Client preferences and anticipations about counselor self-disclosure.

120 female undergraduates were preselected according to high or low preference for counselor disclosure. Ss were then given 1 of 2 forms of instructions about the likelihood of counselors using self-disclosure (high or low anticipation). Finally, Ss viewed a brief videotape of a counseling session in which counselor disclosure was either present or absent. As predicted, Ss gave higher ratings on the Counselor Rating Form to self-disclosing counselors than to nondisclosing ones. Ss whose high preferences and anticipations were confirmed gave higher ratings to disclosing counselors. For Ss who had low preference and anticipation, disconfirmation led to higher ratings of disclosing counselors. Implications for distinguishing between preference and anticipation in research on expectancy are discussed. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Client preferences and anticipations in career counseling: A preliminary investigation.

Client expectations have been studied infrequently in career counseling. This study provides preliminary data about precounseling expectations, which were conceptualized as preferences and anticipations. 92 university students (22 men and 70 women) who sought career counseling completed an open-ended questionnaire. Results suggested the following conclusions: (1) Clients have fairly clear ideas about what they want (preferences) from career counseling and about what the experience should be like; (2) clients are somewhat less certain about what the career counseling experience will actually be like (anticipations) and less optimistic about it; (3) a number of mismatches exist between clients' preferences and anticipations; (4) clients do not have well-developed expectations about their dislikes in career counseling; and (5) few differences are evident between clients who have had previous counseling and those who have not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role anticipations and preferences over the course of counseling.

We collected client role anticipations and preferences prior to each session from 33 clients seen at a large university counseling center. After each session, the counselors rate how each client behaved with respect to these role dimensions. We examined these data in three ways. First, we examined the initial role anticipations and preferences to determine the extent to which they were similar. We found that anticipations and preferences were significantly different but that they covaried greatly. Second, we examined several competing explanatory models of the disconfirmed role expectation–negative consequence hypothesis. The only one supported was the bidirectional discrepancy model proposed by Duckro, Beal, and George (1979), and the support for this was relatively weak. Finally, we examined the changes in client role preferences, anticipations, and behavior over the course of treatment as a function of outcome and treatment length. We found clear changes in role anticipations, preferences, and behavior for all dyads over time, and some of these changes were related to outcome. We discuss these results with respect to the process of relationship building. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Client records: Ethical and legal considerations.

Examines the legal and ethical problems associated with keeping files on clients. The major focus is on the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (Canadian Psychological Association, 1988) and the implication of the Code for record keeping by psychologists. Content and types of records kept, including the use of computer assessments and files, are discussed, along with issues of ownership and use of files. Specific suggestions for record keeping, ensuring privacy of computer files, and maintaining record access and retention are made. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Privacy and confidentiality.

Comments on 2 issues in the article by L. Everstine et al (see record 1980-31031-001). The 1st concerns the conclusion that a therapist, being no different from an ordinary citizen, must protect the common good and not hesitate to warn an intended victim; and the 2nd concerns the confusion between confidentiality and privilege. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Client expectations for counseling.

287 undergraduates completed an 82-item questionnaire about their expectations of counseling. Nine items concerned specific counseling procedures; the remaining items were combined into 7 expectancy scales.The respondents' strongest expectancies were of seeing an experienced, genuine, expert, and accepting counselor they could trust. Expectancies that the counselor would be understanding and directive and that a beneficial outcome would be experienced were somewhat lower. Significant sex differences were observed for the expectancies of seeing a counselor for 3 interviews, of seeing an accepting counselor, and of seeing a directive counselor. Significant college class differences were found for expectancies of taking psychological tests, of seeing an expert counselor, and of seeing an accepting counselor. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Domestic violations of confidentiality.

In mental health practice, protecting the confidentiality of psychological information provided by clients is the cornerstone of professionalism. Often there are inadvertent violations of this axiom. On the basis of true examples, this article reveals the pitfalls associated with an office in the home, unsecured documents in the home, the telephone answering machine in the home, the family Internet account, the family computer, the shared fax machine, the shared mail box, the family dining table, the accidental revelation, the errant spouse, and exposure through litigation. Possible exceptions and special situations are discussed, and safeguards are recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Technique for the Sophisticated Client.

The author presents a lighthearted poem with regards as to how best to treat a client quite knowledgeable in psychological theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Strategies for preserving the confidentiality of psychological reports.

Describes strategies that appear to be effective in reducing breaches of confidentiality due to unauthorized dissemination of psychological reports. Strategies suggested include (1) clarifying the word "confidentiality," (2) not placing psychological reports in general medical records, and (3) insisting that forms authorizing release of information specifically name the psychology department or an individual staff member. It is concluded that operationally defining in the report itself how the report is to be treated is a complementary strategy that may help reduce breaches of confidentiality. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Client diversity.

