Compelling
Counseling
Interventions
Celebrating VISTAS’
Fifth Anniversary
Edited by
Garry R. Walz
Jeanne C. Bleuer
Richard K. Yep
Counseling
Outfitters
Counseling Outfitters, LLC
AMERICAN COUNSELING
ASSOCIATION
Compelling Counseling Interventions: Celebrating VISTAS’ Fifth Anniversary
Copyright © 2008 by Counseling Outfitters, LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in
the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States
Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed
in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without
the written permission of the publisher.
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Counseling Outfitters, LLC
P.O. Box 1208
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1208
Cover photograph by Garry R. Walz, Ph.D.
Cover design by TCA Graphics, Inc.
Editing and production supervision by Jillian Barr Joncas, M.A.
The photograph for the cover was specially selected because it beautifully portrays
the concept behind the Fifth Anniversary VISTAS – a collection of “gems”
representing a broad range of topics.
Garry R. Walz
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Walz, Garry.
Compelling Counseling Interventions/Garry Walz, Jeanne Bleuer,
& Richard Yep
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references
ISBN 13: 978-0-9795668-1-3 (alk. Paper)
Compelling Counseling Interventions:
Celebrating VISTAS’ Fifth Anniversary
Table of Contents
Preface.........................................................................................vii
About the Editors..........................................................................xi
About the Authors........................................................................xv
Section I. Counseling Children and Adolescents
Article 1. Moving Beyond Discipline of Disruptive
Behavior: Recognizing and Treating the Effects of
Trauma on Adolescents
Harriet A. Bachner and James F. Orwig.....................................1
Article 2. Needs Assessment for Adolescent Mothers: Building
Resiliency and Student Success Towards High School Completion
Valerie McGaha-Garnett ..........................................................11
Article 3. The Storyteller’s Companion: Counselors as Creative
Advocates for Bereaved Children
Peggy P. Whiting, Laura S. Wheat, and Loretta J. Bradley .......21
Article 4. Therapeutic Interventions for Children Who Have
Witnessed Domestic Violence
Paula T. McWhirter...................................................................31
Article 5. Outreach Intervention Reduces Recidivism in
Juvenile Delinquents
Cherie L. Barnes .......................................................................39
Section II. Counseling Families and Adults
Article 6. Marriage and Early Life Stressors as Correlates
for Depression and Anxiety: Implications for Counselors
Joseph B. Cooper, Dixie D. Meyer, and Robert H. Paul ...........49
Article 7. Therapeutic Alliance Directions in Marriage, Couple,
and Family Counseling
Barbara A. Mahaffey and Michael S. Lewis .............................59
iii
Article 8. Counseling Military Families
Lynn K. Hall..............................................................................71
Article 9. Challenges and Resiliency Factors of
Families with Internationally Adopted Children
JoLynne Reynolds and Sondra Medina.....................................81
Article 10. Interfaith Marriage and Counseling Implications
Tammy J. Shaffer.......................................................................91
Section III. Career Development and Counseling
Article 11. Multicultural Career Development Considerations
for Students in 8th to 12th Grades
David Olguin, Jeanmarie Keim,
Jasmin M. Arzate, and Cynthia Torres....................................103
Article 12. Promoting Career Development with
Low-Income Students of Color
Michael Nakkula, Lisa Danylchuk, Kyle Miller,
and Kori Tamerler...................................................................115
Article 13. Critical Considerations in Career and
Employment Counseling with Transgender Clients
Robert C. Chope and Laura C. Strom.....................................125
Section IV. Client Characteristics and Needs
Article 14. Counseling Across Generations:
Bridging the Baby Boomer, Generations X,
and Generations Y Gap
Sue Fleschner..........................................................................139
Article 15. Psychiatric Disabilities and Substance Abuse:
Applications for Rehabilitation Professionals
David A. DeLambo, Kananur V. Chandras,
Debra Homa, and Sunil V. Chandras......................................149
Article 16. Etiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of
Fibromyalgia: A Practical and Effective Approach
Leslie E. Ellis ..........................................................................161
