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Attachment Theory As A Framework For Supervision Of Supervisors-In-Training, Alyssa Fredricks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This focus of the study is on the training of new clinical supervisors in health service psychology, specifically the relational processes involved in learning and acquiring competence in clinical supervision. An effective learning environment is critical to supervisor training and development (Borders et al., 2014;Watkins, Budge, & Callahan, 2015) and attachment theory provides a framework for understanding the complex relationship domains and group dynamics inherent to group supervision. Given the recognition that the supervisory alliance is central to the process of competent supervision (APA, 2015), the purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between adult attachment style, the …

Role Of Executive Function And Alcohol-Sex Schema In The Relationship Between Alcohol Use And Sexual Assault, Michelle Seulki Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heavy alcohol use and sexual assault are significant problems among women attending college. The current study examined the relationship between sexual assault and alcohol use across a four-month period and the role of executive function (EF) and alcohol-sex schema in this relationship. Participants were 176 women undergraduate students with a mean age of 19.50 years (SD = 1.30), with 85 participating in a second survey four months later. Participants completed self-report questionnaires regarding alcohol use and sexual assault, a battery of EF tasks, and a lexical decision task assessing alcohol-sex schema. Sexual assault significantly predicted alcohol use four months …

Determinants Of Well-Being Among Military Caregivers, Ludwig Marcello Martinez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although the current body of research in the field of informal caregivers is extensive, this research focuses on the experiences of civilian caregivers. This focus contributes to limited knowledge regarding factors that influence the experiences of individuals who provide care to ill and/or wounded service members. Although limited, this research suggests that military caregivers often experience higher levels of distress when compared to the national average. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between the veteran’s level of disability and dyadic stress on the military caregiver’s overall sense of well-being. Additionally, this study examined the moderating effects of attachment …

Predicting Help-Seeking Attitudes And Intentions In A Diné Sample, Chesleigh N. Keene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between cultural factors, psychological distress, barriers, and attitudes toward seeking psychological help among Diné tribal members. This study is in response to calls to consider psychological and cultural factors in the underutilization of mental health services by ethnic minorities. The present study examines psychological and cultural antecedents to seeking professional psychological help among Diné tribal members (N=119). It examined the mediating role of attitudes toward help seeking in the relationship between psychological distress, barriers to care, three acculturation variables, and intentions to seek counseling. Mediation was assessed with …

Development Of A School-Based Restorative Practices Training For Parents: Impacts On Parent And Child Outcomes, Christopher R. Hughes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Restorative Practices (RP), a science of proactively building trusting and mutual relationships, is an effective framework focused on three key features of positive student discipline: building behavioral competence, addressing negative behavior, and fostering school climate. While educators are trained to use RP preventatively and reactively, parents are often only given information to use RP reactively. Strategies for proactively inviting parents to learn about and utilize RP at home are necessary to foster homeschool consistency regarding preventative discipline strategies. For the present study, 11 parents volunteered to participate in a preliminary school-based parent training designed to elicit critical parent outcomes: knowledge …

Predicting And Shifting Attitudes Toward Immigrants And Immigration: Testing A Model And Communication Strategy, Tejaswinhi Srinivas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research in intergroup relations has found evidence for economic and moral explanations for negative attitudes toward immigrants and immigration (NATII), and has evaluated various communication strategies for shifting these attitudes. However, no research to date has provided a cultural explanation for NATII, or tested and compared the impact of communication strategies for reducing NATII, in the American context. This study extended prior research in three ways. First, we tested a model that linked various psychosocial factors together (i.e., right-wing authoritarianism, intergroup contact, cultural essentialism, and symbolic threat) to provide a cultural explanation for NATII. Second, we tested the effect of …

Relationship Variables In Group Psychotherapy Treatment For Sexual Trauma Survivors, Sarah Gooch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the aftermath of sexual trauma, many survivors face painful emotions and experiences that impact their mental health and relationships. This study examined relational group psychotherapy processes including group cohesion and bond with the group leaders as vital components in treatment for sexual trauma survivors. The construct of shame was highlighted and the relationship between shame and group cohesion was explored. Outcome measures were used to assess PTSD symptomatology. A repeated-measures design was used to assess groups that were currently occurring in the community for adult, female survivors of sexual trauma. Five treatment groups were evaluated, with 27 members consenting …

Sexual Assault And Health: Understanding The Interplay Of Trauma-Related Appraisals And Physical Health Outcomes, Kerry Lyn Gagnon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women who have been sexually assaulted are at risk for negative mental and physical health outcomes; however, limited research has tested how psychological responses to sexual assault may influence physical health. The present study tested a longitudinal model examining the association between posttrauma appraisals and physical health problems. Drawn from a larger study, the sample included 156 ethnically diverse women who had been sexually assaulted within the last year. The study used cross-lagged panel models to test for reciprocal relationships between posttrauma appraisals and physical health problems over time. A secondary aim of the study was to test whether other …

