Does the job performance of academics' influence burnout and psychological counselling? A comparative analysis amongst high-, average-, low-, and non-performers.

BACKGROUND: Extensive research has been conducted treating burnout as an independent variable and performance as a dependent variable to proffer possible solutions to burnout and job performance among academics. Despite this, the burnout crises persist and are exacerbated by the ongoing global proliferation of higher education. Acknowledging this, the current study explored whether performance may contribute to the emergence of burnout. METHODS: The study's sample population comprised 689 academics from Jiangsu province, China. Key Performance Indicator (KPI) results served to measure performance. Psychological counselling and Burnout were calculated using mental health results garnered from the universities. Data was collected on respondents' demographic characteristics and work situations. The mean scores were 0.517 (SD = 0.5) for gender and 1.586 (SD = 1.103) for age. The relationship among performance, job burnout, and psychological counselling was analysed via a cross-sectional survey deploying grouped regression. RESULTS: Academics' job performance was found to regulate their burnout (ß = -0.058, P < 0.01). Higher performance of academics was significantly associated with lower job burnout and psychological counselling. Furthermore, psychological counselling significantly moderated job burnout (ß = -0.012, P < 0.05) among academics without regulating their job performance. CONCLUSION: The paper supplements the discourse on job burnout and academic performance by suggesting a pre-counselling measure as a strategy to address the crises of burnout. The paper argued that the continued competence of employees should prevent burnout in Higher education and ensure better job performance.

Termination of pregnancy for fetal malformation: A traumatic event? A qualitative analysis of women's perception.

Objective: To investigate women's experience of termination of pregnancy (TOP) for severe fetal malformation.We focus on women's individual perception of psychological counselling on decision making, experiencing the birth process, seeing and holding the baby as well as emotional processing. Methods: An explorative study was conducted with 42 women (the age range was between 21 and 45 years [mean 36.17; SD±6.66]) on average twelve months after TOP using semi-structured qualitative interviews. All women received psychological counselling before, during and after the time of TOP (mean 5.2; range 2-11), at the initial counselling session all partners were present. Data were analysed by means of qualitative content analysis by Mayring; the main research question focused on women's perception of psychological counselling on experiencing TOP and coping with this incisive life event. Results: After receiving psychological counselling most of the women felt sufficiently prepared to make a decision, to experience the birth process and to bid farewell to their child. Seeing and holding the baby were perceived as helpful for emotional processing. At the time of the interview, despite the emotional distress,most women reported having positivememories and felt they had coped with the loss. Conclusions: Long-term psychological care from the time of diagnosis through TOP and follow up impacts positively on experiencing TOP, saying farewell to the child and integrating the loss into life. Further studies to detect women at risk for prolonged mourning-reactions are needed.

[The elderly and the digital services of psychological counselling in modern Russia.]

The article presents the results of a sociological study of the process of digitalization of psychological counselling in modern Russia. Digital psychological counselling services have been actively developing in recent years, however, the elderly are still not considered by managers and marketers of the services as their target audience. The digital divide plays a significant role in this exclusion, which is inextricably linked with other forms of inequality from geographic to economic. Despite the fact that almost all of the functions of digital psychological counselling services affect the interests and needs of the elderly, companies providing psychological assistance through digital technologies do not consider this group as a target group. The results of the study can serve as a guideline for the development of the psychological counselling industry in terms of expanding its audience and taking into account the needs of the elderly.

Online psychological counselling during lockdown reduces anxiety symptoms and negative affect: Insights from Italian framework.

Several studies have shown how COrona VIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the consequent isolation and quarantine measures could affect physical and mental well-being. Therefore, the increased request for support and assistance represents a critical challenge for clinicians requiring a reorganization of care systems. In this regard, online counselling has been identified as a useful tool in providing psychological assistance and support. Thus, the main purpose of the current study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of a single online counselling session in reducing psychopathological symptoms (i.e., state anxiety and negative affect) and increasing individual well-being and positive affect during the first Italian lockdown. Fifty-three subjects were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive an online counselling session [Online Counselling Group (OCG) = 26] or to act as controls [Waiting List Group (WLG) = 27]. In the post-assessment, compared to WLG, the OCG showed a significant decrease in negative affect (18.04 ± 6.30 vs. 30.26 ± 8.61; F1:47 = 29.45; p < .001; dppc2 = .92) and state anxiety (36.65 ± 8.35 vs. 48.04 ± 11.51; F1:47 = 17.86; p < .001; dppc2 = .49). Taking into account the cyclical nature of COVID-19, with the possibility of new peaks and waves, it would be appropriate to consider the versatility and usefulness of online psychological counselling in the management of COVID-19-related distress.

