Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Phenomena Of Faculty Who Utilize Contemplative Pedagogy In The Helping Professions, Christina Frasher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The phenomenon of faculty who utilize contemplative pedagogy in the helping professions is a topic rarely discussed in the literature. In my review of the literature, I have found only one dissertation on faculty perspectives, one dissertation on individuals in higher education, and one study that used the perspective of faculty as the primary data. While this information is valuable, it is not context-specific research on how faculty in the helping professions experience practicing contemplative pedagogy. At present, there are no studies that explore how faculty process and utilize contemplative pedagogy when teaching in the helping profession; this study contributes …

Technology And Pleasure: A Qualitative Study On Using Mobile Applications For Online And Offline Sexual Purposes, Gabriella Locke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The internet has long been considered an accessible, anonymous, and affordable platform for sexuality and the emergence of smartphone applications has made facilitating online and offline sexual behaviors even easier for young adults. Despite the increase, there continues to be a lack of detailed research on the experiences of young adults who use these types of applications. This qualitative study explored how young adults use mobile applications to engage in online and offline sexual behaviors and the motivations and perceived benefits and risks of such behavior. This study, analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, completed eight semi-structed interviews with individuals between …

Wellness And Karate, Cristina Kumpf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The promotion of wellness is an integral part of the counseling field and is considered to be a central focus to the counseling process (Barden, Conley, & Young, 2015; Myers, 1992). The counseling profession adopted the concept of wellness because it harmonizes with many of the founding principles of the ACA and is seen as a process of questing toward optimal health and well-being in body, mind, and spirit (Barden, Conley, & Young, 2015; Myers, 1992; Myers, Sweeney, & Witmer, 2000). Additionally, ACA Code of Ethics (2014) state that counselors “engage in self-care activities to maintain and promote their own …

Life Satisfaction Typologies Among Roman Catholic Secular Clergy: A Q Methodological Investigation, Raju Antony

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Life satisfaction typologies among Roman Catholic secular clergy were studied using a Q methodological design. Using Q-Assessor, a web-based tool for Q methodological studies, 33 priests sorted and ranked 34 predetermined statements about their life satisfaction. By-person factor analysis and varimax rotation extracted three predominant category prototypes – pro-spirituals, professionals, and pro-relationals– representing three different views regarding the life satisfaction of clergy. The findings led to the creation of an explanatory model recognizing a multi-factorial pathway to understanding clergy life satisfaction.

The First Life Journey Of Many: The Lived Experience Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Individuals Who Were Raised Within The Catholic Church On Their Coming Out Process, Michelle Colarusso

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQ) adults encounter societal challenges, pushback from religious organizations, and discrimination from lawmakers which interfere with their ability to come out as their true selves. This qualitative, phenomenologically oriented study explored the LGBTQ identity and practicing Catholic religious beliefs in an attempt to develop a rich description and understanding of the experience of LGBTQ individuals’ coming out process in relation to the practice of Catholic religious beliefs. The central research question that guided this inquiry was the following: What are the lived experiences of persons who identify as Catholic and who have come out as …

Beyond Skill: The Role Of Mindset And Grit In Reducing Counselor Burnout, Bethany Novotny

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the challenging nature of their work, counselors are highly susceptible to burnout. Given the high prevalence of burnout in the profession, it is important to identify and better understand potential safeguards against it. Counselor self-efficacy is one factor that has been found to function as a safeguard; however, there has been little research that examines personality factors that may influence counselor self-efficacy and serve as buffers against burnout. Prior to this study, the constructs of mindset and grit, which have been found in the broader fields of educational and social psychology to promote self-efficacy and performance, have not …

A Dynamic System: Restraints, Violence, Compassion Satisfaction, And Supervision, Thomas Michael Workman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used a survey design to determine if supervision had a moderating effect between exposure to aggression and compassion satisfaction (CS) in a sample of workers in youth residential treatment settings (N=137). Regressions were used to determine if the items related to aggression or supervision maintained a relationship with CS. Out of the five types of aggression surveyed, only direct verbal aggression approached significance with having a negative impact on CS. All of the elements of supervision that were measured reached the level of significance with having a positive impact on CS. These items were checked for scale reliability, …

International Students In Supervision: Multicultural Discussions As A Moderator Between Supervision Related Constructs: Acculturation, Counselor Self-Efficacy, Supervisory Working Alliance, And Role Ambiguity, Mehmet Nurullah Akkurt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies have focused on international students' needs and experiences in counseling training and supervision, however, there is a lack of research regarding effective approaches for supervising international students. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether international counseling supervisees' perceptions regarding the degree to which multicultural discussion occurred in their university supervision moderates the relationship among supervision related variables, including acculturation, counselor self-efficacy, supervisory working alliance, and role ambiguity in supervision. The research questions were: (a) Does the frequency of cultural discussions in university supervision, as perceived by international counseling supervisees, moderate the relationship between acculturation to the …

