In this qualitative research study, we explored the multicultural awareness development of 12 multiculturally adept non-Latino White counselors. Using a grounded theory approach, we found that early personal experience with diversity was the most important contributing factor in developing understanding and empathy for oppression among White counselors. This factor appeared to lay the foundation for an ongoing personal initiative to develop multicultural awareness. Subsequently, counselors tried to maximize what they could learn from their culturally diverse clients, work environments, coursework, supervision, and mentoring opportunities. Their personal initiative also inspired them to persevere despite the difficult emotions and conflict inherent in this developmental process. Results suggest the need to incorporate personally transformative experiences in counselor training and to prepare counselors for the emotional challenges of multicultural awareness development.

This study examined the experiences of counsellors in training working with clients who present with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) as a basis for understanding how trainees react to and resolve the challenges presented by difficult counselling cases. A qualitative data analysis using consensual qualitative research . A guide to conducting consensual qualitative research. The Counseling Psychologist, 25, 517-572] was conducted on 12 transcribed interviews of Master's level trainees who had recently worked with at least one client who self-injured. Three general themes were reflected by the data. Specific to NSSI the findings revealed that trainees created an intuitive model of NSSI that reflected some understanding of the phenomenon despite little or no prior exposure to it. With regard to the work involved in these challenging cases, trainees reported a number of personal struggles and tasks that they needed to resolve while trying to be helpful to these clients. These tasks included managing their emotional reactivity and resolving ethical and confidentiality issues. Engaging in these two tasks heightened their feelings of uncertainty yet also focused them to be highly intentional in their work. Whereas supervision often serves novices well when they struggle, participants reported that supervision only partly alleviated the difficulties they faced. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.

Given its prevalence, nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is increasingly becoming the focus of mental health counselors and other clinicians. Even when these individuals are knowledgeable about NSSI, the best treatment approaches remain uncertain. While several therapeutic treatments have been evaluated for their effectiveness, results are inconclusive. As the search for best practice continues, the authors propose attachment theory and interpersonal neurobiology as relevant to NSSI, especially considering their potential to facilitate emotion regulation. A case example is provided.

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