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Childhood Trauma History And Vicarious Traumatization In Early Career Mental Health Professionals: The Roles Of Supervisory Working Alliance And Shame, Kady Marie Barthelemy
Childhood Trauma History And Vicarious Traumatization In Early Career Mental Health Professionals: The Roles Of Supervisory Working Alliance And Shame, Kady Marie Barthelemy
Dissertations
Vicarious traumatization (VT) in the context of early career mental health professionals (MHPs) with personal trauma histories has been examined in the literature on a limited basis, particularly regarding the role that supervisory working alliance and shame could contribute to the effects of VT. Research questions asked: (a) Among early career MHPs who have a personal childhood trauma history, does shame mediate the relationship between personal childhood trauma history and VT? and (b) Among early career MHPs who have a personal childhood trauma history, does supervisory working alliance moderate the relationship between personal childhood trauma history and VT? These questions …
The Impact Of Hope On The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Context And Career Exploration, Hunter Christian Vincente Montoya
The Impact Of Hope On The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Context And Career Exploration, Hunter Christian Vincente Montoya
Dissertations
Economic instability in the United States has significant mental health implications for populations who experience limited occupational autonomy. Literature has demonstrated that career exploration plays an important role in positive occupational outcomes, and research has begun to establish a relationship between hope and career exploration. Hope has been further associated with myriad positive outcomes in the fields of career development and counseling psychology. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between socioeconomic status, hope, and career exploration as guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory, and to ascertain whether hope may moderate between socioeconomic status and career exploration. …
College Sexual Assault, Career Adaptability, And Grit: A Moderation Analysis, Patricia Danielle Sparks
College Sexual Assault, Career Adaptability, And Grit: A Moderation Analysis, Patricia Danielle Sparks
Dissertations
Sexual assault rates are a rising concern, particularly on college campuses. The impacts of being a victim of sexual assault were well documented in the research and spread from academic decline to negative mental health outcomes to career path derailment. Career construction theory suggested a critical developmental time period for young adults where pieces of their environment, past experiences, and personal characteristics informed their career decisions. Career adaptability is a foundational piece of career construction theory that consists of psychosocial, internal resources developmentally related to how a person learns and advances in their career goals. Grit was identified in the …
Men’S Feminist Identity Development: The Process And Critical Influences, Tiana Alexandria Kioko Johnson
Men’S Feminist Identity Development: The Process And Critical Influences, Tiana Alexandria Kioko Johnson
Dissertations
Research has historically focused on feminist women, leaving a gap in the literature for exploring men’s feminist identity development. Given that feminist identity is a strong predictor for engaging in gender-justice activism, more research is needed on the experiences of feminist men and how they come to identify as feminists. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a theory of men’s feminist identity development process, as no widely accepted model currently exists. Additionally, the study sought to investigate feminist men’s experiences of privilege as well as guilt in shame in their feminist identity development, as these factors …
The Intersection Of Queer And Atheist Identities: A Critical Inquiry, Jennifer Geiman
The Intersection Of Queer And Atheist Identities: A Critical Inquiry, Jennifer Geiman
Dissertations
The purposes of this study were to explore the lived experiences of queer atheists, to examine how they were impacted by various oppressive systems, and how to assess their needs might be better met by counseling psychologists and other mental health clinicians. The two research questions of focus were: Q1 What are the lived experiences of individuals who hold intersecting queer and atheist identities? Q2 How might individuals who hold intersecting queer and atheist identities be better served by counseling psychologists? While extant literature on the experiences of queer people and how to support them clinically has grown in the …
A Moustakas Phenomenological Analysis Of How Counseling Master’S Students Experience Instructor Use Of Humor In The Classroom, Claire Gabrielle Critchlow
A Moustakas Phenomenological Analysis Of How Counseling Master’S Students Experience Instructor Use Of Humor In The Classroom, Claire Gabrielle Critchlow
Dissertations
