The Oxford Handbook of Prevention in Counseling Psychology

Historically, prevention in psychology has never been outright objectionable for mental health professionals. However, despite its acceptance, not enough practitioners engage in prevention and wellness promotion in their daily activities. This book offers mental health professionals and students the foundational knowledge necessary to engage in successful prevention and wellness promotion with clients across the lifespan. Written from a counseling psychology perspective, this handbook presents an approach to prevention that emphasizes strengths of individuals and communities, integrates multicultural and social justice perspectives, and includes best practices in the prevention of a variety of psychological problems in particular populations. Assembling 32 chapters into four comprehensive sections, this book provides expert coverage on: - fundamental aspects of prevention research and practice (i.e. the history of prevention, best practice guidelines, ethics, and evaluation) - relevant topics such as bullying, substance abuse, suicide, school dropout, disordered eating, and intimate partner violence - the promotion of wellness and adaptation in specific populations and environments, providing findings on increasing college retention rates, fostering healthy identity development, promoting wellness in returning veterans, and eliminating heterosexism and racism - the future of prevention, training, the intersection of critical psychology and prevention, and the importance of advocacy. Current and inclusive, this book will serve as a necessary and excellent resource to those interested in prevention research and practice.

Elizabeth M. Vera, Ph.D., is Professor of Counseling Psychology, School of Education, Loyola University Chicago.