The Impact Of Demographic Variables On Differentiation Of Self During The Course Of Counseling, Kenneth C. Messina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bowen's natural systems theory has been identified as a foundational theory in learning of family processes (Miller, Anderson, & Keala, 2004). Despite the importance of this theory to the counseling profession, there is a lack of research examining the moderators of Bowen's key construct, differentiation of self. There are few studies that explore the effect of demographic variables on levels of differentiation of self. There is also a lack of literature regarding the impact of these demographic moderators on an individual's ability to increase their level of differentiation of self through counseling. This study investigated the impact of counseling on …

An Examination Of Factors That Contribute To Binge Eating Among Bariatric Patients, Erin Neuman-Boone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Binge eating is the most common eating disorder among individuals presenting for bariatric surgery. The majority of patients with pre-surgical binge eating experience a short-term reduction in binge eating symptoms following surgery. However, binge eating symptoms can re-emerge. This quantitative study examined variables related to and predictive of binge eating within the bariatric patient population. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to determine whether daily hassles, uplifts, depression, pre-surgical binge eating, time since surgery, and weight regain were predictors of binge eating within the bariatric patient population. One hundred and twenty-six participants completed either an electronic or paper version …

Graduate Students' Perception Of Curriculum-Based Efficacy Of The Acquisition Of Multicultural Counseling Skills, Demond Ethridge Bledsoe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States is undergoing a period in which the demographics of the population are shifting drastically. The profession of counseling is tasked with providing services to diverse groups of clients, many of whom may have experienced racism, prejudice, and oppression as a result of their cultural or ethnic identity. Literature suggests that cultural and ethnic minority clients have poorer outcomes than their majority counterparts, and a significant factor in gaining positive treatment outcomes is the multicultural skill development in the clinician; however, little research focusing on effective delivery methods for multicultural skill development in counselor trainees has been conducted. …

A Constructivist Approach To Promoting Spiritual Competencies In Counselor Trainees, Devon Manderino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spirituality has been documented as both a positive and negative influence in the counseling process. Despite this evidence, counselor education programs are not consistently training their students to competently address the role of spirituality in counseling. This study examined the effect of a 2.5 hour, five-activity model on spiritual competency levels of counseling interns. The constructivist activity model positively increased overall spiritual competency scores of participants as well as in five out of six competency foci. This study also found that students who scored higher on a Personal Spiritual and Religious Practices scale tended to have larger increases in their …

Crisis Clinician's Lived Experience Of Clinical Supervision, Elizabeth A. Sysak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Crisis intervention first responders experience both small and large-scale disasters that can leave lasting negative impacts on crisis clinicians. However, little is known about how clinicians receive support for their personal and professional well being in clinical supervision. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the lived experience of crisis clinicians to understand how and if they receive support through clinical supervision in their work in crisis intervention. This study found that crisis clinicians struggle to manage the complex emotions that accompany the unique work of crisis intervention. This study also found that crisis clinicians are not receiving the support they need …

Examining Cross-Cultural Counseling Competencies Of Substance Abuse Counselors In The Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania, Abdelhadi Elamin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With minority Americans expected to comprise more than 40% of the U.S population by 2035 and 47% by 2050 and substance abuse epidemic with 23.5 million nationwide in need for treatment, there is a growing need for cross-cultural counseling competence among substance abuse counselors. This study examined substance abuse counselors' level of cross-cultural counseling competence in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The research method used was quantitative in nature. Substance abuse counselors were asked to self-assess their level of competence by completing a questionnaire and modified Cross-Cultural Counseling Inventory Revised (CCCI-R) subscales to determine whether counselor's gender, level of education, field …

The Resident Assistant As Paraprofessional Counselor And Crisis Interventionist: A Study Of Lived Experience, Eric W. Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Counseling and helping services on college campuses have changed greatly in recent decades, yet the services provided by college counseling centers are hardly keeping pace. Campuses have turned to other means of addressing the increased need for helping services, including training paraprofessionals to address many counseling and crisis situations that occur on college campuses. One of the most ubiquitous groups of paraprofessional helpers are resident assistants, undergraduate students trained to work with students living on campus who present with counseling or crisis intervention needs.