The following dissertation presented the findings from the first known Moustakas Phenomenological Analysis study exploring the experience of seven counselors-in-training (CITs) in the classroom with an instructor who utilized humor. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experience of counseling students who had participated in master’s classrooms in which the instructor used humor. Previous research has explored the use of humor within counseling, though no research has explored the experience of CITs in a classroom with an instructor who utilized humor. Moreover, no literature has explored the experience of CITs within their instructor-student relationship with an …
Inward And Onward: An Autoethnography On The Lived Experience Of Love, Loss, And Grief In A Doctoral Program, Laura A. Watts
Inward And Onward: An Autoethnography On The Lived Experience Of Love, Loss, And Grief In A Doctoral Program, Laura A. Watts
Dissertations
While research around attrition during doctoral programs exists, the lived experience of grief during a doctoral program has little footing in the current literature. This autoethnography examined the lived experience of one doctoral student, acting as both the researcher and the researched. The purpose of this study was to have a meaningful understanding of the broad grief process, and its impact on one doctoral student’s identity development through sharing, analyzing, and interpreting their most raw stories in an effort to name and normalize the challenges and opportunities related to doctoral program persistence and identity development. The following research questions were …
The Experiences Of Beginning Counselor Education And Supervision Faculty In The Supervision-Of-Supervision Relationship, Bonnie Jean Nicholson
The Experiences Of Beginning Counselor Education And Supervision Faculty In The Supervision-Of-Supervision Relationship, Bonnie Jean Nicholson
Dissertations
This narrative study attempted to explore the experience of beginning counselor educators in providing supervision to doctoral supervisors-in-training. The need for a greater understanding of the supervision-of-supervision process is well recognized within the profession of counseling (e.g., Barker & Hunsley, 2013; Borders & Giordano, 2016). Four counselor educators in the beginning years of employment at a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (2015) accredited counselor education and supervision doctoral program provided narratives of their own experiences providing supervision-of-supervision. Nine themes and 18 subthemes emerged from the data analysis; the following nine themes were confirmed by the participants …
Animal-Assisted Interventions In Supervision: A Collective Case Study, Connie Elizabeth Couch
Animal-Assisted Interventions In Supervision: A Collective Case Study, Connie Elizabeth Couch
Dissertations
Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) have been discussed in recent conceptual literature as having potential for positive implications when applied in supervision (Chandler, 2017; Jackson, 2020; Owenby, 2017; Stewart et al., 2015). However, there was limited empirical foundation or guidance for the integration of two distinct specializations (AAIs and supervision). The purpose of this qualitative collective case study (Stake, 2006) was to explore and understand the experiences of supervisors who have been implementing AAIs within the context of supervision. Specifically, this study addressed the following overarching research question and two sub-questions were addressed: Q1 Why are supervisors integrating AAIs into supervision? Q1a …
Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Gratitude, And Burnout: A Structural Equation Model, Allegra Rose Lyon
Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Gratitude, And Burnout: A Structural Equation Model, Allegra Rose Lyon
Dissertations
The present cross-sectional study examined the interrelationships between mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude, and burnout in a sample of Health Service Psychology doctoral trainees (n=234) using structural equation modeling. Results suggested that mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude may each function as important internal resources in mitigating burnout in HSP trainees. A priori models showed poor structural fit and were respecified according to modification indices. The respecified primary model was retained as it showed a good fit (χ2(df) = 347.497(99), p < .001; RMSEA = .074; CFI = .939; TLI = .914; SRMR = .054) and significantly better fit than the respecified alternative model (Δ χ 2(1) = 7.37, p < .01). Mindfulness showed direct positive effects on self-compassion (.643) and gratitude (.346), and direct negative effects on burnout (-.344). Self-compassion (-.271) and gratitude (-.220) each also showed direct negative effects on burnout. Mindfulness also showed significant specific indirect effects on burnout via self-compassion (-.174) and gratitude (-.076). Total indirect effects of mindfulness on burnout were medium negative effects (-.250). Total effect of mindfulness on burnout was a large negative effect (-.595). These results can be used to inform changes at the organizational level for doctoral training programs and can be used at an individual level as tools for empowering trainees to increase internal resources that may help them to engage in more sustainable practice. Theoretical, research, and practice implications for counseling psychologists and limitations are discussed.
