Using The Reflective Functioning Scale To Predict Counseling Outcomes, Matthew Swartzentruber

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

It is my proposal to demonstrate the usefulness of the Reflective Functioning Scale within counselors-in-training populations to promote effective counseling clinicians and improve counseling competencies.

A Home For The Spirit: Mental Health Care Delivery And The Homeless, John D. Rogers

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

I propose to present a poster summarizing a needs analysis for delivery of mental health care services to homeless people in small cities. The poster will provide highlights of a review of the relevant literature, best practice from current shelters, a summary of needs, a proposed model agency.

Homelessness is a significant and persistent issue in the United States and around the world. With public policy support, integrated care modalities, and new conceptualizations of treatment, those without homes can find help for mental health issues, and those in the helping profession can find rewarding opportunities to contribute to improved prognosis …

Congruence And Therapy: The Real Relationship Inventory (Rri), Jean F. Ndzana

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

I am interested in looking at the process of psychotherapy, and how specific under-represented groups (that are already reluctant to entering therapy), experience this process and the genuineness of the therapist. I am interested in exploring concerns that are parallel to the initial concern that brought the person for counseling, and how such processes, if unexplored, that can damage therapeutic alliance, and result in poor therapy outcome. The ultimate goal is not to get people in therapy, but to deliver successful therapy.

Expanding Instruction Of Human Sexuality In Counselor Education, Rachel Willard

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Though counselors are expected to be familiar with human sexuality and its impact on clients’ mental health, as well as sensitive to diverse identities and expressions, training in these topics is often overlooked in counselor education. This project advocates for the inclusion of a human sexuality course in the curriculum of graduate counseling programs and provides an overview of the relevant literature. It then offers a sample training curriculum for a three-credit graduate level course in human sexuality aimed at counseling students and provides additional resources for the instructor. Special considerations for the potential instructor and classroom environment are also …

Understanding The Help-Seeking Behaviors Of Student-Athletes: Effect Of A Multidisciplinary Healthcare Team And The Perception Of Barriers And Facilitators For Seeking Help, Lauren M. Sander

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This study was aimed at identifying barriers and facilitators that influence help-seeking as well as the effect of implementing an integrated healthcare approach based on current recommendations. A total of 411 student-athletes from 18 intercollegiate teams at a mid-major Division I institution in the mid-Atlantic region completed a 12–item instrument comprised of ten quantitative items and two open-ended questions. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS software, and a constant comparative method was used to code responses from the open-ended questions. Findings suggested a prevalence of mental health challenges among student-athletes, especially overwhelming stress, struggles with time management, and anxiety. …

Sojourners In This Place: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Methods Study Examining Foreign-Born And Immigrant Experiences Of Acculturation And Professional Identity Development In Counseling, Mina Attia

Dissertations, 2014-2019

There are 42 million foreign-born individuals residing in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013), making up a total of 13% of the population. Within the counseling profession, the latest demographic information (Data USA, 2017) reports that Caucasians make up 70.4% of counselors in the United States while African Americans make up 19.5%, Asians 3.4%, and shared ethnicity is 3 %. American Indians make up 0.6%, Hawaiian 0.1%, and the remainder (2.8%) are identified as “other.” The immigration experience is marked by a sense of loss and a process of acculturation. However, there is scant literature that discusses the adjustment …

Beyond Words: Expressive Arts Therapy In Individual And Group Process In Recovery From Trauma, Agnes Carbrey

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

This paper describes expressive arts therapies that are interventions for the treatment of trauma. A literature review of this broad topic is narrowed to define art therapy used in conjunction with talk therapy, and provides brief examples from dance movement therapy, visual arts therapy, poetry-journaling-storytelling therapy, and sound-music therapy. Recent innovations in the field include the use of body-oriented interventions and group processes. When thinking about trauma, the body is a positive and negative reservoir of memory, and trauma may be trapped in the body. The author reviews the overlap between contemporary art, contemporary dance movement analysis, and forms of …

Addressing Anxiety In College: A Mindfulness Group For Use In College Counseling Centers, Sarah Deprey-Severance

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

This project proposes a mindfulness group to address anxiety in college counseling settings. As will be discussed, anxiety is often cited as the most common presenting concern in college counseling centers, and as the need for mental health services in college is increasing, the necessity for cost effective and timely interventions (i.e., groups) becomes apparent. Research on the efficacy of mindfulness as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder is reviewed, as is the potential for self-compassion to be used as a complement to learning mindfulness skills to address anxiety. Finally, an eight-session group protocol that incorporates …

Parental Acceptance Project: Affirming Gender Variant Youth, Shelley Faulkner

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

The number of gender expansive and gender variant youth has risen dramatically, leading to a mental health and education service gap that must be addressed. The author reviews relevant literature supporting the importance of the parent-child relationship via the lens of attachment theory, affirming that parental support for gender variant children is critical to their well-being and overall positive life outcomes. A curriculum for parents of gender variant children is proposed, in an effort to educate and support parents of gender variant children, so that they may in turn develop affirmative and supportive practices toward their children. The ultimate goal …

Attachment In Middle Childhood Among Foster And Adopted Children: Preliminary Validation Of A Behavioral Observation System, Somer George

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Abstract

The study of attachment in middle childhood, especially among foster and adoptive children, is a critical and timely one. An assessment that helps us understand the behavioral manifestations of attachment for these children, while considering the link with caregiving behavior and parental reflective functioning (PRF) can help to provide effective and efficient intervention leading to security and relational healing. This study examines the attachment patterns of 39 foster and adopted children (ages six to twelve) in the Modified Strange Situation Procedure (MSSP), with their caregivers. Association with caregiving patterns, PRF, and caregiver reported child behavior are analyzed using Pearson’s …

Let The Church Say Amen! A Qualitative Study Exploring The Experiences Of African American Pastors Providing Mental Health Support, Tiffanie D. Sutherlin

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how African American Pastors experience their role as mental health supporters. Researchers are continuing to conduct research to better understand some of the challenges and barriers African Americans may experience that impacts their attitudes towards mental health services. Many African Americans identify as spiritual or religious and implement coping skills based on their spiritual or religious connection to a High Power. This researcher focused on four male and four female Pastors who identified as African American and were located in the Eastern Region of the United States. The participants engaged in …