We are called to accurately represent gender diversity in empirical research, but studies require careful planning to ensure the representation and retention of transgender participants during analysis. In qualitative studies, participant information provides important context for the findings but transgender participants may be identifiable through triangulation of demographic information. In quantitative studies, transgender participants may be omitted or aggregated during data cleaning. Strategies for recruiting, representing, and retaining transgender participants in qualitative and quantitative studies are essential. This manuscript describes considerations and concerns that are relevant to counseling researchers as well as recommendations for studies of various designs.

Although research on the effectiveness of school resource officers (SROs) remains mixed, the number of SROs in the U.S. continues to grow. We interviewed 18 SROs, SRO supervisors, and school leaders from exemplar programs to explore SRO role perceptions. Analysis revealed three themes: (1) SROs support a safe learning environment via multiple roles; (2) common SRO roles are law enforcer, educator, community liaison, and emergency manager; and (3) additional roles are site-specific. Our findings suggest a need to articulate expected SRO roles and recognize SROs often play multiple, overlapping roles to support a safe environment for student learning.

Sexual orientation is often invisible in counseling research despite increasing LGBQ+ identity in the United States. We used consensual qualitative research to explore considerations from LGBQ+ counseling researchers for collecting sexual orientation. Three domains emerged: risks, benefits, and methodological considerations. Our findings highlight inclusive research practice strategies for LGBQ+ research participants.

Referring to profound, deeply felt and embodied states of oneness, experiences of attunement are foundational to healthy human development. In clinical practice, these experiences promote therapeutic alliance and support healing, particularly in the context of relational wounding. Occurring through a process of ‘tuning in,’ attuned states contribute to the development of relationally based and embodied knowledge and may be facilitated through group arts-based experiences. Within this exploration of attunement, master’s level clinicians-in-training engaged in an improvisational group drumming intervention. Drawing on a synthesis of knowledge from diverse fields, multimodal forms of measurement, including perceptual, behavioral, and physiological, were utilized to elucidate and contextualize an occurrence of attunement. Findings shed light on the phenomenon of attunement, its relevance to the education of mental health practitioners and arts-based therapies, and how it may be facilitated to promote effective clinical practice. Use of advanced motion capture and physiological monitoring technologies opens doors for future research focused on the interpersonal nature and benefits of arts-based interventions.

Cognitive development is a key area for supervisor emphasis, as supervisees with higher levels of cognitive complexity are able to formulate a thorough, balanced, multicultural understanding of their clients. Yet, there are few supervisory interventions that are designed to facilitate cognitive growth. Herein, we offer one such supervisory intervention using the Counselor Cognitions Questionnaire (CCQ). The CCQ is a specific yet repeatable intervention that captures an efficient snapshot of supervisee cognitions, triggers supervisee self-reflection, and offers supervisors relevant fodder for catalyzing supervisee cognitive growth.

Counseling researchers are called to honor participants of all gender identities. A 10-year content analysis of 471 empirical studies in The Journal of Counseling & Development, Counselor Education and Supervision, and The Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling revealed contemporary practices for collecting research participant gender information. One in six studies included participants of marginalized gender identities. One in four studies focused on gender specifically and examples of inclusion and erasure of participants of marginalized gender identities are highlighted. Strategies for meaningfully including participants all gender identities or acknowledging methodological challenges that preclude inclusion are described.

Harm reduction (HR) approaches to substance use show promising efficacy, but limited research exists exploring professional counselors’ perceptions of HR. An online survey gathered data from 395 substance use providers, including 128 professional counselors. In measuring HR acceptance, t ‐tests compared this sample to prior samples, an analysis of variance compared counselors to other providers, and multiple regression explored the influence of counselor identity factors. Empathic responsiveness and positive social justice attitudes were predictors of HR acceptance. Counselors’ perceptions of HR were similar to other providers. Results indicated that counselor identity influences HR perceptions, with implications for practice and training considered.

School-law enforcement partnerships benefit from well-written memorandums of understandings (MOUs) that have been collaboratively developed with input from school law enforcement agencies and school divisions. While many school-law enforcement partnerships report having MOUs, little is known about what information the MOUs provide. We conducted a content analysis of 73 MOUs from school-law enforcement partnerships in Virginia. We coded the MOUs to obtain information about MOU structure and format and the coverage of three topic areas: school resource officer (SRO) roles, SRO training, and SRO role in school discipline. Our analysis revealed most MOUs cover the three topic areas, but what the MOUs said about these topics varied tremendously. The findings suggest all those involved in MOU development might benefit from easily accessible, streamlined resources that outline what specific issues need to be addressed when creating MOUs and how to navigate nuanced discussions about the roles and training of SROs.

The Strong Black Woman icon presents an image of Black women as infrangible, able to endure hardships unscathed, and in possession of indomitable strength. In this quantitative study of 100 Black women, statistically significant relationships were found between Strong Black Woman attitudes and stress. Implications for Strong Black Women clientele in a professional counseling context are provided.