Article 17. Spirituality and Wellness in Baby-Boomers:
A Mini Course for Experienced Counselors and
Counselor Educators
Mary Finn Maples...................................................................173
iv
Article 18. Commuter Campus Suicide Prevention Program
Challenges: Engaging Nontraditional Students and College
Faculty/Staff
Darren A. Wozny, Julia Y. Porter, and Joshua C. Watson ........187
Article 19. Who Am I Now? Helping Trauma Clients
Find Meaning, Wisdom, and a Renewed Sense of Self
Barbara E. Abernathy.............................................................199
Section V. Assessment, Evaluation, Accountability,
and Research in Counseling
Article 20. The School-Wide Cultural Competence
Observation Checklist for Professional School
Counselors: An Assessment Tool for Leading
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Schools
Judith A. Nelson and Rebecca M. Bustamante .......................211
Article 21. An Empirical Evaluation of a
Collaborative Child and Family Violence
Prevention and Intervention Program
Paula T. McWhirter.................................................................221
Article 22. Evaluating Counseling Process and Client Outcomes
Marlowe H. Smaby, Cleborne D. Maddux,
Ireon LeBeauf, and Jill Packman ............................................229
Article 23. Client-Based Assessment: A Fast Track to
Better Outcomes
John J. Murphy .......................................................................239
Article 24. Members’ Perceptions of Using Expressive Arts
in Group
Melissa Odegard and Rebecca Koltz .....................................249
Article 25. Advanced Ethical Considerations in the Use of
Evidenced-Based Practices and in Crisis/Humanitarian Work
Rita Sommers-Flanagan and John Sommers-Flanagan .........259
Section VI. Counselor Education, Supervision,
and Professional Development
Article 26. Advanced Training in Using Group Techniques
Jeri L. Crowell and Robert K. Conyne....................................273
Article 27. Positive Leadership in Counseling Workgroups
Richard F. Ponton and Alan A. Cavaiola ................................283
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Article 28. Trauma and Burnout: Counselors in Training
Jeanmarie Keim, David L. Olguin,
Scott C. Marley, and Amy Thieman.........................................293
Article 29. HIPAA for Dummies: A Practitioner’s Guide
Melissa Niccole Freeburg and
Ann Maureen McCaughan......................................................305
Article 30. The Counselor and the Disaster Response
Team: An Emerging Role
Julie A. Uhernik ......................................................................313
Appendix I
Authors and Titles of Additional Articles
Accepted for Inclusion in the ACA Online
Database of Counseling Resources ........................................................323
Appendix II
Accessing VISTAS Online .......................................................................327
vi
Preface
Prefaces, although usually present in monographs, are
frequently unread or briefly skimmed. For many readers, a preface is
passed over because it offers nothing new or worthy, is filled with
plaudits to persons unknown to the reader, or serves only as a
meaningless diversion to the reader’s goal of “getting to the guts of
the book” as quickly as possible. I will attempt to avoid all of these
pitfalls by providing a succinct statement that offers some insights
regarding the monograph – why it was written, what it contains, and
how it can profitably be used by the reader (who will hopefully
become a future contributor).
The VISTAS program was inaugurated five years ago because
a great deal of valuable information presented in the 500+ convention
programs each year – much of it cutting edge and previously
unreported – was available to only a select few people who were able
to attend the sessions. VISTAS was created to provide a means for
ACA program presenters to share their ideas, experiences, and
research outcomes with a much larger audience, people who can put
the information to immediate use to improve counselor preparation
and counseling practice. Full details of the VISTAS information
system, including how to access it and how to contribute to it, are
presented in Appendix II.
This publication celebrates the fifth year that Counseling
Outfitters, working in close partnership with ACA, has collected
articles for inclusion in the ongoing development of the VISTAS
database. All of the articles that are selected for VISTAS are entered
into the online ACA library; and, for four of the past five years, a
print publication has been produced to highlight articles that are
especially well written and contain particularly valuable information.
