Loretta J. Bradley

The Use of Expressive Techniques in Counseling

ABSTRACT This manuscript explores and identifies the use of expressive techniques in counseling. Although verbal techniques are important, sometimes the best of verbal techniques are not sufficient. Creative, expressive techniques can add a new, important dimension to counseling. Such expressive techniques as cinema, art, and music are described to help counselors deal with ethical dilemmas, grief and loss, and substance abuse. These techniques can assist counselors and their clients in reframing ideas, shifting perspectives, externalizing emotion, and deepening an understanding of an experience or an issue.

Counselling expectations of international students

International students not only face the normal adjustment problems of young adulthood but also the adjustment to a different culture. A random sample of 100 colleges and universities was contacted. International students enrolled at the institutions completed a questionnaire designed to assess the counselling preferences of international students. Results are discussed in terms of desirable counsellor characteristics and implications for counsellor training. Suggestions are made for facilitating counselling with international students.

The Effects of a Self-Monitoring Process on College Students' Learning in an Introductory Statistics Course

Abstract Sixty-nine graduate students enrolled in a statistics class participated in this study, which investigated the effects of self-monitoring on learning and attitudes toward learning. With protocols designed for this study, subjects in a self-monitoring condition recorded frequency and intensity of their learning activities and rated self-efficacy of solving statistical problems. Subjects in an instructor-monitoring condition evaluated the instruction provided in the class. Subjects in a control condition took the course without any research activity. Scores obtained from class examinations and attitude inventories were the dependent variables. As predicted, the self-monitoring group performed better than did the instructor-monitoring and control groups. No attitude difference was found. Implications for teaching graduate-level statistics are discussed, and future research on self-monitoring is suggested.

Ethical Code for the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors

The Board of Directors of the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC) requested the IAMFC Ethics Committee to revise the IAMFC Ethical Code (2006). The revised Ethical Code of the IAMFC focuses on current issues in marriage and family counseling. The Ethical Code of IAMFC (2011), which appears in the following article, has been approved by the Board of Directors of IAMFC and the American Counseling Association and is consistent with the current Code of Ethics of the American Counseling Association (2005).

E-mail and Ethical Issues

The proliferation of the use of e-mail and texting has created some ethical dilemmas for family counselors. Although e-mail can expand and encourage communication, it is not problem free and, in fact, can pose problems. There are issues with privacy, confidentiality, and maintaining an appropriate professional relationship. Family counselors should be aware of the promises and pitfalls in using e-mail and related technologies.

Multicultural counselling supervision: A four-step model toward competency

Multicultural elements and issues are a vital part ofeffective counselling supervision. However,traditional counselling supervision has not provideda conceptual framework that integrates multiculturalissues. The purpose of this paper is to provide afour-step model for the development of multiculturallycompetent counsellors. The four-step model includes:(a) developing cultural awareness of the counsellingsupervisor; (b) exploring the cultural dynamics of thecounselling supervisory relationship; (c) examiningthe cultural assumptions of traditional counsellingtheories; and (d) integrating multicultural issuesinto existing models of supervision.

Shelly: A Case Study Focusing on Ethics and Counselor Wellness

Counselors experience stress and anxiety as part of their profession. However, frequently counselors do not attend to their own needs regarding self-care and wellness, thus, placing themselves at risk of ethical violations relating to counselor impairment. In this article, a case study is presented with a correspondent wellness plan illustrating ways that counselors might implement self-care strategies to improve their wellness. The wellness treatment plan is written in conjunction with a physician, a cardiologist, who suggests simple ways to assess and monitor wellness.

Ethical Decision Making: Basic Issues

Among counselors, ethical dilemmas occur often. Although ethical dilemmas are challenging, they can be solved by implementing a code of ethics and/or an ethical decision-making model. Using case studies, the authors illustrate how counselors can make informed, accurate decisions that are made to protect the welfare of the client. It also helps counselors avoid ethical violations.

Interpersonal Theory and Music Techniques: A Case Study for a Family With a Depressed Adolescent:

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-A) is a brief, time-limited therapy developed for use with adolescents diagnosed with major depression. IPT-A has been shown to be effective with adolescents in family counseling milieus. Music therapy techniques also have been successfully used to treat adolescent depression. This article provides mental health counselors and family counselors with information about a case study in which these two modalities were successfully integrated. In addition, this article provides explanations of IPT-A treatment protocols and music therapy techniques that might be utilized in a family therapy setting.

The practice research network: Research into practice, practice into research

Abstract The purpose of the broader project on which this report is based was to utilize a Practice Research Network, an alternative to traditional clinical studies to 1) identify demographically one practice group, namely professional counselors in the United States, 2) describe their practice patterns, and 3) identify their client population and the efficacy of their clinical work through client outcomes based on actual client reports. This article describes the development of one such nation-wide Practice Research Network (PRN) and provides some preliminary findings for each phase of the project. Use of the PRN model can help overcome the traditional “research to practice” gap and provide research results into community practice thus integrating outcomes measures into the daily practice of mental health professionals. During the early phases of this project, a software program was developed upon which the participating practitioners could identify the data elements within the parameters of the focus on...