Racism Attitudes,White Racial Identity Attitudes,and Multicultural Counseling Competence in School Counselor Trainees

The author investigated the relative contributions of prior multicultural training, racism attitudes, and White racial identity attitudes to self‐reported multicultural counseling competence in 99 school counselor trainees. After accounting for the number of previous multicultural counseling courses taken, results revealed that racism attitudes and White racial identity attitudes together contributed to significant variance in self‐perceived multicultural counseling competence. In particular, higher levels of racism were correlated with lower levels of self‐reported multicultural counseling competence. Moreover, higher Disintegration racial identity attitudes held by Whites were associated with their lower levels of self‐perceived multicultural counseling competence. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

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.     

College Counseling for Self‐Injurious Behavior: A Case Study

This case study describes the counseling experience of a college woman undergoing treatment to address self‐injurious behavior. The article presents and illustrates a counseling approach that is conceptually based on attachment and object relations theory. The approach emphasizes the client‐counselor relationship and the need to establish a supportive interpersonal environment as the main factors contributing to positive change in the client's self‐injuring behavior.     

Exploring the Relationships Between Counseling Students’ Cultural Factors,Academic Aptitude,and Self‐Efficacy

The authors explored the pattern of change in counseling students’ (N = 373) counseling self‐efficacy (CSE) throughout their program and the influence of identifying variables. Results indicated that specific factors significantly predicted students’ initial CSE levels and the rate of CSE change. Implications for future research and counselor education programs are presented.     

Speaking Through the Body: The Incidence of Self‐Injury,Piercing, and Tattooing Among College Students

Self‐injurious behaviors were compared with tattooing and piercing in a college population. Findings indicate a high prevalence of self‐injury. Students who self‐injured were motivated by a desire to alleviate emotional pain; students who tattooed and pierced by self‐expression. Students who self‐injured scored higher than students who tattooed and pierced on measures of depression and scored lower on self‐esteem and sense of control scales. The incidence of all 3 body‐altering behaviors was higher among participants reporting physical/sexual abuse or eating disorders.     

Attachment,Entitlement, and the Impostor Phenomenon in Female Graduate Students

This study examined the utility of attachment and entitlement as predictors of the impostor phenomenon in female graduate students. Findings suggested that individuals with high levels of self‐reliance/self‐assurance entitlement are able to associate positive feedback with stable internal attributes. Those with anxious attachment and narcissistic expectations/self‐promotion entitlement, however, were unable to openly accept positive feedback because of perceived deficits in self‐worth. Implications are discussed for addressing these issues with female college counseling clients.     

Mindfulness and Counseling Self‐Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Attention and Empathy

This study examined the predictive relationship between mindfulness and counseling self‐efficacy and the potential mediating effects of attention and empathy. Master's‐level counseling interns and doctoral counseling students (N = 179) were surveyed to determine levels of mindfulness, attention, empathy, and counseling self‐efficacy. Pearson product‐moment correlation coefficients revealed significant pairwise relationships between the 4 variables of interest. A multiple‐mediator path analysis supported the hypotheses that mindfulness is a significant predictor of counseling self‐efficacy and that attention is a mediator of that relationship. Results suggest that mindfulness may be an important variable in the development of key counselor preparation outcomes.     

School Counseling Site Supervisor Training: An Exploratory Study

This study explored the supervision training needs of site supervisors of master's program school counseling interns via the construct of self‐efficacy. Using the Site Supervisor Self‐Efficacy Survey developed for this study, the authors surveyed school counseling site supervisors in the states of Oregon and Washington (N = 147) regarding their hours of supervision training and their supervisor self‐efficacy. Results indicated that 54% of school counseling site supervisors had little or no counseling supervision training. Supervisor self‐efficacy appeared to be relatively strong, consistently so for school counseling site supervisors with over 40 hours of supervision training. A partial correlation indicated a slightly positive relationship between the hours of supervision training received and perceived self‐efficacy regarding supervision. Implications regarding school counseling site supervisor training and future research are offered.     

Self‐Compassion,Affect, and Body Image in College Women

The aim of this study was to understand the relationships between self‐compassion, positive affect, negative affect, and variables representative of positive body image for college women. Regression analyses indicated that self‐compassion and affect accounted for 39% and 30% of the variance, respectively, in body appreciation and body image quality of life. Mediational analyses demonstrated that positive affect mediated the relationships between self‐compassion and both indicators of body image. Implications for college counseling are discussed.     

Applying Self‐Efficacy Theory to Counselor Training and Supervision: A Comparison of Two Approaches

Counseling self‐efficacy, an individual's perception of his or her competence to conduct counseling, is an important component of understanding how counselor trainees subjectively construct their counseling and training experiences and subsequently develop into competent counseling professionals. The author describes 2 approaches to using self‐efficacy theory to develop and implement counselor training and supervision interventions: the self‐efficacy enhancement approach and the self‐efficacy in context approach. Suggestions for tailoring counseling self‐efficacy assessment to the accompanying approach are included.     

