Humor can reflect the healthy release of feelings during the counseling process, the type of emotional release that leads to significant therapeutic gains. It can also be a disturbing distraction, possibly causing early termination, if used inappropriately. Counselors need to exert particular caution before attempting to apply humor in working with a client from a culture different from the counselor's. This article explores the available literature and offers contributions on the subject from 4 “ethnically diverse” perspectives. Finally, a general approach based on existential theory is presented along with 5 general conditions to ascertain the appropriate use of humor.

The National Board for Certified Counselors describes cybercounseling as the provision of some aspects of counseling through technology, via such applications as e-mail, Web-based information access, course registration, academic advising, and career guidance. The authors explore the characteristics of cybercounseling, describe its current use in the United States and South Korea, explore its advantages and disadvantages, and consider issues and concerns for college counselors.

Gerontological counseling is the wave of the profession's future. With the majority of 76 million baby boomers beginning to turn 60 years old in 2006, there will be a great need for preretirement to end-of-life counselors. This article focuses on (a) the varied influences of this group on the U.S. and the nation's concerns and (b) theories, models, standards, and competencies for counseling this unique population.

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The supply of qualified counselor educators is diminishing in proportion to present and future demands. The authors explore historical perspectives, present concerns, and potential solutions to this growing problem.

When this 25‐year‐old counselor education program found itself with two faculty vacancies to fill, interesting experiences ensued. To determine whether those experiences were unique or comparable to those in other institutions with similar geographic, demographic, and economic characteristics, a survey of institutional vacancies in counselor education was taken. The results indicated that there seems to be an impending shortage of qualified counselor educators.

This article is the 3rd in a series of investigations into the supply and demand of qualified counselor educators for the oncoming millennium.As part of a continuing investigation, this article represents the most recent findings on the supply of and opportunities for counselor educators. The first study (Maples, 1989) and the second study (Maples, Altekruse, & Testa, 1993) collected data on counselor education vacancies from position announcements in the Chronicle of Higher Education and Counseling Today. This article reviews the results of the third study, which sought to compare the number of qualified applicants now with the number of applicants in 1993 as well as the average number of faculty per department now to that in 1993. In addition, more extensive information was collected regarding (a) the specialty areas most sought after, (b) the rate of ethnic minority and female hiring, (c) the preferred degree and experience level of new hires, (d) the rank and tenure track status of the advertised positions, and (e) the ordinal rank (first choice, second choice) of the person hired.In Maples's 1989 article, results of a formal survey of 25 institutions with a total of 38 faculty vacancies showed the mean number of qualified applicants (those meeting all published criteria) was seven. All respondents indicated that this number of applicants was considerably lower than those received for earlier vacancies. M a y Finn Maples is a professor; a n d Daniel P. Macari is a doctoral student, both in the Counseling a n d Educational Psychology Department a t the University oj Nevada-Reno. Correspondence regarding this article should be sent to Daniel P. Macari. University of Nevada Reno, Counseling a n d Educational Psychology, Mail Stop

The authors review factors linked to the battered woman's return to the abusive environment and suggest an additional factorthe values of the woman. Moral development and some of the beliefs of the committed Christian woman are examined. The influence of these factors on her decision to remain in the abusive relationship are discussed. Interventions that accommodate to the framework of the committed Christian woman's value/belief system are explored. Counselors are also encouraged to explore their own value systems in relation to their clients to ascertain if and how these values may influence their clients.