Female Counselors Research Articles

Attire, an Influence on Perceptions of Counselors' Characteristics

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the initial impressions formed by 86 clients of counselors based on the counselors' attire. Clients' perceptions of counselors' selected characteristics of caring, authenticity, competency, and trustworthiness were assessed. In addition, clients reported their willingness to see a counselor based on their initial impression of the counselors' attire. Analysis showed that most of the clients preferred a moderate style of dress (neither too formal nor too casual) for both male and female counselors. A strong positive association was found between the counselors' attire and the clients' perception of the four selected characteristics of counselors.

Use of profanity in the counseling interview.

Although profane language is used in the counseling interview by both clients and counselors, past research has focused on the counselor's use of profanity without considering whether the counselor is matching the language of the client. This research examined 160 college students' impressions of an audiotape of a female counselor who used profanity with either a male or female client who did or did not use profanity. In general, when the female counselor swore she was less likely to be sought for help. Further research is recommended.

Older women's perceptions of female counselors: the influence of therapist age and problem intimacy.

Elderly women (N = 96, Mn age = 69.6) who served as pseudoclients in an analogue study were more positive toward all counselors when vignettes dealt with less intimate rather than more intimate problems. Older counselors were preferred when less intimate concerns were discussed whereas younger counselors were preferred for more intimate problems. Perceived differences in helper expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness were also influenced by perceptions of the individuality of counselors. These findings have significance for the delivery of mental health services to older persons.

When abortion is a blessing.

This article, written in a literary style, describes to the stories of a young woman who is in counseling and her female counselor, both of whom had abortions. In both cases the abortion served as a blessing to each woman. The young woman had her abortion recently and her counselor had her abortion many years ago. In both cases the abortion served as a milestone in their lives and led them both to greater things. In the case of the young woman, the abortion was a significant expression of her ability to maturely achieve a status of healthy independence. In the case of the older women the abortion started a domino effect that led her to become an pro-abortion activist and ultimately open 25 women's reproductive health care centers across the US. The article describes in great detail how both experiences changed the lives of these women. It includes descriptions of the societal and interpersonal aspects of abortion.

Perceived Importance of Counselor Characteristics Among Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and Clients

The differences between counselors' and clients' perceptions of what is important to be an effective Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) counselor were investigated. Questionnaires completed by 187 counselors and 122 clients were utilized to identify counselor characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors/skills perceived to be most important. Multivariate analyses of the data revealed some significant differences between and within counselors' and clients' ratings of the importance of specific counselor performance items. Counselors were found to value task-oriented behaviors including goal setting, problem-solving, and decision-making more than clients. Results also indicated that female counselors and clients, as compared to their male counterparts, believe that it is more important for counselors to be caring, encouraging, and supportive. It was also found that Hispanic clients differed from both black and white clients on the importance of several counselor characteristics. Implications of these findings for improving the delivery of services to clients are discussed.

School counsellors' perceptual sex role differences in Dutch secondary education

In a pilot study two Dutch secondary schools have been investigated with respect to four characteristics of school counselling as perceived by the school counsellors and students: (1) What counselling in the school should or should not be; (2) What are the reasons for starting a counselling activity; (3) What are the outcomes of school counselling; and (4) What are the necessities for school counselling. As a total group both males and females disagree with students on the practice of counselling within the context of the school, while both groups agree with students on the person oriented aims of counselling. Males and females perceive different reasons why counselling in the school is necessary and they perceive different kinds of outcomes. Female counsellors perceive markedly less reasons for counselling in school achievements of students than males, while they report more reasons for counselling than males where the prevention of conflicts between students in the classroom are concerned. Apart from discrepancies between male and female school counsellors, the students perceive more counselling outcomes than both groups of counsellors in terms of coping behaviour and conflict management. Students and counsellors disagree on several necessities for counselling, such as the amount of commitment required for counselling duties and the prerequisites of cooperation and support between counsellors.

Female Student Counselors and Child Sexual Abuse: Theirs and Their Clients'

Signs and symptoms in adult women who were molested as children are discussed, and suggestions are made for counselor educators to assist students who have “unfinished business” about their own molestation.

Strategies for improving health care for foreign students and dependents. Report of the National Association for Foreign Student Affairs-American College Health Association Joint Task Force on Foreign Student Health Care.

Abstract Leong, F. T. L, & Sedlacek, W. E. A Comparison of International and U.S. Student Preferences for Help-Sources. Research Report No. 1–85, Counseling Center, University of Maryland, College Park, 1985, 11 pp. A questionnaire on the preference for 12 help-sources for an educational-vocational and an emotional-social problem was completed by 194 international students during their orientation program and by 179 first-semester U.S. freshmen. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that, in comparison with the U.S. students, the international students were more likely to prefer help on an educational-vocational problem from a faculty adviser, faculty member, relative, or male or female counselor and less likely to seek help from a parent or a student or nonstudent friend. For an emotional-social problem, the international students were more likely than were the U.S. students to prefer a faculty member, faculty adviser, male or female counselor, psychiatrist, or physician and less likely to prefer a parent, an older friend, or a student or nonstudent friend. (28 ref)—Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park. Cited in Higher Education Abstracts.

Seeking help for drinking problems from a community-based voluntary agency. Patterns of compliance amongst men and women.