Effects of group psychological counselling on transition shock in newly graduated nurses: A quasi-experimental study.

AIM: This study examined the effects of group psychological counselling on transition shock in newly graduated nurses. BACKGROUND: Newly graduated nurses are often faced with transition shock as they enter the workforce. Helping them adapt to the new work environment and role as quickly as possible is an important goal for nursing managers. METHOD: This prospective, parallel-group, quasi-experimental trial enrolled 71 newly graduated nurses who were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 38) or control (n = 41) group. In addition to routine hospital training, the intervention group received psychological counselling. Participants were evaluated with the Transition Shock Scale of Newly Graduated Nurses before (pre) and after (post) the training with or without intervention. RESULTS: The total score and score on each dimension of the scale were decreased after the intervention (P < .05); control subjects showed no difference between pre- and post-scores. The total score and score on each dimension were higher in the control group than in the intervention group (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Psychological counselling alleviates transition shock in newly graduated nurses entering the workforce. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nursing managers can introduce group psychological counselling into their training programmes to increase the job readiness of newly graduated nurses.

Psychosocial aftercare of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors in Germany: Awareness, utilisation, satisfaction and associated factors.

AIM: This study systematically assesses the awareness of, utilisation of and satisfaction with psychosocial care for adolescents and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors in aftercare. METHODS: Survivors between 18 and 39 years were surveyed in aftercare. Awareness of, utilisation of and satisfaction with psychological counselling (PC), social-legal counselling (SLC) and other psychosocial care (OPC) were measured using self-developed questionnaires. Multivariate analyses were conducted to determine factors correlated with awareness and use of psychosocial care. RESULTS: Five hundred and fourteen survivors participated; the mean age at diagnosis was 29.6 years (SD = 6.14). 54% of cancer survivors were aware of PC, 45% of SLC and 24% of OPC. Those who possessed knowledge about these services used it to a considerable extent (63%-74%), and the majority (66%-75%) was highly satisfied. No common factors could be found that increase the likelihood of being aware of these three services (R2  = 0.028-0.138). Female gender (OR = 2.08-2.18) and high anxiety (OR = 1.19-1.38) were identified as common factors that increase the likelihood of utilising psychosocial services (R2  = 0.160-0.395). CONCLUSION: AYA who are aware of psychosocial services in aftercare are motivated to use them and express high satisfaction with use. For the utilisation of psychosocial services, anxiety and female gender can be identified as common factors. The visibility of psychosocial services for aftercare should be increased given the high number of unaware AYA survivors. The active and repeated addressing of psychosocial issues and regular provision of information (e.g., written guides on survivorship) by caregivers should be made a standard of care for AYA cancer survivors.

The role of body image changes in neurorehabilitation outcomes: a preliminary study.

Body representation includes body schema (a plastic and dynamic representation of the body's spatial and biomechanical properties) and body image (a conscious representation of the body, including the functions and relationships of the body parts). The aim of our study is to understand the change of body representation in patients affected by Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), undergoing a program that integrates psychological and nutritional support. Forty patients with ABI diagnosis were enrolled in this study and randomized into either the control (CG:n = 20) or the experimental (EG:n = 20) group. The EG underwent psychological counselling (PC) focused on the perception of body schema and on the reduction of depressive symptoms as well as a Nutritional Counselling (NC) in which all patients had a personalized nutritional plan, based on their needs once a week for 6 months. In contrast, the CG received only a nutritional treatment. Results show that the combined PC-NC approach encouraged change in body representation, the reconstruction of body image and improved mood. In conclusion, our data demonstrates that patients with ABI undergoing the combined approach can improve the perception of their body schema, mood and therapeutic compliance.

Italian gay fathers' experiences of transnational surrogacy and their relationship with the surrogate pre- and post-birth.