An Examination Of The Impact Of Racial Ideology And Conversations About Race On Relationship Processes Among African American Couples, Aleja M. Parsons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study aimed to explore how considering unique cultural factors and experiences may advance the fields knowledge on relationship dynamics among African American couples. In a sample of 172 self-identified African American adults who were in opposite sex relationships, the current study explored how individual’s own and perception of partner’s racial ideology are associated with romantic processes, if, when, and how African American couples talk about race within their relationship, and the association between “dyadic racial ideology” and relationship processes. Results indicated one’s own racial ideology, conceptualized by individual subscales and cluster profiles, and discrepancy between one’s own and …

College Athletes And Romantic Relationship Conflict: The Moderating Effects Of Sport-Relationship Conflict And Enrichment, Keaton Clauss Muzika

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Relationships that college athletes develop outside of their sports have the potential to positively and negatively impact sport, relationship, and mental health outcomes. Existing research focuses on the importance of the coach-athlete, parentathlete, and athlete-athlete dyads and suggests that these relationships affect athletes’ satisfaction and commitment to sport. However, few studies examine the influence of romantic relationships on these outcomes. This study, which is founded on work-family conflict and enrichment theories, used an experimental design to examine the moderating effects of sport-relationship conflict and enrichment on the relationship between romantic relationship conflict and athlete burnout, sport commitment, depression, and perceived …

Examining The Clinical Prediction Of Cohesion In Group Psychotherapy And Potential Moderators, Ron Dolgin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Group cohesion, or the way in which group members relate and work toward the primary task of a therapy group, is a predictor for positive outcome in group psychotherapy and the building block for most group development models. Research has shown that interventions are most effective when tailored for the developmental stage of the group (Burlingame, Fuhriman, & Johnson, 2001). Logic follows that if best practice dictates that interventions be implemented based on developmental stage which, in turn, is largely informed by group cohesion, then group leaders should be competent in accurately assessing the cohesion of the group. To date, …

Symmetry Identified In 2-Dimensional Artwork Compositions Using Visuospatial Ability, Theresa Ferg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At the John Langdon Down Foundation A.C. in the La Escuela Mexicana de Arte Down school in Mexico City D.F., Mexico, art students with Trisomy 21 display the use of a mathematical construct in the painting compositions of their artworks. The mathematical construct is a type of symmetry and it carries a positive affect. This is important because there have been no studies that have investigated the use of the symmetry in the artwork compositions of persons with Down syndrome. The geometric construction of the artwork compositions follows the artistic principle of the Rule of Three and the division of …

Binocular Rivalry Of Emotional Expressions, Daniel Stephen Lumian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A central debate in defining emotional space is whether emotions are organized categorically (e.g., fear, happy, disgust) or continuously (i.e., along the independent dimensions of valence and arousal). Emotional facial expressions are one tool often leveraged in trying to define emotional space. Faces are rich sources of social and emotional information. Faces, like emotions, can be organized in either categorical (e.g., happy, sad) or continuous (e.g., open-closed) ways. Therefore, understanding the relatedness of emotional facial expressions to each other may shed light on the underlying structure of emotions. Binocular rivalry (BR) is a tool which can be leveraged to measure …

A Multi-State Comparison Of Nasp Domains Of Practice And School Psychologist Evaluation Rubrics, Courtney E. Hutchinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study compares rubrics used to evaluate school psychologists to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) 10 Domains of Practice. Using a content analysis of state evaluation rubrics, the researcher determined the extent to which various state evaluation rubrics align with the NASP domains and selected terminology from the NASP domains. Results indicate a need for a comprehensive and NASP-endorsed rubric, to be used by certified and experienced school psychologists for evaluation purposes. This research study will inform efforts at school psychology training programs, local and state education agencies, the United States Department of Education, and the NASP.

