The hurdles are high: Women of color leaders in counseling psychology.

Counseling psychologists value cultural diversity and, as a field, include many Women of Color (WoC) in leadership spaces. However, researchers have yet to explore the experiences of WoC leaders within the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP; Division 17 of the American Psychological Association). Specifically, we sought to identify how WoC leaders engage culturally relevant leadership styles and what barriers (if any) WoC leaders experience within leadership in SCP. We utilized a semistructured interview protocol with 10 WoC who have held and/or currently hold a leadership position within SCP. We sought to construct a narrative of the development of leadership spaces for WoC, understand the culturally relevant leadership styles of WoC leaders and the barriers to engaging their leadership styles in SCP, and create recommendations for SCP to broaden and deepen leadership pathways for WoC. We coded the data using the Consensual Qualitative Research method and identified two major thematic sections: Becoming a WoC Leader (with themes of Identity, Role of Sponsorship, Mentorship from WoC Leaders, and Hurdles of Service Leadership) and Leadership Styles of WoC (with themes of Self-Awareness in Leadership, Intentionality, and Engaging Critical Conversations). We conclude with recommendations from the leaders and implications for SCP and leadership spaces broadly. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Self-forgiving processes in therapy for romantic relationship infidelity: An evidence-based case study.

Self-forgiveness is related to positive connections with self and others and may be particularly important for clients who have hurt others. Relational hurt is heightened within the most intimate relationships and is particularly salient in cases of romantic relationship infidelity. Therefore, self-forgiveness may be indicated for romantic partners who have engaged in infidelity. This evidence-based case study examines the treatment of a Caucasian woman in her early 50s who presented with self-unforgiveness following marital infidelity. An 8-week manualized individual counseling program for self-forgiveness was used, which incorporates emotion-focused therapy techniques and principles of positive psychology to facilitate clients' engagement with a 4-component therapeutic model of self-forgiveness-responsibility, remorse, restoration, and renewal. This evidence-based case study demonstrated the importance of emotion-focused techniques in the client's emotional recovery, as well as the ways in which the intervention served as a eudaimonic process that resulted in the client's personal and relational well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).