This study aims to explore the experience of transnational surrogacy and the relationship with the surrogate pre- and post-birth in Italian gay father families. Couple and individual semi-structured interviews were carried out with 30 Italian gay partnered fathers with at least one child born through gestational surrogacy in California or Canada. No couples had known their surrogates or egg donors previously. The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis indicated that three interrelated themes could be helpful for understanding the gay fathers' experience of their geographical distance from the surrogate: the perceived loss of control over the pregnancy; the surrogate as a person who facilitates the fathers' feelings of being emotionally connected to their developing child; the surrogate as an 'aunty' who, along with her family, maintains a relationship with the fathers. None of the fathers mentioned the egg donor during the interview. The study inspires reflections in offshore fertility practitioners on how pre- and ongoing surrogacy counselling for prospective gay fathers should be tailored. It further calls for the necessity of offering psychological counselling in gay fathers' resident countries in order to promote informed decisions before starting surrogacy abroad and to elaborate on potential difficulties related to surrogacy after the child's birth.

'It's a bit too much fathering this seed': the meaning-making of the sperm donor in Italian lesbian mother families.

How do female-partnered mothers deal with the third-party involved in their reproductive arrangement? The aim of this study is to identify the meaning-making of the sperm donor, exploring different patterns between genetic and non-genetic mothers, as well as between open-identity and anonymous donation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 Italian female-partnered mothers, who at the time of data collection had at least one donor-conceived child. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was performed to identify emergent themes. None of the mothers considered the donor as the father of their child. Three patterns of thoughts and feelings recurred: 'donor as an entity', 'donor as a medical process', 'donor as a person'. Genetic and non-genetic mothers constructed shared meanings regarding the donor. Mothers who opted for anonymous donors were more likely to describe the donor as an entity and as a medical process compared with mothers who opted for open-identity donors. Different images of the donor lay beneath each meaning: respectively, donor as a ghost, donor as a place, donor as a kind man. Findings offer important insights for healthcare providers working in fertility clinics. They further suggest the most appropriate terms for third-party reproduction and specific psychological counselling needs of prospective female-partnered mothers.

Types of Client Perceptions Regarding Counselling Experiences at Psychological Counselling Centres: Utilising Q Methodology.

This study used Q methodology to explore the various types and characteristics of clients' subjective perceptions concerning their experiences at psychological counselling centres. We selected 33 Q samples from a Q population of 135; of the Q sample, 31 P samples underwent Q sorting. Subsequently, we analysed the data using the Quanl Program. The study categorised perception into four distinct types. Type 1 values therapeutic counselling relationships, Type 2 prioritises counselling services, Type 3 values counsellor assignment, and Type 4 prioritises the counselling structure. This study provides valuable basic data to clients, counsellors, and counselling institutions.

Trends in the availability of community-based psychological counselling services for oldest-old in China, 2005 to 2018.

BACKGROUND: Community-based psychological counselling services (CPCS) is crucial for the oldest-old who often faces challenges or are reluctant to seek care at the healthcare settings. This study aims to examine trends in availability of CPCS over time and rural-urban disparities in service availability among nationwide oldest-old in China. METHODS: Multiple cross-sectional data were derived from the 2005-2018 Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey. Service availability was reported by each oldest-old participant or their next-of-kins as having CPCS in one's neighborhood. We used Cochran-Armitage tests to estimate service availability trends and applied sample-weighted logistic regression models to examine its rural-urban disparities. RESULTS: Of 38,032 oldest-old, CPCS availability decreased from 6.7 % in 2005 to 4.8 % in 2008/2009, followed by continual increases to 13.6 % in 2017/2018. In 2017/2018, rural oldest-old's neighborhoods had no greater service availability. Oldest-old residing in the Central (6.7 %), Western (13.4 %) and Northeast China (8.1 %) were less likely to report having services locally than their Eastern counterparts (17.8 %). Oldest-old having any disability or living in the nursing homes reported having greater service availability than those without disability or living at home. LIMITATION: Service availability might have been disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the increasing service availability, as of 2017/2018, only 13.6 % oldest-old in China had reported CPCS availability. It raises concerns on the disproportionate access to and continuity of mental health care, especially for those living the Central, Western China and those living at home. Policy efforts are needed to incentivize service expansion and eliminate disparities in the service availability.

A protocol for a type 1 effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial of the WHO digital mental health intervention Step-by-Step to address depression among Chinese young adults in Macao (SAR), China.

