Scholarly Productivity of Editorial Board Members of Three American Counseling and Counseling Psychology Journals

The scholarly journals in professional and scientific fields serve the function of communicating new knowledge and informed discourse on the major issues affecting the field of counseling, and editorial board members (EBMs) serve as gatekeepers of what information will be communicated. The ability of EBMs to make sound judgments directly affects the quality of research and scholarship published. This study analyzed one important EBM qualification, the scholarly productivity of the editorial board members of three major American counseling journals (The Counseling Psychologist [TCP], the Journal of Counseling Psychology [JCP], and the Journal of Counseling and Development [JCD]). An analysis of the productivity rates of editorial board members on these journals was conducted using the PsycINFO database. The results indicated that editorial board members of JCP have significantly more experience publishing than members of TCP and JCD. The differential publication rates of editorial board members suggest that these three journals place different emphasis on scholarly productivity as part of their selection criteria for editorial board membership and may reflect that the three journals have different missions and serve different clientele. These findings have implications, not only for the profession of counseling in the United States, but also for the international counseling community.This article is dedicated to our esteemed colleague, Stephen G. Weinrach, who died after a long and courageous battle with leukemia on April 24, 2004. This article was the last that Steve was working on prior to his death. It was his brainchild. The contributions that Steve made to the counseling profession over the years are inestimable. He was truly through his numerous writings and professional association activities the “conscience of the couseling profession.” He is dearly missed.     

Citation Patterns in Recent Issues of Counselor Education and Supervision

This study compares the citation patterns of Counselor Education and Supervision with those of the Personnel and Guidance Journal, the Journal of Counseling Psychology, and the Counseling Psychologist. Citations from Counselor Education and Supervision for 1979 and 1980 were analyzed in terms of the most frequently cited authors and works published prior to and after 1958. The findings reveal that although there is some overlap between the works and authors cited in Counselor Education and Supervision and those cited in the counseling psychology journals, there is a sizable and unique body of literature and pool of authors cited in Counselor Education and Supervision. The impact of multiple authorship, the dependence function (within-journal citation) and other issues in counseling citation research are discussed.     

C.H. Patterson: Reflections on Client-Centered Therapy

C.H. Patterson (Pat) has long been a prominent contributor to counseling and counselor education. His published works have been many and varied, including such books as Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy and Foundations for a Theory of Instruction and Educational Psychology. Though these efforts have proven of considerable value, Pat's presentation and interpretation of client-centered therapy has been of particular significance. In this article Pat is interviewed regarding his current views on the client-centered approach.     

Comparing Counseling and Clinical Psychology Practitioners: Similarities and Differences on Theoretical Orientations Revisited

The study compared the theoretical orientation preferences of practitioners of clinical and counseling psychology. A total of 221 participants (110 clinical and 111 counseling) completed a web-based survey. Theoretical orientation preference was assessed using a modified version of the Theoretical Orientation Profile Scale-Revised (TOPS-R; Worthington & Dillon in Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 36, 95–105, 2003). MANCOVA results showed that profession, gender, and years of clinical experience were related to choice of theoretical orientation. Counseling psychology practitioners indicated use of the feminist and multicultural orientations significantly more than clinical psychology practitioners. In contrast, clinical practitioners indicated use of the cognitive-behavioural orientation significantly more than counseling practitioners. The implications of these differences are discussed with respect to the training and practice of both clinical and counseling psychology practitioners.     

An Exploratory Investigation of the Counseling Competencies Scale: A Measure of Counseling Skills,Dispositions, and Behaviors

The authors examined the psychometric properties of the Counseling Competencies Scale (CCS; University of Central Florida Counselor Education Faculty, 2009 ), an instrument designed to assess trainee competencies as measured in their counseling skills, dispositions, and behaviors. There was strong internal consistency for the 4‐factor model for midterm data (.927) and the 5‐factor model for final data (.933). Interrater reliability for the total CCS score was .570, and criterion‐related validity (correlation between the total score on the final CCS and semester grade) yielded a moderate correlation (r= .407, p < .01). Thus, the results provide initial support for using the CCS to assess counseling students’ professional competencies.     

One School, Many Differences: An Assessment Tool for School Counselors and Multicultural Counseling

Multicultural counseling competencies (MCCs) have typically been measured with instruments designed for and normed on mental health professionals – for example, MCCTS-R; Holcomb-McCoy (Professional School Counseling 4:195–208, 2001); MCI; Sodowsky et al. (Journal of Counseling and Development 41:137–148, 1994); D’Andrea et al. (Journal of Counseling & Development 70:143–150, 1991). One published instrument specifically assesses school counselor MCCs – MCCTS-R; Holcomb-McCoy (Professional School Counseling 4:195–208, 2001) – but it does not conform to ASCA standards (2010, E.2). Following a set of validation procedures, an instrument designed to specifically assess school counselors’ multicultural counseling competencies was created that conforms to American School Counselor Association and Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development standards. Its creation is detailed here and the resulting instrument is presented for examination and consideration.     

Salience of Emotional Intelligence as a Core Characteristic of Being a Counselor

The authors investigated the association between emotional intelligence and counseling self‐efficacy. Participants were 140 counseling students and practicing counselors who completed the Emotional Judgment Inventory and the Counseling Self‐Estimate Inventory. Emotional intelligence differentiated counselors from noncounselors (Mdn d = .6650) but provided mixed results in differentiating counseling students and counselors. Moreover, the emotional intelligence factors Identifying Own Emotions, Expressing Emotions Adaptively, and Using Emotions in Problem Solving successfully predicted counseling self‐efficacy of both counseling students and practicing counselors (R = .537). Emotional intelligence may be another marker for individuals exploring professional counseling as a career and for improving students' counseling self‐efficacy.     

