Education Commons^™

Serving Military Families: Perceptions Of Educational Counseling In A Virtual Environment, Taryn Stevenson

CCE Theses and Dissertations

The advances in communication technology over the past 20 years have significant implications for the delivery of psycho-educational therapeutic services to populations that have been historically underserved due to remote locations lacking trained providers. One such population is military families, who also suffer from a negative stigma of asking for outside help or education for personal growth. This population also faces increasing mental health needs due to military deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). These operations have increased the number of returning service members who have been physically and mentally injured. The effect that these …

School Counselor Advocacy With Lgbt Students: A Qualitative Study Of High School Counselor Experiences, Maria E. Gonzalez

Doctoral Dissertations

In recent years, advocacy has become a centerpiece of the school counseling profession, (American School Counseling Association (ASCA), 2005; Field, 2004). Nevertheless, there exists a dearth of empirical research on school counselor advocacy in general and virtually none as it relates to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students specifically. To begin addressing this gap in the literature, the purpose of this qualitative dissertation study was to examine the experiences of high school counselors in the southeastern United States who have served as advocates for and with LGBT students across identity groups, with a specific focus on race and class. …

Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth And Attachment Style In Mental Health Professionals, Claire J. Wooloff

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Mental health professionals treating clients who are trauma survivors spend many hours listening to traumatic material. The impact of this material may affect the individual in different ways. Some of the negative effects are documented in the literature as vicarious traumatization (Pearlman & Saakvitne, 1995), compassion fatigue (Figley, 1995, 2002) and burnout (Baird & Jenkins, 2003). However, mental health professionals also attest to the positive side of their work including posttraumatic growth (Arnold, Calhoun, Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2005) and compassion satisfaction (Stamm, 2010). Little is known about why some individuals may be impacted negatively, but others experience psychological growth. Attachment …

Creating A Community Of Support: An Evaluation Of The Healing For Educational Achievement Resource Team, Ann M. Quintrell

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Healing for Educational Achievement Resource Team (H.E.A.R.T.). H.E.A.R.T. is a committee of staff at a middle school in Dorchester. Dorchester is a violence hotspot in Boston, MA, and students in such areas need to heal from traumas while meeting academic requirements. In order to meet their students’ needs and achieve their goals, schools need to practice trauma informed care. H.E.A.R.T. represents a staff-driven effort to meet student needs and establish trauma informed care. H.E.A.R.T.’s effectiveness was evaluated through surveys and interviews of committee members, interviews of the school’s …

The Experiences Of School Counselors With Court Involvement Related To Child Custody, Crystal E. Hatton

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Professional school counselors are often confronted with a myriad of legal and ethical challenges when working with students and their families. While school counselors are discouraged from becoming involved in child custody matters, many are unable to avoid the process for a variety of reasons. This qualitative phenomenological research inquiry explored professional school counselors' experiences with court involvement in child custody matters and sought to understand how such experiences may have affected how they perceive their role in assisting children and families who are undergoing divorce, separation, or child custody disputes. A series of semi-structured interview questions and a written …

Resident Assistants' Self- Efficacy For Participation In Counseling Activities, Miranda Johnson Parries

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Based on the changes in mental health needs on college campuses, this study examines Resident Assistants' self-efficacy to participate in counseling activities with the residents whom they are assigned to assist. The literature review discusses recent efforts introduced by residence life departments to respond to the increase in mental health and behavioral issues that college students are now facing, the barriers that prevent Resident Assistants, who function as paraprofessionals within their on-campus communities, from taking action, and recommended training components and parameters. The increase of serious mental health issues calls for the reimagining of the training provided to Resident Assistants …

Supervisor Perceptions Of Their Multicultural Training Needs For Working With English Language Learning Supervisees, Hsin-Ya Tang

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The counselor education and supervision profession has embraced the need to prepare multiculturally competent supervisors (American Counseling Association, 2005; Bernard & Goodyear, 2013; Inman & Ladany, 2014). However, literature dealing with training supervisors to work with linguistically diverse supervisees is limited and supervisors' training needs for effectively supervising linguistically diverse supervisees are not yet clearly addressed. The aim of this qualitative study was to develop a theory which explained supervisors' perceptions of their multicultural training needs for working with English language learning supervisees. Constructivist grounded theory was utilized in this effort to analyze the data gathered from 10 supervisors who …

College Health And Mental Health Outcomes On Student Success, Daniel Joseph St. John

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the relationship between college students' utilization of university counseling services and university health services, and student academic performance. Data was collected using an archival data set including university counseling center records, health center records, and academic reports from institutional research at a large, public southeastern university. The primary variables of this study included: number of sessions in the university counseling center and/or university health center, instances of new initiated contacts, treatment variables, GPA, and degree completion. The overarching hypothesis of this study is that students who receive mental health services are significantly more likely to experience student …