By the time this book is published, the VISTAS database will contain
the full text of over 300 articles that ACA members can access
through the ACA website.
ACA is unique among professional organizations in offering
its members a quick and easy way to share information with one
another – information that is frequently breaking new ground and
vii
Compelling Counseling Interventions
previously unpublished. It also provides graduate students, counselor
educators, and practicing counselors a valuable source for searching
and acquiring highly useful and unique resources on current and
emerging issues in the field.
This year’s special edition of VISTAS contains 30 articles
organized under six major sections and is noteworthy for its attention
to major challenges currently facing counselors, e.g., counseling
military families, counseling across the Baby Boomer, Generation
X, and Generation Y populations, and the emerging role of the
counselor as a member of a disaster response team. In most cases, the
articles offer innovative and practical strategies that counselors can
incorporate in their own training and practice endeavors.
There are three important characteristics that make this
selection of articles notable. First, having survived both the rigorous
reviews of the convention program reviewers and also the VISTAS
peer review panel, they are strong in substance. Second, they focus
on topics that are the bread and butter of today’s counselors; but often
they call for counselors to change how they view counseling and how
services should be delivered. Third, they are succinct and pithy. They
offer a quick read and a concentrated load of useful information.
It the beginning of this preface, I said that prefaces often
contain plaudits to persons unknown to the reader; so I won’t repeat
the list of contributors that made this year’s expansion of the VISTAS
database possible. You can quickly turn to the “About the Authors”
and “Appendix I” sections of the book to see who they are. However,
I do want to point out that the group contains both experienced ACA
authors and leaders as well as young professionals new to ACA. If
you don’t recognize some of the names, take note because they will
clearly become the idea-generators and leaders of tomorrow.
In 2008, we will add 63 new full-text articles to the database.
The first group of 30 articles is contained in this publication and will
also be entered into the online database. The authors and titles of the
second group of 33 articles are presented in Appendix I. These
articles are equally important, substantive, and well written; but for
a variety of reasons, not the least of which was limited space, they
viii
Preface
were selected for “VISTAS online only” inclusion. Together, the two
groups of articles constitute a valuable set of resources and do an
excellent job of describing where counseling is today and what can
be done to improve our programs and practices.
If I have had even a modicum of success in writing this
preface, two things will have occurred. First, you will want to explore
and experiment with the ideas and interventions available to you in
the VISTAS database, particularly those that are relevant to your own
counseling and/or teaching in this year’s publication. Secondly, you
will be turned on by what you find and will tell yourself “I, myself,
have important ideas and resources that I can share with others.”
Then, when the next “Call for VISTAS” is issued, you will use it as
a means to reach a far broader audience of “idea hungry counselors”
than you can through your presentation alone.
Thanks for reading this. We hope to see you – both in person
and in print!
Garry R. Walz, Ph.D.
Senior Editor
ix
About the Editors
Garry R. Walz, PhD, NCC, is past director of the ERIC
Counseling and Student Services Clearinghouse and a professor
emeritus of the University of Michigan. He established the
clearinghouse at the University of Michigan in 1966 and moved it to
the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1993, where it
continued until 2004 when the U.S. Department of Education
discontinued funding for all ERIC clearinghouses. He is currently
CEO of Counseling Outfitters, LLC, and CAPS Press, LLC.
Walz has authored and coauthored numerous books and
articles including Promoting Student Resiliency (with Kris Bosworth,
published by the ACA Foundation); Cybercounseling and
Cyberlearning: Strategies for the Millennium and Cybercounseling
and Cyberlearning: An Encore (both with John Bloom and published
by ACA); and Measuring Up: Assessment Issues for Teachers,
Counselors, and Administrators (with Janet Wall). He also initiated
and directed the ERIC/CASS Virtual Libraries, including the
International Career Development Library (ICDL) and the
Cybercounseling Web site (jointly hosted with ACA).
He is a past president of the American Counseling Association
and the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, as well
as a past chair of the Counseling and Human Development Foundation.