Exploring Clinical Supervisors’ Experiences With Indirect Exposure To Trauma, Maya Kirsten Schmidt
Exploring Clinical Supervisors’ Experiences With Indirect Exposure To Trauma, Maya Kirsten Schmidt
Dissertations
In the United States, community-based victim services agencies commonly offer therapy services to survivors of interpersonal violence (Globokar et al., 2019; James & Eyjolfson, 2020; Langton, 2011). For mental health counselors and therapists working in victim services agencies and/or with survivors of interpersonal violence, indirect trauma is a known risk (Baird & Jenkins, 2003; Dworkin et al., 2016; Globokar et al., 2019; Kulkarni et al., 2013; McCann & Pearlman, 1990; Pearlman & Saakvitne, 1995; Sommer & Cox, 2005). Consequently, clinical supervisors of clinicians working with survivors of interpersonal violence must be prepared and able to effectively support clinicians in managing …
Braving The Sea Change: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study Of How Counselors-In-Training Experience Their Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Relationships, Christopher Jess Ward
Braving The Sea Change: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study Of How Counselors-In-Training Experience Their Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Relationships, Christopher Jess Ward
Dissertations
This interpretive phenomenological analysis asked counselors-in-training (CITs) to reflect on their connections with important others and with themselves, noting any changes which took place within said relationships over the course of counselor training. Seven CITs provided rich narratives around relational shifts and personal/professional development, bringing to the surface superordinate themes of (a) Insecurity and Confusion, (b) Growing Pains, and (c) Overcoming and Resilience. Superordinate themes were further divided into the following sub-themes: Insecurity and Confusion: Professional/Personal Identity Integration, Mental Health and Responsibility, Reassurance; Growing Pains: Relationship Imbalanced and Disequilibrium, Loneliness; Overcoming and Resilience: Ruptures and Repairs, Outright Benefits, Self-Prioritization. These …
Clinician Experiences With Conducting Suicide Risk Assessments And Interventions, Sydney Lee Cople
Clinician Experiences With Conducting Suicide Risk Assessments And Interventions, Sydney Lee Cople
Dissertations
Rates of suicide across the United States have been found to be increasingly prevalent and acute in recent years (Centers for Disease Control, 2018). To address this nationwide health crisis of suicidality, mental health clinicians are relied upon to prevent, assess, and intervene accordingly. Yet despite the ubiquitous nature of client suicidality, existing research has not yet examined how clinicians are experiencing working with such intense and acute risk for suicide. This qualitative phenomenological study sought to capture the descriptions of clinicians’ internal and external responses to assessing for and intervening with client suicidality in an effort to better understand …
Expanding The Conceptualization And Applied Role Of Shame, Nathaniel Michael Burrow
Expanding The Conceptualization And Applied Role Of Shame, Nathaniel Michael Burrow
Dissertations
Prior research has shown shame to be a key component of a variety of mental health issues, symptoms, and disorders; however, a growing body of research also found it to be integral in the process of seeking to atone, ameliorate, or repair a prior transgression. This study sought to further explore what factors influenced this process. By utilizing a posttest-only control group experimental design and the Gausel and Leach (2011) model as a framework, this study was able to operationalize and investigate the role shame had in motivating a prosocial versus self-defensive response. Additionally, this study advanced this model by …
Self-Care, Anticipated Stigma, And Personal Therapy In Mental Health Professional Trainees, Morgan Condie
Self-Care, Anticipated Stigma, And Personal Therapy In Mental Health Professional Trainees, Morgan Condie
Dissertations
Self-care has increasingly become encouraged as a means for maintaining well-being for mental health professionals; yet, there exists an unsettling lack of research and guidance on this topic for those within the field (Callan et al., 2021; Colman et al., 2016; Norcross & VandenBos, 2018). This has led to call for change and reform to recognize the importance of self-care as an ethical imperative and to incorporate it within the education and training of mental health professionals (Barnett et al., 2007; Barnett & Cooper, 2009; Wise & Reuman, 2019; Zahniser et al., 2017). These calls for reform and the increased …
The Role Of Pereceived Racial Discrimination On Help-Seeking Intention And Psychological Distress, Emili Noel Pickenpaugh
The Role Of Pereceived Racial Discrimination On Help-Seeking Intention And Psychological Distress, Emili Noel Pickenpaugh