Review and Analysis of the Journal of College Counseling: 1998–2005

The Journal of College Counseling (JCC) began its life in 1995 with the appointment of a founding editor and its 1st editorial board. The 1st semiannual issue of the journal was published in spring 1998, and the journal has continued to be published twice each year since then. This article presents an analysis and discussion of the content of the first 15 issues of JCC. Implications and recommendations for the future of the journal are discussed.     

Preparing Counselors for Work with Older People

Several indicators suggest that older persons have been accepted as one of the special populations in U.S. society with whom counselors may appropriately work and for whom counselors need special preparation. Various approaches to providing such preparation are identified, including the integrated, separate course, concentration, and interdisciplinary models. Advantages and limitations of each model are discussed. The basic competencies described in the Accreditation Manual of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (1982) are proposed as an appropriate guide for the content of gerontological counseling curricula. Examples of how gerontological counseling topics can relate to the basic competencies are provided.     

Vicarious Traumatization,Trauma‐Sensitive Supervision,and Counselor Preparation

Counselor educators have an ethical responsibility to prepare counselors and supervisors to detect and resolve vicarious traumatization in themselves and their supervisees. This article reviews relevant literature on vicarious traumatization and strategies to mitigate it. Also included is a review of the American Counseling Association's (2005) ACA Code of Ethics and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs' (2007) proposed 2009 standards as each relates to trauma counseling and vicarious traumatization. Specific counselor preparation practices are suggested.     

College Counseling Today: Contemporary Students and How Counseling Centers Meet Their Needs

There is evidence that today’s college and university students are struggling with emotional and behavioral health problems at higher rates than in past generations. This article explores the various ways, utilizing a range of models, that college and university counseling centers have mobilized to respond to these challenges. We examine literature about the characteristics and concerns of the current student generation along with what counseling centers are doing to respond to the challenge of student needs. We describe a survey (N = 408) of members of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) and American College Counseling Association (ACCA) that elicited the kinds of services, functions, structures, and organizational relationships found in today’s counseling centers. In addition to confirming the core mission of providing counseling and psychotherapy, the survey revealed widespread counseling center collaboration and consultation activities beyond the counseling room. The survey also indicated a variety of administrative and structural arrangements in the way counseling centers are placed on their individual campuses. Finally, we suggest a framework for planning, executing, and evaluating counseling center and campus initiatives.     

Pedagogy in Counselor Education: A 10‐Year Content Analysis of Journals

This content analysis includes 230 peer‐reviewed articles regarding teaching and learning published in journals of the American Counseling Association and its divisions between January 2001 and December 2010. Results include examination of focus, pedagogical foundations, and the methodologies used. Implications for the scholarship of teaching and learning in counselor education are discussed.     

Integrating DSM-III-R Training Into School,Marriage and Family,and Mental Health Counselor Preparation

The authors discuss integrating Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edition, revised; DSM-III-R; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) training into the school, marriage and family, and mental health counseling tracks of a master's level program that was designed according to Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs standards.     

Use of the MSJCC: A content analysis of ACA journals

Using quantitative content analysis, we examined the prevalence and use of the Multicultural Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC) in 21 ACA journals between June 2015 and July 2021. We found that only 7.62% of the articles (n = 2860) referenced the MSJCC. Implications for counselor educators are discussed.     

Social science: A vehicle of white supremacy?

The traditional body of knowledge of white oriented scholarship has neglected the non-traditional knowledge system of people of color. This has resulted in developing counseling and mental health approaches that have limited relevance when applied to non-white populations.Paper prepared for the 1985 International Round Table for the Advancement of Counseling (IRTAC), Utrecht, The Netherlands.     

Counseling Programs' Informed Consent Practices: A Survey of Student Preferences

This study examined 115 master's‐level counseling students' preferences for content, timing, and method of programmatic informed consent. Students rated the majority of items as moderately or extremely important to receive, and they indicated a desire for the informed consent to be facilitated through a combination of both oral and written methods throughout their programs of study. Results reinforce and go beyond the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (2009) and American Counseling Association (2005) expectations for informed consent. Implications for counselor education are discussed.     

A Measure of Counselor Competency

Counselor educators need to be able to demonstrate their effectiveness in training new counselors; however, currently few valid or reliable measures exist for assessing educators' impact. The authors describe the development of such an instrument, the Counseling Skills Scale. They began by revising an existing scale and then they solicited feedback from experts and a focus group. They used the instrument to compare beginning counselors‐in‐training with those who had completed a counseling skills course. Finally, they conducted an item analysis. A paired t test showed significant improvements in counseling skills (t = 4.51, p < .000) from pretest to posttest. Cronbach's alpha showed internal consistency to be .90.     

Trainees Versus Staff: Exploring Counseling Outcomes in a College Counseling Center

Investigators compared counseling outcomes among nonpaid graduate-level trainees and professional staff at a college counseling center. Counseling outcomes for 331 college student participants were measured using the Outcome Questionnaire 45.2 (OQ45.2), employing a pretest–posttest design. The two groups of service providers did not differ significantly (p = .179; α > .05). A unique aspect of this study was the statistical control for the clients’ readiness to change. The implications for practice in college counseling centers suggest the use of graduate-level trainees as effective counseling providers and a method to cope with high demand for services.     

Quantitative Research Attitudes and Research Training Perceptions Among Master's‐Level Students

This study explored master's‐level counseling students' (N = 804) perceptions of training in the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs ( 2009 ) Research and Program Evaluation standard, and their attitudes toward quantitative research. Training perceptions and quantitative research attitudes were low to moderate, with no statistical differences across program accreditation or specialty area. Implications and possibilities for future research are discussed.