Trevor J. Buser

Effects of Familial Attachment, Social Support, Involvement, and Self-Esteem on Youth Substance Use and Sexual Risk Taking

A study of protective factors against substance use and sexual risk taking was conducted among 610 high-poverty urban youth. Higher levels of family attachment, social support, involvement, and self-esteem were associated with lower levels of risk behaviors.

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.

The Impact of Musical Lyrics on the Lives of Graduate Counseling Students.

Abstract This study surveyed 28 graduate students in counseling on the meaning of lyrical music in their lives in a CACREP accredited program at an independent, southeastern university. Results showed that some songs were more popular or better remembered than others. It also showed that while some lyrics are personally meaningful and others convey important messages, a number of lyrics are just relaxing, joyful, and entertaining without a deeper level of significance to them.

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.

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.