VISTAS Online Archive, 2004

This article explores factors related to the utilization of counseling services by African American women. Personal perceptions, fear of social stigma, traditional coping strategies, support systems, and financial issues impact African American women’s usage of formal counseling. Recommendations are made for counselors who are interested in working with African American.

This article addresses the advantages of developing an integrative approach to counseling practice and deals briefly with some of the potential problems. Also presented is a framework for helping readers begin to integrate concepts and techniques from various approaches. This article is based on Gerald Corey’s (2001a) book, The Art of Integrative Counseling.