Unfolding Case‐Based Practicum Curriculum Infusing Crisis,Trauma, and Disaster Preparation

The authors evaluated an unfolding case‐based approach to a practicum in counseling course infusing crisis, trauma, and disaster preparation for changes in students’ crisis self‐efficacy across a semester. The course, informed by constructivist‐developmental pedagogy and centered on the unfolding case, resulted in significant increases in students’ crisis self‐efficacy.     

Self‐Compassion Among College Counseling Center Clients: An Examination of Clinical Norms and Group Differences

There has been growing interest in the mental health benefits of self‐compassion. This study was designed to establish norms on the Self‐Compassion Scale–Short Form, a popular measure of self‐compassion for individuals seeking counseling, and to examine group differences in self‐compassion based on gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, previous counseling, and psychiatric medication use. Data for this study were collected through the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, a practice‐research network of more than 240 college and university counseling centers.     

The Gap Between Influence and Efficacy: College Readiness Training,Urban School Counselors,and the Promotion of Equity

This phenomenological study presents 11 urban school counselors’ perceptions of their graduate education in school counseling in relation to their engagement in college readiness counseling with low‐income, 1st‐generation college‐bound students. Findings from 2 rounds of interviews suggest that intentional strategies to integrate postsecondary readiness and planning into counselor education curricula is necessary to efficiently prepare school counselors to promote college access and success for at‐risk youth, thereby reducing the inequities that currently exist in postsecondary degree attainment.     

The Impact of Performance Feedback on Counseling Self‐Efficacy and Counselor Anxiety

Based on the Social Cognitive Model of Counselor Training (L. M. Larson, 1998), this study explored the effects of bogus performance feedback on counseling self‐efficacy and counselor anxiety. After a 10‐minute mock counseling session, 45 master's‐level trainees received either positive or negative bogus feedback regarding their performance. Results showed that (a) participants altered their counseling self‐efficacy depending on the performance feedback they received, and (b) participants reported changes in anxiety following performance feedback.     

The Influence of Stigma on College Students' Attitudes Toward Online Video Counseling and Face‐to‐Face Counseling

The difference in attitudes toward online video counseling and face‐to‐face counseling and the relationship between stigma and these attitudes were investigated among a sample of 588 college students. Attitudes toward face‐to‐face counseling are more favorable compared with those toward online video counseling. However, self‐stigma does not influence attitudes toward online video counseling to the same extent as face‐to‐face counseling. Services delivered through online video counseling may be beneficial for those experiencing higher levels of stigma.     

College Counseling Center Clients' Expectations About Counseling: How They Relate to Depression,Hopelessness, and Actual‐Ideal Self‐Discrepancies

Clients' expectations affect many aspects of counseling. This study examined relationships between depression, hopelessness, actual‐ideal self‐discrepancies (AISDs), and clients' expectations about counseling among 80 college students. Less hopeless participants expected more improvement from and more commitment to counseling. No significant relationships were found between depression or AISDs and expectations among the original sample. Among graduate students, AISDs related to counselor nurturance expectations. Implications for college counselors are discussed.     

Nontraditional Students' Service Needs and Social Support Resources: A Pilot Study

In response to a mail survey, 53 nontraditional undergraduates provided information about their reasons for reentering college, the likelihood of using services for nontraditional students, and sources of social support. Participants reported career, self‐improvement, and family issues as primary reasons for reentry. They reported they would be likely or very likely to use campus services, especially career counseling. More than 60% reported strong social support from family and friends.     

Factors That Influence Self‐Efficacy of Counseling Students: An Exploratory Study

The study examined whether age, prior work experience, number of courses taken, and number of internship hours have a positive relationship with counseling self‐efficacy. Participants were 116 counselor education students. The results from correlation and multivariate analyses of covariance revealed that the length of internship hours and prior related work experience were positively correlated with counseling self‐efficacy. The differences in counseling anxiety, affection adjustment, and assessment found between the students in programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and those in non‐CACREP‐accredited programs disappeared when the background variables were controlled as covariates.     

Self‐Compassion,Trait Resilience,and Trauma Exposure in Undergraduate Students

The authors investigated the relationship between self‐compassion and trait resilience and tested the potential moderating roles of these variables in the relationship between trauma exposure and general psychological distress in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 296). Results revealed a significant relationship between self‐compassion and trait resilience. Self‐compassion emerged as a significant moderator in this relationship, whereas trait resilience did not. Given high rates of trauma exposure in college student populations, implications for counseling are discussed.