Perspectives of an Iranian psychologist practicing in America.

My experience as a male psychologist who was born and raised in Iran has had a tremendous impact on my professional practice in the United States. After providing a brief history of Iran to put this article in context, I explore 5 elements of that impact: Description of my diversity status, key practice issues raised for me as an Iranian therapist, my background and its impact on case formulation, key clinical issues raised for my clients given my diversity status, and effective strategies for addressing my diversity status and its impact on the treatment.

Maintaining boundaries in psychotherapy: Covert narcissistic personality characteristics and psychotherapists.

The psychological literature to date has identified more than one form of narcissism: the more well-known grandiose form, and the less familiar and recognized covert form. Although the distinction between these two narcissistic types has been identified with regard to better conceptualizing client dynamics, there has been much less written about how covert narcissistic tendencies and traits may affect psychotherapists and psychotherapy. This paper uses psychodynamic theory to highlight the role that covert narcissistic characteristics may have on the psychotherapists' ability to maintain boundaries, potentially leading to boundary transgressions (existing along a continuum from therapeutically useful to maladaptive and anti-therapeutic).

Meaning of illness and psychological adjustment to HIV/AIDS.

The authors explored the relationship between meaning of illness and psychological adjustment in persons with symptomatic HIV disease and AIDS. A group of 203 participants completed self-report questionnaires measuring meaning of illness, problem-focused coping, social support, psychological well-being, and depressed mood. Positive meaning was associated with a higher level of psychological well-being and a lower level of depressed mood.