This qualitative study explored the lives of 11 Black men to better understand how Black men who were raised in single Black mother homes build romantic relationships with Black women. One focus group and a series of individual in-person interviews were conducted with the participants who ranged between 23 and 43 years of age. Participants were asked questions that inquired about their family of origin, messages they received about relationships, how they define masculinity, their perceptions of Black women, and their previous and current experiences building romantic relationships. Guided by a narrative approach, several different coding methods were used to help reveal six core themes related to the study. Some of the more significant themes include: 1) conflicted feelings towards their parents and Black women; 2) male mentorship; and 3) masculinity. Because the study was conducted using a non-deficit approach, the findings were analyzed using Helms’ “Black racial identity development model”, critical race theory, and intersectionality; to conceptualize the participants’ experiences though the lens of White privilege, racism, oppression, and racial identity. The study revealed an inequity of empathy among the group of men related to their feelings towards their mothers and fathers. Additionally, then men’s feelings towards their mothers had a larger impact compared to their fathers on their perceptions of Black woman and how they build romantic relationships. This study is significant because it is the first study to simultaneously explore single Black mother homes and Black men and romantic relationships. Additionally, the study is significant because it provides rich insight about this specific topic and other features of the Black experience along with culturally relevant interventions and implications for counselors and counselor educators.

Many forms of distance clinical supervision (DCS) have been used in the last decade, but a sparse amount of research addressing (DCS) in counselor education exists to date. The author used random and snowball sampling to survey American Counseling Association members, with a analytic sample total of 96 participants. In the sample, 54.2% of participants were licensed counseling professionals and 39.6% were student or post-masters level interns. The average participant age was 43, ranging from 23 to 74 years. Participants had a mean of 8.1 years of experience. A total of 37.5% of participants had used DCS at some point for supervision sessions. Overall, participants have a positive attitude toward DCS, agreeing most that DCS is a valid form of supervision and that they are interested in learning about DCS. Overall, participants are being minimally exposed to DCS (x̅ = 1.61). A moderate, negative relationship (r = -.39, p < .001) exists between individuals whom have used DCS and attitudes toward DCS (Cohen, Cohen, West, & Aiken, 2003, p. 52). Also, a weak, negative relationship (r = -.23, p < .05) was found between individuals who have used DCS and their level of exposure to DCS. There is a limited amount of literature related to DCS and counseling professionals are being minimally exposed to distance clinical supervision. Despite limited exposure and literature, professionals are still using DCS to conduct supervision sessions. Therefore, it would seem important to increase research focused on DCS and develop relevant practices in order for DCS to be an effective form of supervision.

The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of the supervision process that takes place between the counselor education doctoral student and the doctoral student’s faculty supervisor from the perception of the doctoral student supervisor. The goal of this study is to identify salient constructs that impact the effectiveness of the supervisory experience. A qualitative design was used to collect and analyze data. Six doctoral student supervisors were interviewed and the data analyzed. Themes of the supervisory experience that impact the supervision process and outcome were identified. They were: Supervisor Competency, Supervisor Individual Characteristics, and Supervisory Relationship. Recommendations for future research and implications are discussed.

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The success of mental health counseling partially depends on the professionals who are providing these services, also on the quality of services they provide. To maximize their efficacy, counselors must achieve and maintain their own personal wellness. However, for counselors who work with people who have experienced trauma, there is an increased chance that these counselors will experience adverse effects from this work. In fact, the impact of trauma on counseling professionals is similar to actually experiencing the traumatic event themselves. Native Americans are more likely than any other racial group in the United States to experience chronic traumatization and victimization. As a result of this, Native Americans suffer disproportionate health disparities, including mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction. The research question of this phenomenological study is, “What are the lived experiences of Native American counselors working in the trauma-intense environment of a Native American reservation?”. In this study, three participants took part in a semi-structured, open-ended, individual interview. Through data analysis, four themes were identified about the participants’ shared experiences: the worth and weight of working on a reservation, the impact of culture and community on counseling, four forms of trauma impacting the counselor and their work, and the effects of personal and professional wellness on counselors. The discussion of these findings are presented, along with implications for future research and policy change. In short, the goal of this study is to assist Native American counselors in maintaining their wellness, so they may continue providing counseling services to a population of people who experience significant trauma.

Counseling students report a lack of competence in spiritual and religious integration (SRI). As such, counselor educators and supervisors (CES) and students want to understand how to develop SRI competence. Although past research highlighted SRI dialogue in training, the problem is that no clear understanding exists about the role of faculty supervisor SRI on perceived student competence. The supervision models used to inform the study included the integrated developmental model, discrimination model, and spirituality in supervision model (SACRED). The purpose of this study was to determine if master’s-level graduate counseling students’ perception of their faculty supervisors’ SRI practices predicted students perceived spiritual competence when considering attendance in faith-based and non-faith-based institutions accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP). A review of existing literature supported the use of a quantitative, cross-sectional design. An online survey was distributed to students (n=59) in master’s level CACREP counseling programs currently in field experience to measure perceived SRI in supervision and perceived SRI competence. A multiple linear regression revealed there was a statistically significant predictive relationship between supervisor SRI and perceived student competence as measured by the Spiritual and Religious Competence Assessment and the Spiritual Issues in Supervision Scale. These results inform CES about the importance of SRI and students’ ability to work with clients’ spiritual and religious beliefs. On this basis, it is recommended that supervisors focus on SRI in supervision. Future research should focus on additional factors related to SRI competence during counselor training.

Counselor educators prepare master's-level counselors-in-training on addiction topics. This content analysis examined the frequency and types of addiction topics for counselor educator continuing education. The results revealed limited attention to addiction topics within professional literature and conference presentations.

Empathy is one of the most important skills a mental health counselor can have. For instance, empathy plays a key role in retention and engagement in therapy for substance use disorder (SUD), which leads to improved client outcomes. Historically, SUD treatment has been provided by those in recovery with little formal education about counseling. Currently, academic requirements for SUD counselors vary, and most master'€™s level education programs rarely address SUDs. To determine whether SUD experience alone is related to empathy, a 2x2 factorial ANOVA was used in this study to examine the relationship between two independent variables (education status and recovery status) against the dependent variable of empathy for 607 SUD counselors. Findings showed that recovery status was not indicative of SUD counselor empathy, and graduate level education was associated with empathy in SUD counselors. As the epidemic of addiction continues to grow, having a competent workforce of licensed/credentialed SUD counselors is imperative, and this research shows that having a master'€™s degree in counseling may influence empathy in SUD counselors. Thus, the results of this research have the potential to shape licensure/credentialing processes for those seeking a career in the SUD field and improve outcomes for individuals with a SUD.

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