Views Of Counselors Research Articles

Attitudes Toward Discussing Approved and Investigational Treatments for Cystic Fibrosis in Prenatal Genetic Counseling Practice.

This project aimed to explore the attitudes of prenatal genetic counselors toward discussion of novel approved and experimental CF treatments in the prenatal setting, and to assess how knowledge of genotype-specific, targeted treatments may influence their current practices. Targeted treatments have the potential to impact the health-related quality of life of individuals affected with CF and therefore, knowledge of the availability of such treatments may influence the decision-making process of parents who receive a fetal diagnosis of CF. Using the 2012 FDA approval and introduction of ivacaftor into CF clinical practice as a case study, a survey was designed to explore the opinions and practices of prenatal genetic counselors with regard to counseling for a prenatal diagnosis of CF, and how those practices might be impacted by the availability of a new genotype-specific treatment. Approximately 800 genetic counselors were sent questionnaires in January of 2013. Respondents were provided information about this treatment and were asked to rate its perceived benefits, along with the likelihood that they would discuss potential benefits and limitations with parents receiving a prenatal diagnosis of CF. One-hundred sixty-nine prenatal genetic counselors (21.1%) responded to the survey. Results indicated that 80% of respondents 'never heard of the drug', or they were 'not exactly sure' what it was. After reading the materials provided, counselors felt the new treatment would have 'some' or a 'significant' impact on an affected individual's life. Their opinions varied on what information about this treatment they would choose to discuss with their patients; even if the treatment is currently FDA approved and clinically available for affected individuals with the genotype of the fetus. However, they would 'definitely' refer these patients to a specialist to discuss targeted treatments further. Most prenatal genetic counselors indicated there are certain scenarios in the prenatal setting which warrant a discussion of targeted treatments for CF, at least on some level. Counselor's views on sharing information about new treatment options are shaped by their familiarity with the treatment and their perception of its benefits and limitations, their comfort discussing these subjects, and their interpretation of the genetic counselor's role. Most genetic counselors had never heard of ivacaftor or Kalydeco™ prior to taking the survey. Therefore, counselors need to be better educated about the availability of CFTR mutation-based treatments before they will be able to incorporate discussion of new treatment options into their counseling.

Investigation and Classification of Personal Constructs Representing Ideal Counselor from Insider Perspective

The main objective of this study is to determine the personal constructs of psychological counselors (N=60) when they characterize their colleagues, effective psychological counselors and self-psychological counseling competence through repertory grid technique. Analysis of the data gathered through repertory grid technique demonstrates that participants generally most characterize counselors and effective counselors with professional qualification, professional background, professionalism, experience which are personal constructs. In addition, counselors’ current perception of themselves, their ideal-self and the distance between what they attribute to as ideal and non-ideal was obtained with cluster analysis. The paired sample t-test results showed that counselors view themselves significantly distant from both ideal and non-ideal counselor profiles. They tend to form a clearer opinion of what type of counselor they do not want to become, while they are inclined to be uncertain about what type of counselor they want to become.

Views about responsibility for alcohol addiction and negative evaluations of naltrexone.

BackgroundMoral philosophers have debated the extent to which persons are individually responsible for the onset of and recovery from addiction. Empirical investigators have begun to explore counselors’ attitudes on these questions. Meanwhile, a separate literature has investigated counselors’ negative attitudes towards naltrexone, an important element of medication-assisted treatment for alcohol addiction. The present study bridges the literature on counselor views about responsibility for addiction with the literature on attitudes towards naltrexone. It investigates the extent to which a counselor’s views of individual responsibility for alcohol addiction are related to that counselor’s views of naltrexone.MethodsUsing a vignette-based survey of 117 addiction treatment professionals, the study analyzes the relationship between an addiction counselor’s views about individual responsibility for alcohol addiction and using naltrexone to treat it.ResultsWe find a significant difference in counselors who assign greater responsibility to a person for the onset of alcohol addiction. They agreed more strongly with several objections to naltrexone, including worries about compliance, naltrexone’s side effects outweighing its benefits, naltrexone treating symptoms but not underlying causes, and the idea that medication may undermine a person’s motivation to recover. Combined views of greater responsibility for addiction’s onset and recovery also significantly predicted stronger agreement with objections.ConclusionsWe conclude that there is a strong relationship between a counselor assigning higher individual responsibility for addiction and holding more negative views about naltrexone. The study also sheds light on one reason why the model of addiction as a brain disease has had limited impact on clinical practice.

