As generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT become increasingly accessible, counseling psychologists are exploring their potential use in clinical practice, often without clear guidance or ethical frameworks. This paper presents a counselor-led model for integrating generative AI tools into counseling practice. Grounded in ethical principles, the model emphasizes human oversight, transparency, and client-centered care. A case study illustrates the application of this model with a veteran receiving counseling services through the Veterans Health Administration. The case demonstrates how generative AI can support foundational career counseling tasks (i.e., career exploration and career planning), while maintaining full counselor oversight. Key ethical considerations are discussed, including transparency and informed consent, data privacy and security, accuracy and bias, and human oversight and professional judgment. This work contributes to the emerging literature on AI-assisted counseling by offering an ethically grounded and practice-oriented model for counseling professionals interested in engaging with these technologies responsibly.
The current study is one of the first quantitative investigations of the consequences of anti-Blackness on opposition to affirmative action and other social justice related outcomes among Chinese international students in the United States. Drawing on international student critical race theory (IntlCrit) and QuantCrit, we conducted mediation analyses using survey data from 386 Chinese international students at a large Midwestern university. Results showed significant direct effects from greater anti-Black attitudes to more opposition to affirmative action but not to social justice behavioral intentions (SJBI). However, significant indirect effects emerged: greater anti-Black attitudes were associated with greater social dominance orientation (SDO), which in turn was associated with greater opposition to affirmative action and less SJBI. Our study has implications for research and practice that critically examine the racialized experiences of Chinese international students and facilitate social justice education for this understudied population on U.S. college campuses.
Increasing professional mental health help-seeking among college students in China is vital amid rising post COVID-19 pandemic stressors. Guided by the integrated behavioral model of mental health help-seeking (IBM-HS), this study examined the relationship between five mechanisms—attitude, perceived norm (injunctive and descriptive), personal agency (autonomy and capacity)—and help-seeking intention among 2,203 Chinese students, as well as whether psychological distress moderates these effects. Structural equation modeling revealed that intention was not significantly associated with attitude but was linked to perceived norm: injunctive (β = .725, p < .001) and personal agency: capacity (β = .411, p < .001). Distress amplified the effect of capacity on intention (β = .264, p < .001) while weakening the effects of injunctive (β = −.145, p < .001) and descriptive norms (β = −.075, p = .016). Findings support that IBM-HS constructs predict intention and vary in salience with distress, informing distress-tailored interventions. 摘要 在新冠疫情后压力源增加的背景下,促进中国大学生寻求专业心理健康服务具有重要意义。本研究以心理健康求助整合行为模型 (IBM-HS) 为指导,考察了五种机制——态度、感知规范 (指令性规范和描述性) 以及个人能动性 (自主感和能力感)——与求助意向之间的关系,并检验心理困扰是否调节这些关系。研究对象为2,203名中国大学生。结构方程模型结果显示,意向与态度之间的关联不显著,但与指令规范 (β = .725, p < .001)和能力感 (β = .411, p < .001)显著相关。心理困扰增强了能力感对意向的影响 (β = .264, p < .001),同时削弱了指令性规范 (β = −.145, p < .001)和描述性规范 (β = −.075, p = .016)对意向的影响。研究结果表明,IBM-HS构念能够预测专业心理健康求助意向,并且这些构念的重要性会随心理困扰水平而变化。这些发现可为根据心理困扰程度量身定制的干预提供参考。
We invite readers into an open dialogue about the foundations of the integrative neuroaffirming framework (INAF). We begin by reflecting on our own responses to critique as an example of how meaning-making unfolds within INAF, highlighting the value of remaining grounded and approaching relationships with curiosity and openness. INAF encourages psychologists to move beyond critical analysis toward a more integrative practice that includes embodied awareness and self-reflection. Drawing on epistemic humility, epistemic plurality, and decolonial scholarship, we examine how dominant top-down approaches to knowledge production can constrain emerging perspectives, whereas bottom-up approaches grounded in lived experience may generate novel and clinically meaningful insights. We argue that scholarly dialogue can unintentionally reproduce systems of power when a select few determine what counts as legitimate knowledge. Meaningful progress requires shifting from gatekeeping toward greater openness to diverse ways of knowing. Doing so can strengthen psychology’s capacity for attunement and responsive practice.
