Multiculturalism has been defined as the fourth force in psychology, one which complements the psychodynamic, behavioral, and humanistic explanations of human behavior. Pederson's (1991) definition of multiculturalism leads to the inclusion of a large number of variables making multiculturalism generic to all counseling relationships. Locke (1990)…

With character education as one of the fastest growing reform movements in education today, counselor educators and counseling students need to be informed and cognizant of various character education programs. Currently, more than 30 states mandate some aspect of character education and school counselors are frequently responsible for introducing…

A form of consultation called staff development or in-service training is the clearest definition of counselor consultation with the judiciary. The role of the counselor educator is uniquely appropriate to meet the needs of judges. The ability to effectively utilize a variety of media is most appealing to judges. The knowledge base of counseling…

This digest focuses on issues of supervisory evaluation and feedback. It suggests that there exist some fairly basic premises from educational psychology, educational evaluation, and counselor supervision literature that can improve supervision evaluation practices, and thus reduce the ambiguity and uncertainty about evaluation in supervision.…

A variety of strategies and methods are available to supervisors for use with counselors whom they supervise. This digest provides a summary designed to acquaint supervisors with techniques for enhancing the counseling behavior of their supervisees while also considering individual learning characteristics as depicted by the supervisee's…

This digest reviews perspectives on the supervisory relationship from the recent supervision literature. It examines the relative importance of the relationship within the total supervision process; variables which influence the relationship; and how the relationship differs when working with experienced versus inexperienced counselors. The…

This digest on counselor intentionality notes that the counseling profession has historically searched for characteristics and behaviors that contribute to successful helping relationships. It identifies one such characteristic, the counselor's level and degree of intentionality, as relating to the notion that successful counselors select their…

Community is a state of being together in which people lower their defenses and learn to accept and rejoice in differences among people. The characteristics of true community are true inclusivity; no one is exclusive or excluded. People are social creatures who desperately need each other not only for company but for meaning in their lives.…

School counselors are beginning to find family counseling an effective and needed skill. Moreover, family counseling represents a distinctive alternative for resolving persistent problems in the schools. Re-training opportunities for school counselors wanting to engage in family counseling have been limited. With appropriate training,…

This digest focuses on Information Process Recall (IPR), a supervision strategy developed to increase counselor awareness of covert thoughts and feelings and to deepen the therapeutic relationship between the counselor and the client. Steps in conducting IPR are given as a guideline for conducting IPR recall sessions using audio or video tapes. To…

This digest identifies the issues which must be addressed to make instruments and procedures for assessing school counselor performance efficient, fair, valid, and useful. (BH)

The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) is the largest counselor certification agency in the U.S. and is widely recognized as a national credential based upon training, experience, and performance on a written examination. NBCC has developed two examinations: the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and the National Career Counselor…

Substance abuse is a major social problem and concern for counselors. It is the most prevalent mind disorder encompassing some 40% of the diagnoses in the DSM-IV, the number one continuing health problem, and the number one prison problem in the United States. Yet, school, rehabilitation, and mental health counselor education programs do not…

This digest discusses several major issues in the area of assessment of counselor performance, looking at the need for counselor assessment, areas of assessment in counselor performance, evaluation methods, evaluators, and the time of assessment. Several recommendations are made for more effective assessment of counselor performance. (NB)

The importance of extensive, high-quality counseling supervision has become recognized as critical to learning, maintaining, and improving professional counseling skills. Peer consultation models offer counselors a viable adjunct or alternative experience to traditional approaches to counseling supervision. Research provides accumulating support…