the ACA. These discussions at the summit were transcribed and summarized for the purpose of creating a document to outline how ACA could improve its social justice practice. The resulting call for social justice in ACA includes three topics derived from discussions of social justice in the counseling profession: social justice in the organization of ACA, social justice for the people in ACA, and social justice at the ACA conference. Implications for improved social justice practice in the organization are provided.

A Content Analysis of the Counseling Literature on Technology Integration: American Counseling Association (ACA) Counseling Journals between 2000 and 2018.

This content analysis provides an overview of articles specific to technology integration in the field of counseling published in American Counseling Association (ACA) journals between the years 2000 and 2018. In addition to the number of articles on this topic published during this time period, the study identified other aspects such as authors and institutional affiliations; methodology, study locations, and application settings; target populations and sample characteristics; and areas and types of technology integration. Recommendations are provided for counseling research in general and for future research extending from specific circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deconstructing Ethical Ambiguity: Ethical Decision Making When Working With Multiple Ethical Codes of Conduct

ABSTRACT Adherence to ethical standards is an ever-evolving topic in the counseling field. At different times throughout the educational and licensing processes, there are moments of ambiguity that can muddle professional judgment. Understanding ethical ambiguity as it occurs on a personal and systemic level is essential for the advancement of the profession. State mandated standards versus the American Counseling Association (ACA) ethical code, potentially create ethical dilemmas rooted in ambiguity of ideals. This article will deconstruct the ideology of ethical ambiguity as it exists within the Counseling field.

Recommendations for the support of suffering, severely ill, dying or grieving persons in the corona pandemic from apalliative care perspective : Recommendations of the German Society for Palliative Medicine (DGP), the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive and Emergency Medicine (DIVI), the Federal Association for Grief Counseling (BVT), the Working Group for Psycho-oncology in the German Cancer Society, the German Association

Die mit der Corona-Pandemie einhergehenden Einschränkungen und Verbote sorgen für psychische, soziale und spirituelle Belastungen bei Patient*innen mit COVID-19, ihren Zugehörigen und den behandelnden Mitarbeitenden im Gesundheitswesen. Patient*innen mit COVID-19 dürfen nicht von ihren Zugehörigen besucht werden, in vielen Krankenhäusern und Pflegeeinrichtungen gelten generelle Besuchsverbote. Viele Unterstützungsangebote sind verringert oder ganz eingestellt worden. Bei anderen Patient*innen mit sehr kritischen und/oder lebenslimitierenden Erkrankungen werden notwendige Behandlungsmaßnahmen aufgeschoben, weil die Ressourcen im Krankenhaus für an COVID-19 Erkrankte freigehalten werden. Diese Menschen bedürfen jedoch des Gefühls der sozialen Verbundenheit mit ihren Zugehörigen. Für Palliativpatienten sollten Ausnahmen von Besuchsverboten ermöglicht werden. Besuche bei Sterbenden sind mit entsprechenden Schutzmaßnahmen auch auf Isolier- oder Intensivstationen möglich. Für isolierte Patient*innen sollten alternative Möglichkeiten überprüft werden, zum Beispiel via Videotelefonie oder über soziale Medien. Nach dem Versterben sollte den Angehörigen unter ausreichenden Schutzmaßnahmen ein Abschiednehmen ermöglicht oder alternative reale oder virtuelle Wege zum Erinnern und Gedenken angeboten werden. Die Mitarbeitenden in den Behandlungsteams sollten kontinuierlich in der Bewältigung der besonderen Belastungen unterstützt werden. Dazu ist neben klaren Kommunikations- und Entscheidungsstrukturen, Kommunikationsschulungen und psychosozialer Unterstützung vor allem die Bereitstellung der bestmöglichen Rahmenbedingungen für die Arbeit erforderlich.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN COUNSELLING: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Ethical issues is a norm in the counselling field. Counsellors have codes of ethics to guide them in their practice. However, the decision is based on their critical thinking and choice to do what they think is right. This systematic review explores the ethical issues and supervisors and supervisees’ opinions regarding ethical concerns. Culture of distinct countries is also taken into account. SAGE electronic database was used to search for related journals and the search resulted in 10 journals. This review presents journals as a result from inclusion and exclusion criteria. The ethical issues such as client referral, confidentiality, in-home or outpatient counselling, gifts receiving, and various setting and countries are tabulated systematically. The counsellors refer to United States (US) ACA (American Counselling Association) Codes of Ethics when encountering ethical issues. However, this systematic review depicts that findings are distinct in terms of individual perception, culture, and norms of the counselling field.

