In a study of counseling center practices for responding to after-hours crises. counseling centers at 192 four-year colleges nationwide responded to a questionnaire. The results revealed that 56 percent of the respondents had counseling center staff formally on-call after hours, 35 percent had staff informally on-call, and 9 percent did not offer any form of on-call service. The majority of after-hours calls were handled by phone contact, with in-person counseling most often reported by smaller schools. The lesser involvement of counseling staff at larger schools may be due to the greater availability of auxiliary services both on and off campus. Counseling centers that handle after-hours calls informally may place themselves at legal risk. if informal services create the presumption that after-hours services were expected. The smaller schools that use counselors, student affairs staff, or residence life staff to transport high-risk students to hospitals may also be creating legal risk for themselves. In developing an after-hours service policy, counseling centers should clearly define their role, ensure adequate training for counselors, use a standardized on-call assessment instrument, define and advertise collaborative relationships, and resist pressure to practice beyond their capabilities. (24 ref)-Department of Counseling und P 03 I I -40/GMT .hological Services, Kutztown University.In a study exploring spiritual and religious distress among college students, 5,472 students from 39 colleges and universities nationwide responded to the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Presenting Problems Checklist, and the Family Experiences Scale. The results revealed that the students with considerable distress related to religion and spirituality were more likely to report the breakup or loss of a relationship, confusion about beliefs or values. rape or sexual assault. homesickness, and suicidal feelings or thoughts. Those who sought help from the university counseling center for religious or spiritual concerns were more likely to experience distress related to procrastination and distress from relationships with friends, roommates, and peers. On the other hand, the non-help seekers with considerable distress related to religious or spiritual concerns reported more problems connected to homesickness, pregnancy, and sexual assault. The help-seekers with considerable religious or spiritual distress reported more confusion about beliefs and values, sexual concerns, thoughts of being punished for sins, and problems with peers than did the help-seekers without religious or spiritual distress. (39 retl-

Child sexual abuse continues to occur for a significant number of children, often having deleterious consequences for survivors' physical and mental health. Research has thoroughly explored various consequences as a result of child sexual abuse, but scholars and practitioners know less about the healing processes from survivors' viewpoints. Using a constructivist grounded theory design, this study examined perceptions of healing in 10 female survivors of child sexual abuse. Results conclude with a theoretical model of healing, capturing the significance of supportive relationships, internal characteristics, turning points, and sources of active healing. Important sources of active healing include therapy, informal and formal education, compassion and empathy, blame attribution to abusers, and confronting abusers. Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed.

Psychological diagnosis faces unique challenges when used to differentiate nonpsychopathological religious/spiritual/transpersonal (R/S/T) experiences from those that might evidence psychopathology, particularly considering the diversity of such experiences and the value-laden assumptions inherent in most diagnostic practices. Theoretical and pragmatic problems related to the diagnostic category, Religious and Spiritual Problem, as contained in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders are discussed. Attention is paid to identifying potential biases and errors in using, or failing to use, this diagnostic category, particularly as related to developing culturally sensitive diagnoses. Specific methods, including psychometric approaches, for evaluating R/S/T experiences that may range from healthy to psychopathological are reviewed and recommendations are presented for improving current diagnostic practices and furthering needed research.

A new area in psychotherapy practice and research has arisen addressing therapeutic interventions to explicitly promote forgiveness. There is wide variation in the response to this new area including enthusiastic acceptance, wary openness, and vigorous opposition. Unfortunately, these reactions are not often based on a thorough understanding of the empirical literature and result in concerns about using forgiveness interventions in therapy that may or may not be warranted. The authors identify these potential concerns, framing them as concerns about the impact on clients, concerns related to therapist skill or knowledge, and concerns about the effect on the therapy process. The authors address these concerns with a review of the relevant research on forgiveness in therapy. Based on this review, the authors conclude that some skepticism of the new "forgiveness interventions" is warranted, although serious consideration needs to be given to these interventions at appropriate times. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).