Members of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies were surveyed to assess self-help book utilization. Self-help books were used with clients by 92% of respondents (N=243) some of the time. Differences in selection criteria and practices between master's and doctoral-level respondents are noted. Frequently used books are listed.…

This book presents a look at methods of performance enhancement, examining basic issues of performance through a series of papers which evaluate several popular self-improvement approaches by weighing the evidence to determine what works. The first of the book's four parts provides an overview of the volume with two chapters describing the history…

Discusses the effectiveness in four case studies of group instruction (pretraining) in the methods and principles of self-modification as an economical and beneficial offering for individuals suffering emotional as well as overt behavioral problems. (Author/PC)

An annotated review of recent ERIC-indexed documents on the topic. (CH)

Describes the development of the Caring Community which attempted to establish a permanent self-help growth center on a college campus. (Author)

Studies the possibility of developing systematic dilemma counseling into an autonomous mode. Experimental comparisons explore the pervasive situation in which a client successfully concludes a treatment program, only to find some subsequent problem developing in postcounseling life. (Author)

The Support Development Group is an approach which explores and develops a theory for the relationship between network characteristics and notions of psychosocial adaptation. The approach is based on the assumption that teaching people to view their social world in network terms can be helpful to them. The Support Development Workshop is presented…

Counselors can teach clients to acquire competence in self- instruction. The skills, knowledge, and attitudes that define such competence constitute a legitimate curriculum for counseling. A model of self-instruction is described and the use of this model by counselors to assist clients to develop as self-instructors is discussed and illustrated.…

The author believes that there is a distinct need for professionals to become competent in providing materials for self-help lay efforts. Colleges and universities must provide for the facilitation of personal growth through self administered procedures by either a clinical approach (in counseling centers) or a didactic one (in classes as, for…

The purpose of this manual is to provide clients of community mental health facilities with techniques and skills to bring about changes in their own behavior and that of others in their environment. The manual has been used for two years as a textbook for a program of self-control skills training offered in San Mateo County, California, community…

Describes a workshop for women designed to equip themselves for future roles by discussing topics such as assertiveness training, values clarification, decision-making, improvement of communication and interpersonal relationships, role models, futures planning, leadership training, and men-women relationships. (Author/HLM)

Analyzed the biographies of twenty acknowledged experts without formal training beyond high school in search of commonalities that might suggest ways people become effectively self-directed in learning and accomplishment. Patterns of education and personality characteristics are discussed. (Author/CC)

Reports on the "Chairman's Challenge," a fund raiser at Lewis and Clark College (Oregon) in which students were challenged to surpass the multimillionaire donor's (Robert B. Pamlin Jr.) physical fitness records to earn donations to the school of up to $25,000 each. Pamlin uses his gifts to reward institutions and individual students that…

The focus on treatment for the dysfunctional couple only has excluded a sizable population of troubled individuals from receiving service. If the self-management principles developed from the cognitive-behavioral theories are utilized, a new treatment approach can be realized. (Author)

Based on a philosophy of self-direction, Urbana College's program teaches students to create their own futures. The seven levels and associated processes include: (1) growing; (2) thinking; (3) deciding; (4) self-marketing; (5) first job (risk); (6) lifetime career patterns (commitment); and (7) retirement. (Author)