He has been recognized through numerous awards including ACA’s
Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Humanitarian Award, the National Career
Development Association’s Eminent Professional Career Award, and
ACA’s Distinguished Professional Service Award.
Correspondence: [email protected]
xi
Compelling Counseling Interventions
Jeanne C. Bleuer, PhD, NCC, is past codirector of the ERIC
Counseling and Student Services Clearinghouse at the University of
North Carolina at Greensboro and past associate director of the ERIC
Counseling and Personnel Services Clearinghouse at the University
of Michigan. She is currently CFO of Counseling Outfitters, LLC,
and CAPS Press, LLC.
Bleuer has worked as a school counselor, vocational
rehabilitation counselor, and social worker in a variety of settings
including elementary and secondary schools, residential treatment
facilities, and community counseling agencies.
She is the author of Counseling Underachievers and the
coauthor of numerous publications including Activities for
Counseling Underachievers, Counseling Young Students at Risk, and
Assessment: Issues and Challenges for the Millennium. She and Walz
have designed and conducted several national conferences and
training workshops on assessment, comprehensive guidance
programs, and the use of computers in counseling. They have been
corecipients of the ACA Distinguished Professional Service Award,
the IAMFC Professional Development Award, the RACC Exemplary
Contribution to Research in Counseling Award, the AAC Exemplary
Practices Award, and the ACES Publication in Counselor Education
and Supervision Award.
Correspondence: [email protected]
Richard K. Yep, MPA, is the executive director of the
American Counseling Association in Alexandria, Virginia, the largest
membership organization of professional counselors in the world. He
currently oversees a 53-member staff and an $8 million budget. In
addition to management of all staff functions, Yep works closely with
ACA governance in implementation of the policies that they adopt.
Yep is also the chief staff officer for the ACA Foundation.
Yep served as ACA interim executive director for 18 months
before his appointment as executive director in 1999. Prior to his most
recent appointment,Yep served ACA in a variety of positions including
xii
About the Editors
director of government relations, assistant executive director, and
senior associate executive director for corporate planning.
For more than 20 years, Yep has been involved in not-forprofit organizations. He began his career in a human service agency
working with the Native American population in northern Arizona
as a Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA). He then went on to do
direct service work in summer youth employment programs and the
TRIO programs that focused on youth from underrepresented
populations as they transitioned from high school to postsecondary
education. He also served as project director for an Asian American
AIDS education program.
Yep worked in the California State Legislature and in the U.S.
Congress as a legislative assistant, where he focused on education,
human service, and civil rights issues.
Yep received his bachelor’s degree from the University of
California, Santa Barbara, and a master’s degree in public
administration from the University of Southern California.
Correspondence: [email protected]
xiii
About the Authors
Barbara E. Abernathy is the Clinical Director of the Child Life
Institute in West Palm Beach, FL and an adjunct professor at Florida
Atlantic University. She is a doctoral student at Florida Atlantic
University and her primary research interests are multiculturalism,
health and counseling, how people deal with transitions in life, and
how individuals navigate disharmony between personal identity,
cultural identity, and community identity. (Article 19)
Jasmin M. Arzate is a master’s student at The University of New
Mexico. Her counseling emphases areas are in School and
Community Counseling, and her research interests include
adolescent bullying and widowhood. (Article 11)
Harriet A. Bachner is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and
Counseling at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS, teaching
developmental psychology, graduate counseling, and family therapy
courses. Prior to her current teaching, she had a private counseling
practice for 20 years, counseling couples and families in Dallas, TX.