Psychotropic Medications And Children: Perceptions Of Mental Health Professionals, Elinor Jane Brereton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project explores mental health professionals' perspectives on the prescription of psychotropic medications to children. It emphasizes the placement of biomedicine within its larger social, economic, and political context, and the influence these structures have on the way mental illness is conceptualized and treated in children. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted in Denver, Colorado with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and a pharmaceutical board member to capture multiple perspectives from different positionalities within the field. Participants discussed factors that they believe influence prescribing practices including: professional role changes, issues of access, limited evidence, cost, and institutional pressures to practice within a …

An Exploratory Study Of Session Limited Models Of Therapy Outcomes In An Employee Assistance Program, Ivy C. Donaldson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) have grown increasingly popular over recent years. The prevalence of organizations utilizing and investing in EAP services for their employees has grown; however, companies that purchase EAPs are not well-informed as to which session-models are most effective for various diagnoses. The current study is the first to explore treatment outcomes of session-limited models (measured by Therapist Perception of Change, TPC) for diagnoses (anxiety and depression) in an EAP delivery system. Outcomes were measured by TPC ratings including: a) Regressed, b) remained at Baseline, c) Improved, and d) issue was Resolved. Analyses (Chi-Square and =t-test) were used …

The Impact Of Sudden Gains And Deteriorations On The Psychotherapy Process, Joanna Mary Drinane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within the field of psychotherapy research, there has been significant evidence to suggest that people change and improve because of treatment (Lambert & Ogles, 2004). One common phenomenon that has been observed when looking more closely at outcome trajectories has been termed sudden gains/deteriorations. These are defined as sudden changes in outcome (either positive or negative) of 25% or more from the pre-change level of symptoms that are in turn sustained over time (Tang & DeRubeis, 1999). Although there are data regarding how people who experience sudden gains end up after treatment, no studies have examined the impact that sudden …

Training Games: An Application Of Game Theory To Clinical Psychology Graduate Training, Benjamin David Cornell

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Contents

Groundwork - 4

Game Theory - 4

Game Theory and the System of Clinical Psychology Graduate Training - 6

Psychological Payouts, Reconciling Game Theory and Clinical Psychology - 8

Games in the Training of Psychotherapists - 15

Prisoners’ Dilemmas, Internship and Graduate Applicant Selection - 15

The Strategic Implications of Learning, Nash Equilibria - 21

Commitment Moves, “The Frame,” Psychotherapy, Supervision - 24

Mechanism Design, The Match - 27

Intra-systemic Conflict, Program Design - 30

Conclusion - 34

Works Cited - 36

Working With Transnational Women From Latin American Countries From A Feminist Therapy Framework: A Guide For Mental Health Providers Working With This Population, Diana Hinojosa

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The experiences of transnational families in the United States have largely been examined as they relate to the impact that separation and migration have on the family system. In most recent years, women have assumed the experience of migration and have moved to countries like the United States to work and provide for their families back home. Transnational families are typically understood as family members who live separated from each other, often across national borders, but continue to maintain unity and connections with each other. The following literature review will examine the social factors impacting Latin American women’s decision to …

Six-Month Post-Release Outcomes For Inmates With Traumatic Brain Injury In Supported Community Programming, Elizabeth O. Ahlers

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health issue. The incidence of TBI is much higher in the incarcerated population than in the general population, making this a uniquely vulnerable population. Methods: This study looks at data from the Jail Based Behavioral Health Services (JBBS) to examine recidivism rates among inmates participating in supportive programming. It also uses data from a state brain injury program to examine the impact of case management on community engagement in the justice-involved population with a history of brain injury. Results: Statewide data for a population of inmates who elect to participate …

Improve Organizational Commitment By Leading Like A Therapist, Anna A. Gibson

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The 21st-century workplace underemphasizes the importance of relational leadership, at the expense of the bottom line. Although there is a plethora of both popular and academic literature on the importance of good leadership in the workplace, relational leadership techniques have been misunderstood and underutilized. Dynamic psychology theories that emphasize the importance of relationships—such as self psychology—can be used to produce organizational results.

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy As An Intervention For Adolescent Chronic Pain Related To Pectus Excavatum: A Case Study, Hayley N. Roberts

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The most common chest wall deformity, Pectus Excavatum (PE), is a congenital deformity in which the sternum and adjoining chest wall cave inwards toward the spine (Lawson et al., 2003). While corrective surgical procedures have been shown to have positive effects on the physical and psychosocial well-being of patients with PE (Krasopoulos, Dusmet, Ladas, & Goldstraw, 2006), often surgical procedures, such as those done to correct PE, can result in what is known as Chronic Post-Surgical Pain (CPSP). CPSP has been shown to have great bearing on the patient’s overall well-being (Weinrib et al., 2017), meaning that while the corrective …

Therapeutic Alliance Through Person-Centered Therapy: An Influential Factor In Long-Term Utilization Of Mental Health Services Among Asians In The United States, Lahela Ashlee Rice Jorgenson