Principal, Teacher, and Counselor Views of Concurrent Enrollment

The purpose of this chapter is to describe teacher, counselor, and principal perceptions of a concurrent enrollment program collaboratively administered by a large, Midwestern community college and area high schools. Data come from surveys sent to these stakeholders as part of concurrent enrollment program accreditation through National Association of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships.

Views of Teachers, Parents, and Counselors toward the Preschool Version of First Step to Success Early Intervention Program (FSS-PSV) in Preventing Antisocial Behaviors

This study aims to describe the views of teachers, parents, and FSS-PSV counselors on the Preschool Version of First Step to Success Early Intervention Program (FSS-PSV) in preventing antisocial behaviors; in addition, the implementation process and contributions from the program will also be outlined. The study was conducted in six different preschools in Eskisehir, Turkey. Participants of the study were 11 preschool teachers, 11 parents, and six FSS-PSV counselors. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Descriptive analysis was used in analyzing the data. As a result, children who were identified as target students of the FSS-PSV program revealed having antisocial/problem behaviors. These behaviors particularly involved physical aggression and incompetency in social skills. The majority of teachers and parents stated that those behaviors stemmed from family-related reasons. To cope with antisocial/problem behaviors, the teachers preferred to talk to a student about his/her behavior, use the in- and out-of-class break technique, and reward positive behaviors. Parents preferred talking to the child or punishing them. Qualitative findings of this study support the findings of studies on the effectiveness of FSS-PSV through quantitative methods in literature. Similarly, most of the participants in this study provided positive feedback on FSS-PSV, and changes were observed concerning the antisocial/problem behaviors of the children.

“It's like trying to change a flat tire when you got a blown engine”. Counselor views on treating clients with co-occurring medical conditions

“It's like trying to change a flat tire when you got a blown engine”. Counselor views on treating clients with co-occurring medical conditions

An ecological approach to understanding barriers to employment for youth with disabilities compared to their typically developing peers: views of youth, employers, and job counselors

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which youth with physical disabilities encounter different barriers to finding employment compared to their typically developing peers. Methods: This study draws on 50 qualitative in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 31 youth (16 typically developing and 15 with a disability), and youth employers and job counselors knowledgeable about employment readiness among adolescents (n = 19). We utilize Bronfrebrenner’s ecological framework to reveal the complex web of factors shaping youth’s labor market outcomes. Results: Only half of youth with a disability were working or looking for work compared to their peers. The findings show this was a result of different expectations of, and attitudes toward, youth with disabilities. For many youth with a disability, their peers, family and social networks often acted as a barrier to getting a job. Many youth also lacked independence and life skills that are needed to get a job (i.e. self-care and navigating public transportation) compared to their peers. Job counselors focused on linking youth to employers and mediating parental concerns. Employers appeared to have weaker links to youth with disabilities. System level barriers included lack of funding and policies to enhance disability awareness among employers. Conclusions: Youth with physical disabilities encounter some similar barriers to finding employment compared to their typically developing peers but in a stronger way. Barriers to employment exist at several levels including individual, sociostructural and environmental. The results highlight that although there are several barriers to employment for young people at the microsystem level, they are linked with larger social and environmental barriers.Implications for RehabilitationClinicians working with youth should promote the development of skills that can lead to improved self-confidence and communication skills for youth. Encourage the development of extracurricular activities and social networking to build these skills and to make contacts for finding employment.Clinicians should support youth with disabilities and their parents in practicing independence skills (such as self-care, self-advocacy and navigating public transportation) they need prior to seeking employment.Vocational rehabilitation professionals should educate youth on how to disclose their condition to a potential employer, how to ask for ask for accommodations and how to market their abilities.Clinicians should help to link youth with disabilities to volunteer opportunities and to employers. Advocate for disability awareness training for employers regarding how to accommodate people with disabilities and the potential they offer in the workplace.

Evidence-based research and practice: attitudes of reproduction nurses, counsellors and doctors

