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This article discusses therapeutic letter writing by school counselors as a way of enhancing effectiveness of direct services to students. Writing as an effective therapeutic tool has been well-documented, and therapeutic letter writing specifically has been shown to have positive effects. This article provides a brief literature review, along with sample letters that might be used in elementary, middle, and high school levels. Guidelines for constructing letters are included.

For individuals and couples experiencing such distress, sexuality counseling, an emerging specialization in professional counseling, may provide relief, understanding, healing, and intimacy. This review attempts to describe the paradigm shifts and key figures in the field, sexuality counseling as a professional specialization, the process of sexuality counseling including assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning, and various roadblocks to intimacy. It concludes with advocacy of the new specialization as a synthesis of trends in sexual health.

Gamers are a growing population and video game culture remains unfamiliar to the majority of counselors. Little scholarship exits that would aid counselors in gaining awareness and knowledge about gamers and video game culture. Such information has implications for counselors to better meet the needs of gamers, their partners, and families seeking counseling. The authors discuss elements of gaming culture including a brief history, population characteristics, terminology, healthy and unhealthy gaming, and implications for counselors.

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Couples who present for therapy with one person having borderline personality disorder (BPD) are a challenge for even the most seasoned couples counselor. Some have argued that couples counseling should not be attempted until the person diagnosed with BPD has completed successful individual treatment. However, there is a growing body of research addressing effective marital therapy with particularly difficult couples and also a research-based approach, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), used to work with borderline personality disorder. Linehan's DBT and Gottman's method for couples therapy form the foundation for the work conducted with these couples. A case study illustrates how these models are used.

Covenant marriage represents an effort by some religious groups and state legislatures to strengthen the institution of marriage. The construct of covenant marriage extends the concept of the marriage contract to a lifelong commitment between the partners within a supportive community, especially among evangelical Christians. Characteristics of covenant marriage, potential strengths, and criticisms of the movement are offered in the review.