Dissertations
Based on their experiences of perceived discrimination, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) college students should theoretically be in higher need of mental health care services as perceived discrimination often increases psychological distress. However, there is a documented disparity in the utilization of services. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) suggests that those with higher levels of psychological distress should be more likely to seek services. This study analyzed the relationship between race, psychological distress, and perceived racial discrimination as predictors of help-seeking intention, specifically, with the hopes of understanding the potential moderating role perceived racial discrimination plays between …
Post 9/11 Military Spouse Caregivers: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study, Erin Mcevoy
Post 9/11 Military Spouse Caregivers: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study, Erin Mcevoy
Dissertations
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, the United States Armed Forces has been involved in military conflicts across the globe. Innovations in battlefield medicine have resulted in the highest battlefield survival rates that America has ever seen. Injured veterans are returning to their homes by the thousands, in need of daily caregiving that encompasses many domains of life. Many times, the spouses of these individuals answer the call and become primary caregivers for their injured servicemember partners. Taking on the identity of military spouse caregiver puts these individuals at increased risk of many physical and mental health concerns …
Rumination, Mindfulness, And Posttraumatic Growth During The Coronavirus Disease-19 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Model, Mackenzie Brianna May
Rumination, Mindfulness, And Posttraumatic Growth During The Coronavirus Disease-19 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Model, Mackenzie Brianna May
Dissertations
Early research examining the impact of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic on the health and well-being of U.S. adult residents suggested the majority were experiencing an increase in anxiety, depression, and trauma-related symptoms. The current study responded to calls for mental health professionals to view the COVID-19 pandemic as a form of mass trauma and sought to understand whether U.S. adult residents reported experiencing posttraumatic growth (PTG) in response to this mass trauma. Consistent with Tedeschi and Calhoun’s (2004) theoretical framework of PTG, the current study attempted to replicate a mediational model that had been used to explain the process …
Examining The Effect Of Gratitude On Intolerance Of Uncertainty And Loneliness, Adam John Paul Mackenzie
Examining The Effect Of Gratitude On Intolerance Of Uncertainty And Loneliness, Adam John Paul Mackenzie
Dissertations
Loneliness has been demonstrated to have significant negative effects on overall well-being in the general population. Previous literature has demonstrated a significant association between loneliness and various demographic variables such as gender, age, educational attainment, relationship status, living arrangements and income. Because of the unique impact that the disease caused by the coronavirus, COVID–19, has had on a global scale in relation to physical distancing and increasing physical and psychological distress, the purpose of this study was to examine the role that gratitude played in the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and loneliness among the general adult population of the …
Getting Them To The Chopper: An Empirical Study Of Man Therapy, A Public Health Campaign Designed To Encourage Men To Utilize Psychological Services, David Gretz
Dissertations
This study examined the effects that the Man Therapy website may have on men’s attitudes and intentions toward seeking professional psychological services, factors that play a role in deciding if they will eventually engage in the behavior of seeking of professional psychological services according to the theory of planned behavior. A large number of men die by suicide every year, and many men struggle with mental health concerns. Various components of masculinities can serve as barriers that dissuade men from seeking treatment for these concerns. Man Therapy is a novel approach that attempts to better engage men with professional psychological …
Lived Experience Of Reintegration Among Involuntarily Separated Operation Enduring Freedom (Oef) And Operation Iraqi Freedom (Oif) Era Veterans, Austin Deshon Hamilton
Lived Experience Of Reintegration Among Involuntarily Separated Operation Enduring Freedom (Oef) And Operation Iraqi Freedom (Oif) Era Veterans, Austin Deshon Hamilton
Dissertations