The purpose of the present study was to elaborate on the aspects of sexual objectification experienced by South Korean adolescent girls, focusing on the contexts of family, school, and media. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with nine South Korean adolescent girls who had engaged in dieting and were analyzed using the constant comparative analysis (CCA) method. The results showed that experiences of sexual objectification among the participants manifested through appearance-based evaluations, direct sexual harassment, and widespread societal compulsion to adhere to beauty standards. Participants also reported diverse sources of sexually objectified experiences, including family members who imposed appearance standards, male peers who engaged in appearance-based mocking and harassment, and media that emphasized beauty-centric ideals. Implications for concrete intervention strategies in counseling, education, and policy for preventing and intervening in adolescent girls' experiences of sexual objectification were discussed, along with suggestions for future research.(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic), (sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic) (sic)(sic). (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) 9(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(constant comparative analysis) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). (sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic), (sic)(sic), (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic) (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual and gender diverse (LGBTQ+) individuals are under-represented in eating disorder (ED) research despite being an at-risk group. They also face additional barriers to accurate diagnosis, treatment access, and affirming care. This qualitative study used reflexive thematic analysis to explore the experiences of sixteen adults who attended a virtual ED treatment program designed specifically to treat LGBTQ+ individuals. Findings show how LGBTQ+-affirming ED care compares and contrasts with participants' previous healthcare experiences. Analyses identified two major themes around (a) the important benefits of LGBTQ+ community within a treatment setting and (b) the effective ways the ED treatment program was structured to uniquely meet the needs of LGBTQ+ clients. This study provides important insights into the need for more LGBTQ+-affirming ED treatment settings and ways that providers can increase their cultural responsiveness to work with LGBTQ+ clients.
Therapist self-disclosure remains a debated topic in psychotherapy, viewed as either a boundary violation or a relational tool. This study explored how therapist self-disclosure is experienced by clients in the Turkish cultural context, where relational norms and perceptions of therapeutic authority shape interpretations. Using a phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 adult clients who had experienced therapist self-disclosure in individual therapy. Thematic analysis revealed two domains: facilitative and disruptive consequences, along with ambivalent experiences where initial benefits later undermined the therapeutic relationship. Facilitative experiences included building trust, enhancing empathy, normalizing experiences, and strengthening communication. Disruptive experiences involved blurred boundaries, emotional burden, questioning therapist credibility, and confusion about intentions. These findings highlight the culturally embedded nature of therapist self-disclosure, showing it can be both beneficial and problematic depending on context, while emphasizing non Western client perspectives and underscoring the need for culturally responsive practice.
Twenty-six social justice scholars evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of counseling psychology's contributions to social justice over the past 20 years. Using a Delphi method, they made predictions about the future of social justice in counseling psychology. Strengths included influencing the field of psychology to adopt social justice values and ethics; emphasizing structural influences on well-being; elevating voices of diverse scholars; expanding practice skills to include advocacy; and adopting liberatory practice frameworks. Weaknesses included politicizing social justice dialogue; taking too few risks; omitting international perspectives; being too self-reflexive; failing to work across disciplines; allowing social justice to be jargonized; not fully modifying training models; and allowing social justice to replace traditional content areas. Predictions were a mix of positive expectations (e.g., continuing to push the American Psychological Association [APA] to change training models, participating in more advocacy and activism) and pessimistic visions (e.g., political resistance). Implications for training and leadership are discussed.
The current study examined racialized labor, or the ongoing work of navigating race and racism, in a national sample of 165 Black women. Building on prior research with Black college students, we used a deductive approach to assess how participants' narratives reflected established domains of racialized labor and extended this work by identifying their intersectional dimensions. Five of the six previously identified domains were evident: flexing, affirming, self-monitoring, questioning, and being the change. Notably, we did not find examples of avoidance; instead, a new domain of resisting emerged. Across domains, intersectionality intensified demands and shaped strategies. Somewhat paradoxically, narratives often highlighted positive outcomes of racialized labor, such as pride, resilience, and strength, while also revealing a desire to be free from it. We discuss implications for research, practice, training, and advocacy, emphasizing the need to recognize this overlooked labor and develop culturally responsive interventions that promote Black women's well-being.