College Students' Perceived And Personal Mental Health Stigma : The Influence On Help-Seeking Attitudes And Intentions, Alyson M. Pompeo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Despite being vulnerable to mental health problems, college students are a population that is especially influenced by perceptions of peer mental health stigmatization (Quinn, Wilson, MacIntyre, & Tinklin, 2009), a known barrier to seeking mental health services (Corrigan, 2004a; Komiya, Good, & Sherrod, 2000; Vogel, Wade, & Haake, 2006), and the greatest barrier to college students (Evans, et al., 2007; Hepworth & Paxton, 2007; Martin, 2010). This paper begins with a thorough discussion of the participant population—undergraduate college students, including well established theories of college student development, and developmental challenges and issues that are faced. Mental health stigma is also …

The Influence Of Counseling And Social Support On Depression In Mothers Of Fragile Families, Megan E. Delaney

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study of mothers of fragile families was to examine the relationship between counseling and social support on levels of depression. Demographic variables as well as depression, counseling and social support (specifically, instrumental support) was examined over two waves of data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study. A logistic regression was used to create predictor models for future depression including counseling, social support, current depression and relevant covariates. The findings are discussed and implication for practice and future research are included.

The Relationship Between Perceived Career Barriers And Career Decision Self-Efficacy On The Certainty Of Initial Career Choice Among Educational Opportunity Fund Program Students, Nicole Pacheco Pulliam

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study was an investigation of the predictive value of perceived career barriers and career decision self-efficacy on the certainty of initial career choice among Educational Opportunity Fund Program (EOF) pre-freshman college students, an under-studied college population with respect to career development (Winograd & Shick Tryon, 2009). The moderating effects of certain cultural characteristics (race, gender and college generational status) on the certainty of initial career choice were also examined. A nonexperimental correlational research design was utilized, along with a multiple linear regression analysis, to investigate the predictability of perceived career barriers and career decision self-efficacy, directly and as moderated …

The Impact Of Academic Advising Using A Learning Centered Model On The College Experience And Advisor/Advisee Relationships Among Traditional-Aged College Freshmen, Sarah Vandermark

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Academic advising is becoming an increasingly important resource on college campuses for purposes of retention, persistence, and student satisfaction. Researchers have found that an academic advisor can play a key role in the academic and personal lives of undergraduate students. If engagement with students matters for learning and persisting towards graduation, then there is a need to identify and evaluate quality academic services, including academic advising, and what are effective methods to enhance student learning and acclimating to a university. In this study, I focused on academic advising using the learning centered approach to advising, which was implemented through a …

A Transpositive Approach To Therapy With Transgender Clients: An Exploration Of Therapists' Subjective Experiences, Ronnie M. Ali

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The longstanding tradition of pathologizing and erasing transgender individuals in psychology has the potential to enter into therapy with transgender clients in insidious and destructive ways. To address this polemic, clinicians have articulated a transpositive approach to working with transgender clients that fosters the client’s right to self-determination. The present study explores the subjective experiences of three therapists working with transgender clients in order to learn how transpositivity materializes in their practices. Utilizing a case study methodology, and cross-case analysis, the study demonstrates that these therapists engaged in self-directed learning and advocacy, demonstrated flexibility in their approach, and were open …

From Their Perspective: How Adolescents And Young Adults Experience And Conceptualize Life And Occupation Surrounding Parental Divorce Or Separation, Laura R. Hartman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Parental divorce affects adolescents’ emotions, routines, habits, occupations and relationships. The current body of research indicates that parental divorce leads to many unfavourable social, behavioural, and mental health outcomes for adolescents. This dissertation explores the daily lives and occupations of adolescents and young adults surrounding the transition of a parental divorce or marital separation.

This thesis contains four manuscripts in addition to the introductory and final reflection chapters. The first manuscript explores the current North American literature relating to adolescent life surrounding a parental divorce or marital separation, ranging form 1998 to 2014. The second manuscript provides an overview of …

Degree Of Implementation Of The American School Counselor Association National Model And School Counselor Burnout, Katrina Marie Steele

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

School counselors have undergone a job description evolution over the past 100 years. Changes have been made in the education that is required to be a school counselor. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has developed a national model to define the role and job activities of school counselors. Most school counselors, counseling programs within individual schools, and school districts have incorporated parts of the ASCA National Model of school counseling to varying degrees. This study focused on the degree to which counselors perceived the ASCA National Model was adopted in their schools and whether the degree of adoption was …

The Influence Of A Career Planning Stem Explorations Course On Vocational Maturity, Career Decidedness And Career Thoughts For Undergraduate Students, Diandra Prescod