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

While the Asian population in the United States is growing vastly and there is an abundance of literature regarding barriers to utilization of psychological services for this population, there remains minimal research on positive or facilitative factors for those who do utilize services and do not prematurely terminate treatment. The purpose of this study was to explore possible factors that promote clients' utilization and commitment to mental health services, as reported by Asian clinicians working with an Asian American population. This study was performed through a descriptive qualitative approach consisting of semi-structured interviews with four clinicians providing mental health services …

Cinematherapy With Inside Out: A Theoretical And Practical Guide, Jessica Rosenfeld

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Since its release in 2015, the Disney/Pixar film "Inside Out" has received widespread critical and commercial acclaim. Despite the film's basis in established psychological theories, little has been published regarding its clinical applicability, particularly for adolescent and adult clients in traditional talk therapy. Through the use of cinematherapy, a deeper examination of the film is offered, and suggestions for treatment use are provided. Via the lens of modern psychodynamic (Intersubjectivity) and behavioral (ACT) techniques, this paper offers diverse options for integrating "Inside Out" in psychotherapy and proves that it contains clinical applicability for a wide range of practitioners.

Utilization Of Behavioral Health Services Among The Latino Population, Jennifer R. Mazzetti

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Limited research exists examining the effectiveness of an integrated primary care model of behavioral health service delivery among the Latino population. This descriptive pilot study addresses this gap in the literature by exploring the mechanisms that influence whether Latino integrated primary care patients who receive a Warm Hand-Off (WHO) will or will not pursue further Behavioral Health Services (BHS). Participants were recruited from Clinica Tepeyac, an integrated primary care clinic located in Denver, Colorado. Results showed that the majority of participants engaged in BHS at the suggestion of their medical provider, as opposed to initiating BHS involvement by their own …

Guidelines For Adapting Structural Family Therapy Approach For Immigrant Generation East Asian American Families, Shijia Liu

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The author developed detailed guidelines for adapting the structural family therapy approach for therapists who work with immigrant east Asian American families. Due to different acculturation levels among family members, immigrant parents often have conflicts with their children, which have become an important reason why Asian American families seek mental health services. The review of both traditional east Asian family-related cultural values and European American cultural values illustrates the parenting emphases that vary to a great extent between these two broad cultural groups. The widely accepted child development theories, parenting theories, and family therapy approaches were developed primarily based on …

Cultural Adaptation To Suicide Prevention Interventions On College Campuses, Leisha Marie Chiles

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 34. Given that college students are within that age range, it is believed they are at a similar risk. As college campuses try to address the suicide risk among their diverse student body, many have developed a public health approach, including the use of gatekeeper trainings. Many of these population-based interventions take a one-size fits all approach to suicide prevention, but with an increasingly diverse student population represented on college campuses this type of approach may fall short and fail to meet the cultural …

Supervision Quality And Its Impact On Client Outcomes: A Review Of Meta-Analytic Studies With Case Examples, Katelyn Leidy Baguez

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This doctoral paper explores the impact of supervision quality on client outcomes. There is currently limited literature addressing the effect of supervision quality on the treatment outcomes of doctoral trainees’ clients. This doctoral paper first reviews historical and recent literature on supervision and client outcomes. It then discusses the characteristics of high quality supervision along with a relevant case example. The paper then addresses the characteristics of poor quality supervision by both noting its potential impact on client outcomes and identifying a plan of action for when a clinical psychologist or other clinical psychology professional exhibits these characteristics in his …

Horses In Therapy: The Practice Of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy, Mandi J. Turner

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Horses are being used in psychotherapy at increasing rates despite a lack of evidence establishing efficacy of the practice (Anestis, Anestis, Zawilinski, Hopkins, & Lilienfeld, 2013; Selby & Smith-Osborne, 2013). Without common and consistent practices based on a working theory of how Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) creates change, it is unknown how varied the practice is across the United States (Anestis et al., 2013). A lack of studies establishing efficacy leaves providers to determine effectiveness based on anecdotal evidence that may be at risk for bias (Lilienfeld, Ritschel, Lynn, Cautin, & Latzman, 2014). The American Psychological Association (APA) provides recommended …

A Qualitative Evaluation Of A Substance Abuse Treatment Program For Athletes, Megan K. Lavoy

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The focus of this study was to examine the experiences of two past participants of an athlete­-specific drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. Researchers have discussed the vulnerability of an athlete population and prevalence of substance use among athletes ( e.g., Turrisi, Mastroleo, Mallett, Larimer, & Kilmer, 2007; Martens, Watson, Royland, & Beck, 2005). Some rehabilitation programs and specific approaches to treating substance abuse in athletes have started to emerge and are beginning to be discussed in the literature (Donahue et al., 2014). However, there remains a gap in the research of studies examining the experiences of these athletes who have …