Summary A consecutive series of Problem drinkers (n = 112) attending a community‐based voluntary agency were followed up over a 6‐month period, in order to measure their compliance with treatment. This was assessed by recording time in treatment, number of sessions attended and method of leaving the agency. Particular attention was focussed on source of referral, and women's use of services in a facility which provided female counsellors for women in a non‐stigmatized setting.In common with many other treatment agencies attrition rates were high. This was especially true for self‐referrals. However, those coming through the usual referral channels attended more frequently. Clients attending from the Courts, hostels and from employers attained the highest rates of compliance. Women were poorly represented amongst these coercive type referrals, perhaps explaining their lower rates of attendance.

Opinions of Clergy and Guidance Counselors about the Desirability of Irrational Beliefs in Children

About one-third of 102 clergy and none of 118 female high school guidance counselors regarded Ellis's Beliefs 3, 8, 9, and 10 as desirable for young children. More than one-fifth of male high school counselors judged Beliefs 3 and 9 to be desirable.

Effects of profanity, touch, and sex of the counselor on perceptions of the counselor and behavioral compliance: Implications for rational-emotive therapists

The present study investigated the effects of profanity, touch, and sex of the counselor on perceptions of the counselor and on behavioral compliance. Ninety six undergraduate psychology students attended a self help presentation on principles of mental health, according to rational-emotive theory. At the end of each presentation the counselor recommended that the subject pick up a book request card (initial compliance) and mail it away (delayed compliance) in order to receive a free copy ofA New Guide To Rational Living. The subjects were also asked to rate their preceptions of the counselor on the dimensions of expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness. The results indicated that the use of profanity led to significantly lower perceptions of trustworthiness and a significantly lower level of delayed compliance. Female counselors were rated as more expert, attractive, and trustworthy as compared with male counselors. There was no effect of touch on any of the dependent measures. Implications of these findings for the rational emotive therapist are discussed.

Effects of counselor and subject race and counselor physical attractiveness on impressions and expectations of a female counselor.

Effects of counselor and subject race and counselor physical attractiveness on impressions and expectations of a female counselor.

Edwards Personal Preference Schedule correlates of addiction counselor effectiveness.

Edwards Professional Preference Schedule scores of 21 male and 10 female paraprofessional chemical dependency counselors working at inpatient treatment centers were correlated with ratings and rankings of effectiveness by supervisors and peers. Counselors judged as more effective scored higher on Dominance and Heterosexuality and lower on Order. When compared to their respective normative samples, both male and female counselors scored higher on Intraception and Heterosexuality and lower on Order and Endurance. The findings suggest that characteristics suitable for other types of counseling activities are not necessarily optimal for alcoholic and addiction counselors.

Effects of counselor and subject race and counselor physical attractiveness on impressions and expectations of a female counselor.

Effects of counselor and subject race and counselor physical attractiveness on impressions and expectations of a female counselor.

Female counselor–client dyads: Effects of counselor age, client marital status, and intimacy level of presenting problem on perceptions of counselors.

Female counselor–client dyads: Effects of counselor age, client marital status, and intimacy level of presenting problem on perceptions of counselors.

Practicing Counselors' Awareness of Gifted Students' Characteristics

The objectives of this study were to determine to what extent counselors accurately identify gifted, average, and mentally retarded students according to students' described behavior and to identify the characteristics of gifted students. A total of 441 counselors employed in public schools throughout one southwestern state were involved. To collect the data a mailed questionnaire was developed. The results suggested by the mean scores on the two subscales indicated that the counselors lack information about behavioral characteristics of gifted students. The female counselors more accurately than male counselors identified behaviors associated with different types of students and the characteristics of gifted students.

Male and female counselor and client perceptions of four levels of counselor touch.

In this study, counselors (60 men, 60 women) and clients (60 men, 60 women) each evaluated a videotaped vignette of a counselor-client interaction with one of four counselor touch conditions depicted: no touch, touch of client's hand, touch of client's shoulder, semi-embrace. Dependent measures were the Counselor Rating Form and the Personal Attribute Inventory. Three-way multivariate analyses of variance (Treatment X Subject Gender X Subjects' Client vs. Counselor Status) yielded no significant interactions. However, significance was obtained for the main effects of treatment and subjects' client versus counselor status. Subsequent analyses revealed that the counselor in the semi-embrace condition was perceived as less trustworthy than those in any of the other conditions. Also clients perceived the counselor as more expert, attractive, and trustworthy than did counselors.

Male and female counselor and client perceptions of four levels of counselor touch.

Male and female counselor and client perceptions of four levels of counselor touch.

Ratings of counselor expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness as a function of counselor sex role and subject feminist orientation

This study investigated the effect of sex role-incongruent behavior upon evaluations of counselor expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness, the extent to which these three dimensions are differentially perceived in “masculine” and “feminine” counselor roles, and the possible moderator effects of subject feminist orientation. Eighty male and eighty-six female undergraduates heard one of four audiotapes of a counseling interaction in which the male or female counselor behaved in a stereotypic masculine or feminine manner. Subjects rated the counselor's expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness on the Counselor Rating Form and filled out a measure of feminist orientation. Results indicated no differences in ratings of counselors as a function of their role-congruent or -incongruent behavior but did show the feminine counselor role to be perceived as more attractive and trustworthy than the masculine role. Ratings of counselor expertness were unaffected by counselor role. Additionally, feminists were found to evaluate masculine counselor behavior more positively than nonfeminists. Identification of professional versus sex-role expectations of clients for counselors and their implications for counseling practice are discussed.

Pretherapy Information, Counselor Influence, and Value Similarity: Impact on Female Clients' Reactions

This study examined the effects of pretherapy information, participants' views on premarital sex, and counselor influence attempts on female participants reactions to a female counselor. These results are discussed in relation to previous research.