(Article 1)
Cherie L. Barnes, LPC, NCC, is a Corrections Senior Parole Agent
with the Illinois Department of Corrections. Cherie’s areas of interest
include Offender/Corrections Counseling as well as Community
Mental Health. (Article 5)
Loretta J. Bradley is an Endowed Professor of Counselor Education
and the Program Coordinator at Texas Tech University. She is a former
President of both ACA and ACES and the recipient of numerous awards
for research and teaching in the field of counseling. Her interests include
creativity in counseling, aging, supervision, and ethics. (Article 3)
xv
Distance Counseling
Rebecca M. Bustamante is an Assistant Professor at Sam Houston
State University in the Department of Educational Leadership and
Counseling. Dr. Bustamante was a principal and school leader prior
to becoming a professor. Her research interests include culturally
competent schools, leadership responsibility in school-wide cultural
competence, and organizational change. (Article 20)
Alan A. Cavaiola is an Associate Professor of Counseling at
Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ. As a licensed
psychologist and professional counselor, Dr. Cavaiola also maintains
a private practice. Formerly the clinical director of an outpatient
treatment program, he is a clinician, researcher and teacher, whose
professional interests include addiction treatment, family systems,
and personality disorders in the workplace. (Article 27)
Kananur V. Chandras has been a counselor educator for the last 35
years. His research interests are: multicultural counseling, research,
online learning, at-risk students, school violence and other
counseling related topics. (Article 15)
Sunil V. Chandras is a graduate student. His interests are in
multicultural counseling, substance abuse and disability, and
psychopathology. (Article 15)
Robert Chope, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Department of
Counseling at San Francisco State University and the founder of the
Career and Personal Development Institute in San Francisco, a
practice that he has had for over 27 years. He is the author of four
books, 61 articles and chapters and 119 professional presentations
and is interested in the integration of personality and family
influences in career decision making. (Article 13)
Robert K. Conyne is Professor Emeritus of the University of
Cincinnati in Ohio. His specialties include group work, prevention,
and ecological counseling with over 300 publications and
xvi
About the Authors
presentations. He is a fellow of the Association for Specialists in
Group Work and the American Psychological Association, and serves
presently as International Scholar with the Soros Foundation’s Open
Society Institute. (Article 26)
Joseph B. Cooper is an Assistant Professor at Marymount University.
He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of North CarolinaCharlotte. His current research interests include motivational
interviewing, attachment theory, counseling supervision, and
neurophysiology. (Article 6)
Jeri L. Crowell, Ed.D., NCC, LPC, is an Assistant Professor at Fort
Valley State University in Georgia. She is a co-author of the book
upon which this workshop was based, called Group Techniques: How
to Use Them More Purposefully with Robert K. Conyne and Mark D.
Newmeyer. Her research interests are in group work and ecological
counseling, particularly within educational settings, with over 25
publications and presentations. (Article 26)
Lisa E. Danylchuk is a licensed adjustment counselor and graduate
of the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Risk and Prevention
program. Her professional experiences include counseling youth in
juvenile justice systems, residential treatment facilities, boarding
schools and inner-city mentoring programs. Her current research
interests include best practices in counseling low-income students of
color and evaluation of yoga programs in juvenile justice facilities.
(Article 12)
David DeLambo, Rh.D., CRC, is a rehabilitation counselor educator.
His research interests include: psychosocial aspects of disabilities,
substance abuse and disability, online learning as well as ethics and
multicultural issues in rehabilitation. (Article 15)
Leslie E. Ellis is the Clinical Director of National Educational
Training Systems, Inc. and an Adjunct Professor at Argosy
xvii
Distance Counseling
University, Tampa. She specializes in adult and adolescent assessment,
and teaches Assessment and Psychopathology. Her primary research
interests are in forensic and health areas. (Article 16)
Sue M. Fleschner, Ph.D., is a consultant/owner with OD Solutions and
part-time faculty at Western Kentucky University. She has spent 20
years working in the field of employee and organizational development,
including coaching individuals, teams, and leaders in North and South
America, Europe, Australia, and Japan. She specializes in facilitating
students, parents, and corporate clients through the process of
individual, organizational, and life change. (Article 14)
Melissa N. Freeburg is a doctoral candidate at Idaho State
University. Melissa’s Ph.D. will be specialized in Mental Health
counselor education with a focus in research, career, and the helping
relationship. She is very active in counselor supervision training and
performs this duty regularly for the Idaho Counseling Association.
