Integrating Health and Wellness in Mental Health Counseling: Clinical, Educational, and Policy Implications

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sejal Barden ◽  
Abigail Conley ◽  
Mark Young
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Counselor Training ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Mental Health Counselors ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Counselor Preparation ◽  
Health Counseling ◽  
Mental Health Profession

Few counselor training programs offer wellness courses or training on how to ethically and competently integrate physical and mental health issues when working with clients. This article highlights the interrelatedness of mental and physical health to build on the counseling profession's own tradition of wellness and to encourage mental health counselors and counselor educators to adapt to changes in integrated healthcare. We propose that the mental health profession adopt competencies for wellness as part of standard counselor preparation and continuing education.

Evidence-Based Relationship Factors: A New Focus for Mental Health Counseling Research, Practice, and Training

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly K. Parrow ◽  
John Sommers-Flanagan ◽  
J. Sky Cova ◽  
Hugo Lungu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Counselor Training ◽  
Mental Health Counseling ◽  
Mental Health Counselors ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Warm Up ◽  
Health Counseling ◽  
Counseling Practice ◽  
Relationship Factors ◽  
Counseling Practices

Counselor educators and mental health counselors often have a lukewarm attitude toward counseling research and evidence-based practice. This attitude may be because of a perceived mismatch between evidence-based technical procedures and the relational orientation that most counselors value. To warm up mental health counselors' attitudes toward evidence-based research and practice, we propose a relationally oriented research agenda that focuses on integrating evidence-based relationship factors (EBRFs) into counselor training and practice. Eight EBRFs are defined and operationalized, and specific counselor behaviors are described. Reframing and refocusing counseling research on relational variables has the potential to support current counseling practices and inspire development of a counseling-specific research base. Recommendations for a rapprochement between counselor education research and mental health counseling practice are offered, including a list of brief measures that mental health counselors could introduce into their counseling practice.

Extent of Counselor Training in Neuroscience-Informed Counseling Competencies

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-93
Author(s):  
G. Michael Russo ◽  
Eraina Schauss ◽  
Surabhi Naik ◽  
Rhea Banerjee ◽  
Michelle Ghoston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Continuing Education ◽  
Graduate Education ◽  
Counselor Training ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Mental Health Counselors ◽  
Counseling Competencies ◽  
Common Pathway ◽  
Counselor Preparation ◽  
Descriptive Survey

Little information currently exists on counselor preparation and preparedness to integrate neuroscience into counseling practice. To address this literature gap, we conducted a national descriptive survey study to examine the extent to which counselors had received training in American Mental Health Counselors Association’s Biological Bases of Behavior competencies. A survey was sent to a sample of 5,483 potential participants, and 4.85% of participants (N = 260) consented to participate in the survey research. Cumulatively, respondents reported exposure across all of the competencies with varying levels of training across items. Continuing education was a common pathway to training for many competencies and was often more common than graduate education. Participants reported that they had not yet received training in several competency areas. We discuss implications for counselor training and preparation.

Mental Health Counseling in Ukraine

2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana Yakushko
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Social Influences ◽  
Mental Health Counseling ◽  
Mental Health Counselors ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Health Counseling ◽  
The Past ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Health Field

In the past two decades, some profound changes have occurred in the former Soviet Ukraine.These changes have significantly affected Ukrainian mental health counseling. This article provides a synopsis of the historical and social influences on Soviet and Ukrainian mental health services, transformations that are occurring within the mental health field of the present day Ukraine, and specific mental health issues faced by Ukrainian women and men. The conclusion shares potential implications of this information about Ukrainian mental health issues for U.S. mental health counselors.

Ethical Standards for a Post-COVID-19 World

2022 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-96
Author(s):  
Anabel Mifsud ◽  
Barbara Herlihy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Culturally Responsive ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Reasoning ◽  
Codes Of Ethics ◽  
Family Counseling ◽  
Mental Health Counselors ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Health Counseling ◽  
Inclusive Approach

The cataclysmic events of 2020 created an urgent need for mental health counseling to help individuals, families, and communities deal with grief, loss, and trauma. The sheer magnitude of the challenges has highlighted the necessity for collective interventions, as the need for help far surpasses what can be met through traditional individual or family counseling. Clinical mental health counselors must be prepared to respond to the new challenges in creative, culturally responsive, and ethical ways. The authors discuss the limitations of the prevailing codes of ethics, which are grounded in principle ethics, and propose that virtue ethics and relational ethics perspectives can be incorporated into ethical reasoning to make the process more responsive to collective interventions. A case scenario is presented and analyzed to illustrate this broader and more inclusive approach to ethical decision-making in a situation that calls for a collective intervention.

