PTSD, Complex PTSD, and Childhood Abuse: Gender Differences Among a Homeless Sample

The current study examined the potential relationship between homelessness, gender, and occurrence of Post-Traumatic Distress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD. Participants were 90 homeless persons from shelters located in a large, South Central Texas, metropolitan city of approximately 1.9 million persons. The study found that homeless participants reported high levels of childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Homeless women reported higher rates of childhood abuse and were affected by PTSD at a higher frequency than homeless males. PTSD, Complex PTSD, and traumatic experiences such as childhood abuse appear to be contributing factors to homelessness. Results suggest the need for increased advocacy among counseling and psychology professionals is warranted for homeless persons experiencing PTSD

PTSD, Complex PTSD, and Childhood Abuse: Gender Differences Among a Homeless Sample

The current study examined the potential relationship between homelessness, gender, and occurrence of Post-Traumatic Distress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD. Participants were 90 homeless persons from shelters located in a large, South Central Texas, metropolitan city of approximately 1.9 million persons. The study found that homeless participants reported high levels of childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Homeless women reported higher rates of childhood abuse and were affected by PTSD at a higher frequency than homeless males. PTSD, Complex PTSD, and traumatic experiences such as childhood abuse appear to be contributing factors to homelessness. Results suggest the need for increased advocacy among counseling and psychology professionals is warranted for homeless persons experiencing PTSD

An Interview with Alan J. Hovestadt: AAMFT Past President and Long-Time Marriage and Family Counselor Educator

Alan J. Hovestadt, EdD, is the immediate past president of the 24,000 member American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and a long-time IAMFC member who served as an IAMFC founding board member when ACA first granted IAMFC divisional status. Recently, Dr. Hovestadt was one of seven recipients of the prestigious American Counseling Association’s Presidential Award and was honored at the 2008 ACA Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. Given Dr. Hovestadt’s prominence within both AAMFT and IAMFC and his long-time marriage and family counselor educator identity, the authors’ believed that an interview with Dr. Hovestadt would be of significant interest to The Family Journal readerships. Thus, Dr. Hovestadt graciously participated in an interview with Drs. Ken Coll, Michael Sunich, and Gerald Juhnke on November 20, 2007. In the interview below, Dr. Hovestadt responds to questions related to his (a) AAMFT Presidency experiences and accomplishments, (b) perceptions related to professionals aligning themselves either with AAMFT or IAMFC, (c) thoughts related to pressing legislative concerns that would be of specific interest to IAMFC members and The Family Journal readership, (d) perceptions related to marriage and family training changes, and (e) advice for those seeing to become counselor educators with specialization in couples, marriage, and family counseling

An Interview with Frank Miller About the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory

An interview with Frank Miller, a renowned addictions assessment authority who jointly initiated the updated Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) versions and helped establish the inventories in the addictions assessment mainstream, is presented. Among others, Miller talks about how to use the SASSI with addicted couples or families

A Preliminary Study Using the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-Adolescent Form (SASSI-A) as an Outcome Measure with Youth Offenders

The authors describe a preliminary study using the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-Adolescent Form (SASSI-A; F. Miller, 1994) as an outcome measure with adolescent offenders. Results indicate that the SASSI-A can be successfully used as a treatment planning tool as well as a measure to evaluate programs

Distinguishing Between Higher and Lower Risk Youth Offenders: Applications for Practice

The article presents information on a study which focused on the systematic assessment of youth offenders in a residential treatment program to distinguish their higher and lower risk for mental health and delinquency-related problems. It provides a review of literature relating to the recognized risk factors associated with teenagers who offend. It also describes the development of a comprehensive risk assessment process that includes self-report and clinical assessment measures. It also discusses the implications for clinical work with offending teenagers

Using a Modified Neurolinguistic Programming Swish Pattern with Couple Parasuicide and Suicide Survivors

Given the frequency of suicides and parasuicides and the often comorbid negatively experienced effects of these behaviors, it is likely that the vast majority of couples, marriage, and family counselors will at one time or another encounter couples who survive family members\u27 parasuicides or suicides. This article succinctly describes a modified neurolinguistic programming technique the authors have found helpful with their surviving couples. The technique is based on their collective couples, marriage, and family counseling experiences and presents a strength-based perspective

Family Disengagement of Youth Offenders: Implications for Counselors

This study investigated the differences among youth offenders for family engagement (as measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales—III) and conduct-disordered behaviors (as measured by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [4th ed., text revision] criteria) by means of the Youth Comprehensive Risk Assessment. Results indicated significant differences in conduct-disordered behaviors between youths with less familial engagement compared with youths with more family engagement. Resulting implications for counselors are included