The role of the therapeutic bond when working with clients in suicidal crisis.
We examined the proposed sequential mediating model (suicidal desire to early bond to bond change to outcome) using structural equation modeling. The proposed sequential mediation model fits the data well, χ2(11) = 22.030, p = .0241, root-mean-square error of approximation = .053, 90% CI [.019, .085], comparative fit index = .983, Tucker–Lewis index = .977, and was a better fit than several alternative models. Further, the indirect effect from suicidal desire to outcome through early bond and bond change was significant (b = −0.474, 99% CI [−0.782, −0.203]). Our findings indicate that therapeutic bonds were benefi...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - February 19, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
How often should I meditate? A randomized trial examining the role of meditation frequency when total amount of meditation is held constant.
We examined whether the distribution of meditation practices across a day impacted outcomes in a distressed population. We investigated the effects of meditation practice frequency in a 2-week compassion-based meditation intervention delivered via the Healthy Minds Program app. Undergraduates with clinically elevated depression and/or anxiety (N = 351) were randomized to a massed (one 20-min meditation per day) or distributed condition (two 10-min meditations per day). Psychological distress (primary outcome; composite of depression and anxiety), experiential avoidance, fear of missing out, loneliness, and self-compassion ...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - February 19, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Perceptions and barriers about mental health services among Pacific Islanders: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.
This study explored how Pacific Islanders think about MH supports, including their attitudes toward and perceptions of barriers to receiving MH services. An interpretative phenomenological analysis focus group study was conducted with cross-generational Pacific Islanders residing in one western state. The findings include (a) PI perceptions that MH help seeking results in family burdensomeness, stigma, and shame; (b) negotiating PI social customs and beliefs related to MH help seeking, care, and support; and (c) PI mistrust of institutional resources. These themes seemed to interact with each other and create perpetuate ba...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - February 19, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Patient attachment and reflective functioning as predictors for therapist in-session feelings.
This study aims to improve the understanding of therapists’ emotional reactions in the psychotherapeutic setting by investigating if patients’ pretreatment mentalization ability and attachment style predicted therapist in-session feelings. In a sample of 87 therapy dyads treated with interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for depression, patient attachment was measured using self-reported Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) and mentalization using Reflective Functioning (RF). ECR and RF were hypothesized to predict therapist feelings measured by the Feeling Word Checklist–24 at different tr...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - February 15, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Members’ goal orientation and working alliance in group therapy: A response surface analysis.
Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol 71(3), Apr 2024, 179-189; doi:10.1037/cou0000722Research suggests that a client’s achievement goal orientation and alliance are important for positive treatment outcomes. However, it is currently unknown how a member’s goal orientation and alliance in tandem relate to members’ improvement in group therapy, despite conceptual wisdom regarding the additive effect of a high alliance and a mastery or approach goal orientation. Therefore, this study sought to examine the congruence between members’ goal orientation and the member–group alliance on members’ perceived improvement ...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - February 15, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
When you are the “other”: A scoping review of the experiences of clinicians of color working with White clients.
This study adds to this budding conversation by examining the extant literature on COC’s experiences. Results of the limited literature and hopeful future directions are discussed, including a discussion on cultural humility as a critical factor in individual and systemic change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology)
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - February 1, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
In the name of interests: A joint consideration of interest development and consequence.
Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol 71(3), Apr 2024, 155-169; doi:10.1037/cou0000723Vocational interests have been an important concept for career decision making and counseling. However, while researchers have separately explored the criterion validity of interest congruence and the formation mechanism of interests, there has been little joint, interactive consideration of the two key aspects of interests. A key issue remains unclear: Could interests with different focal formation mechanisms have different consequences? Drawing on the motivation and vocational literature, this article first explains why it is possible a...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - February 1, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Attaining decent work among Chinese rural migrants: Exploring the roles of psychological ownership and proactive personality within the psychology of working theory.
Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol 71(2), Mar 2024, 126-137; doi:10.1037/cou0000713Testing an adapted psychology of working theory (PWT) model (PWT; Duffy et al., 2016), this study examined how and when contextual constraints affect the ability of Chinese rural migrant workers (农民工) to attain decent work. Surveying a sample of 510 employed Chinese rural migrants at two time points, this study revealed that economic constraints and daily discrimination were indirectly related to attaining decent work through the mediating factors of work volition and psychological ownership over work. In addition, proactive persona...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - February 1, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
The iBelong Scale: Construction and validation of a measure of racial–ethnic–cultural belonging.
Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol 71(3), Apr 2024, 139-154; doi:10.1037/cou0000716The purpose of this study was to develop a measure of racial–ethnic–cultural (REC) belonging for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC). The iBelong Scale was designed to assess the multidimensional components of REC belonging across diverse BIPOC groups. The scale was constructed based on a grounded conceptual framework of REC belonging, and the initial pool of items received feedback from community members and content experts. Validation of the iBelong Scale comprised data from 808 BIPOC participants collected across t...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - January 25, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Inaugural editorial for Journal of Counseling Psychology.
Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol 71(1), Jan 2024, 1-6; doi:10.1037/cou0000721The Journal of Counseling Psychology serves as the premier journal for critical and rigorous research within the field and beyond. In their inaugural editorial for Journa, Liu is joined by their associated editors and inaugural JCP fellows who have agreed to share authorship and their positionalities. In considering the Journal of Counseling Psychology for research, the editors encourage authors to reflect on these positionalities and how they might integrate their own into their publications. The editorial provides direction and some suggest...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - January 11, 2024 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
“Me being myself isn’t a barrier”: Identity and praxis of nonbinary psychotherapists.
Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol 71(1), Jan 2024, 48-62; doi:10.1037/cou0000718Experiences of nonbinary psychotherapists have largely gone unexamined in the present literature. Using critical-constructivist grounded theory, we explored the experiences of 13 nonbinary licensed psychotherapists through qualitative semistructured interviews. Interviews were an average of 1.36 hr, and participants were recruited via social media and professional listservs. We found that nonbinary therapists ground their professional praxis—the embodiment of professional theory, action, and practice—in identity across four interconnect...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - December 7, 2023 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Identity management processes, contextual supports and barriers, and substance use among sexual minority workers: A social cognitive lens.
Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol 71(1), Jan 2024, 22-33; doi:10.1037/cou0000717Sexual minority people report substance use at higher rates than their heterosexual peers. Workplace sexual identity management, defined as the process by which sexual minority persons disclose or conceal their identities at work, may exacerbate substance use under stressful conditions, such as when faced with incivility. However, there is a paucity of research on the relation of the work environment to sexual minority workers’ substance use. The present study used the social cognitive career self-management model as a conceptual framewor...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - December 7, 2023 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Therapist and client perceptions of the working alliance: Codevelopment, linear growth, variability, and client functioning.
Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol 71(1), Jan 2024, 63-76; doi:10.1037/cou0000715Using longitudinal client and therapist working alliance ratings, previous research examined how alliance: average value, linear growth, variability, stability (autocorrelation), and partner responsiveness were associated with client outcome. However, no research simultaneously examined all of these dimensions. Omitting important variables in analyses could lead to overestimation of related effects. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine these effects simultaneously. Therapists (N = 45) and clients (N = 236) rated alliance afte...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - November 13, 2023 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Is empathic accuracy enough? The role of therapists’ interventions in the associations between empathic accuracy and session outcome.
This study investigated the relationship between therapists’ empathic accuracy (EA) concerning their clients’ emotions and session outcomes, and whether this relationship is moderated by the therapists’ use of different intervention types. A sample of 81 clients treated by 50 therapists in a university setting was used for the study. Following each session, clients rated the emotions they experienced during the session, as well as the quality of the session, while therapists rated their perception of their clients’ emotions. Findings revealed that therapists’ EA for negative emotions (but not positive ones) posit...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - November 2, 2023 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
Emotional expression and empathy in an online peer support platform.
Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol 70(6), Nov 2023, 671-681; doi:10.1037/cou0000705Online peer groups are a popular channel for mental health support, but the evidence for their effectiveness is mixed. The present study focused on empathy to better identify which supporters’ comments regulated seekers’ distress. We also explored how seekers’ emotions may shape supporters’ empathy. Posts (N = 7,646) published on an online peer support platform (“Emotional first aid [ERAN]”) were sourced. Supporters’ empathy (empathic concern, personal distress, exploration, and interpretation) and seekers’ emotional expre...
Source: Journal of Counseling Psychology - November 2, 2023 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research
