Recognition of Community-Based Youth Programming in Counseling Psychology Journals: A 30-Year Analysis

As a field, counseling psychology distinguishes itself through its values of building on client strengths, developmentally-informed and preventative approaches to treatment, social justice efforts to confront individual and systemic oppression, and treatment of individuals across the lifespan. Community-based youth programs offer a culturally-responsive way to advocate for and challenge the systemic inequities faced by youth today. Despite the connections between counseling psychology values and community-based programs, it is unclear how, and to what extent, the field has contributed to this literature. To address this issue, we conducted a content analysis of the three major counseling psychology journals to determine how community-based youth programs have been represented in the field. From January 1990 to March 2019 only 10 articles were published about community-based youth programming, representing only .17% of the articles published during that time period. Implications and future direction for researchers, journals, and the field as a whole are addressed.

The Network Structure of Schema Modes

A fundamental question in psychotherapy is whether interventions should target client problems (i.e., problem-focused approaches) or client strengths (i.e., strength-focused approaches). In this study, we first propose to address this question from a network perspective on schema modes (i.e., healthy or dysfunctional patterns of co-occurring emotions, cognitions, and behaviors). From this perspective, schema modes mutually influence each other (e.g., healthy modes reduce dysfunctional modes). Recent evidence suggests that changes in modes that are strongly associated to other modes (i.e., central modes) could be associated with greater treatment effects. Therefore, we suggest that research should investigate the relative centrality of healthy and dysfunctional modes. To make an exploratory start, we investigated the cross-sectional network structure of schema modes in a clinical (comprising individuals diagnosed with paranoid, narcissistic, histrionic, and Cluster C personality disorders) and non-clinical sample. Results showed that, in both samples, the Healthy Adult was significantly less central than several dysfunctional modes (e.g., Undisciplined Child and Abandoned and Abused Child). Although our study cannot draw causal conclusions, this finding could suggest that weakening dysfunctional modes (compared to strengthening the Healthy Adult) might be more effective in decreasing other dysfunctional modes. Our study further indicates that several schema modes are negatively associated, which could suggest that decreasing one might increase another. Finally, the Healthy Adult was among the modes that most strongly discriminated between clinical and non-clinical individuals. Longitudinal and experimental research into the network structure of schema modes is required to further clarify the relative influence of schema modes.

A Wholistic Paradigm for Sustainability

A new way of thinking is emerging that may help solve some of the serious environmental, economic, and social problems that must be engaged to create a sustainable world. The scientific, reductionist, individualist modern paradigm, with social workers in the expert role, has led to many benefits and costs in today’s world. The emerging wholistic paradigm is based on interdependence, partnership, cooperation, and respect for the earth and all beings. Social workers in the role of partners are using approaches like systems theory, client strengths, partnership, and empowerment that reflect the wholistic paradigm. These wholistic social workers may also make use of other theories and methods such as chaos theory, fractal geometry, intuitive thinking, and practice wisdom to fulfill the profession’s responsibility to help create a sustainable world.

Introducing Goal Focused Positive Psychotherapy

This chapter provides an overview of the philosophy and foundational premises of Goal Focused Positive Psychotherapy. Goal Focused Positive Psychotherapy is described as a comprehensive psychotherapy model built primarily upon positive psychology principles to optimize well-being, which diminishes the effects of psychological distress. The theory of change is the Broaden-and-Build Theory of positive emotions. The therapeutic process promotes client strengths, hope, and positive emotions in order to assist the client in attaining goals, making growth toward goals in psychotherapy and life more enjoyable. Issues of ethics, psychological metaphor, therapeutic alliance, client context, and a case example of a client with posttraumatic stress disorder are presented.

Goal Focused Positive Psychotherapy Case Examples

This chapter presents four case examples that illustrate the key principles of Goal Focused Positive Psychotherapy (GFPP). The formation of the therapist–client relationship is highlighted. Strengths are identified in the midst of the client describing problems. Approach goals are identified and positive emotions elicited based upon client readiness. Each therapist’s approach fits the client’s concerns and strengths. The client’s initial concerns form the beginning for the strength-oriented journey. Techniques such as positive empathy are used to identify the client’s desires. Client desires are understood to be in juxtaposition with client difficulties. GFPP is used within the context unique to each client. Client contexts can be conceptualized as comprising client problems, complaints, and difficulties, along with client strengths, assets, and culture. At the end of the chapter a synthesis statement assesses the common threads and distinctive qualities of the four cases.

The truth about strengths-based practice: Not a new paradigm for recreational therapy—But an important one

Although Heyne and Anderson have offered their strengths-based approach as a sea change in the practice of recreational therapy, there is compelling evidence that the strengths-based approach has existed within recreational therapy for some time. In fact, recreational therapists should take pride in being among the early adopters of the strengths-based approach. Recreational therapy’s foundation in humanistic psychology, and subsequently in positive psychology, has always provided an orientation to practice in which therapists were encouraged to focus on client strengths and resources. In addition, the authors argue that Heyne and Anderson’s exclusive focus on strengths, to the neglect of client problems and concerns, does not represent the entire spectrum served by recreational therapists. Further, Heyne and Anderson have inaccurately characterized recreational therapists as following a medical model, which emphasizes only client problems or health conditions. Further, they erroneously portray recreational therapists as exerting dominance over clients. This representation is simply not in keeping with practices in recreational therapy. The authors suggest that Heyne and Anderson should be applauded for bringing attention to the importance of recreational therapists focusing on using a strengths-based approach to assist clients to move toward the achievement of optimal functioning and well-being. In doing so, however, they have failed to acknowledge that recreational therapists work along the full range of human functioning that includes helping clients to alleviate problems at one end of the spectrum to the promotion of optimal functioning at the other end. The roles of alleviating client health problems and issues and the promoting of optimal functioning are dual roles that recreational therapists do and should take.