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Counseling psychologists have responded to many disasters, including the Haiti earthquake, the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, and Hurricane Katrina. However, as a profession, their responses have been localized and nonsystematic. In this first of four articles in this contribution, "Counseling Psychology and Large-Scale Disasters, Catastrophes, and Traumas: Opportunities for Growth," the authors assert that counseling psychology can make important contributions in disaster research and response. Throughout all the articles, the authors use Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model of human development as a foundation from which to more broadly view counseling psychology's role in training, prevention, intervention, and research in mass trauma work. Disasters affect individuals, families, communities, work places, and disaster responders. Thus, they require a multisystem analysis and response, which counseling psychologists can provide through their scientist-practitioner, strength-based approaches, supported by social justice values based in multicultural and vocational counseling. The authors also provide the history of the Society of Counseling Psychology's response to disasters following Hurricane Katrina, from which the need for this contribution arose.

Juntunen and Parham each reacted positively with important personal reflections and/or calls to action in response to "Counseling Psychology and Large-Scale Disasters, Catastrophes, and Traumas: Opportunities for Growth." We comment on the primary themes and suggestions they raised. Since the time we were stimulated by Katrina and its aftermath and the Indian Ocean tsunami to conceptualize and bring to fruition this major contribution, large-scale disasters seemed to be happening everywhere (even to some of us personally or as responders). This underscores the need Juntunen highlighted to examine our motivations, self-care, privilege, and the long-term impact of disasters and disaster response work. Also, we agree with Parham that it makes palpable the need for counseling psychology to move beyond compassion and action by a relative few to act now, respond to, and engage in systematic action and research on large-scale disasters, through a bioecological and social justice approach.

In this rejoinder, the authors address several issues raised by R. L. Worthington and F. R. Dillon (2011) and C. R. Ridley and M. Shaw-Ridley (2011) regarding (a) the measurement of multicultural competencies (MCCs), (b) sampling considerations in multicultural research, and (c) the conceptual frame of multicultural psychotherapy research. The authors challenge the wisdom of exploring MCCs in psychotherapy research and provide a different framework to understand therapists' multicultural effectiveness with clients based on their cultural race/ethnicity. Additionally, the concept of therapists' multicultural orientation or approach is introduced to illuminate the process of aligning with clients about salient cultural issues in psychotherapy. (Contains 1 figure and 1 footnote.)

This study examined therapist differences in their clients' ratings of their therapists' multicultural competencies (MCCs) as well as tested whether therapists' who were rated as exhibiting more MCCs also had clients who had better therapy outcomes (N = 143 clients and 31 therapists). All clients completed at least 3 sessions. Results demonstrated that therapists accounted for less than 1% of the variance in their clients' Cross-Cultural Counseling Inventory-Revised (CCCI-R; T. D. LaFromboise, H. L. K. Coleman, & A. Hernandez, 1991) scores, suggesting that therapists did not differ in terms of how clients rated their MCCs. Therapists accounted for approximately 8.5% of the variance in therapy outcomes. For each therapist, their clients' CCCI-R scores were aggregated to provide an estimate of therapists' MCCs. Therapists' MCCs, based on aggregate CCCI-R scores, did not account for the variability in therapy outcomes that were attributed to them. Additionally, clients' race/ethnicity, therapists' race/ethnicity, or the interaction of clients'-therapists' race/ethnicity were not significantly associated with clients' perceptions of their therapists' MCCs. (Contains 3 tables and 2 footnotes.)

The authors examined differential contributions of Black racial identity and racial attitudes toward Whites in determining counselor preferences. Results indicated that racial attitudes accounted for a significant portion of the variance in same-race counselor preference. In addition, Black racial attitudes were distinguished from racial identity as independent contributors to counselor preferences. (Contains 3 tables.)

Ethics codes are designed to protect the public by prescribing behaviors professionals are expected to exhibit. Although test use is universal, albeit reflecting strong Western influences, previous studies that examine the degree issues pertaining to test development and use and that are addressed in ethics codes of national psychological associations could not be located. Testing standards in 31 ethics codes representing 35 countries were compared with those in the American Psychological Association's (APA) 2002 Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Codes from approximately one third of the countries surveyed do not address test use. Among countries with ethics codes, one or more test standards are often consistent with those in the 2002 APA Code. Standards that require psychologists to explain results, use tests properly, and limit their use by unqualified persons are most frequently found. In contrast, standards that discuss test construction and restrict the use of obsolete tests are rare. Standards that restrict the purchase of tests as well as the reproduction of test protocols and manuals are in other codes and are not stated explicitly in the 2002 APA Code. Issues impacting the development of ethics codes that address test-related issues are discussed.

An editorial is presented on enforcement implying sufficient infrastructure within a particular psychological association. Topics include offering insights into similarities and differences among the different countries comparing to previous, western-focused, literature; and research components associated with informed consent, multiple relationships, and confidentiality.

An editorial is presented on rapid increase in the globalization of professions. Topics include ethical practice being at the core of the discipline of psychology and often one of the first modules covered in introductory training; and principle such as integrity or a standard such as confidentiality commonly found across psychological ethics codes.

Counseling psychology in South Africa is undergoing significant changes, much like the country itself. The authors examine the state of counseling psychology in South Africa through discussion of both its racial history and present-day positions. The history of psychology cannot be devoid of its politicized past, and remnants of its history are found today, though much has changed. Current issues such as HIV/AIDS, educational legacies, and mistrust by the majority population now influence counseling psychology's direction and focus. Training issues become important in a country undergoing such changes, and counseling psychology's relationship to educational psychology and clinical psychology is addressed, along with its role within the indigenous community. Counseling psychology in South Africa is a microcosm for many of the struggles that U.S. counseling psychology faces. It is recommended that counseling psychologists in South Africa become more proactive to be further recognized as a useful entity and better serve community needs. Recognition can be accomplished by better alignment with medicine, forming working groups, becoming more politicized, and emphasizing the rich cultural diversity that exists in the country through training and outreach.

To dispel confusion, White racial identity and White racial consciousness are described and contrasted in terms of theoretical conceptualization and measures used. It is recommended that priority be given to the validation of existing or new measurement instruments to provide a sound basis for future findings. (Author)

As a result of recent psychometric analyses, the conceptual model of White racial consciousness has been revised. A summary of the new conceptualization is presented along with a brief description of the Oklahoma Racial Attitudes Scale, which will replace the Oklahoma Racial Attitudes-Preliminary Form. (Contains 11 references.) (Author)

Examined the theoretical relationship between moral development and black racial identity development among 182 African American college students at a predominantly white institution. Student surveys indicated that racial identity and moral judgements were linked and that emotionality embedded within black racial identity statuses differentially influenced moral decision making. (SM)

Philosophical roots of suicide research are examined, and alternative feminist research approaches are described. By challenging scientific tradition, focusing on women, considering power, recognizing gender constructs, maintaining awareness of the power of language, and promoting active, practical applications, researchers can combine traditional and alternative methodologies to produce more robust suicide research. (Author/EMK)

Client perceptions of their therapists' cultural humility have been associated with positive therapy outcomes; however, it is unclear whether these positive effects are consistent across clients. In particular, this study [...]

Examines counselor self-efficacy within two theoretical domains of the Integrated Developmental Model (IDM) of supervision. Results, based on 142 counseling graduate students, show that, of the three developmental levels predicted by IDM, level two trainees reported greater efficacy of microskills than level one trainees, and also exhibited greater concern for counselor-client interactions. (RJM)