This article reviewed the empirical support for customizing the therapeutic relationship for women, ethnic minorities, gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons, and individuals from lower social classes. Specifically, we examined whether evidence existed that these populations fared less well in treatment than mainstream populations, whether matching of therapists with client demographics (i.e., gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socio class) improved outcomes, and whether population-specific strategies improved treatment outcomes with members of these groups. We found that, in general, there was a paucity of research on treatment outcomes with these populations. Moreover, the available research had methodological limitations. Most studies were effectiveness rather than efficacy studies. Finally, most suggestions for improving treatment outcomes with these groups were not based on empirical research. Based on our review, we offer suggestions for therapeutic practices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinicians, microcomputers, and confidentiality.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 19(4) of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice (see record 2008-10700-001). In this article, the address given on p. 286 for correspondence to the author is incorrect. The erratum includes the correct address.] Despite the microcomputer's ever-increasing popularity, one of its greatest strengths, the ability to store enormous quantities of text and data on small, concentrated types of magnetic media, could turn out to be an important structural weakness in the wall of client confidentiality that psychologists have so carefully constructed over the years. In this article I examine the possibilities for such breaches of confidentiality when psychologists use microcomputers in their practice or research. Examples illustrate the ease and rapidity with which the microcomputer's magnetic media can be duplicated, damaged, or destroyed. Recommendations are made for guidelines and techniques to ensure and maintain the confidentiality of clinical and research information when one is using a microcomputer. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Privacy, ethics, and confidentiality.

Discusses privacy and confidentiality with respect to primary providers of psychological services, focusing on the client–practitioner relationship, and does not attempt to resolve questions about data bases and the like. Confidential information should not be disclosed, except if required by law; but changes in laws should be sought where needed. Casual breaches in privacy should be avoided, and psychologists should generally not answer questions on the telephone. They should have a will calling for destruction of records or their being given to a responsible colleague for disposition, in case of death. All matters regarding confidentiality should be made clear to the client at the start of therapy. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expectations and preferences.

Client expectations and preferences have been thought by many to influence the client's willingness to engage in and be influenced by the therapist and the process of therapy. Definitions and methods of assessment are presented of clients' expectancy for therapeutic gain; expectations about the roles they and their therapists will play; and their preferences for therapy roles, type of psychotherapy, and demographic features of the therapist. Included is a review of the empirical evidence based on 76 studies of the relation between client expectations and preferences, on the one hand, and the outcome of psychotherapy, on the other hand. Clients' expectations for therapeutic gain are related to outcome in most studies, although no causal conclusions can be drawn. The literature on role expectations is equivocal, and the relatively few studies on client preferences yield primarily negative or mixed results. Finally, specific implications for therapeutic practices are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Scaling preferences for television shows.

The constant-sum method of psychological scaling was applied to the problem of determining scale values for the dimension of liking for 18 television shows. 2 groups (N = 376 and 384) of relatively homogeneous Ss were employed. Groups came from different geographical areas. Stability of stimulus scale values is demonstrated when each group is divided into 2 samples and scales determined for each sample. Scales from the 2 groups are compared, and correlations are determined between CSM scale values and commercial survey ratings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Afro-American preferences for counselor characteristics.

Examined 128 Black college students' (aged 17–52 yrs) preferences for salient counselor characteristics. Ss were asked to express their preference for counselors similar or dissimilar to them across 8 counselor characteristics (ethnicity, sex, religion, educational background, socioeconomic background, attitudes and values, personality, and age) identified from previous research. A total of 120 paired comparisons were generated to compare preferences for the 16 similar and dissimilar counselor characteristics. Results reveal that Ss expressed preferences for counselors who, in comparison to themselves, were more educated, had similar attitudes and values, were older, and had similar personalities; these characteristics were more important to the Ss than the counselor's race and ethnicity. Additional analysis of within-group preference profiles revealed no consistent difference by commitment to Afro-American culture, sex, or previous counseling experience. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Public attitudes toward psychotherapist-client confidentiality.

What does the general public expect of psychotherapists in terms of confidentiality and third-party access to information? A telephone survey was conducted to examine this issue. Generally, subjects believed that therapy information should not be revealed without authorization, but they nonetheless felt that confidentiality should be broken when a client reveals the occurrence of one of the following: murder (planned or confessed), suicide plans, child abuse, major theft, and treason/sabotage against the U.S. Subjects were concerned about unauthorized release of information to the courts, to a client's spouse, or to insurance companies, but felt that psychotherapists should be free to discuss clients with one another. As opposed to older subjects, younger subjects (aged 18-39) were against unauthorized disclosures to parents or the family doctor and believed that confidentiality should be maintained when a client reports illegal drug use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Breach of confidentiality and perceived trustworthiness of counselors.

200 male undergraduates heard audiotaped counselor–client interactions that culminated in a decision by the counselor to breach or maintain confidentiality. In a control condition no confidentiality manipulation was presented. The degree of seriousness of the client's problem was manipulated in addition to the level of counselor experience, type of presenting problem, and counselor. Ss were randomly assigned to 1 of 48 cells defined by a 3 (confidentiality: confidential, nonconfidential or control) by 2 (problem seriousness: highly or moderately serious) by 2 (counselor experience: expert or nonexpert) by 2 (presenting problem: suicide or drug abuse) by 2 (counselor: A or B) between-Ss factorial design. Among other measures Ss rated counselors on trustworthiness on the Counselor Rating Form. A Confidentiality?×?Problem Seriousness Interaction indicated that with highly serious client problems breaching confidentiality was associated with significantly lower trustworthiness ratings compared to all other conditions. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)