Applying Qur’anic Metaphors in Counseling

In recent years there has been increased attention to the importance of appropriate and relevant counseling interventions with culturally and religiously diverse populations. In accordance with the fact that Muslims rely on Qur’anic verses when answering the larger questions of life, “metaphor therapy” comes across as a technique that counselors can employ with Muslim clients. Although several authors have suggested the use of therapeutic metaphors from various religious texts in a broad manner, relatively little has been published on the application of metaphors from the Qur’an in counseling. This article explains the value of Qur’anic metaphors as therapeutic tools in counseling.     

Mandatory Counseling: Clinical Beneficence or Malevolence?

Mandatory counseling is a widespread and commonly accepted practice on college campuses throughout the nation. This practice bestirs heated controversy and ethical challenges when college administrators require students to undergo counseling in instances of misconduct that pose little danger to self or others. Apparently many counselors actively and approvingly undertake mandatory therapy with students; others take exception and decline to undertake involuntary counseling; and still others acquiesce by undertaking mandatory counseling with students despite their ethical objections to this coercive clinical practice. This article will highlight the rationales for ethical objections to mandatory counseling.     

International Counseling Trainees’ Experiences and Perceptions of Their Multicultural Counseling Training in the United States: A Mixed Method Inquiry

This study examined international counseling students’ (ICTs) experiences and perceptions of their multicultural counseling training (MCT) in the United States. The focus was on (a) relevance of the training, (b) effectiveness of the training methods, and (c) development of cross-cultural competence as trainees. Major findings indicated that ICTs found their MCT to be more useful in the areas of knowledge and awareness rather than in skill development. Dissatisfaction was expressed with training received; limited applicability to country of origin was noted. MCT in the US appears to reflect primarily a Westernized approach to teaching and learning related competencies. Implications and recommendations for counselors and educators are discussed.     

Master’s Students’ Experiences in a Multicultural Counseling Role-Play

This study examined the experiences of master’s students in regard to their participation in a multicultural role-play and review process (Jencius et al. 2004). Whereas the literature has supported the use of role-plays as a multicultural training technique (Alvarez and Miville 2003; Vazquez and Garcia-Vazquez 2003), there is a distinct lack of information on the actual role-play experience itself. The data analyzed from participants’ reported experiences about their student counselor and student client roles in this study offers valuable feedback to those who teach multicultural counseling. Participants reported qualitatively different experiences based on which particular role they held.     

Turkish School Counselors and Counselor Educators’ Perceptions about Multicultural Counseling

This paper examines the topic of multicultural counseling in Turkey, where school-based multicultural counseling services remain comparatively limited in scope and application. Participants consisted of twenty-three counselors working in secondary or high schools and fourteen counselor educators from several state universities. While the participants expressed mostly positive attitudes towards multicultural counseling, school counselors tended to regard it only as a client-focused, acculturation process. Not unexpectedly, counselor educators approached the process mainly in terms of how to effectively apply it toward various minority groups in Turkey.     

Conceptualizing the Counseling Training Environment Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory

While learning environment research has been growing in popularity over the past few decades, little attention has been given towards the learning environment of graduate students, and virtually no attention has been given specifically towards graduate counseling and related programs such as professional counseling, clinical and counseling psychology, and marriage and family therapy. In this paper we propose using Bronfenbrenner’s (1979, 1992) ecological theory as a model to conceptualize the training environment of such counselor preparation programs. Through the application of Bronfenbrenner’s theory, counselor educators and counseling trainees can better understand the systemic nature of the training environment that they create and where they train. Implications and recommendations for future research are provided to further advance the knowledge and awareness of the counseling training environment.     

The Impact of Postmodernism on Counseling: Boon or Bane?

This article explores the impact of postmodernism on counseling theory and practice. First, it provides an overview of theoretical frameworks of postmodernism. Next, it examines the effects of postmodernism on counseling theories and modalities. Then, it identifies the strengths and limitations of postmodern counseling and points out that one way to address these limitations is to find a synthesis of modernism and postmodernism. Finally, it recommends that the Chinese traditional theory of Yin and Yang might be helpful to such a synthesis. A caveat is: though postmodernism has much to contribute to counseling theory and practice, critical and reflective thinking on its impact is warranted.     

A Phenomenological Exploration of Bhutanese Counselors’ Experiences with Western Counseling

Bhutan has recently invited the profession of counseling to aid in responding to growing mental health problems, social and family issues, and school and career guidance needs. This study is a phenomenological investigation of the experiences of Bhutanese counselors with Western counseling in order to understand the cultural fit between Bhutan and Western counseling orientations. Eleven participants were interviewed and four themes identified: conceptualization of counseling, Bhutanese culture, Bhutanese counseling, and the relationship between Western counseling and Bhutan. Suggestions are made for a potential model of Bhutanese counseling, counselor training, ongoing Western contributions, and the further development of the counseling profession.     

Medicare Reimbursement for Counselors: Counseling Professionals’ Advocacy Beliefs and Behavior

The authors analyzed data from 5,528 American Counseling Association members to examine advocacy beliefs and behavior regarding Medicare reimbursement and advocacy for counselors. Nearly half (49.3%) of the respondents had participated in one or more forms of Medicare reimbursement advocacy. Advocacy participation differed significantly by professional status.     