(Article 29)
Lynn K. Hall is a Professor of Counselor Education at Western New
Mexico University. The presentation and article are based on
information she has included in her book about counseling military
families to be published in late spring of 2008. Dr. Hall spent almost
ten years working as a counselor for the Department of Defense
Schools in Germany before coming to WNMU, and has written and
presented on issues related to grief and loss, stepfamilies, and
military families. (Article 8)
Debra Homa is a rehabilitation counselor educator. Her research
interests include: psychosocial aspects of disability, vocational
rehabilitation issues for persons with psychiatric disabilities,
rehabilitation outcomes, vocational assessment, and job placement.
(Article 15)
Jeanmarie Keim is an Assistant Professor in Counselor Education
at The University of New Mexico. Her research interests include
xviii
About the Authors
group work, trauma, and professional development issues in
counseling. (Articles 11 & 28)
Rebecca L. Koltz, M.S., LPC., Idaho State University. Rebecca is a
licensed professional counselor and a second year doctoral student
studying counselor education and supervision. Her research interests
include use of creativity in counseling and counseling training
programs and counselor development. (Article 24)
Ireon LeBeauf, Ph.D., specializes in multicultural counseling, crosscultural counseling and diversity training. She has numerous national
presentations and publications in these areas as well as counseling
skills training and play therapy. (Article 22)
Michael S. Lewis is the Director of Counseling Services at Ohio
Dominican University and an adjunct instructor of Human Services
Technology at Ohio University – Chillicothe. His research interests
include communication skills, computer addictions, and therapeutic
alliance. (Article 7)
Cleborne D. Maddux is a Foundation Professor at The University of
Nevada, Reno, Department of Counseling and Educational
Psychology. Professor Maddux teaches classes in statistics and in
information technology in education. His research interests span
various topics in special education, counseling and information
technology in education. (Article 22)
Barbara A. Mahaffey is a Program Director/Assistant Professor of
Human Services Technology at Ohio University-Chillicothe and a
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in private practice.
Barbara’s research interests are children in counseling, suicide
prevention, therapeutic alliance, and partial hospitalization therapy.
(Article 7)
Mary Finn Maples is a Professor of Counseling & Educational
Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is a former
xix
Distance Counseling
president of the American Counseling Association and the
Association for Spiritual, Ethical, & Religious Values in Counseling
(ASERVIC). Her research interests include spirituality in adult
development and Baby-Boomer transitions. (Article 17)
Scott C. Marley is an Assistant Professor in Educational Psychology
at the University of New Mexico. His research interests include
methodology and statistics. (Article 28)
Ann M. McCaughan is a first year doctoral student at Idaho State
University. She is specializing in Mental Health counselor education,
and currently works as a counselor at a local grant funded agency in
Pocatello, ID. (Article 29)
Valerie McGaha-Garnett, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Applied
Health and Educational Psychology at Oklahoma State University. Her
long-term involvement with teenagers and young adults stemmed her
research interests in adolescent studies, parenting, relationship issues,
substance abuse treatment, family counseling, and multicultural
counseling. (Article 2)
Paula T. McWhirter is an Assistant Professor at The University of
Oklahoma. McWhirter has specialized in work with child and family
interventions for over a decade, generating numerous articles,
therapeutic interventions and trainings focusing on issues involving
community psychology and innovative approaches to therapeutic
work with youth and family. (Articles 4 & 21)
Sondra Medina is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate Counseling
Program at Regis University, a marriage and family therapist, and
has worked in both private and agency settings. Her research interests
include couples and families, motherhood, and human sexuality.
(Article 9)
Dixie D. Meyer is a doctoral student at the University of MissouriSaint Louis. She is a member of The Neuropsychology and Applied
xx
About the Authors
Neuroimaging Laboratory (NAN). Research interest areas include
couples counseling, biological responses to counseling interventions,
and creative applications in counseling. (Article 6)
Kyle E. Miller is a doctoral student in the department of Human
Development and Family Studies at the University of WisconsinMadison. Her professional experience includes teaching and
providing student supports and services for children and youth in
Nicaragua and Boston. Research interests include Prevention Science
and the academic achievement of high-risk populations. (Article 12)
John J. Murphy is a Professor of Psychology and Counseling at the
University of Central Arkansas. Dr. Murphy is an internationally
recognized practitioner and trainer in strength-based, collaborative
approaches with children, adolescents, families, and school problems.