Background: Among Chinese college students, the burden of depression is considerably high, affecting up to 30 % of the population. Despite this burden, few Chinese students seek mental health treatment. In addition, depression is highly comorbid with other mental health disorders, such as anxiety. Scalable, transdiagnostic, evidence-based interventions are needed for this population. Objective: The study will evaluate the effectiveness of a World Health Organization transdiagnostic digital mental health intervention, Step-by-Step, to reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms and improve well-being compared with enhanced care as usual and its implementation in a Chinese university community. Methods: A type 1 effectiveness-implementation two-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial will be conducted. The two conditions are 1) the 5-session Step-by-Step program with minimal guidance by trained peer-helpers and 2) psychoeducational information on depression and anxiety and referrals to local community services. A total of 334 Chinese university students will be randomized with a 1:1 ratio to either of the two groups. Depression, anxiety, wellbeing, and client defined problems will be assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Endline qualitative interviews and focus group discussions will be conducted to explore SbS implementation among service users, university staff, and stakeholders. Data will be analysed based on the intent-to-treat principle. Discussion: Step-by-Step is an innovative approach to address common mental health problems in populations with sufficient digital literacy. It is a promising intervention that can be embedded to scale mental health services within a university setting. It is anticipated that after successful evaluation of the program and its implementation in the type 1 hybrid design RCT study, Step-by-Step can be scaled and maintained as a low-intensity treatment in universities, and potentially extended to other populations within the Chinese community. Trial registration: ChiCTR2100050214.

Psychosocial Risk Factors in Cardiac Rehabilitation: Time to Screen Beyond Anxiety and Depression.

Background: Although it is well acknowledged that psychosocial risk factors (PSRF) such as low socio-economic status, stress, social isolation, negative emotions and negative personality patterns may contribute to the development and adverse outcome of cardiovascular disease (CVD), screening for PSRF in CVD patients is usually limited to anxiety and depression, mainly for feasibility reasons. We therefore aimed to develop a user-friendly screening battery for routine assessment of PSRFs and to evaluate this instrument regarding feasibility of application, PSRF results and attendance of psychological counselling if recommended to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients. Methods: This is a prospective single center cohort study including 609 consecutive CR patients. We first developed a screening instrument based on seven validated scales for the most relevant PSRFs with totally 90 questions presented in a uniform graphical design to facilitate completion called Psychocardiogram® (PCG) and applied the instrument in consecutive patients attending CR. Patients with positive screening results were invited to a psychological counseling session. Results: Six hundred and nine consecutive patients, aged 34 to 86 years (mean 60.7 years), 85% men, entering the CR program at the Bern University Hospital with ischemic heart failure (CHF), coronary artery disease (CAD) or peripheral artery disease, were included in this study. Eighty-three point three percent of the patients completed the PCG within 40 minutes. Vital exhaustion and Type-D personality were the most prevalent PSRFs (56.9% and 51.1%, respectively), whereas low social support (14.4%) and elevated depressive symptoms (15.9%), were the least prevalent ones. After screening, 120 patients (52.86%) with at least one PSRF made use of psychological counseling. Conclusions: We found the PCG to be a useful screening tool for PSRF in CR patients with the potential to get new insights into the prevalence of particular PSRF in specific populations and to better study their impact on occurrence and outcome of CVD.

Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome: A rare genetic disorder.

BACKGROUND: Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) is a rare X-linked recessive androgen receptor (AR) disorder with 46XY karyotype. Partial AIS affects 5-7 per 1,000,000 genetically male individuals whereas Complete AIS affects 2-5 per 100,000 genetically male individuals. CAIS CAIS is characterized by complete resistance to the action of androgens. PRESENTATION OF CASE: 17-year patient presented with swelling in bilateral inguinal region. Patient also complained of primary amenorrhea with serum FSH and LH levels being raised, serum testosterone level much above normal range. MRI Pelvis revealed agenesis of vagina, uterine body, both ovaries and cervix. Bilateral testes were noted in bilateral superficial inguinal ring. Bilateral orchidectomy was done and the patient was advised estrogen substitution therapy. DISCUSSION: CAIS is usually diagnosed at puberty, when the patient presents with primary amenorrhea. Karyotype has to be mapped in order to differentiate from other genetic disorders. Orchidectomy should be done to avoid risk of malignancy of undescended intra-abdominal testes (3.6 % at 25 years old, and 33 % at 50 years old, reported by various studies). Hormonal substitution therapy should be administered. Comprehensive psychiatric assessment and intervention go a long way in alleviating distress and enhancing quality of life. CONCLUSION: Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome requires expert and sympathetic handling. Close collaboration between surgeon, gynaecologist and psychologist is essential for proper management of complete androgen insensitivity syndrome.

