Art therapy can be an effective way to focus on end of life issues with cancer patients facing imminent death. This viewpoint discusses ethical challenges in the treatment of a 63-year-old man with terminal lung cancer who was participating in short-term individual art therapy. Difficult issues that often surface in the final days of life may…

Education is a frequently used social work intervention. Yet it seems to be an underappreciated and a deceptively complex intervention that social workers may not be adequately prepared to use. Reliable, accessible information is essential as it helps prevent unnecessary crises, facilitates coping, and promotes self-determination. This article…

How might counseling professionals interact with clients facing their own or a loved one's serious illness or death and help prepare them for this severe stress and loss? Counseling professionals are encouraged to do no harm, be sensitive to beliefs and traditions, use life stories, and help resolve unfinished business.

Few resources seem to be available to support school communities that have a child whose death is anticipated. The present article draws on the experiences of school staff and special education employees who have been involved in New Zealand school communities where a child was terminally ill and died. These experiences could help other school…

Suggests and describes a six-session group for people with AIDS. Each session is related to a theoretical base and includes a related activity. Sessions are intended to meet psychological needs of the dying. In evaluations, participants recommend the format to others with AIDS. Includes 25 references. (Author/CRR)

This article presents a review of the literature on counseling adults with terminal illness, particularly the literature on the nature of preparation that counselors and other professionals who attend to the needs of adults with a terminal illness require. The authors review information and findings from philosophical, psychological, practical,…

Encourages counselors to recognize the value of incorporating the spiritual domain in their work and offers strategies that can be used to promote meaning-making when working with clients with limited life expectancy. The use of rituals and expressive activities is highlighted. (Contains 50 references.) (GCP)

Reviews experimental and quasi-experimental studies of psychological interventions designed to help individuals diagnosed with cancer reduce emotional distress, enhance coping, and improve their adjustment to the illness. Treatment components and mechanisms are discussed. Future research directions and challenges to scientific advance are…

Reviews the salient literature concerning the relationship between HIV/AIDS clients' counseling and spiritual issues. Three broad themes are used: terminal illness issues, religious disenfranchisement, and multicultural spiritual and religious issues. Practical recommendations for counselors and research implications are included. (Author/GCP)

The pragmatic question of assessing a client's situation with regard to rational suicide is raised. A review of the nine criteria for a diagnosis of clinical depression is suggested as a good way to explore the possibility of clinical depression in a terminally ill person who is considering suicide. (Author/EMK)

This introduction and outline correspond to a presentation at the American Counseling Association (ACA) 1999 World Conference. The author recounts his psychotherapeutic work with young gay men diagnosed with AIDS and his increasing awareness of their movement toward psychological health and the development of a deeper spirituality. His quest…

Presents evidence for heightened need among dying to explore religious-spiritual issues and explains how counselors might best approach this need. Approach explicated centers on nonjudgmental openness toward all of client's religious-spiritual explorations. Presents psychosocial tools than can be used to assess, examine, and amplify client's…

Defines amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as motor-neuron disease that is terminal. Discusses symptoms associated with ALS and identifies treatment options. Reviews psychological and behavioral adaptations in regard to ALS clients, their families, and professionals who work with them. Discusses support groups as method of reducing stress for ALS…

Medical family therapy grew out of the experiences of family therapists working with other professionals to provide comprehensive, integrated healthcare for patients. This is the story of one such patient and provides an account of the experience through quotes from videotaped sessions and electronic mail communications that occurred throughout…

This document discusses the application of a systems approach for family counseling for African American families with a family member infected with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It begins by citing statistics that illustrate that there exists a disproportionate representation of cases of AIDS among African Americans. A discussion on…