International Immersion in Belize: Fostering Counseling Students’ Cultural Self-Awareness

International cultural immersion provides an in vivo, authentic, cross-cultural experience that can enhance multicultural awareness, knowledge and skills. This article examines the impact of an international immersion on graduate counseling students’ cultural self-awareness using a qualitative approach. Five graduate counseling students participated in a 3-week study abroad in Belize where they interacted with persons from diverse cultural backgrounds and settings. Four major cultural self-awareness themes emerged from the analysis of participants’ journals, (a) discrimination and prejudice, (b) cultural pride and appreciation, (c) cultural sensitivity, and (d) self-awareness. The findings are presented along with implications for future research and the use of international immersion as a viable experiential teaching strategy to enhance counseling students’ cultural self-awareness.     

Legal Action Taken Against College and University Counseling Centers 1986–2008

In this exploratory study, archival survey data were examined in an effort to determine the general prevalence and nature of legal action taken against college and university counseling centers during the 23 years from 1986 and 2008. While relatively infrequent, a variety of lawsuits and other sorts of legal complaints were filed by student clients and their families as well as by counseling center staff and trainees during this period. Certain types of complaints were more common, such as inappropriate boundary crossing, misdiagnosis, and wrongful hospitalization, and centers affiliated with larger schools appeared more likely to be the target of legal action. The outcomes of these legal challenges were also examined.     

Asian International Students’ Willingness to Seek Counseling: A Mixed-Methods Study

Using a mixed-methods survey design that was predominantly quantitative, this study explored Asian international students’ willingness to seek counseling. Participants were 177 Asian international students recruited from a U.S. Midwestern University. After controlling for attitudes toward psychological help-seeking and past counseling experience, academic stress was significantly and positively related to willingness to seek counseling for academic problems. Qualitative data were also collected using one open-ended question in the survey: “What comes into your mind when you think about ‘counseling’ or ‘mental health counseling’?” The qualitative analyses revealed positive perceptions of counseling as well as a personal reluctance to seek counseling.     

University Counseling Centers’ Perceptions and Experiences Pertaining to Emotional Support Animals

Increasing numbers of students are requesting accommodations for emotional support animals (ESAs) in higher education settings. Since the legislation pertaining to this type of service animal differs from the laws governing disability service animals, colleges and universities are faced with developing new policies and guidelines. A sample of 248 University Counseling Centers (UCCs) completed a survey about student requests for ESA letters of support from their counselor. The UCCs were also asked if they issue official disability diagnoses for clients. Responses showed that UCCs are not yet being asked to write many letters of support for ESAs—56.9% almost never do it, and 31.05% do it only several times per year. And, only 47.18% of UCCs write official diagnosis letters in support of disability accommodations. Yet, most UCCs are aware of the need for official policies in this arena. This article provides general recommendations for establishing university policies.     

Second-Generation Adult Former Cult Group Members’ Recovery Experiences: Implications for Counseling

Cult survivors experience psychological challenges after leaving a cult, and reintegration into society can be a difficult process. Children who are born and raised in cults face additional challenges (e.g., effects of abuse and neglect, attachment disorders, and lack of education). Scant attention has been paid in the literature to the experiences and treatment needs of these second-generation cult survivors. In this study, the experiences of 15 second-generation adult former cult members were explored involving constructivist grounded theory and a social justice-focused inquiry. Findings hold promise for increasing counselors’ understanding of former cult members’ experiences, needs, and concerns, supporting competent counseling practice with this population.     

College Students’ Likelihood of “no-showing” for an Initial Hypothetical Counseling Appointment

Using a vignette methodology, we examined college students’ likelihood of “no-showing” for a hypothetical initial appointment for counseling. Participants in a low level of distress condition were less likely to attend their appointment as compared to those in a high distress condition. Knowing they would see a male therapist and not knowing what counseling entails strongly influenced participants’ decision to not attend their appointment. We discuss the research and clinical implications of our findings.     

Students’ Perceptions of Mental Health Counseling in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Counseling services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have focused on counseling in the elementary and secondary schools. To date, the idea of the private practitioner of mental health counseling has been virtually nonexistent. However, education officials at the University of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been exploring the option of following the international trends of preparing students for mental health counseling services, with special emphasis in marriage and family. A counselor education degree would allow individuals to operate private practices to address various concerns that impact individuals within the society at large. No instruments that measure perceptions of counseling from an international perspective were found for the purposes of this study. Therefore, it was necessary for the authors to devise and test a new tool. Surveys were completed by a sample of 141 undergraduate students regarding their perceptions of the importance of counseling in UAE society and the role of the counselor in society and other general questions regarding perceptions of counseling. With this initial effort, psychometric properties of the ‘Perceptions about Counseling Survey’ appeared promising. Results revealed that students had a favorable view toward the role of the counselor in UAE society. Results further revealed that students perceived the counseling profession as favorable. Given that the participants were predominately female, the results were analyzed from the social and cultural perspective of women in Arab society and the social psychological theory of ‘attitude’ is considered as a contextual backdrop.