The importance of providing evidence-based health care in reproduction medicine has resulted in a wealth of research which has largely focused on patient outcomes. Comparatively little is known about the knowledge and attitudes of health professionals who are often required to contribute to research. This study sought to examine the knowledge and attitudes to research of reproductive medicine health professionals and to explore the motivators and barriers to participating in research. A cross-sectional online survey was developed from previous research. The survey was distributed to members of the Fertility Society of Australia between November 2012 and February 2013. Ninety-six health professionals consented to participate and completed the questionnaire. The majority acknowledged the importance of research in informing practice and improving patient outcomes. While many clinicians expressed an interest in participating in research, time and resources were acknowledged as barriers that hindered their involvement. Collaborations with academics may offer a pathway to building the evidence to improve patient care.There is increasing focus on improving patient outcomes from reproductive treatment by using research to inform clinical practice. However little is known about the views of reproductive nurses, counsellors and doctors about the role of research in their day to day clinical work. This study examined the knowledge and attitudes to research of reproductive medicine health professionals, and explored factors that may motivate or create barriers to their involvement in research. We conducted a survey in Australia between November 2012 and February 2013. Ninety-six health professionals consented to participate and completed the questionnaire. The majority indicated the importance of research influencing their clinical practice, and the role research has with improving patient outcomes. Many clinicians indicated they would like to participate in research, however time and resources were acknowledged as barriers which stopped their involvement.

Genomic Counseling in the Newborn Period: Experiences and Views of Genetic Counselors

As newborn screening (NBS) technology expands, genetic counselors will become more involved in counseling for NBS results, including those potentially generated from whole exome sequencing (WES) and eventually whole genome sequencing (WGS). Members of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) responded to an online survey (n=208) regarding genomic counseling in the context of NBS. The majority of participants (82.1 %) did not feel prepared to counsel for WGS results from NBS. Counselors with previous WES/WGS counseling experience felt more prepared (p= 0.005) to counsel for WGS results from NBS than those without WES/WGS experience. Overall, counselors expressed ethical and practical concerns regarding WGS in NBS, as well as a need for additional training regarding this application of the technology before it is implemented. Based on the results of this study, genetic counselors voice caution to the larger genetics community regarding expansion of NBS to incorporate genomic sequencing and advocate for additional education prior to initiating WGS into NBS.

Scope of Practice Impact on Employability in New York State: Director and Counselor Views

An exploratory survey revealed the effects of New York State's Licensed Mental Health Counselor Law on hiring Licensed Mental Health Counselors. The state Office of the Professions interpreted the absence of the word diagnosis in the law as indicating that LMHCs are ineligible to diagnose mental disorders. Directors of mental health agencies (n = 22) reported that LMHCs are qualified to work in state-licensed programs and are satisfied with the quality of their work, yet they hesitate or are unwilling to hire LMHCs due to reimbursement obstacles arising from the law. LMHCs (n = 23) reported being denied opportunities for employment, promotion, and insurance reimbursement and that consumer access to care is being restricted. It is advised that licensed professional counselors advocate for inclusion of the term diagnosis in the law in New York and in other states where the practice of professional counseling is unduly restricted.

A new method of dream analysis congruent with contemporary counseling approaches

Dream analysis appears to deepen and accelerate the psychotherapeutic process, but it is not widely employed in modern practice. This may be due, in part, to the belief that the value of a dream lies in the analysis of its visual content, and that reflective awareness, volition, and personal responsibility––qualities valued highly by non-psychodynamic therapies––are presumed to be lacking in most dreams. While modern research has largely overturned this view, it may still impede the adoption of dream analysis by modern psychotherapists. Add to that a psychotherapist’s lack of training and concomitant discomfort with his or her own dreams and it is no surprise that dream work utilization remains low. Drawing on an array of theoretical, clinical, and empirical sources, this paper presents a view of normal dreaming as an interactive process between the dreamer and the dream imagery, and views the dream outcome as a co-determined or co-created experience. By shifting the focus in dream analysis away from content to interactive process, a counselor view the dream in such a way as to support the goals of contemporary therapy. By adopting this paradigm, he or she can assist clients in discerning the dream ego’s responses to the dream content, and evaluate how these responses influence the overall experience and, by implication, parallel waking relationships. Such an approach is congruent with the client-centered, competency-based aims of many schools of modern therapy, and thus may result in a more widespread adoption of dream analysis by psychotherapists. The author presents a case example of employing an approach to dream analysis consistent that is congruent with the goals of many of the schools of modern psychotherapy.

Genetics professionals' perspectives on reporting incidental findings from clinical genome‐wide sequencing

Whole exome or whole genome analysis using massively parallel sequencing technologies will undoubtedly solve diagnostic dilemmas; however, incidental findings (IF) that may have medical and social implications will also be discovered. While there is consensus in the literature that analytically valid and medically actionable IF should be returned to patients if requested, there is debate regarding the return of other IF. There are currently no guidelines established for managing IF in the clinical context. We therefore distributed an online questionnaire to 496 geneticists and genetic counselors in Canada to explore this unresolved issue, and 210 professionals participated (response rate = 42%). The proportion of respondents who indicated that they would return IF to patients depended on the nature of the finding, ranging from 95% for information pertaining to a serious and treatable condition to 12% for information with only social implications (e.g., non-paternity). There was a lack of consensus around the disclosure of certain IF such as genetic carrier status, especially for pediatric patients. The most important considerations identified as impacting IF disclosure included condition-specific factors such as treatment availability, test accuracy, and evidence indicating pathogenicity. This is the first study to document the views of geneticists and genetic counselors in Canada towards the disclosure of IF, and represents a step towards evidence-based guidelines for clinical genome-wide sequencing investigations.