The Challenges of Public Health, Social Work, and Psychological Counselling Services in South Korea: The Issues of Limited Support and Resource.

Public health, social work, and psychological counselling professions in South Korea are facing challenges of human resource shortage and shortage of professionals who can provide multilingual services. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand why public health, social work, and psychological counselling services degree graduates and professionals with multilingual skills in South Korea decide to leave their professional field to the hospitality and business industries, particularly for those who completed their initial training at one of the international universities. Based on the approach of the Social Cognitive Career Theory, individuals' self-efficacy, outcome expectations, interests, and goals were examined and considered. The data were collected from 12 participants with the methodology of interpretative phenomenological analysis. The general inductive approach was employed to categorize the themes for reporting. The results indicated that public health, social work, and psychological counselling services-related positions are not available, modelling from peers, and lack of career development skills are the primary difficulties of public health, social work, and psychological counselling services graduates. The completion of this study provides clear recommendations to educators, policymakers, school leaders, human resource planners, and university administrators to improve their curricula and school counselling for public health, social work, and psychological counselling services graduates and the next generation.

Impact of a Three-Week in-Hospital Multidisciplinary Body Weight Reduction Program on Body Composition, Muscle Performance and Fatigue in a Pediatric Obese Population with or without Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of cardiometabolic risk factors, frequently detected in obese children and adolescents. To date, few clinical studies have evaluated the effectiveness of multidisciplinary body weight reduction programs on body mass index, body composition, muscle performance and fatigue in pediatric obese subjects suffering from metabolic syndrome, which might represent a sub-population that is more difficult to be treated and worthy of more intensive interventions than a population less metabolically complicated. The aim of the present study was to compare the impact of a three-week in-hospital multidisciplinary integrated body weight reduction program (BWRP) on body mass index (BMI), body composition (particularly, fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM)), motor control (evaluated by one-leg standing balance (OLSB) test), muscle performance (evaluated by the stair climbing test (SCT)) and fatigue (evaluated by fatigue severity scale (FSS)) in a pediatric obese population with or without metabolic syndrome. A pediatric population of 548 obese subjects without metabolic syndrome (F/M = 312/236; age range: 8-18 years; BMI: 36.3 ± 6.7 kg/m2) and 96 obese subjects with metabolic syndrome (F/M = 53/43; age range: 9-18 years; BMI: 38.3 ± 6.9 kg/m2) was recruited. The BWRP significantly reduced BMI, FM (expressed as %), SCT time and FSS score, and increased OLSB time in all subgroups of obese subjects, independent of sex and metabolic syndrome, with preservation of FFM. No significant differences in |ΔBMI|, |ΔFM|, |ΔOLSB| or |ΔSCT| times and |ΔFSS| score were found when comparing subjects (males and females) with or without metabolic syndrome, apart from obese females without metabolic syndrome, who exhibited a lower weight loss and FM (expressed as %) reduction when compared to the corresponding male counterpart. In conclusion, the beneficial effects of a three-week BWRP on BMI, body composition, muscle performance and fatigue in a pediatric obese population were not found to be different in patients with or without metabolic syndrome, thus indicating that the more metabolically compromised patient is as responsive to a short-term BWRP as the patient without metabolic syndrome. More prolonged follow-up studies are, however, necessary in order to verify whether the adherence to the multidisciplinary recommendations at home and the long-term maintenance of the positive effects in the two subgroups of patients will remain similar or not.

[Identifying ostomized patients' needs throughout their healthcare program]. / Identifier les besoins des personnes stomisées tout au long de leur parcours de soins.

Few studies address the needs of ostomized patients throughout their healthcare program. A better understanding of these needs would contribute to a significant improvement of patient management and would allow better patient adjustment. Acknowledging these needs and identifying their time of onset would strengthen the patient-caregivers relationship.

Psychological Support and Well-being in Post-Bariatric Surgery Patients.

Bariatric surgery research has focused predominantly on weight loss outcomes and complications of surgery in relation to the type of surgical procedure. The psychological impact of having bariatric surgery has received less attention. This study investigated whether patients who receive psychological counselling have better physical and mental well-being post-bariatric surgery. Eighty-eight persons (81 female, 7 male, M age 43.99 years) who had undergone weight loss surgery were recruited from bariatric surgery and obesity online support groups to answer an electronic survey which included the Health Survey Short Form (SF-12) to assess mental and physical well-being. Patients who had attended ≥ 6 counselling sessions after gastric sleeve surgery had better physical well-being, compared to those who attended < 6 sessions. Patients who attended between one and four psychological counselling sessions had significantly higher mental well-being. Psychological support for the mental health needs of obese patients post-surgery requires more attention.

