Littlebear, S., Lofties, E., & Mikolon, T. (2024). Title of the article. Contemporary Family Therapy, 46(2), 231–240 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10591-023-09667-8

The study aimed to examine counselors' perceptions of the relationship between narcissistic personality traits and domestic violence or intimate partner violence, particularly in the context of the growing use of the term "narcissist" in social media and pop culture. Participants were licensed or associate-licensed counselors in the United States who had experience working with either victims or perpetrators of Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence.

The researchers used a phenomenological qualitative research method to explore counselors' lived experiences and their insights on how narcissism may relate to abusive behaviors. Data collected through semi-structured virtual interviews, which allowed the counselors to share their views in depth. The interviews were analyzed using hermeneutic phenomenology, focusing on the meanings and themes that emerged from the counselors' perspectives. This approach heled the researchers understand how the concept of narcissism is understood and applied in counseling practices, as well as its relevance in addressing Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence cases.

West, E. M., Moate, R. M., & McKinney, R. T. (2024). Journal of Multicultural Counseling & Development, 52(1), 14–24. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmcd.12237

The purpose of the study was to explore the experience of novice school counselors in addressing the achievement gap for low income adolescents. The research sought to understand the challenges these counselors face in the supporting their student's academic and mental health needs, as well as how they navigate the complexities of working with low income families. Ten school counselors who had graduated within the past five years, were trained under the ASCA 2012 standards, and worked with low income students in grades 7-12 participated in the study. The research used semi-structured interviews to collect data, with each interview lasting an average of 55.5 minutes. The data was analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), allowing the researchers to gain deep insights into the counselors' lived experiences. The study aimed to highlight the counselors; roles in bridging the gap between students' home and school environments, while also promoting academic success, mental health support and fostering self advocacy in students. Through this, the study aimed to uncover the systemic challenges, resource limitations, and personal dynamics that shape counselors' work with low income students.

Kirk, S., & Hinton, D. (2019). Child: Care, Health & Development, 45(2), 216–226. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12638

The purpose of the study was to examine the experiences of young people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), focusing on how they navigate the physical, emotional, and social challenges brought on by the illness. The study sought to understand how MS affects their sense of identity, relationships with family and peers, and their long-term aspirations, including their goals for education, career, and personal life. The participants were adolescents and young adults who had received an MS diagnosis, and they were invited to share their personal stories and reflections on how the disease influenced their lives. The research method used was qualitative interviews, allowing the participants to express their experiences in depth. These interviews provided rich insights into the fluctuating nature of their illness, the impact of treatment on their daily lives and efforts to maintain a sense of normalcy and control. The study's findings contribute to a broader understanding of how chronic illness, particularly MS, affects young people during a critical stage of personal development and social interaction, offering important implications for supporting young individuals with similar diagnoses.

The story explored the experiences of eleven counselors in training exposed to live streamed nature scenes and sounds at the start of their practicum courses, The goal was to asses the impact of this technology driven activity on their emotional well-being and engagement. The findings showed that the virtual nature experience helped reduce negative emotions, increased peer connection, and raised awareness of self-care. These benefits are consistent with research on nature's positive effects on mental health. The study highlights the potential of suing technology to provide natured-based interventions in counselor education programs, especially when direct outdoor engagement is not possible.

The article addresses the challenges counselors face in balancing client wellness and their own wellness. While the counseling profession emphasizes treating clients holistically, counselors often experience stress when prioritizing client needs over their own, especially in difficult situations with challenging , difficult, or dislikable clients. These clients provoke a negative emotions in counselors, which can interfere with the therapeutic process. The study aims to explore which types of challenging clients behaviors lead to interpersonal stress for counselors, and whether these behaviors can predict the level of stress counselors experience. The research underscored the impact of working with clients on counselor well-being and therapeutic relationship.

The study examines the characteristics and reasons behind students dropping out of a university counseling services in northern Italy. The research compares socio-demographic and baseline psychological scores of students who completed counseling with those who withdrew early, and includes qualitative interviews with dropouts to explore their motivations. Common reasons for seeking counseling included academic stress, anxiety, and identity issues, while reasons for dropping out ranged from feeling better or logistical difficulties to personal reasons. Further research is needed to improve university counseling services and better address students' diverse needs.

This article stresses the importance of school counselors using evidence-based practices and research to improve their programs and better support students. While graduate training covers research methods, many counselors feel unprepared to analyze quantitative research. The article provides a guide to evaluating research quality, focusing, on elements like author credibility and research design. It also emphasizes the need for counselors to apply a multicultural and antiracist lens to avoid biased interpretations and promote equitable outcomes.

The article outlines best practices for reporting the reliability and validity of psychological test used in counseling research. It stresses that reliability and validity are context-dependent and should be reported based on the specific data and sample used. The article critiques the common use of Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency, nothing that it requires several statistical assumptions and may not always be appropriate. Alternative measures like coefficient omega are recommended for their robustness. For construct validity, researchers should report evidence of both internal structure and relationship with related constructs. The article advises counselors to be transparent about limitations and consider cross-cultural fairness when selecting and reporting tests.

This study examined the relationship between Strong Black Woman attitudes, stress, and culture- specific coping mechanisms among 100 Black Women from universities in the eastern U.S. It found a moderate positive correlation between Strong Black Women attitudes-such as self-reliance, emotional regulation, and caretaking- higher perceived stress levels. The study calls for future research into effective counseling approaches and coping strategies' for strong black women, particularly using multicultural counseling competencies.