Opioid misuse and opioid related deaths continue to affect families and communities across the United States. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) combines the use of medications and counseling to treat the whole person. While MAT shows promise over counseling-only approaches, there is little research or guidance on how to implement counseling with the medication. The following qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of ten clients in a MAT program that utilized group therapy with the medication buprenorphine. The findings showed that clients valued the Camaraderie and Feedback they received in group and even times of Discomfort were important.

Path analysis and follow-up multiple regression analysis were conducted to examine the School to Prison Pipeline (STPP) hypothesis formulated at the ecological level using data from all high schools in Virginia in the 2013-14 academic year. The STPP hypothesis links the increased use of exclusionary school discipline against individual students with lower rates of graduation and higher rates of involvement in the court system. The STPP is mainly an individual-level model, but in the present study, we extend this theory to the school building level. The analyses supported our hypothesis that frequent use of exclusionary discipline will lead to a higher rate of conviction and lower graduation rate.

Abstract Existing datasets can be especially useful in counseling outcome research. Institutional or governmental resources such as electronic medical, educational, social services, and criminal justice records hold valuable information about our clients’ lives (e.g. systemic issues, barriers to treatment, advocacy needs). Unfortunately, these datasets often exist in silos so tracking an individual across multiple datasets is a complex challenge. In this article, we describe our approach to linking individuals across an existing statewide K-12 student discipline database and a statewide juvenile justice database. We also describe data security safeguards and strategies for success utilizing archival data.

Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS; Dimeff et al., 1999) is an evidence‐based treatment to reduce high‐risk drinking among college students. Despite evidence of effectiveness, little is known about treatment fidelity when BASICS is implemented in a practical setting. This qualitative study explored the experiences of 13 mental health professionals who use the BASICS intervention. Themes emerged around the strengths of the intervention and barriers to implementation.

Counsellors are called to appreciate variety within human experience and culture (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions, 2018). Similarly, counselling and psychotherapy supervisors who support the ongoing development of supervisees are tasked with understanding supervisees in their own cultural context. Supervisees and supervisors bring their own social and cultural identities into the supervisory space. In this study of 94 supervisees, the researchers sought to explore which social or cultural identity supervisees named as most salient in the supervisory relationship and whether the salient identity was one of minoritised or marginalised status. Gender, religion, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation or nationality was often listed as most salient. Further, individuals who identified with a minoritised/marginalised race/ethnicity, nationality or sexual orientation were likely to list that identity as most salient in their supervisory relationship. Implications include the importance of respectful inquisitiveness and supervisor readiness to consider a variety of salient social and cultural identities. Given many of these identities are invisible or ambiguous, supervisors who display cultural humility may be best positioned to provide culturally competent supervision.

This study examined the incidence of intentional nondisclosure by postgraduate, prelicensed counselors receiving supervision as they pursue licensure, which has not been previously examined. Examining the responses of 107 prelicensed counselors, we found that 95.3% reported withholding some degree of information from their supervisors, and 53.3% completely withheld a concern from their supervisors. Participants completely withheld supervision-related incidents (e.g., negative reactions to supervisor, questioning supervisor’s competency) more frequently than they withheld client-related incidents (e.g., clinical mistakes, personal issues). We offer strategies for prelicensed counselors, supervisors, counselor educators, and counselor credentialing bodies to reduce intentional nondisclosure. These strategies include creating a collaborative environment, developing supervision contracts, and attending to power differentials in supervision.

Existing datasets can be especially useful in counseling outcome research. Institutional or governmental resources such as electronic medical, educational, social services, and criminal justice records hold valuable information about our clients’ lives (e.g. systemic issues, barriers to treatment, advocacy needs). Unfortunately, these datasets often exist in silos so tracking an individual across multiple datasets is a complex challenge. In this article, we describe our approach to linking individuals across an existing statewide K-12 student discipline database and a statewide juvenile justice database. We also describe data security safeguards and strategies for success utilizing archival data.

The authors examined supervisor cultural humility as a predictor of supervisee intentional nondisclosure. Using multiple regression in a sample of 101 post-master's counselors, the authors found that 20% of supervisees' intentional nondisclosure was explained by their perceptions of their supervisors' level of cultural humility.

The school to prison pipeline begins with disciplinary incidents which result in suspensions, expulsions, and referrals to law enforcement. We analyzed 230,988 disciplinary infractions from one year in public K-12 schools in Virginia. We found evidence that Black male and female students are overrepresented in initial infractions and overrepresentation worsens only at the more discretionary points of the school to prison pipeline. A three-pronged approach to school counselor advocacy for transformative change is detailed herein.

Investigations of supervisee intentional nondisclosure can only occur after the incident has happened. Thus, prior studies of the phenomenon have been limited in the ability to encourage rich participant recall. In the current study, we reviewed a video-recorded supervision session with ten participants and used an Interpersonal Process Recall-informed interview procedure to understand their in-session experiences of utilizing intentional nondisclosure. Using transcendental phenomenological analysis, we identified three themes: (a) impressions of the supervisory relationship, (b) reactions to the structure or process of supervision, and (c) experiences of balancing professional and evaluative relationships. Implications for supervisors and training programs are discussed.