Effectiveness Of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy On Traumatized Women In Maiduguri Internally Displaced Camp Nigeria Sociological Perspectives

This study examined the effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy on traumatized women in Maiduguri internally displaced person’s camp. Two research question, objectives and research hypotheses guided the study. The study used quasi-experimental research design. A sample of 75 women (participants) was drawn from the population. One set of instruments were used by the researcher to determine those who are traumatized in the internally displaced person’s camp, this instruments was used as a treatment package. The validity of the instrument was obtained by Pur (2017) and the reliability index of 0.72 was obtained for REBT. The research hypothesis was subjected to t-test and ANOVA analysis. The study concluded that trauma among internally displaced women can be effectively managed using of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy as a treatment package and the result also shows that Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy is effective in reducing trauma among the Internally Displaced Women. Based on the effectiveness, Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy on traumatized women, it was recommended that Counselling Association of Nigeria needs to encourage counsellors to make use of both REBT package in managing traumatized clients at all level i.e., either male or female nor young and old. Also, sociologist help people learn the sick role through socialization and enact it with the cooperation of others - when they fall ill.
 

The Role of Decision‐Making Models and Reflection in Navigating Ethical Dilemmas

The ACA Code of Ethics (American Counseling Association [ACA], 2014) mandates counselor competency in using ethical decision‐making models (EDMs) and mandates that counselors use an EDM when confronted with making ethical decisions. Additionally, researchers have highlighted the importance of counselors continually evaluating and reflecting when faced with ethical dilemmas and working through a decision‐making model. Using a phenomenological research design, the authors examined how counselors address ethical dilemmas, including how reflection and EDMs are incorporated into the decision‐making process. Emergent themes from data analysis include (a) incomplete following of EDMs, (b) varied dilemmas, (c) power, and (d) ethics training.

Analyzing the Impact of the Medicare Coverage Gap on Counseling Professionals: Results of a National Study

The authors surveyed 6,550 members of the American Counseling Association regarding the current impact of Medicare policy on counseling professionals. More than half of respondents (54.8%) had been directly affected by Medicare reimbursement barriers, including 70.0% of practicing counselors. Statistical analyses indicated significant associations between years in the profession, direct experience with the Medicare coverage gap, and participation in professional advocacy related to Medicare. Implications for counselors, counselor educators, and counseling scholarship are discussed.

Medicare Reimbursement for Counselors: Counseling Professionals’ Advocacy Beliefs and Behavior

The authors analyzed data from 5,528 American Counseling Association members to examine advocacy beliefs and behavior regarding Medicare reimbursement and advocacy for counselors. Nearly half (49.3%) of the respondents had participated in one or more forms of Medicare reimbursement advocacy. Advocacy participation differed significantly by professional status.

Digitally Responsive School Counseling Across the ASCA National Model

Technology plays an increasingly important role in the lives of students and other education stakeholders. Professional school counselors (PSCs), however, have only tentatively begun to integrate digital tools into their professional work. Given the extensive information and considerations posited by technology and its role in students’ lives, the work of the school counselor has become more complex. This paper argues for expanding the use of interactive technologies specifically within the Delivery System of the American School Counseling Association’s (2012) National Model. We examine how digital communication tools can enhance and extend the ability of PSCs to meet the needs of students. Implications for school counseling programs, PSCs, students, and educators are considered.

A case study of state-level leadership in the American West

ABSTRACTThe authors report on the findings of case study research, using phenomenological analysis, of eight counseling professionals interviewed in a Western state about the experiences of counseling leadership related to a state counseling association. Participants reported their experiences in leadership in three broad ways: professional identity development, leadership sustainability, and personal barriers/supports to leadership involvement. Implications of findings will be discussed.

Identifying the Students’ Needs for Guidance at Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School

The purpose of this study is to identify the needs of vocational and technical Anatolian high school students for guidance. A mixed research methodology is employed in this descriptive study. With the guidance needs analysis survey, quantitative data was collected about the needs of students for guidance from a total of 2228 participants including 1437 students, 304 teachers and 487 parents. The qualitative data in the research were collected from school counsellors employed in vocational and technical high schools, from the heads of guidance services employed in guidance research centres, from psychological guidance and counselling specialists working in the Ministry of National Education, from psychological counsellors representing Turkish Psychological Counselling and Guidance Association and those engaged by educational unions. The research revealed findings that the students need intensive guidance on topics such as identification of future career goals, learning effective studying methods, self-knowledge of interests and abilities, knowledge of professions and their basic requirements, focusing attention during lessons, protection from addiction, knowledge of developmental features of adolescence, university admission exams and opportunities for higher education. Furthermore, it was revealed that the guidance needs of the students were not met sufficiently, they needed services in all areas of personal-social, educational and career guidance, female students needed guidance services more than male students, and students felt more need of guidance services at higher grades. In line with the results of the study, further recommendations are presented to provide for the guidance needs of students.

School Counselor Perceptions of a Comprehensive School Counseling Model and Implications for Practice

The study examined school counselor perceptions of the American School Counseling Association’s Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP) on academic outcomes (better-reported grades and better-standardized scores) of middle school students with a focus on recommendations for the tasks and responsibilities of school counselors. The study was qualitative and used a phenomenological approach through semi-structured face-to-face interviews to provide inquiry into school counselors’ perceptions of an effective school counseling program.