The Prognostication

2019 ◽  
pp. 94-104
Author(s):  
Spencer James Zeiger
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Early Retirement ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Motivating Factors ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Natural Progression

How does one know when it’s time to leave the academy and begin The Next Chapter? Some will have the luxury of planning their transition months or even years in advance. Others will reach a point where work conditions become intolerable. Still others may be rudely sacked with little or no notice, perhaps through no fault of their own. Some participants believed physical and mental health issues are motivating factors. For others, taking advantage of a university early retirement was an incentive. Some viewed moving to the next chapter as a natural progression. And for a few, it may be a way to end the misery; they’ve left angry. Categories discussed in this chapter include fear, timing, planning, recognizing when the thrill is gone, burnout, and reduced energy.

Being a Stay-at-Home Dad (SAHD): Implication for the Mental Health Profession

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-158
Author(s):  
Eric S. Davis ◽  
Steven Haberlin ◽  
Vernon S. Smith ◽  
Sharlene Smith ◽  
Jennifer Wolgemuth
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Counseling ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Health Counseling ◽  
Mental Health Profession ◽  
Counseling Practices ◽  
At Home

Stay-at-home dads (SAHDs) have become more prevalent in today’s society. Despite these changes, there remains a paucity of research on the mental health needs of SAHDs. This qualitative study examined SAHDs’ social experiences and mental health needs. The research identified three themes: (1) becoming a SAHD, (2) being a SAHD at home, and (3) being a SAHD in society. Implications for mental health counseling practices and future areas of research are discussed.

Affection Exchange Theory

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kory Floyd ◽  
Benjamin E. Custer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Close Relationships ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Exchange Theory ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Supportive Behaviors ◽  
Mental Health Benefits ◽  
Verbal Behaviors

Affectionate communication constitutes verbal behaviors (e.g., saying “I love you”), nonverbal gestures (e.g., hugging, handholding), and socially supportive behaviors (e.g., helping with a project) that humans employ to develop and maintain close relationships with others. In addition to its relational benefits, affectionate communication contributes to health and wellness for both senders and receivers. Affection exchange theory (AET) addresses the questions of why humans engage in affectionate communication and why diverse benefits are associated with such behaviors. A robust empirical literature supports AET’s contention that both expressing and receiving affectionate behavior are associated with physical and mental health benefits. Despite these contributions, however, some compelling questions about affectionate communication remain to be addressed, and AET can provide a useful framework for doing so.

scholarly journals Perceptions, Uses of, and Interests in Complementary Health Care Approaches in Depressed Pregnant Women

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Matthews ◽  
Jennifer L. Huberty ◽  
Jenn A. Leiferman ◽  
Darya McClain ◽  
Linda K. Larkey
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Unhealthy Lifestyle ◽  
Complementary Health Approaches ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Women’S Perceptions ◽  
Study Participants

Depression affects up to 23% of pregnant women and is associated with adverse physical/mental health outcomes for both the mother and baby. Depressed pregnant women may be more likely to engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors that contribute to an increased risk for chronic disease. Little is known regarding depressed pregnant women’s perceptions, uses of, and interests in complementary health approaches. Study participants (mean age 28.7 ± 6.8; n = 1032) included pregnant women ≥8 weeks gestation who responded to a survey assessing physical and mental health and wellness practices. Of those completing the survey, depressed pregnant women (n = 272) had significantly higher levels of anxiety ( P < .001) and stress ( P < .001) and had poorer sleep quality ( P < .001), mindfulness ( P < .001), and social support ( P < .001) compared to nondepressed pregnant women (n = 760). A majority (84%) of depressed pregnant women would consider using a complementary health approach for weight and/or stress management during pregnancy, and more than 50% were interested in yoga.

Counseling in Developing Countries: Turkey and India as Examples

2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shonali Raney ◽  
Deniz Canel Çinarba s
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Mental Health Counseling ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
Mental Health Counselors ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Cultural Characteristics ◽  
Health Counseling ◽  
Current State

Turkey and India are developing countries with unique cultural characteristics. The current state of mental health counseling in Turkey and India necessitates new laws, indigenous approaches, adaptations of culture-sensitive approaches, and research projects to validate such approaches. It is the job of mental health counselors to accomplish such complicated and trying tasks in the absence of social and financial resources.

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