The present study is the first known attempt to explore what reintegration is like for those who separated from the military against their will. The primary purposes of this study were to (a) assist counseling psychologists, other mental health care providers and administrators who work with involuntarily separated veterans in better understanding the unique difficulties and psychological stressors associated with leaving the military community against one’s will; and (b) highlight potential barriers to accessing mental healthcare among involuntarily separated veterans. Finally, the secondary objective was to identify whether interpersonal theory of suicide (Joiner 2005)-related constructs were present among this sample …
Disability Identity: An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Stigma, Quality Of Life, And Psychological Distress, Tyler Ray Anderson
Disability Identity: An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Stigma, Quality Of Life, And Psychological Distress, Tyler Ray Anderson
Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to investigate disability identity and the role that it may play in moderating the effect of disability-related stigma on both quality of life and psychological distress among persons with disabilities (PWDs). With respect to this purpose, it was hypothesized that disability identity would significantly moderate both the relationship between disability-related stigma and quality of life and the relationship between disability-related stigma and psychological distress. Further, this study aimed to investigate various aspects specific to one's life experience that may impact the presence or absence of disability identity. To this regard, it was hypothesized that …
“The Adaptanators” And “The Geode:” A Single-Case Study Of Narrative Co-Wonderfulness Interviews And The Relationship In Supervision During The First Practicum Experience, David William Matheson
“The Adaptanators” And “The Geode:” A Single-Case Study Of Narrative Co-Wonderfulness Interviews And The Relationship In Supervision During The First Practicum Experience, David William Matheson
Dissertations
Wonderfulness Interviews (WI) have been discussed as a meaningful entry point into the counseling relationship in Narrative Therapy with children and families (Ingamells, 2016; Marsten et al., 2016). Wonderfulness Interviews are designed to uncover and story a person’s Wonderfulnesses and reclaim “the person and the territory of the conversation from the problem” in work with children and families in Narrative Therapy (Ingamells, 2016, p. 61). WI allow individuals to enter into the therapeutic relationship through telling stories of the qualities that make them the most exemplary as human beings (Marsten et al., 2016). WI and their potential contributions had not …
The Relationship Between Trauma, Attachment, Self-Compassion, And Emotion Regulation: A Structural Equation Model, Susanna Jane Turner
The Relationship Between Trauma, Attachment, Self-Compassion, And Emotion Regulation: A Structural Equation Model, Susanna Jane Turner
Dissertations
Previous research has examined the relationship between trauma, attachment, selfcompassion, and emotion regulation, but never with an incarcerated population. Given the link between emotion regulation and illegal behaviors, it may be helpful to more fully understand this relationship in order to lay the groundwork for future intervention research. I gathered data from 378 participants. I then examined the relationships between these constructs on data from 204 participants, the number that remained after cleaning the data, by way of a structural equation model. Findings suggest that greater experiences of trauma may lead to insecure attachment styles, impacting individuals’ ability to trust …
The Impact Of Perceived Parenting Styles During Childhood Experiences Of Bullying On Emerging Adult Attachment, Callie Kathryn King
The Impact Of Perceived Parenting Styles During Childhood Experiences Of Bullying On Emerging Adult Attachment, Callie Kathryn King
Dissertations
Given the prevalence of bullying during youth and the substantial negative outcomes of these experiences during adulthood, this study evaluated youth bullying experiences, perceived parenting style, and emerging adult attachment styles. The purpose was to determine the extent to which perceived parenting style moderates the relationship between youth bullying experience and emerging adult attachment to primary caregivers, romantic partners, and best friends above and beyond what youth bullying experience already predicts. The interaction between youth bullying experience and perceived parenting style were hypothesized to account for a significant amount of the variance in the outcome of emerging adult attachment style. …
The Experiences Of Mental Health Service Providers Adapting Counseling Treatments For Refugee Clients, Gurusewak Singh Khalsa
The Experiences Of Mental Health Service Providers Adapting Counseling Treatments For Refugee Clients, Gurusewak Singh Khalsa
Dissertations