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), innovation that accompanies careers in science, technology engineering, and math (STEM) create a driving force in the economy and the creation of jobs, yet many positions remain open due to the lack of qualified individuals to fill them (NAS, 2011). Continuing research and innovation proves to be important, yet not enough students graduate with STEM degrees and enter into STEM careers. Career planning courses for undergraduate students increase student confidence about their abilities to make career decisions (Grier-Reed & Skaar, 2010: Scott & Ciani 2008). Vocational maturity and career decision making skills …

Identifying The Initial Mental Health Messages Of Army Rotc Students And Exploring Their Connection To Mental Health Stigma And Help-Seeking Behaviors, Kristopher Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health stigma among military service members has been recognized as a significant barrier to mental health treatment as researchers (Greenberg, Langston, & Gould, 2007; Greene-Shortridge, Britt, & Castro, 2007; Hoge et al., 2004; Pietrzak, Johnson, Goldstein, Malley, & Southwick, 2009) have concluded that military service members are reluctant to engage in help seeking behaviors to avoid negative labeling in the form of stereotyping. Additionally, links have been made between leadership and stigma, acknowledging that military service members are more likely to seek mental health treatment if they perceive that their leadership is supportive (Britt, Wright, & Moore, 2012; Hoge …

The Contribution Of College Students' Attachment Styles And Social Media Practices On Their Relationship Development, Renee Sherrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the directional relationship between college students' attachment styles and social media practices with their relationship development. This investigation tested the theoretical model that undergraduate students' (N = 717) attachment styles (as measured by the Experiences in Close Relationships-Short form [ECR-S; Wei et al., 2007]) and social media practices (as measured by the Facebook Intensity Scale [FBI; Ellison et al., 2007] and Motives for Going Facebook Official Scale [MGFBO; Fox & Warber, 2013]) contributed to their quality of relationship development (as measured by the Parks Relational Development Scale [PRDS; Parks & Roberts, …

Awareness Of Privilege And Oppression Scale-2: Construction And Initial Validation, Michael J. Mcclellan

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The purpose of this study was to revise the Awareness of Privilege and Oppression Scale (Montross, 2003) and to improve upon the psychometric properties of the original instrument. The APOS-2 is a diversity training outcome measure that is designed to measure the social justice-related construct awareness of privilege and oppression. I retained 26 items from the original APOS (Montross, 2003) and utilized an expert focus group to generate new test items for the APOS-2. Feedback from an expert rater group was solicited and then incorporated into the APOS-2 to help reduce the number of items, improve item content, and evaluate …

The Contribution Of School Counselors' Self-Efficacy And Professional Quality Of Life To Their Programmatic Service Delivery, Patrick Mullen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the directional relationship between practicing school counselors' level of professional quality of life and self-efficacy to their programmatic service delivery activities. This investigation tested the theoretical model that practicing school counselors' level of professional quality of life (as measured by the Professional Quality of Life Scale [ProQOLs; Stamm, 2010]) and their self-efficacy (as measured by the School Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale [SCSEs; Bodenhorn & Skaggs, 2005]) contributes to their service delivery activity (as measured by the School Counselor Activity Rating Scale [SCARS; Scarborough, 2005]). Specifically, this study examined the hypothesized directional relationship that …

Assessing The Perceptions Of Giftedness In Parents Of Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students, Amber Waheed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to develop a psychometrically sound scale to investigate the perception differences of giftedness between parents of various culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Historically, schools adopt the early definition of giftedness that is presented, too narrowly focusing only on intelligence and achievement tests (Baldwin, 2005). This phenomenon has led to minority students, particularly Black and Hispanic, being significantly underrepresented in gifted programs (Naglieri & Ford, 2003). Environmental factors, such as socio-economic status and parent education levels, significantly impact these marginalized populations. The Parent Perception of Giftedness Scale (PPGS), grounded in Spearman and Gardner's theory …

Multicultural Counseling Competence Of School Counselors: Relationship To Multicultural Behaviors And Perceived School Climate, Jennifer Greene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diversity in the United States is steadily increasing with racial and ethnic groups traditionally called minorities expected to account for over 50% of the U.S. population by 2050 (U.S. Census Projections, 2009). At the same time, the school age population is expected to consist of 60% students from "minority" backgrounds. Yet, school counselors are mostly from White, European backgrounds and are projected to continue to come from that background (Brown, Parham, and Yonker, 1996; Pack-Brown, 1999; Vaughn, 2007). This creates frequent cross-cultural counseling relationships within schools necessitating that school counselors have multicultural competence. Multicultural counseling competence (MCC) has been related …

