Range Of Counselling Research Articles

The DO ART Model: An Ethical Decision-Making Model Applicable to Art Therapy

Although art therapists have discussed the importance of taking a positive stance in terms of ethical decision making (Hinz, 2011), an ethical decision-making model applicable for the field of art therapy has yet to emerge. As the field of art therapy continues to grow, an accessible, theoretically grounded, and logical decision-making model is needed that will reduce ambiguity. This article introduces the DO ART model, a model that can be used in the practice of art therapy as well as in a range of counseling and therapy practices. The model uses an easy-to-remember mnemonic device and, by applying the model, art therapists can be more confident in taking ethical action when ambiguous dilemmas emerge in their practice.

Racial Disparities in Seeking Care for Help Getting Pregnant.

Fertility counselling and treatment can help women achieve their desired family size; however, disparities exist in the utilisation of this care. This study examines the persistence of a racial disparity in visiting a doctor for help getting pregnant by estimating the direct effect of this association using data from the Furthering Understanding of Cancer Health and Survivorship in Adult Women's Study, a population-based cohort study. This cohort included 1073 reproductive age women (22-45 years) with 28% reporting infertility. We fit log binomial models to quantify the magnitude of the racial difference in reported care seeking after adjustment for hypothesised mediators using inverse probability weighting. Compared with white women, black women were less likely to visit a doctor in the total population [adjusted risk ratio (RR) 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41, 0.80] and in the subgroup of women with infertility [RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.56, 0.99]. In addition, black women waited twice as long, on average, before seeking help compared with white women. There were notable racial differences in visiting a doctor for help getting pregnant in this study although reports of infertility were similar by race. These differences may be mitigated through improved communication about the range of counselling and treatment options available.

The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia: How the federation model contributes to the field

The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) is a self‐regulating professional peak body, comprising more than 40 professional associations for counselling and psychotherapy in Australia. It represents over 3000 individual practitioners from a range of counselling and psychotherapy backgrounds. This paper describes the decade‐long national consultative processes among practitioners, educators, and professional associations, which has resulted in a unique umbrella structure for member associations. This umbrella structure, the federation, has the potential to embrace and unite the field of psychotherapy and counselling, while maintaining the individual identity and purposes of member associations, in Australia. After describing the development, structures, and goals of PACFA, the paper outlines its major achievements. It then describes an important project on Self‐Regulation in Counselling and Psychotherapy. The objectives of this project are to investigate and further develop an Australian professional self‐regulation model, building on the community consultation processes initiated by PACFA in the mid‐1990s. This paper provides a review of key issues for self‐regulation, explores the options available in the Australian context, the model development to date, and outlines the national consultative processes currently under way to address the challenges facing the profession in Australia. We also discuss the importance of the dialogic and consensual processes adopted by PACFA in establishing a legitimate and credible voice for the profession as a whole in Australia. The paper ends with an overview of some challenges to the future of counselling and psychotherapy in Australia.

Theoretical approaches to psychological trauma: Implications for research and practice

In recent years, a range of counselling and psychotherapy interventions have been developed in work with clients and patients suffering from the psychological effects of trauma. This paper outlines various theoretical models of psychological trauma, selected because they can specifically encompass both the external aetiology (i.e. the traumatic event) and also explain (to a greater or lesser extent) the enormous range of reactions to that event. These models are critically discussed in terms of their implications for counselling practice, and as guides to further research. Examples are given of ways in which the author has drawn on different theoretical frameworks to inform her own therapeutic practice in work with people experiencing post‐traumatic stress disorder.

Employee Assistance Programs Among Fortune 500 Firms

Abstract Since their inception fifty years ago, employee assistance programs (EAPs) have undergone fundamental changes. EAPs have widened the scope and deepened the intensity of the services they offer to employees. Currently many EAPs provide a wider range of counseling. As the number of EAPs has grown, their organizational structure has become increasingly more complex. By reviewing major trends, reporting on EAPs in Fortune 500 firms in 1997, and discussing the implication of the most recent developments, this article sets the stage for considering the EAPs as we move into the twenty-first century.

Using Simulation Techniques in the Counseling Practicum

To help meet the need to educate school counselors in the broader aspects of their work, the application of simulation techniques is suggested. A rationale is provided with discussion centering on the following points: (a) simulation offers an opportunity to provide specific training emphases, and (b) simulation offers a way of providing a wide range of counseling and guidance experiences not easily obtainable under regular practicum conditions. Specific examples of simulation are described, including a case study, a PTA speech, a teachers' meeting, a counselor's day, and a school board presentation. Benefits for counselor education programs which can be realized from simulation experiences also are discussed. Rather than choosing actors to play roles it is suggested that practicing counselors, state department personnel, doctoral students, and counselor education faculty should participate in simulation activities. As role players, they will gain an appreciation of current trends in the education of counselors.