Marla Buchanan

In counselling psychology, research and practice are viewed as mutually informative, and Canadian counselling psychologists conduct research in a wide range of areas, utilizing a wide range of research methods. However, there are few Canadian publications that give prominence to counselling psychology scholarly work. Over the past decade, two trends have become more prominent in the practice of counselling psychology:

The majority of women serving short-term sentences in provincial prisons in Canada are incarcerated for illegal activities involving alcohol and substance use. Although there is a wealth of research on substance use among those serving sentences within the federal prison system, little of that literature addresses the needs and experiences of women prisoners. Additionally, very scant research exists on the experience of women incarcerated in the provincial system for crimes related to drug and alcohol use. The purpose of this article is to present the results of a Canadian participatory research project conducted in a minimum-medium security provincial prison. In conducting this project, our objectives were to understand incarcerated women's perspectives on reasons for their substance use, why they continued to use, the consequences of their use, and their suggestions for change. The data were collected and analyzed by the collaborative efforts of both the peer researchers who were incarcerated women at the time of the research and university-based researchers. Upon release, several women continued on the project as co-researchers and co-authors of this paper. We present the results of a “drug of choice” survey and the qualitative responses to open-ended questions concerning prisoners' use of drugs and alcohol.

Journalists who witness trauma and disaster events are at risk for physical, emotional, and psychological injury. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a critical ethnographic study among 31 Canadian journalists and photojournalists with regard to coping strategies used to buffer the effects of being exposed to trauma and disaster events and work-related stress. The findings are the result of in-depth individual interviews and six workplace observations with journalists across Canada. The most commonly reported coping strategies were: avoidance strategies at work, use of black humor, controlling one's emotions and memories, exercise and other physical activities, focusing on the technical aspects, and using substances. Recommendations for addressing the effects of work-related stress within this population are provided.Les journalistes qui sont témoins d'événements traumatisants ou catastrophiques sont à risque de subir des torts physiques, émotionnels et psychologiques. Le but de cet article est de présenter les résultats d'une étude ethnographique critique réalisée auprès de 31 journalistes et photojournalistes canadiens. Cette étude examinait les stratégies de coping utilisées pour amortir les effets de l'exposition aux événements traumatisants et catastrophiques et du stress relié au travail. Les données proviennent d'entrevues individuelles approfondies et d'observations effectuées sur six lieux de travail avec des journalistes à travers le Canada. Les stratégies de coping les plus couramment rapportées étaient : les stratégies d'évitement au travail, l'utilisation de l'humour noir, le contrôle de ses émotions et souvenirs, l'exercice et l'activité physique, la focalisation sur les aspects techniques et l'utilisation de substances. Des recommandations pour contrer les effets du stress relié au travail de journaliste sont proposées.Los periodistas que son testigos de experiencias traumáticas y eventos de desastre están en riesgo de sufrir daño físico, emocional y psicológico. El propósito de este artículo es presentar los resultados de un estudio crítico etnográfico entre 31 periodistas y reporteros gráficos canadienses con respecto a las estrategias de afrontamiento utilizadas para mitigar los efectos de la exposición a experiencias traumáticas y casos de desastre y al estrés laboral. Los hallazgos son el resultado de entrevistas individuales en profundidad y seis observaciones en el lugar de trabajo realizadas a periodistas en varios lugares de Canadá. Las estrategias de afrontamiento más frecuentemente informadas fueron: estrategias de evitación en el trabajo, uso del humor negro, el control de las emociones y recuerdos, hacer ejercicio y actividades físicas, centrarse en los aspectos técnicos del trabajo y uso de sustancias. Al respecto, se proporcionan recomendaciones para hacer frente a los efectos del estrés relacionado con el trabajo en esta población.

This qualitative study investigated Iraqi children's experiences of “Operation Iraqi Freedom” and the meaning it had for them given their cultural context. Two focus groups were employed in Mosul, Iraq, to interview 12 children between the ages of 9 and 13. They elaborated on the drawings and letters that pertained to their war experiences. The Child's Reaction to Traumatic Events Scale (CRTES) was used for descriptive statistics. Results indicate a high level of distress amongst the majority of the children even seven months after the official end of the war in Iraq. A number of themes emerged that pertained to the children's war experiences, the meaning it had for them, how they coped, and their future hopes. Implications for counseling psychology are provided.