This qualitative study used an intersectional lens and thematic analysis to investigate (a) how queer Chinese international students understood and described their sexual identity and (b) how cultural transition affected their sexual identity development. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews with 13 queer Chinese international students in the United States. Participants discussed their queer identity development as they acculturated to the United States. Three themes were identified: (a) negotiating identity in the diaspora, (b) coming out in a cross-cultural context, and (c) cultural conflict and acceptance. As queer and Chinese internationals, participants emphasized fluidity of their intersectional identity while navigating multiple, often conflicting, cultural and social expectations. They understood sexual identity development as a multifaceted, fluid process operating within shifting sociopolitical contexts (e.g., Chinese, United States, global). Study implications included affirming nondisclosure of sexual identity and finding adaptive self-narrative and community to enhance authenticity to oneself and belongingness.
Stigma at structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal levels is associated with poor mental health among adults with disabilities (AWD), with experiences varying by disability type. Adults with psychiatric disabilities encounter distinct disability discrimination that may differ from other disability groups. This study examined the measurement invariance of the Ableist Microaggression Scale (AMS), originally developed for adults with physical disabilities, among adults with psychiatric and nonpsychiatric disabilities. The AMS assesses lifetime experiences of disability microaggressions across four factors: Helplessness, Minimization, Denial of Personhood, and Otherization. Data from 470 AWD recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) were analyzed. Configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance of a first-order factor model were supported, indicating the AMS does not function differently across disability groups. Findings extend the validity of the AMS to psychiatric populations and support its use for measuring microaggressions across diverse disability experiences.
This study aims to explore the associations between multiple psychosocial resources at the individual-level (personal resilience) and at the family and community levels (social support from significant other, social support from family, social support from friends, and caregiver acceptance) and two mental health outcomes (psychological well-being and posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] symptoms) among 460 (Mage = 21.6 years) lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) young adults. Personal resilience was the resource most strongly associated with both outcomes. Moreover, higher social support from significant others and from friends were related with higher well-being. Higher social support from family was associated with decreased PTSD symptoms. Findings indicate that different sources of social support are differentially associated with mental health outcomes, with support from one's significant other and friends being more closely linked with well-being and support from family with PTSD symptoms. Furthermore, findings point to the importance of mental health providers incorporating various psychosocial resources when working with LGBTQ+ young adults.
The present study provides preliminary evidence for validity of the Multidimensional Inventory of Cultural Stress (MICS), a measure of cultural stress developed to expand existing conceptualizations of cultural stress. The participants were 309 Hispanic/Latine adolescents (60.2% female; Mage= 15.30 years). Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) revealed a four-factor solution: exclusionary political climate (i.e., perception of anti-immigrant and xenophobic rhetoric), Spanish criticism (i.e., experiences of being criticized for Spanish proficiency), within-group discrimination (i.e., experiences of being bullied/discriminated against for being too enculturated), and language brokering (i.e., experiences with having to translate for parents). Moreover, whereas exclusionary political climate was positively associated with alcohol use and symptoms of anxiety, Spanish criticism was negatively associated with self-esteem and positively associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. These findings expand our current conceptualization of cultural stress and provide further guidance regarding how cultural stress impacts adjustment.
Supervisors are responsible for evaluating whether supervisees demonstrate the professional competencies needed to provide culturally responsive mental health care. However, there is variability and challenges in evaluating related professional competencies within graduate training programs and practicum sites. Furthermore, supervisees and clinicians have demonstrated low performance in multicultural case conceptualization skills. This study aimed to understand how clinical supervisors involved in graduate training facilitated evaluations of multicultural case conceptualization skills. Using a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) approach, seven clinical supervisors provided insight into the tasks and processes they applied to evaluate multicultural case conceptualization skills. We present a conceptual model illustrating the processes and approach clinical supervisors took to evaluate their supervisees' multicultural case conceptualization skills in conjunction with related competencies in clinical work. Implications for graduate training programs, clinicians involved in supervision, and strategies for further developing multicultural case conceptualization skills are presented, along with the limitations of the study.
Researchers suggest that psychotherapists are an essential element in positive mental health outcomes and that excellent psychotherapists produce more positive client outcomes. Mental health organizations, training programs, and psychotherapists may benefit from insights into how excellent psychotherapists optimize their therapeutic practice. This study details results from a consensual qualitative research investigation of personal and professional development in high-performing psychotherapists. Participants were 12 licensed psychotherapists who were nominated by their clinic directors as their client outcome measures placed them in the top 25% of psychotherapists at their respective clinics. A semi-structured interview protocol was used to guide interviews that were transcribed and analyzed by a research team. Analyses yielded seven primary themes or domains that included: Specialization, Personal Identity Development, Multicultural Self-Awareness, Advocacy, Therapeutic Relationship, Work/Life Balance, and Advice for Beginning Psychotherapists. Practice implications for training and therapist development, as well as future research areas are discussed.
