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.

Other Voices: International Manuscripts Published in The Family Journal: Calling for a Mentor

This special issue contains representative manuscripts from international authors reporting the results of research conducted in 11 countries or regions. Some of the results are generalizable to particular cultures or groups. Although the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors, the sponsor of The Family Journal, endeavors to encourage scholars and readers across the globe, many international manuscripts are not accepted for publication. There are challenges faced by authors in the submission, review, and revision process. This overview converges on the need for a mentor for other voices to provide resources and support needed to increase the acceptance rate of international manuscripts.

James and the Megan Family: Navigating Court and Allegations of Abuse

Couples and family counselors daily encounter ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas are complex and multifaceted. This article is written to discuss and provide information to couples and family counselors who seek to work ethically with clients who have been accused of abuse to minors. The authors of this article consulted an expert in ethics and standards of care related to the abuse of minors to identify ethical analysis of dilemmas through a fictional case study. The respondent to the case study provides recommendations to assist couples and family counselors as they follow the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors Ethics Code as well as other professional ethics codes and standards of practice.

Advocacy for Couples and Families: New Directions APA Publication Manual (7th Edition)

The 7th edition APA Publication Manual ( Manual) was released in October 2019. The significant changes between the 6th edition and 7th edition of the Manual were described in a previous issue of The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families. This article is written to expand on the substantial changes to the Manual’ s guidelines and to focus on bias-free language and inclusivity. Using the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors Code of Ethics as a cornerstone, this article will focus on such diverse issues as advocacy, bias-free language, gender, inclusivity, racial/ethnic identity, sensitivity (avoiding labels), socioeconomic, and intersectionality issues. Recommendations are made, and examples are provided to help couple and family counselors become cognizant of the changes.

Emotional Intelligence and the Counselor: Examining the Relationship of Trait Emotional Intelligence to Counselor Burnout

Given the intimate and emotional nature of counseling, counselors are often highly susceptible to counselor burnout. Scholars have reported on how important it is for counselors to find strategies that mitigate stressful scenarios and prevent burnout. Emotional intelligence could be a preventative factor. This article describes a correlational investigation that examined the relationship of practicing mental health and marriage and family counselors' (N = 539) emotional intelligence to their degree of burnout. The results from this study indicate that participants' level of emotional intelligence negatively predicted their level of burnout (r = −.62, p < .001; 38% of the variance explained). This article provides a description of our findings, suggestions for future research, and implications for counselors.