This article provides an integration of the empirical research literature on child psychotherapy and what the author has gleaned, first hand, in counseling work with gifted children and youth, and their families, over his 40-year career as a clinical psychologist. The article focuses on best practices in counseling gifted students in a way that…

This article identifies what student mental health professionals need to know about legal issues of relevance to threat assessment and management. The article summarizes the common law duties and the common law and statutory standards of care that are likely to apply to the work of college and university threat assessment and management teams. The…

When Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein took his teenage daughter to the Lollapalooza music festival during a Chicago heat wave some years ago, the huge electronic displays that typically show performance schedules also flashed periodic admonitions: DRINK MORE WATER. YOU SWEAT IN THE HEAT: YOU LOSE WATER. "The sign was a nudge," wrote…

Students entering college face many obstacles to success. Students who received a General Education Development (GED) face additional barriers that must be addressed in order for success in higher education. The Successful Transitions and Retention Track Program employs a holistic approach to addressing the needs of GED holders entering college.

The imperative to integrate spirituality in counseling has been well documented in the counseling literature. Developing spiritual timelines is one creative technique that may help clients with spiritual concerns. The purpose of this manuscript is to briefly review spirituality in counseling, describe the use of spiritual timelines as a creative…

Distance librarians working with graduate programs often discover many of their students have specialized information needs and require additional instruction. However, it can be impossible to discover these students without first becoming deeply involved with the program. Librarians at Benedictine University have developed a method for becoming…

A practicing school counselor discusses the necessity of providing specialized guidance and counseling services for gifted and talented learners. Unfortunately, school counselors today may not have adequate knowledge or training to be able to provide such services and some may have attitudes and biases that prevent effective work with these…

Utilizing Joseph Campbell's concept of the hero's adventure, this article provides a technique through which clients can story their lives and challenges as an unfolding personal myth or epic adventure. The use of personal narrative and storytelling has found efficacy in the counseling field and, as such, forms a useful foundation for clinical…

This article begins with a 12-year-old girl's story that serves as an example of how "caring coaches" in the schools contribute greatly in helping schools become hopeful places for children. Helping students become more hopeful is rewarding for the students, teachers, school psychologists, counselors, parents, and other caring adults. Twenty years…

International students in higher education represent a diverse population with unique mental health needs. Foreign students commonly experience a host of adjustment issues, including acculturative stress, language difficulties, cultural misunderstandings, racial discrimination, and loss of social support. Despite their challenges, few…

Utilizing creative techniques within the counseling session makes the content come alive for both counselor and client. When combined with a solid theoretical foundation, creative metaphors provide a powerful tool for empowering clients and helping them sustain change. This article describes a creative way to use the Winnie the Pooh characters to…

Community-based mental health services are increasingly challenged by waiting lists for individual counseling. A strengths-based, brief solution-focused counseling (BSFC) model was used to increase the number of clients served while maintaining high-quality services. Clients who participated in BSFC experienced both shorter wait times than did…

Using fictional stories with adults in group and individual counseling sessions facilitates exploration of difficult topics in a safe and nonthreatening way. These stories deepen awareness and increase problem solving skills. This article describes how fictional stories can be used by counselors with adult clients. It also illustrates strategies…

A forerunner in therapeutic treatment explores new avenues of working with youth in the Autistic Spectrum through a group approach and discovers the need for flexibility and accommodations to make it work. In 2000, Starr Commonwealth--an internationally recognized leader in transformational programs for children, families, schools, professionals…

This article features Community Service Foundation/Buxmont Academy (CSF Buxmont) school, in Trevose, Pennsylvania, which operates alternative schools using restorative practices. CSF Buxmont operates eight schools, 16 foster group homes, and probation and drug-and-alcohol supervision programs for youth, which are demonstration programs of the…