He trains helping professionals throughout the world, is featured in the
Child
Therapy
with
the
Experts
videotape
series
(www.Psychotherapy.net), and is the author of the award-winning
book, Solution-Focused Counseling in Schools (American Counseling
Association, 2008). Website: www.drjohnmurphy.com. (Article 23)
Michael J. Nakkula is the Director of Project IF (Inventing the
Future) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he has
taught courses on counseling and urban education over the past 15
years. His research focuses on opportunity development for lowincome adolescents, with a particular emphasis on programmatic
initiatives that promote healthy development. He is an author of
numerous articles and books, including Understanding Youth:
Adolescent Development for Educators, published in 2006 with Eric
Toshalis. (Article 12)
Judith A. Nelson is an Assistant Professor at Sam Houston State
University in the Department of Educational Leadership and
Counseling. Dr. Nelson was a Professional School Counselor for
more than 20 years and has been instrumental in the transformation
of the School Counseling Program at Sam Houston State University.
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Distance Counseling
Her research interests include culturally competent schools, school
counselors as leaders, and at-risk students. (Article 20)
Melissa A. Odegard, M.S., LPC, Idaho State University. Melissa is
a licensed professional counselor and a second year doctoral student
studying counselor education and supervision. Her research interests
include multicultural competency, social justice, and creativity in
counselor training programs. (Article 24)
David L. Olguin is an Assistant Professor in Counselor Education at
The University of New Mexico. His counseling specialty included
working with children and adolescents and his research interests
include multicultural issues in school counseling and career
development. (Articles 11 & 28)
James F. Orwig is currently a counselor at the Scott Greening Center
in Joplin, MO, working with adolescents who have experienced
trauma. He had previously worked with adolescents and their
families at Heartland Family Services in Council Bluffs, IA and there
he was also contracted to provide counseling services to middle
school children. (Article 1)
Jill Packman specializes in play therapy, school counseling, and
marriage and family therapy. She has many national presentations
and publications in these areas as well as counseling skillls and
performances assessment. (Article 22)
Robert H. Paul is an Assistant Professor at the University of MissouriSaint Louis. He obtained his Ph.D. in Biological Psychology from the
University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, he concurrently
completed a re-specialization program in Clinical Psychology at
Oklahoma State University through a Parallel Training Program, and
he subsequently completed a clinical internship and postdoctoral
fellowship in Neuropsychology at Brown Medical School. Dr. Paul’s
research program is largely focused on understanding the contribution
of subcortical brain systems to cognitive and affective behavior,
xxii
About the Authors
particularly in the context of human immunodeficiency virus and
subcortical ischemic vascular disease. (Article 6)
Richard F. Ponton is the Director of Human Services for the
Township of Ocean, NJ. Dr. Ponton has been a counselor for over 30
years; for over 25 years he has been a counselor-manager. Having
served as a supervisor, counselor-educator, and program director his
professional interests include counselor development, professional
identity, and ethics. (Article 27)
Julia Y. Porter, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Counselor
Education at Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus. Dr. Porter
is the co-principal investigator of the Mississippi State UniversityMeridian Campus Suicide Prevention Program (three year SAMHSA
grant). Dr. Porter’s areas of specialty include career development,
student affairs, and wellness-based prevention programs. (Article 18)
JoLynne Reynolds is an Associate Professor in the Graduate
Counseling Program at Regis University and has worked in agency,
school and university counseling settings. Her research areas are
adoptive families, children, and adolescents. (Article 9)
Tammy J. Shaffer is an Assistant Professor at Western Kentucky
University in Bowling Green, KY. She is also the Director of the
Talley Family Counseling Clinic, staffed by WKU Department of
Counseling and Students Affairs intern students. She has 16 years of
clinical experience, and has been at WKU for three years. Research
interests include trauma, and serious mental illness; she is a Certified
Disaster Mental Health Counselor with the American Red Cross.