This study examined the perceptions of mental health professionals through their experiences of adapting counseling treatments to meet the cultural needs of their refugee clients. For this interpretative phenomenological study, 11 licensed clinicians participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews that utilized multicultural counseling and vicarious trauma theories. Results were presented in superordinate and subordinate themes. This study added to the literature and exploration of the unique experiences of mental health providers culturally adapting their counseling approaches in order to provide more effective services to refugee communities. Participants discussed the influences of their cultural backgrounds, the challenges, supports, and areas of growth …
Anxiety, Depression, And Perceived Barriers To Adherence Among Parents Of Pediatric Transplant Patients, Alice Marie Wille
Anxiety, Depression, And Perceived Barriers To Adherence Among Parents Of Pediatric Transplant Patients, Alice Marie Wille
Dissertations
Before being listed for an organ transplant, pediatric patients and families undergo a psychosocial pre-transplant evaluation to determine familial strengths and risk factors that may impact the success of transplant. Adherence is considered to be one of the primary factors in the survival of the transplanted organ and existing research has suggested a link between parental functioning and post-transplant adherence. To better understand the relationship between parental mental health and perceived barriers to adherence, this study examined whether parental symptoms of anxiety and depression significantly predicted parent and patient perceived barriers to adherence in the pre-transplant phase (n=65 parents and …
Interpersonal Trauma, Adult Attachment, And Self-Compassion: A Relational Model Of Shame, Abigail J. Kimm
Interpersonal Trauma, Adult Attachment, And Self-Compassion: A Relational Model Of Shame, Abigail J. Kimm
Dissertations
The purpose of the present study was to examine the interrelationships among cumulative interpersonal trauma (IPT), the dimensions of adult attachment anxiety and avoidance, self-compassion, and shame based on an integrative theoretical framework in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 310). The results of this structural equation modeling analysis with bootstrapping supported the primary model which showed that higher degrees of exposure to IPT in childhood, adolescence, and the first two years of emerging adulthood directly related to increased levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance as well as decreased levels of self-compassion. The findings further demonstrated that higher levels …
An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of How Transgender And Gender Expansive Youth Experience Their Gender Identities, Michelle N. Saltis
An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of How Transgender And Gender Expansive Youth Experience Their Gender Identities, Michelle N. Saltis
Dissertations
This dissertation presents findings from the first known Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study of how nine transgender and/or gender expansive youth, aged 13-17, experienced their gender identities and additional intersecting identities. The purpose of this study was to share how transgender and/or gender expansive youth experienced their gender identities, additional intersecting identities, and how they made meaning of these experiences within the contexts of current social, cultural, political, and historical factors. Additionally, this study sought to share the participants’ stories within their own words. The primary research question for this study was: how do transgender and gender expansive youth (TGEY) experience …
“Will You Scream With Me?”; The Experience Of Expressive Therapy For One Adult Survivor Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And Their Counselor: A Single-Case Study Giving Voice To Complex Trauma, Maegen Grace Horton
“Will You Scream With Me?”; The Experience Of Expressive Therapy For One Adult Survivor Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And Their Counselor: A Single-Case Study Giving Voice To Complex Trauma, Maegen Grace Horton
Dissertations
Due to the high prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (Finkelhor, 1994), most mental health counselors will likely provide treatment to adult survivors. However, many counselors lack specialty training in working with this vulnerable population (Priest & Nishiinura, 1995). Recent neurobiology research has illuminated the long-lasting effects of childhood sexual abuse on the brain and its implications for emotional expression and regulation (van der Kolk, 2014). Informed by this research, it stands to reason that expressive therapy, defined by Malchiodi (2005) as “the use of art, music, dance/movement, drama, poetry/creative writing, play, and sandtray within the context of psychotherapy, counseling, rehabilitation, …