An online survey (N = 103) of secular/diocesan and religious Roman Catholic priests was conducted to assess contributions to psychological distress from sexual identity, stress, social support, and fear of compassion from others. Differences in psychological distress across sexual identity and role (religious, secular/diocesan) were also assessed. Results indicated psychological distress was predicted by stress, fear of compassion from others, and gay identity as compared with heterosexual identity. Gay-identified priests were significantly more distressed when compared with those heterosexually identified. Qualitative analyses revealed gay priests’ stress was related to the cognitive dissonance of current social acceptance of sexual minority identity juxtaposed with negative Church teaching, and perceived constraints to receiving compassion from others. Heterosexual and gay/bisexual priests all expressed profound satisfaction in their vocations, but with additional themes of loneliness, negative relationships with Church hierarchy, workload demands, unrealistic expectations, concern about the future, and ageing. Counseling and policy implications are discussed.

Art therapy master's degree programs are required to provide instruction in research theory and methodology, in accordance with art therapy and professional counseling education standards. Although the art therapy standards outline broad, general principles regarding the study of research, the professional counseling standards are more comprehensive and focused on educating graduate students to be adept evaluators and consumers of research. This viewpoint discusses the role of research in the master's degree curriculum and whether it is pedagogically appropriate to require graduate students, who are in the early stages of mastering clinical skills, to conduct independent research. Recommendations are offered based on a review of existing practice and educational theory.

The insights of chaos theory and postmodernism can be applied by therapists to resolve the apparent conflict between theory and practice. Using the example of the modern scientist, the argument is made that for therapy to have integrity the therapist needs a theoretical foundation. This theoretical orientation, however, is tempered by a postmodern perspective that recognizes the finite nature of all theories. The therapist is encouraged to have a theoretical orientation, but not to become that orientation.

Since mental health counselors in private practice often work in relative isolation, it is especially important that they attend to ethical issues. This article reviews four dimensions of ethical knowledge: the foundation of ethical actions, counselors as agents of ethical action, the need to establish a decision-making process, and the importance of sustaining ethical practice by keeping current with clinical developments and attending to their own well-being.

Current ethical decision-making models focus principally on cognitive factors and less on the emotional aspects of ethical challenges. This practice reflects a reliance on knowledge-driven, modernist approaches that emphasize objectivity and the primacy of rational thinking. Newer postmodern and constructivist approaches emphasize the need to consider the counselor holistically, as a thinking/feeling being who brings into the present moment the accumulated weight of the past. In order to bridge the gap between a cognitive, modernist approach and a feeling, experience-based postmodern approach, the authors outline an instructional approach that uses family systems theory to assist counselors in becoming conscious about how family roles and early emotional experiences can negatively impact present professional behavior.