Wellness in Mental Health Agencies

Burnout and impairment among professional counselors are serious concerns. Additionally, counselors' work environments may influence their levels of wellness and burnout. This phenomenological study included the perspectives of 10 professional counselors who responded to questions about how their work environments influence their sense of wellness. Five themes emerged: (a) agency resources, (b) time management, (c) occupational hazards, (d) agency culture, and (e) individual differences. Implications for professional counselors and future research are discussed.Wellness promotion focuses on individual strengths and emphasizes holistic growth and development. For example, Myers, Sweeney and Witmer (2000) defined wellness as:A way of life oriented towards optimal health and well-being in which body, mind, and spirit are integrated by the individual to live life more fully within the human and natural community. Ideally, it is the optimum state of health and well-being that each individual is capable of achieving, (p. 252)The authors' definition of wellness alludes to one's overall well-being. often advocate holism, exploration of self and self-actualization for their clients (Cain, 2001). Such aspirations may be achieved through a holistic wellness approach (i.e., attending to intellectual, emotional, physical, occupational and spiritual well-being; Witmer & Young, 1996). Therefore, counselors view wellness as an important aspect of overall human functioning. Although this fundamental view has historically been applied to clients, professional counselors themselves now recognize that they also may benefit from a wellness focus (Maslach, 2003).Professional counseling organizations (e.g., American Counseling Association [ACA]; American Mental Health Association [AMHCA]; National Board for Certified [NBCC]) specifically emphasize the importance of counselor wellness and impairment prevention. For example, counselors are ethically required to recognize when they are impaired. The ACA (2005) ethical standards state that Counselors are alert to the signs of impairment from their own physical, mental, or emotional problems and refrain from offering or providing professional services when such impairment is likely to harm a or others (Standard C.2.g). The AMHCA (2010) ethical standards further state that counselors:recognize that their effectiveness is dependent on their own mental and physical health. Should their involvement in any activity, or any mental, emotional, or physical health problem, compromise sound professional judgment and competency, they seek capable professional assistance to determine whether to limit, suspend, or terminate services to their clients (Standard C.l.h).Furthermore, the NBCC (2005) ethical standards indicate that certified counselors discontinue providing services if the mental or physical condition of the certified counselor renders it unlikely that a professional relationship will be maintained (Standard A. 15).The Governing Council of the ACA states that Therapeutic impairment occurs when there is a significant negative impact on a counselor's professional functioning which compromises care or poses the potential for harm to the client (Lawson & Venart, 2005, p. 3). In 2003, this council became proactive in addressing the issue of counselor wellness by creating a task force on counselor wellness and impairment. The task force seeks to educate counselors about impairment prevention, promote resources for prevention and treatment of impaired counselors and to advocate within ACA and its division to address the broader issue of counselor impairment. As a result, they have distributed information on risk factors, assessment, resources and wellness strategies. Thus, a wellness focus is essential for professional counselors to prevent impairment and provide effective counseling services to clients (Witmer & Young, 1996). …

The Effectiveness of In-Service Training for School Counselors on the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities.

The purpose of the research is to ascertain the effectiveness of in-service training for school counselors on the inclusion of students with disabilities. In this research, pre-experimental method in compliance with pretest- posttest model is employed in order to ascertain the effectiveness of in-service training for school counselors on the inclusion of students with disabilities provided by the Ministry of Education. The research group consists of all school counselors (14 teachers in total) who participated in the in-service training organized by the Ministry of Education Isparta Guidance and Research Centre in 2007 to 2008 school year. In the research, the “opinions relative to mainstreaming” scale developed by Antonak and Larviee (1995) and translated into Turkish by Kircaali-A°ftar (1996) was used as the data collection instrument. In- service training on the inclusion of students with disabilities was provided to school counselors by 4 persons in charge in Isparta Guidance and Research Centre for 5 days. Dependant samples t test was used in order to ascertain the effectiveness of the in-service training on the inclusion of students with disabilities provided to school counselors. It was found out that the in-service training on the inclusion of students with disabilities provided to school counselors is not effective in altering the views of teachers. In order to change the views of school counselors on the inclusion of students with disabilities, it is thought that there is a need for long term in-service education in which; different teaching methods and techniques are used, teachers voluntarily take part in it and they can put theoretical information into practice. Key words: Inclusion, in-service training, school counselor, teacher training.