[Not Available]. / Belastungserleben hilfsbedürftiger älterer Menschen - eine ressourcen-orientierte Sicht/ Perceiving the stressfulness ofown life Situation in the dependent old - a resource perspective.

This contribution is aimed to put forward the theoretical position that general perceptions of stressfulness in the actual life Situation do not simply reflect concrete episodes, experiences and events, but are at least in part result of former coping processes, initiated to maintain or (re-)establish a personal satisfying perspective on life. In a first step we describe stressful episodes, experiences and events in the actual life Situation of 150 dependent old. In the following parts the relationship between an objective measure of stress and perceptions of stressfulness in actual life Situation, the impact of the quality of medical treatment and social Services on this relationship, and proposals for a possible improvement of medical treatment and social Services are discussed. Results do confirm our hypothesis that quality of medical treatment and social Services can be conceptualized as a personal resource buffering the impact of specific episodes, experiences and events on general perceptions of stressfulness.

Aconselhamento Psicológico como Construção Social / Counselling Psychology as Social Construction / Asesoramiento Psicológico como Construcción Social

Resumo Este trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar as contribuições da perspectiva construcionista social para se pensar o campo do Aconselhamento Psicológico. Os principais pressupostos construcionistas sociais na área da psicologia social e da terapia familiar são colocados em diálogo com as definições contemporâneas de Aconselhamento Psicológico a partir da crise pós-moderna vivida nessa disciplina. Considerando-se a inexistência de estudos nacionais no tema, as teorias construcionistas sociais utilizadas no campo do aconselhamento em outros países são brevemente apresentadas e as produções internacionais da área cujos autores assumem o uso de aconselhamento em uma perspectiva construcionista social são discutidas. Esses aspectos servem de base para o tecer de algumas considerações críticas sobre o uso dessa perspectiva no campo do Aconselhamento e para proposição do Aconselhamento Psicológico como uma prática de produção de sentidos sobre um plano de ação de reconexão de pessoas, redes e instituições, com a inclusão de múltiplos protagonistas e com o profissional como facilitador desse processo conectivo, como parceiro na redescrição do sofrimento individual em termos de agenda de transformação social....(AU)

Abstract This paper aims to present the contributions of the social constructionist perspective to the understanding of Counselling Psychology. The main social constructivist assumptions in the field of social psychology and family therapy are put into dialogue with the contemporary definitions of Counselling Psychology, in view of the postmodern crisis experienced by this discipline. Considering the lack of Brazil-wide studies on the subject, we briefly present some social constructionist theories used in the field of counselling in other countries. Additionally, we discuss international studies whose authors address the use of counselling from a social constructionist perspective. These aspects provide the basis for critical considerations on the use of this perspective in the field of Counselling. They also enable us to propose Counselling Psychology as a way to produce meaning in an action plan for reconnecting people, networks and institutions, with the inclusion of multiple protagonists and professionals acting as facilitators of this connective process and as partners in the redescription of individual suffering in a social transformation agenda....(AU)

Resumen Este trabajo tiene como objetivo presentar las contribuciones de la perspectiva construccionista social para pensar el campo del Asesoramiento Psicológico. Los principales supuestos del construccionismo social en el área de la psicología social y de la terapia familiar se ponen en diálogo con las definiciones contemporáneas de Asesoramiento Psicológico a partir de la crisis posmoderna vivida en esa disciplina. Al considerar la inexistencia de estudios nacionales en el tema, las teorías construccionistas sociales utilizadas en el campo del asesoramiento en otros países son brevemente presentadas y las producciones internacionales del área cuyos autores asumen el uso de asesoramiento en una perspectiva construccionista social son discutidas. Estos aspectos sirven de base para el tejer de algunas consideraciones críticas sobre el uso de esa perspectiva en el campo del asesoramiento y para la proposición del asesoramiento psicológico como una práctica de producción de sentidos sobre un plan de acción de reconexión de personas, redes e instituciones, inclusión de múltiples protagonistas y con el profesional como facilitador de ese proceso conectivo, como aliado en la re descripción del sufrimiento individual en términos de agenda de transformación social....(AU)