(Article 10)
Marlowe H. Smaby is a Professor at The University of Nevada,
Reno, Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology.
Professor Smaby has been a counselor educator for forty years, is
author of the Skilled Counseling Scale, and his research focuses on
assessment of counseling process and outcomes. (Article 22)
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Distance Counseling
Rita Sommers-Flanagan is a Professor of Counselor Education at
the University of Montana. She and her husband John are the authors
of many popular textbooks and applied counseling books. She works
as a consultant to Trapper Creek Job Corps and the Missoula Vet
Center. (Article 25)
John Sommers-Flanagan is an Associate Professor of Counselor
Education and chairs the University of Montana’s Department of
Counselor Education. In addition to the writing and consulting
mentioned above, he is currently researching the efficacy of a parent
consultation model he has designed and implemented in many
diverse settings. (Article 25)
Laura Strom, M.S., is a graduate of the Counseling Program at San
Francisco State University where she won both the prestigious SFSU
Graduate Distinguished Achievement Award in recognition of her
outstanding work within academics, research and field placements
along with the Virginia Lee Block Scholarship for accomplishments
in her field placement. Her research and clinical interests are in the
aging process of transgender clients and how that might be affected
by medical interventions and life experiences. (Article 13)
Kori D. Tamerler is a counseling graduate student at the University of
Houston-Clear Lake and a teacher for the Pearland Independent School
District in Pearland, Texas. Her professional experience includes
teaching at the elementary and middle school levels in urban and
suburban areas. Research interests include closing the achievement gap
and services for military children and families. (Article 12)
Amy Thieman is a master’s student at The University of New
Mexico. Her counseling emphases areas are in School and
Community Counseling, and her research interests include vicarious
trauma. (Article 28)
Cynthia Torres is a master’s student at The University of New
Mexico. Her counseling emphases areas are in School and
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About the Authors
Community Counseling, and her research interests include
multicultural issues in counseling, and juvenile and adult offending
and treatment. (Article 11)
Julie A. Uhernik is an Emergency Planner at Tri-County Health
Department, a three county local public health department serving
the greater Denver metropolitan area. Julie is responsible for
emergency planning with a special focus on special needs and
behavioral health planning. She is a volunteer for the American Red
Cross Disaster Mental Health and Health Services teams and assisted
in Mississippi during Hurricane Katrina Relief. Additionally, she is
a RN and Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice in
Parker, CO. (Article 30)
Joshua C. Watson, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Counselor
Education at Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus. Dr.
Watson is the co-principal investigator of the Mississippi State
University-Meridian Campus Suicide Prevention Program (three year
SAMHSA grant). Dr. Watson’s areas of specialty include statistics,
assessment and measurement, and counseling college athletes.
(Article 18)
Laura S. Wheat is a School-Based Mental Health Counselor at
Catawba Community Mental Health Center. She currently serves the
elementary-age population and their families in a rural, culturally
diverse area of South Carolina. Her professional interests include
creative therapies with young children as well as a variety of loss
situations, and she hopes to begin doctoral study in the near future.
(Article 3)
Peggy P. Whiting is a Professor of Counselor Education at North
Carolina Central University. She has taught at both Vanderbilt and
Winthrop Universities in their counseling and development programs.
She is a nationally certified thanatologist with certifications in grief
education and grief counseling and has published and presented in
loss & grief for over 20 years. (Article 3)
xxv
Distance Counseling
Darren A. Wozny, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Counselor
Education at Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus. Dr.
Wozny is the principal investigator and project director of the
Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus Suicide Prevention
Program (three year SAMHSA grant). Dr. Wozny’s areas of specialty
include ethics, marriage and family therapy, multicultural issues in
counseling, and suicide prevention/intervention. (Article 18)
xxvi