This study applied the psychology of working theory to examine how ambivalent sexism predicts perceptions of decent work and occupational engagement via work volition and career adaptability among female science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) university students in South Korea (N = 397). Results showed good fit for the measurement and structural models. Hostile sexism negatively affected work volition, which mediated its relationships with decent work and occupational engagement. Work volition and career adaptability jointly mediated the relationship between hostile sexism and occupational engagement. Unexpectedly, benevolent sexism was positively associated with both outcomes, suggesting suppression effects. These findings highlight the complex ways sexism constrains women's career development while underscoring the importance of supporting women's agency, pursuit of decent work, and sustained engagement in STEM. Future research should examine broader psychological and contextual variables that may interact with psychology of working theory (PWT) constructs to shape female STEM students' long-term engagement and access to decent work.
Commercial DNA testing has led to an increase in individuals discovering misattributed paternity (the discrepancy between the genetic and social fatherhoods outside of adoption and donor-assisted reproduction), posing significant emotional, identity-related, and relational challenges. Despite this growing prevalence, no studies currently exist on how counselling professionals can support individuals navigating this experience. Our study examines the experiences of eight U.S.-based counselling professionals working with clients who discovered their misattributed paternity as adults. Using reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, we found that such discoveries present complex clinical scenarios marked by trauma-like emotions, grief, identity, and relational challenges. These situations necessitate multifaceted therapeutic interventions and a high level of professional competence. Relationally attuned counselling and social support are particularly important. The study underscores the need for targeted professional training, the expansion of peer and community support networks for individuals affected by misattributed paternity, and continued advocacy and research efforts.
Asian immigrant psychologists may encounter unique challenges with leadership development and opportunities due to racial stereotypes, acculturation processes, and culturally bound implicit leadership prototypes, resulting in disproportionate underrepresentation in leadership roles in the United States. The present study explored the success and challenge stories of Asian immigrant psychologists in pursuit of their leadership development. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 self-identified Asian immigrant leaders in the field of psychology. Reflexive thematic analysis yielded five main themes including intercultural and intersectional experiences; cultural dissonance with dominant systems; leadership visibility, viability, and sustainability; transformation through radical healing; and culturally-authentic social justice-oriented leadership. Results demonstrated the process of taking the responsibility to become a change agent and developing value-driven leadership that embraces their heritage cultures. Implications for research, practice, training, and advocacy were discussed.
This study examined the effectiveness of a structured, literature-based intervention designed to enhance psychological mindedness among counselor candidates. Psychological mindedness, a core competency for mental health professionals, involves the capacity to understand one's own internal processes as well as those of others, yet empirical interventions targeting its development remain limited. To address this gap, an experimental book reading and discussion-based program grounded in Irvin D. Yalom's When Nietzsche Wept was implemented with undergraduate counseling students in T & uuml;rkiye. Participants in the experimental group (n = 20) engaged in weekly reading and discussion sessions over 7 weeks, while the control group (n = 20) received no intervention. Psychological mindedness was assessed at pretest, posttest, and 45-day follow-up. Results indicated that the intervention significantly increased psychological mindedness in the experimental group and that these gains were maintained over time. The findings support literature-based experiential methods in counselor education as effective tools for fostering reflective professional competencies.
Immigrant young adults of color and their family members from older generations often have a different frame of reference, acculturation, or racial consciousness, which may affect their conversations around race and racial issues. This qualitative study examined how immigrant young adults of color engage in racial dialogues with their older family members, how these discussions evolve depending on the group being discussed-such as those of the same or different race or ethnicity-and the key insights they gain from these dialogues. A total of 27 self-identified immigrants of color participated in hour-long one-on-one interviews. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we identified socioecological elements that encompass generational dynamics, intraracial and interracial dynamics, and community and social influences. Our findings highlight the role of family racial consciousness, the shared challenges and resilience, and the socioemotional processes involved in racial dialogues. We also discuss the implications for practice, training and advocacy, and suggestions for research.
