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Family therapy has been recommended as a counseling modality For gifted adolescents and their families. The purpose of this article is to propose and discuss 3 guiding questions that can [...]

The literature on counseling the gifted comes mainly from an individual- and pathology-based approach with roots in clinical psychology. This study investigated the application of a systemic and resource-based approach [...]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between attachment security and health outcomes of cardiac patients and their spouses. Dyadic coping and relationship quality were proposed to mediate this relationship. Participants were 72 couples in which one member of the couple was participating in cardiac rehabilitation. Results showed that participants with higher attachment avoidance perceived their general and mental health worse and were less likely to exercise. Patients with higher attachment avoidance perceived their partner as less supportive and this was negatively associated with their general and mental health. Spouses’ positive support and marital happiness partially mediated the relationship between their attachment anxiety and mental health. Patients with spouses with higher attachment anxiety exercised more; whereas spouses of patients with higher attachment anxiety exercised less.

The literature on counseling the gifted comes mainly from an individual- and pathology-based approach with roots in clinical psychology. This study investigated the application of a systemic and resource-based approach with roots in a postmodern orientation to counseling for gifted families. Two sets of participants were interviewed: three counselors and three families who had recently completed counseling using a postmodern approach. A multiple case study was conducted, using constant comparison of the transcripts of interviews to develop themes describing the experience of participants in counseling. Readings of the transcripts produced categories of themes related to roles and goals of counseling. The themes indicated that counselors saw a process of negotiating expectations, while client family members felt that they received the type of service they expected when they began counseling. The findings suggest that clinicians may want to be overt in their theoretical orientation with clients and be aware of how they are meeting or not meeting the clients' expectations.

Family therapy has been recommended as a counseling modality for gifted adolescents and their families. The purpose of this article is to propose and discuss 3 guiding questions that can help counselors conceptualize and differentiate family therapy with gifted and talented adolescents: (1) What is the problem? (2) Who is in the room? and (3) What approach to family therapy will be most effective? For each question, we first summarize relevant family therapy theory and research. Then, we provide recommendations based on a small, but growing literature on counseling with families of gifted and talented youth plus our own clinical experience as family therapists working with families of gifted and talented adolescents. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of this literature for clinical practice, counselor training, parents of gifted adolescents, and future research.

This study presents preliminary findings evaluating the relationship between marital cohesion, pregnancy outcome, and gender and the level of stress and depression experienced by individuals pursuing infertility treatment. Women exhibited more stress and depression than men prior to treatment did, yet the level of change (pre-post) in depression and stress after treatment did not differ by gender. Pregnancy outcome helped predict post-treatment depression in women and men, and post-treatment stress for women. Clinical suggestions for preand post-cycle consultations are presented.

Family therapy and creativity theory have many concepts in common. In this article, we discuss the relationship between the two fields, the commonalties in concepts and assumptions, and ideas for integrating creativity in family therapy—illustrating the theoretical analysis with clinical applications.

This study focuses on the comparison of individual variables of bereavement, depression, and stress with variables associated with the couple relationship, including cohesion, adaptability, communication, satisfaction, and partner support. In total, 24 couples completed self-report instruments within 2 weeks after a miscarriage. Mothers had significantly stronger grief reactions than fathers. Fathers and mothers perceived their relationships similarly as highly functional. Except for mothers' depression and their satisfaction with the couple relationship, the correlations between individual and relationship variables were rather weak. Implications of the results for family professionals are discussed.

This article presents three models of counseling exceptional students from a systems perspective. The authors present their definition of counseling, the goals of counseling, and the counseling relationship from a systems perspective. Each model is described, including assessment and intervention techniques appropriate for working with children, adolescents, and their families when giftedness and learning disabilities and other disabilities are part of the context. The authors discuss implications for school counselors and provide several cases as examples.

In this study, we evaluated the influence of antithrombin on platelet adhesion onto immobilized fibrinogen using an in vitro system simulating venous and arterial flow. Platelets in anticoagulated whole blood (PPACK, 40μM) were labeled with mepacrine (10μM). Adhesion of platelets onto fibrinogen-coated glass cover slips was assessed in a rectangular flow chamber (shear rates of 13 s−1 to 1500 s−1). Platelets were visualized at 15 sec, 1 and 5 min following perfusion using a fluorescence laser-scan microscope. In parallel, the effects of supraphysiological supplementation of blood with antithrombin (2.8 IU/ml of blood) on platelet adhesion rates was evaluated. During perfusion, platelet adhesion onto fibrinogen linearly increased with exposure time and shear rates. Within the first min of perfusion, an inverse correlation between platelet adhesion and plasma antithrombin activity was observed at shear rates of 13 s−1 and 50 s−1 (r=−0.48 and r=−0.7, p each <0.05). Significant differences in platelet adhesion (1786±516 U vs. 823±331 U, p<0.05) related to low (92±3.3%) and high (117±4.1%) antithrombin activity was observed at a flow rate of 13s−1 within first minute. Further supplementation of anticoagulated whole blood with antithrombin (activity up to 280 %) decreased the rate of platelets adhesion (ratio of adhesion at 1 and 5 min) about 35% when compared to nonsupplemented blood (1.25 ± 0.17 vs. 1.95 ± 0.4, p=0.008). Application of heparine as anticoagulant did not enhance the antiadhesion properties of antithrombin. Our findings are in accordance with the “low shear phenomenon” of arterial thrombus progression, i.e. thrombus enlargement at distal areas with reduced flow or even stasis. Moreover, the observation that antithrombin significantly suppressed platelet adhesion onto immobilized fibrinogen under low flow conditions is of therapeutic interest and needs further evaluation.