Grief therapy and psychology literatures of the modern Western world conceptualized bereavement and grief as processes to be "worked through" so that other relationships could be pursued. In the last decade or so, however, grief theorists have endorsed the value of attaining new meaning(s) and continuing bonds with our lost loved ones instead of…

Reports an attempt to validate a self-help behavioral marital bibliotherapy program. Evaluated five clinical distressed couples via a multiple baseline analysis. Treatment involved reading and exercises covering communications, problem solving, and sexual dysfunction. Results were highly variable and reflected minimal change. (BH)

Evaluated effect of smokers' hotline as adjunct to self-help manuals. Subjects (n=1,813), assigned to manual only or manual plus hotline condition, were followed over 18 months. Results showed consistent, significant hotline effect across outcome measures and follow-up periods. Findings suggest effectiveness of hotline in enhancing self-help quit…

Describes approaches to leadership interventions in mutual support groups that will increase participants' awareness of the groups' developmental phases and the most likely sources of support during those phases. (Author/ABB)

Assesses a self-reward contracting procedure intended to facilitate completion of self-administered desensitization. Self-referred snake phobics received either (a) self-administered desensitization; (b) self-administered desensitization with self-reward contracting; or (c) a self-administered placebo with self-reward contracting. Results show the…

Study results indicate that underachievers motivated to respond voluntarily to offers of Counseling Service aid are more successful academically, even without treatment, than male underachievers who are not willing to participate in counseling programs. (Author)

Examines self-help groups for Vietnam veterans, the reasons for their effectiveness, typical group processes, and issues for counselors who work with these groups. (Author)

Studied participants identified as either people- oriented or task-oriented given group vocational counseling using a learning through interaction method, or a learning through individual problem solving method. Results show counseling approaches that were congruent with personality types were more effective in terms of amount of information…

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)

Evaluated two self-help behavior therapy books for stopping smoking against a minimal treatment program. Results indicated under self-administered conditions, the minimal treatment program was as effective as the behavior therapy books. On the self-report measures, therapist contact was associated with improved treatment outcome for the behavior…

Self-help approaches to the treatment of problem drinking were investigated in five studies, including methods oriented toward controlled drinking as well as those designed to produce abstinence. Study 1 explored the utility of a self-help manual as an agent in improving maintenance following treatment by a paraprofessional. Clients who read this…

Compared the interpretive format of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII), the Self-Directed Search (SDS), and the Vocational Card Sort (VCS). The SDS and VCS Holland themes were more closely related to the expressed choices of subjects. Few treatment differences existed. (Author)

Published in a recent issue of Employment Service Review.

Trends and countertrends abound around the basic question, "Who can be a helper?" This article deals with the characteristics of effective helpers and draws together a broad range of recent thought on questions concerning professionalism, status, and counseling competencies. (Author)

The unprecedented development of self-help groups confirms their importance, but few studies have focused on prevention and self-help groups. Two methods for investigating preventive potential are outcome studies and process analysis. To assess the presence of helping processes in self-help group meetings, a process analysis was developed to…