This paper draws on findings from a longitudinal study of Gypsy Traveller students attending English secondary schools. Analysis of over 400 interviews with 44 Gypsy Traveller students, their parents and teachers over a 5-year period identified several pull and push factors that impact on secondary school engagement and retention. Of these,…

A prenatal intervention designed to prevent the onset of major depressive episodes (MDEs) during pregnancy and postpartum was pilot tested at a public sector women's clinic. The "Mamas y Bebes"/Mothers and Babies Course is an intervention developed in Spanish and English that uses a cognitive-behavioral mood management framework, and incorporates…

People who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder believe that their body is defected and that this defect makes them ugly. Their distorted body image can be precipitated by many internal and external factors and as a result of their imagined defect, these normal-appearing individuals exhibit self-defeating behaviors. The disorder can lead to the…

Techniques are presented for interrupting and dealing with patterned irresponsible behaviors. A preface reviews the authors' journeys in working out this approach. A method for creating responsibility and accountability where it was not previously expressed is presented in six short chapters, titled: (1) "'Madness' Defined"; (2) "Working with the…

This paper focuses on the development of a counseling intervention for use with youth in managing their anger. The anger-management materials described combine elements of a cognitive-behavioral approach with a process orientation to help at-risk youth maintain a career. It is noted that students are taught a strategy for dealing with anger and…

This guidebook provides the principal with some fundamental tools for reducing stress and preventing professional burnout. Chapter 1 offers strategies for identifying and reducing personal stress. Cognitive restructuring is advocated as an effective, permanent approach, in which the individual changes patterns of thinking about stressful…

This practicum evaluated a psychoeducational group format developed to support children living in families affected by HIV and AIDS. The major goals were to help children cope with stressful events, with chronic strain, and with role transitions. There were five objectives for the children: (1) decrease feelings of isolation, confusion, anger and…

Today, counseling in an elementary school setting is both exciting and extremely challenging. Never before has there been such a high need for counselors to work with such a young and large portion of the population. The Person-Centered Approach to groups in the school setting works well in counseling because of the high level of empathy and…

The Positive Adolescents Choices Training (PACT) program is a culturally sensitive social skills training program developed specifically for African American youth to reduce their disproportionate risk for becoming victims or perpetrators of violence. The cognitive-behavioral group training approach equips students with specific social skills to…

A two-group randomized multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to investigate the effects of cognitive-behavioral hypnosis in reducing test anxiety and improving academic performance in comparison to a Hawthorne control group. Subjects were enrolled in a rigorous introductory psychology course which covered an entire text in one…

Although the importance of an experiential component in differing approaches to psychotherapy has been acknowledged, confusion over the concepts of "experience" and "emotion" has resulted in a focus on emotion rather than experience. The fundamental change event in psychotherapy is a kind of experiential learning or reorganization, and while…

Alcoholism is a complex behavior pattern. Social learning theory, which is concerned with the analysis of why individuals behave in certain ways and the effects of reinforcement patterns in their behaviors, offers an alternative to traditional treatments of alcoholics. Among alcoholics, drinking is a control issue. Locus of control is viewed as a…

Intended primarily for professionals, this booklet describes a process of psychosocial restructuring through which, sometimes with help, members of stepfamilies may assimilate the reality of their new situation. Sections of the discussion focus on phases in the restructuring process: fantasy; pretending; panic; and the emergence of a new family…

This paper reviews critical issues in the assessment and modification of children's social competence and reports on preliminary data collected in a longitudinal study of children's social behavior. A number of unanswered applied research questions concerning assessment and modification of social competence are noted: (1) Specific behaviors of…

Responds to previous articles on counseling techniques of systematic desensitization, anxiety management training, rational restructuring, and stress inoculation training. Criticizes coginitive-behavioral researchers for not taking into consideration factors such as race, ethnicity, and culture in development of research paradigms. (NB)