Juleen K. Buser

A Narratology of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Clients’ Experiences Addressing Religious and Spiritual Issues in Counseling

Although spiritual and religious themes have been found to be salient for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) individuals, a paucity of research has explored how these themes are attended to in the counseling context. This qualitative investigation used a narratology approach to explore the counseling experiences of seven LGBT clients around spiritual and religious issues. The narrative which emerged included (a) negative counseling experiences, (b) client perseverance in locating additional counseling, (c) positive counseling experiences, and (d) a reframing of counselor responsibility. The results of this study contain implications for future research, clinical practice, and counselor training.

Influence of Mindfulness Practice on Counseling Skills Development

This study assessed the impact of mindfulness practice, incorporated alongside a five-week counselor skills training model, on the counseling skills development of master’s-level trainees (N = 59). Three groups of counseling students were studied: those who engaged in no mindfulness practice; those who engaged in a brief amount of mindfulness practice (five mindfulness practice sessions); and those who engaged in an extended amount of mindfulness practice (11 mindfulness practice sessions). The results showed improvements in counseling skills associated with mindfulness practice, although the brief and extended intervention groups did not significantly differ from one another.

Good Grief: The Part of Arts in Healing Loss and Grief.

Abstract This manuscript considers the way that several creative media -including music, videography, visual arts, literature, drama, play, and altar-making-can be utilized in assisting the multifaceted grief process of clients. In particular, attention is given to the ability of creative media to enable clients to maintain a connection to the deceased, to access and express complicated emotions, and to gain confidence in authoring a newlife story in the midst of loss.

Justice in the Family: The Moderating Role of Social Self-Efficacy in the Relationship Between Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Interactional Justice From Parents:

For this study, the researchers recruited a sample of college men and women (N = 874) and examined the relationships among nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in the past year, social self-efficacy, and two dimensions of interactional justice (IJ) from parents (specifically, interpersonal justice and informational justice). Results indicated that both dimensions of IJ were inversely associated with NSSI and, second, that social self-efficacy moderated both of these relationships. Clinical implications of these findings for family counselors are discussed.

Childhood Food Addiction and the Family

Food addiction among children is a concerning issue. Few empirical studies have examined the relevance of food addiction among pediatric samples, but emerging evidence suggests that some children experience their eating patterns as addictive. The present review will discuss the issue of food addiction among children, and will also attend to the related concepts of binge eating and obesity. Several family factors that have been implicated as contributing to problematic eating practices among children will be discussed, including family functioning, parental modeling, parental pressure, and the impact of low socioeconomic status. Finally, implications for counselors who work with families struggling with food addiction will be presented.

Family, Friends, and Romantic Partners of Eating Disorder Sufferers The Use of Spiritual/Religious Coping Strategies

Individuals who reported having a friend, family member, or romantic partner with current eating disorder symptoms (n = 82) participated in this study. Participants documented the types of spiritual/religious coping strategies they used when coping with the stress of being close to an eating disorder sufferer. Following correlation analyses, we found a significant association between two types of negative spiritual/religious coping (spiritual discontent religious coping and punishing God/Higher Power reappraisal religious coping) and increased depression. In a regression analysis, only spiritual discontent religious coping remained significantly linked with depression. Clinicians who work with clients who are close to eating disorder sufferers can draw on these findings to inform therapeutic interventions.

Spiritual and Sexual Identity: Exploring Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients' Perspectives of Counseling.

ABSTRACT Although religious and spiritual issues have emerged as areas of focus in counseling, very few scholars have explored the meaning and experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients who addressed their sexual and religious/spiritual identities in counseling. Using consensual qualitative research (CQR; Hill, 2012), the current study explores the perspectives of 12 LGB persons who sought counseling that involved religious/spiritual concerns. Four themes in participant interviews are identified, including (a) self-acceptance, (b) goals of counseling, (c) identification with counselor, and (d) counseling environment and relationship. Implications of findings for the counseling field are discussed.

Counselor Training in the Use of Spiritual Lifemaps: Creative Interventions for Depicting Spiritual/Religious Stories

In this study, the authors explored the experiences of 39 students trained in the use of the spiritual lifemap intervention. Participants reflected on their experience via essay responses. Three predominant themes emerged: (a) aversion to the topic of spirituality/religion, (b) the spiritual lifemap as facilitative of breadth and depth in client expression during role-play sessions, and (c) appreciation of the creative elements of the spiritual lifemap. Based on these themes, the authors suggest implications for counselor training.

Protecting Women from the Negative Effects of Body Dissatisfaction: The Role of Differentiation of Self

ABSTRACT Body dissatisfaction is a prevalent and concerning issue among college age women. Due to its strong association with eating pathology, identification of moderating variables is a crucial line of inquiry. The present study investigated the ability for an intrapersonal differentiation-of-self variable (“I” position) to attenuate the impact of body dissatisfaction on anorexia and bulimia symptoms among college women participants. Study findings indicated that an “I” position moderated the body dissatisfaction-bulimia relationship and the body dissatisfaction-anorexia relationship. These findings signified the protective influence of a high “I” position for women with high levels of body dissatisfaction. Research and therapeutic implications are discussed.

Relationships With Individuals Facing Eating Disorder Symptoms Using Transcendental Phenomenology to Understand This Experience

Due to a dearth of qualitative research on the experience of friends, nonparental family members, and romantic dating partners of those struggling with eating disorder symptoms, we undertook a phenomenological inquiry into this issue. After interviewing 12 participants who had a friend, family member, or romantic dating partner with eating disorder symptoms, we identified four main themes: (a) compassionate emotions toward the individual with eating disorder symptoms with a subtheme of concomitant emotions of frustration and/or anger, (b) sharing the burden of concern for the struggling individual, (c) intervening with boundaries, and (d) detrimental impact of the eating disorder on the relationship with the struggling individual and the participant’s own body image and/or eating behaviors.