The Attitudes and Experiences of Marriage and Family Counselors for Same-Sex Couple and Family Clients: A Qualitative Study

Same-sex marriage and family counselors usually do not have enough experience and training background to help same-sex couples with marriage and family issues. Some counselors may have a personal bias toward same-sex couples due to the absence of same-sex couples and families’ background. Marriage and family counselors provide counseling services to their clients with marriage and family problems and conflicts, resulting in a positive recovery negotiation. The purpose of this study was to understand and investigate the attitudes of marriage and family counselors regarding same-sex couples and families, an area ignored in mainstream marriage and family counseling. Based on 300 surveys and 38 interviews from marriage and family counselors in the United States, the researcher categorized that more than half of the participants expressed negative attitudes against same-sex couples and families, due to cheating, unsafe sexual activities, and domestic violence. Some counselors refused to provide counseling services to same-sex couples and families due to misunderstanding and prejudice. The results suggested that additional in-service professional developments and curriculum reforms are essential to promoting multicultural family structure. Received: 13 September 2021 / Accepted: 25 November 2021 / Published: 3 January 2022

Robert L. Smith: Visionary Leader, Extraordinary Mentor, & Beloved Colleague

This remembrance of Dr. Robert L. Smith, 63rd President of the American Counseling Association, contains recollections, tributes, and anecdotes about the life career of a major contributor to the profession of counseling. Dr. Smith's roles as collaborator and mentor are evidenced in the words of students, colleagues, and leaders. He founded the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors and served as Executive Director of the organization. Personal qualities enabled Dr. Smith to share his gifts with those he mentored. His influence in counselor education will continue through the lives of those who knew and loved him.

Mediating Role of Relationship Attributions and Marital Forgiveness on the Relationship between Neuroticism, Attachment Styles and Marital Satisfaction

Aim: This research investigates mediating role of relationship attributions and marital forgiveness on the relationship between neuroticism, attachment styles and marital satisfaction. Methods: The research method was descriptive-correlational and used path analysis. Total of 240 male and females were selected among all married males and females in Shahrekord city using purposive sampling method according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. They responded to Quality of Marital Index (Norton), Relationship Attribution Measurement (Fincham & Bradbury), the Neuroticism Subscale (Costa & McCrae), Behavioual Systems Questionnaire (Furman & Wehner), Experiences in Close Relationship (Wei & et al), and Interpersonal Forgiving in Close Relationships (McCullough, & et al.). Findings: The results showed that evaluated structural model had good fit. The relationship attributions, marital forgiveness, neuroticism, attachment styles directly affected the marital satisfaction (p<0.001); also indirect effect of attachment styles through relationship attributions and marital forgiveness on marital satisfaction (p<0.001). Finally, indirect effect of neuroticism of through only marital forgiveness on marital satisfaction. Conclusion: Family counselors and psychologists should help couples whose lives have faced difficulties because of and/or attachment styles (avoidance) to eliminate distorted cognitions and promote forgiveness among them.

Relational–Cultural Theory: A Supportive Framework for Transracial Adoptive Families

Transracially adopted children and adolescents are subject to increased risks to their mental health and identity development as a result of racism and microaggressions. The risks are exacerbated by limited racial–ethnic socialization from their mostly White adoptive parents. This article reviews the history of transracial adoption in the United States through the lens of colonization, describes research related to racism and its impact on transracially adopted children, and recommends relational–cultural theory as a supportive framework for school, mental health, and family counselors.

Alcoholic Hepatitis – A Fatal Disease

Liver is the vital organ that metabolizes and excretes nutrients. Failure of the liver leads to death in cases. The complication which causes liver failure is excessive alcohol consumption. Liver metabolizes ethanol and it faces the highest degree of injury by uncontrolled drinking. Alcohol use produces a broad spectrum of diseases; hepatosteatosis, Alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis & cirrhosis. Pathogenesis of Alcohol related Liver Diseases (ALD) is explained by hepatic lipogenesis, deceleration of hepatic lipid breakdown, defective hepatic lipid export, macrophage induced alcoholic hepatitis (AH), Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) transport into the hepatic bloodstream, Malondialdehyde and acetaldehyde (MAA) adducts formation and hepatocyte stellate cell (HSC) induction. Main symptoms of AH include oxidative stress, metabolism interruption, inflammation, restoration process changes and bacterial byproducts misplacement from the gut into hepatic portal blood circulation. Diagnostic studies of ALD are concluded by medical records, clinical and laboratory declarations. Earlier, Glucocorticoids, Pentoxifylline, TNFα were used in the treatment of AH, alone or combined. Novel treatments include Metadoxine, Caspase inhibitors, Microbiome Modification, Microbial Phage Therapy, and liver transplantation. These treatments are prescribed in combination with addiction psychiatrists, social work, and family counselors. Recent studies confirmed that AH could be prevented by consuming capsaicin daily, which ultimately reduces the global burden.

Instruments for studying socio-psychological factors in interpersonal communication dysfunction in marital conflicts

Introduction. The changing role of family in the society and the increased rate of divorce highlight the problem of socio-psychological factors that contribute to the emergence of marital conflicts caused by spouses' dysfunctional interpersonal communication. Aim: to determine a set of instruments for studying socio-psychological factors in interpersonal communication dysfunction in marital conflicts. Results. A proposed complex of instruments for studying of socio-psychological factors in interpersonal communication dysfunction in marital conflicts partners includes three groups of tools. The first group is aimed at studying the features of marriage partners' interpersonal interaction in conflict situations and their satisfaction with marriage. The second group includes focuses on studying micro-level socio-psychological factors (the characteristics of marital partners that affect their interpersonal communication in conflict situations). The third group consists of tools for studying meso-level socio-psychological factors (the features of family interaction with social environment and marriage partners' work-life balance, which can contribute to the emergence of marital partners' interpersonal communication dysfunction). Conclusions. The proposed set of instruments for studying the effects of socio-psychological factors on marriage partners' communication dysfunction in conflicts can be used by family counselors, family mediators, family therapists, and family coaches. The set of instruments can also be used for training future marriage partners, in particular, for marital conflict-management training.

Resilience Despite Complex Trauma: Family Environment and Family Cohesion as Protective Factors

The authors utilized hierarchical multiple regression to understand the relationships between complex trauma, family environment, family cohesion, and resilience in 485 young adults aged 18–35. The young adults varied regarding their educational background and experiences with trauma. Results demonstrated that youth with more experiences of complex trauma were associated with lower levels of resilience. However, when they reported strong family environments and family cohesion prior to adulthood, they were more likely to be resilient in young adulthood despite the complex trauma experienced. Hence, family environment and family cohesion appear to be protective factors despite complex trauma exposure. Implications for family counselors working with trauma and resilience building through a systemic lens are discussed.

COVID-19: Counseling With Bereaved Parents

In an era with death from COVID-19 increasing daily, this article emphasizes grief and loss issues of which the family counselor should be aware. Specifically, this article focuses on the needs for family counselors to be aware of grief and loss issues experienced by a parent whose child died from COVID-19. Within this article, grief literature is reviewed. Counseling techniques are highlighted and resources for bereaved parents are provided.