A Study Of The Experience Of Female African-American Seventh Graders In A Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math (Stem) Afterschool Program, Beverley Fiona Hinds

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine what inspires or leads seventh-grade African-American girls toward an interest in STEM, to characterize and describe the context of an out-of-school STEM learning environment, explore the impact on the seventh- grade African-American girls who participated in the program as it relates to individual STEM identity, and identify personal and academic experiences of seventh-grade African- American girls that contribute to the discouragement or pursuit of science and math-related academic pathways and careers. Notable findings in this study included the following: 1. Participants were interested in STEM and able to identify both external …

The Impact Of A Group Counseling Intervention On Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Queer Older Adolescents' Levels Of Hope, Coping, And Suicidality, Catherine Lamb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This investigation examined the impact of an eight-week group counseling intervention on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) older adolescents’ (aged 18-20) levels of hopefulness, coping skills, and suicidality. An experimental, randomized-controlledtrial research design was employed to identify differences between the intervention group and waitlist control group participants’ hopefulness, coping skills, and suicidality scores. In addition, the relationship between the LGBTQ+ participants’ outcome variables (hopefulness, coping skills, and suicidality) scores was examined. Furthermore, the impact of group therapeutic factors experienced by the LGBTQ+ participants in intervention group for the variables of hopefulness, coping skills, and suicidality was examined. Key …

The Effect Of Jyoti Meditation On Student Counselor Emotional Intelligence, Stress, And Daily Spiritual Experiences, Daniel Gutierrez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has found meditation to be effective in reducing practitioner stress, improving emotional functioning, and increasing pro-social emotions, such as empathy and compassion. In addition, research examining the effects of meditation on student counselors has shown that it increases counselor self-efficacy, reduces distress, and increases cognitive empathy. Therefore, it behooves counselor educators to discover methods of integrating meditation into counselor training. The meditation practice investigated in the current study is new to the counseling and psychology literature. The majority of the current research has examined transcendental and mindfulness-based practices. However, recent research has shown that spirituality has the ability …

Exploring The Influence Of Stigma, Level Of Trauma, And Social Support On The Experience Of Posttraumatic Growth In Adults Living With Hiv, Melissa Zeligman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the influence of HIV-related stigma, social support, and impact of HIV diagnosis on posttraumatic growth (PTG) in adults living with HIV (N = 126). In addition, the study aimed to identify if social support moderated the relationship between stigma and PTG. Lastly, the study attempted to determine how impactful receiving an HIV diagnosis was to the sample. One hundred and twenty-six adults living with HIV within the state of Florida (41% response rate) participated in the research. Participants were recruited from a series of support groups and HIV focused agencies throughout the state, and responded through …

An Investigation Of The Differences Between Continuing And Non-Continuing Undergraduate Special Admission Students Related To Academic Advising Factors, Kevin P. Reeves

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined some differences between continuing and non-continuing special admission students in areas of academic advising in ways that are more systematic and thorough than past research. The premise of the study is that having a clearer understanding of how academic advising affects retention might provide colleges and universities with information to optimize the collegiate experience for special admission students. Therefore, research on the effect academic advising has on special admission student retention might offer insight into how the interactions between student and advisor affect retention issues.

A non-experimental descriptive research design was employed to investigate the differences between …

Depression In Children And Adolescents: The Role Of School Professionals, Emily Dawn Hoerman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Depression in children and adolescents is a significant issue for schools. Research has indicated that most students who see mental health professionals do so within the school setting, indicating a need for effective school-based programs to address mental health issues in the schools. The symptoms of depression and short and long term effects are reviewed. The need for, and necessary components of, a comprehensive mental health system in the school setting is discussed.

School Counseling Program Models Utilized By School Districts, Tracy L. Jackson

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

School counseling district supervisors find themselves at the center of selecting and implementing comprehensive school counseling program models for their school districts. It is important to examine the selection of models to determine if proper services are being extended to students. The purpose of this study was to explore district supervisors' selection of comprehensive school counseling program models. Model selection was assessed by examining district supervisors' ratings of the degree to which their school district's comprehensive school counseling program was associated with traits of the most popular models, and if school district and personal characteristics influenced the selection process. The …

Sex And Gender Identity: A New Perspective For College Student Development, Steven Ray Wise

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

One of the goals of college student development professionals is to help undergraduate students develop a meaningful sense of personal identity. Early in the history of the profession, practitioners borrowed freely from related fields such as sociology and psychology to guide their practice, but beginning around the 1960s, scholars began in earnest to develop their own unique body of literature. In this work I examine the development of that scholarly work as it relates to identity development—specifically the evolution of understanding around the issues of sex and gender identity development.

Beginning with William Perry, whose work has impacted so many …