Are Consultation and Social Justice Advocacy Similar?: Exploring the Perceptions of Professional Counselors and Counseling Students

An exploratory pilot study was conducted to investigate the views of present and future counselors on whether and in what ways social justice advocacy and consultation may overlap and possibly synergize. Descriptive results indicate that study participants (n = 203) viewed (a) basic counseling skills, (b) problem-solving, (c) acting on behalf of clients, and (d) contextualizing client or student issues in relation to oppression as services that both consultants and advocates engage in. Practices such as diagnosis or direct action were viewed as unique to either consultation or advocacy. A multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that participants differed in their perceived similarity between consultation and advocacy based on the interaction of their practice setting and ethnic or racial identification. Implications for future research and theory are discussed.

Leadership, burnout, and job satisfaction in outpatient drug-free treatment programs

Counselors are a critical component of substance abuse treatment programming, but their working experiences are not yet well understood. As treatment improvement efforts focus increasingly on these individuals, their perceptions of program leadership, emotional burnout, and job satisfaction and related attitudes take on greater significance. This study explores counselor views and the impact of organizational context using data from a nationwide set of 94 outpatient drug-free treatment programs in a hierarchical linear model analysis. Results show counselors hold generally positive opinions of program director leadership and job satisfaction and have low levels of burnout, but they also have important variations in their ratings. Higher counselor caseloads were related to poorer ratings, and leadership behaviors predicted both satisfaction and burnout. These findings add further evidence that treatment providers should also address the workplace environment for staff as part of quality improvement efforts.

School Counselors in International School: Critical Issues and Challenges

This study sought to examine the views of school counselors in international school settings; international schools being those that enroll students from varying nationalities (both English speaking and non-English speaking countries) and follow an American/International college preparatory education curriculum. Results were pursued in regard to three important areas: (1) mental health needs of students (e.g., coping with cultural transitions, aggression, self-esteem), (2) their own professional development needs (e.g., multicultural development, networking), and (3) their interactions with teachers, administrators, and parents (e.g., lack of knowledge of the counselor’s role, lack of trust in the counselor, lack of teamwork). Implications for supporting international school counselors are provided.

Adoption as a Diversity Issue in Professional Preparation: Perceptions of Preservice Education Professionals

ABSTRACT This research explored preservice teachers' and counselors' perceptions of the needs of adopted children in schools. Using a quasi-experimental survey design, this study examined the views of preservice teachers and counselors toward adoptive families before and after an educational intervention. Findings from this research support the effectiveness of a brief, standardized intervention in increasing preservice education professionals' awareness of particular challenges adopted children and their families may face in school settings. Qualitative data indicated preservice education professionals' awareness of adopted children and their families in their internship experiences. Learning about adoptive families can be part of sensitizing education professionals' to the growing diversity of families and children in U.S. schools.

The Impact of Supervision on Counselor Self-Efficacy

Research indicated that ongoing clinical supervision is important for the growth and maintenance of counseling skills (Bernard & Goodyear, 1998). However, many practicing counselors do not receive consistent clinical supervision. Counseling self-efficacy is a measure of how a counselor views her or his competence as a counselor. The purpose of the study was to determine what effect receiving or not receiving clinical supervision on a regular basis would have on counseling self-efficacy. The Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory was administered to professional counselors in a community setting and doctoral level students in a university counseling lab setting (Larson et al., 1992). Those counselors receiving regular clinical supervision indicated a higher level of counseling self-efficacy than those who did not.

Genetic counseling: clinical and ethical challenges.

After explaining the origin, nature, and goals of genetic counseling, we consider the impact of the Human Genome Project on its practice. In light of the availability of presymptomatic tests for late-onset disorders and the possibility of preventive behavior or treatment, we examine the apparent conflict between nondirectiveness and directiveness in genetic counseling. We discuss views of genetic counselors, medical geneticists, and counselees on specific issues, and document gender differences in attitudes toward genetic ties to offspring. Because genetic discrimination and unequal access to genetic services are likely to increase with advances in genetics, we conclude that efforts of genetic counselors to adhere to the principle of justice or equity in their practice cannot be successful without governmental and public support, as well as support from researchers and colleagues in health care.