Jeana L. Magyar-Moe

Counseling Psychology's Focus on Positive Aspects of Human Functioning

The Major Contribution aims to provide interrelated articles that examine how counseling psychologys past and the complex world we live and work in bear on our professional understanding of human strengths and positive life outcomes. In this article, the authors examine the historical underpinnings of the positive in psychology, analyze the focus on the positive in counseling psychology scholarship through the decades (via a content analysis), and review scholarship that has shaped the strength-based work of professionals throughout applied psychology. The content analysis of a random selection of 20% (N = 1,135) of the articles published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology (JCP), The Counseling Psychologist (TCP), theJournal of Career Assessment (JCA), and theJournal of Multicultural Counseling and Development (JMCD) revealed that about 29% have a positive focus. This article calls attention to the positive in counseling psychology, and the authors encourage its members to reaffirm its unique positive focus by focusing more on strength in practice and research.

The Engagement Model of Person-Environment Interaction

This article focuses on growth-promoting aspects in the environment, and the authors propose a strength-based, dynamic model of person-environment interaction. The authors begin by briefly discussing the typical recognition of contextual variables in models that rely on the concept of person-environment fit. This is followed by a review of recent approaches to incorporating positive environmental factors in conceptualizations of human functioning. These approaches lead to an alternative model of personenvironment interaction in which the engagement construct (i.e., the quality of a personenvironment relationship determined by the extent to which negotiation, participation, and evaluation processes occur during the interaction) replaces the static notion of fit. Finally, the authors outline recommendations for overcoming environmental neglect in research, practice, and training.

A Positive Relationship Between Religious Faith and Forgiveness: Faith in the Absence of Data?

Religious faith and beliefs appear to play an important role in the lives of many individuals and are the topic of much research. The present study investigated the relationship between religious faith and forgiveness in a sample (n = 196) of college students. Students were asked to complete the Heartland Forgiveness Scale and the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire. Analyses of scores on both measures revealed a positive, significant correlation between these constructs, suggesting that there is a meaningful relationship between religious faith and the tendency to forgive. Implications and directions for further research are discussed.

Perceptions of Multicultural Training in Predoctoral Internship Programs: A Survey of Interns and Training Directors

Multicultural training at internship sites is a critical component in the preparation of doctoral-level psychologists, so the quality of this training is of the utmost importance. In the following study, the authors examine multicultural training from the perspective of predoctoral interns and training directors at counseling center sites that offer a major or minor rotation in multicultural therapy. Results suggest that perspectives vary between intems and training directors and that there is a great difference in the type of criteria used by each site as evidence of a major or minor rotation. The need for more standardized criteria to define major and minor rotations and suggestions for the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers, internship training directors, and prospective interns are discussed.

Positive Psychological Interventions in Counseling What Every Counseling Psychologist Should Know

Counseling psychologists are in a prime position to claim preeminence in the field of applied positive psychology. A number of misunderstandings or misconceptions of positive psychology seem to interfere, however, with the focus (or lack thereof) that has been placed upon training counseling psychologists to utilize and contribute to positive psychological scholarship and applications. In this article, the most commonly reported misconceptions are addressed, and foundational information regarding positive psychological constructs, theories, and processes most relevant to the applied work of counseling psychologists is reviewed. Counseling psychologists are encouraged to claim positive psychology as the logical extension of our humanistic roots and to consider how to both utilize and contribute to the growing body of positive psychological scholarship.

Voices of Early Career Psychologists in Division 17, the Society of Counseling Psychology

This article reports on a survey of early career members of the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP). Seventy early career psychologists completed a survey assessing the usefulness and climate of SCP, barriers to and facilitative factors for involvement in SCP, inclusiveness of SCP regarding cultural diversity and professional interests, degree of involvement in various aspects of SCP, and their areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction with SCP membership. In general, participants were split on the degree to which they were satisfied with SCP, with participants in faculty positions reporting significantly more positive views of SCP than their practitioner counterparts did. Faculty members viewed SCP as more useful to their careers and reported more positive social interactions within SCP than did non–faculty members. Open-ended responses suggested that satisfaction with SCP was related to availability of mentorship and opportunities for involvement in SCP. Suggestions for engaging new professionals in SCP are offered.

Incorporating positive psychology content and applications into various psychology courses

Courses devoted to the subject of positive psychology are becoming more common in colleges and universities throughout the United States and beyond, however, there are still many schools that do not have a positive psychology course as part of the psychology curriculum. This article was designed for instructors in such settings who desire to teach positive psychology, but do not have access to a course specifically on this topic or for those who already teach a positive psychology course but desire to implement positive psychology topics into other psychology courses as well. Although the recommendations in this article are not exhaustive in terms of covering all psychology courses and all aspects of positive psychology that have applications to these courses, the material provided should stimulate thinking about the various ways in which positive psychology can be infused into courses that are not entirely dedicated to the topic.

Note on Comparability of MicroCog Test Forms

This study investigated the differences between the Standard and Short forms of MicroCog by comparing Domain scores for a clinical sample of 351 substance abusers which gave a significant difference between scores on the Spatial Processing Domain. Implications for research and clinical use are discussed.

Finding Balance via Positive Psychological Assessment and Conceptualization: Recommendations for Practice

This article provides an integrated review of positive psychological assessment and conceptualization methods and tools currently available to practitioners within the framework of a new assessment model—the Comprehensive Model of Positive Psychological Assessment. Cultural considerations stemming from the Culturally Appropriate Assessment Model were incorporated into the Practice Model of Positive Psychological Assessment to provide a comprehensive positive psychological assessment model. Furthermore, practice recommendations grounded in the positive psychological literature are provided to enhance the implementation of this model at various assessment stages. In addition, specific tools are provided to fill the gaps within the literature and guide clinicians in the formulation of a balanced assessment and conceptualization, including the Comprehensive Model of Positive Psychological Assessment Intake–Adult and Child/Adolescent Forms, the Comprehensive Model of Positive Psychological Assessment Semistructured Clinical Interview, the Comprehensive Model of Positive Psychological Assessment Report Template, and a new diagnostic approach—the Balanced Diagnostic Impressions (DICE-PM) Model.

Positive Psychological Interventions

Research to date reveals a number of positive psychological approaches to therapy and specific activities and exercises based on the principles of positive psychology that therapists can utilize in their treatment of clients. This chapter first reviews the overarching practices of Strengths-Based Counseling, Strengths-Centered Therapy, Positive Psychotherapy, Quality of Life Therapy, Well-Being Therapy, and Hope Therapy. Then, it defines a variety of individual exercises designed to promote one or more positive psychology constructs. Strengths-Based Counseling is a model for conducting therapy based on the premises of counseling psychology, prevention, positive psychology, positive youth development, social work, solution-focused therapy, and narrative therapy. Although the model was created specifically for use with adolescents, the principles appear applicable for use with adult populations as well. The model is based on 12 propositions that outline the basic principles of Strength-Based Counseling, which is then carried out in a series of ten stages. The first three stages of Strengths-Based Counseling (i.e., building a therapeutic alliance, identifying strengths, and assessing presenting problems) are focused on the creation of a strong therapeutic alliance via helping clients to identify and use their strengths and competencies to confront their struggles.