The concerns students bring to resident assistants are often beyond the scope of their training and …

Encountering Questions Of Religion In Psychotherapy: A Hermeneutical-Phenomenological Study Of Religious Patients' Experiences, Jonathan Ahern

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a hermeneutical-phenomenological investigation of having one's religious or spiritual views called into question in psychotherapy. A review of the literature revealed very few studies exploring the experiences of religious or spiritually devoted psychotherapy patients and a complete lack of studies describing the lived phenomenon of having one's religious or spiritual views called into question in psychotherapy. Three self-described "religious" or "spiritually devoted" former psychotherapy patients provided in-depth descriptions of having their religious views or practices called into question in psychotherapy. Participants' descriptions--gathered first in writing and then by way of a hermeneutic interview--comprised the empirical qualitative data …

An Inquiry Of The Lived Experiences And Contextual Understandings Of Early Childhood Special Educators Related To Children's Trauma, Alison Dubois

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Secondary trauma stress, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma are terms rarely found in educational literature. Studies have shown the significant and lasting ramifications of these constructs within the realm of counseling and psychology. Professionals working in educational settings with high risk populations encounter multiple exposures to children experiencing traumatic events. Despite this phenomenon, teacher and counselor training programs do little to address the issue, thereby matriculating graduates who do not feel confident, well informed, and effective when dealing with trauma material on a daily basis.

This inquiry sought to examine the lived experiences and contextual understandings of early childhood special …

The Experiences Of Counseling Victims Of Trauma As Perceived By Master's Level Post-Practicum Students, Elizabeth More Ventura

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of master's level post-practicum students as they encountered trauma-related cases during their practicum experience. This qualitative, phenomenologically oriented study used Van Manen's (1990) four lived existentials, Bronfenbrenner's (1979) bio-ecological model of human development, and existing traumatology literature as its theoretical underpinnings. There is no existing literature that examines the experiences of beginning counselors as they encounter trauma-related cases in their academic training programs. The literature base surrounding traumatology is quickly expanding due to the increased awareness and prevalence of trauma in our culture. As the demand for services related …

Counselor Trainee Perceived Supervisory Effectiveness: An Investigation Of Counselor Trainee Cognitive Style And Supervisor Supervisory Style, Melinda Jean Heher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Supervision during practicum and internship is crucial to the continued professional development and growth of the novice counselor. As counselor trainees are immersed in their field placement sites, they rely on their field site supervisors for guidance and continued training as aspiring counselors. It is imperative that a positive interpersonal supervisory relationship sets the foundation for successful supervision and training. Among the many personality variables that influence the interpersonal relationship and dynamics of supervision, cognitive style has been scarce in the counselor education and supervision literature. In addition to cognitive style, the supervisor's supervisory style influences the interpersonal supervisory relationship. …

Mental Health Care At The Margins: A Critical Ethnography Of Psychological Practice In An Inner City Mental Health Setting, Katy Sampson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within the past several decades, the field of psychology has attempted to improve psychological services for a greater diversity of people. However, despite these attempts, research continues to document a "gap" when it comes to mental health care services for marginalized populations. Various studies have addressed the issue of this "gap" in mental health care; however, most adhere to positivist assumptions regarding sociocultural aspects of experience, understanding culture and identity as immutable qualities existing within individuals, rather than as an interpersonal phenomenon that is negotiated between and among people and institutions. As a result of these assumptions, many past studies …

Lived Experiences Of Widows In Botswana: An Ethnographic Examination Of Cultural Rituals Of Death, Loss, Grief, And Bereavement: Implications For Counseling, Sithandazile Hope Msimanga-Ramatebele

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to examine experiences of widows in Botswana regarding the performance of cultural rituals, as they mourned their husband's deaths. The study sought to find out aspects of the rituals that enhanced or hindered healing; and how insights and knowledge gained from the results of the investigation can inform culturally relevant and sensitive psychosocial interventions. The study involved two focus group discussions and seven key informants from two villages in the Northern and Central districts of Botswana. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data through focus group discussions which were video-recorded; data from …

A Comparison Of The Perceptions Of The Importance Of Supervision Skills And Training Between Formally Trained Supervisors And Non-Formally Trained Supervisors In A Children And Adolescent Service System Program, Jeffrey Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem to be investigated is to compare counseling supervisors who have formal training in supervision (CFT) to counseling supervisors who have not been formally trained in supervision (CNT) on two dependent variables. The two dependent variables used in this investigation are (1) the perceived importance of having supervisory competencies in order to do their job and (2) the perceived need to have training in these supervisory competencies in order to do their job. This study will extend a study by Dr. Maura Krushinski (2004) that examined the importance of these variables among CFTs and CNTs who were supervising counseling …