Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

If Gandhi Was Your Marriage Therapist, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

Mohandas Gandhi was born in India in 1869. As a young man he left to study law in Great Britain, and later he moved with his wife and children to South Africa, where he began a legal practice. There he experienced painful discrimination and abuse, and once was beaten by a stagecoach driver for refusing to give up his seat for a European. This galvanized Gandhi’s resolve to fight injustice through principles of satyagraha (“truth and firmness”) he had learned from his mother.

Training Marriage And Family Therapists In Formal Assessment: Contributions To Students' Familiarity, Attitude, And Confidence, Scott C. Huff, Shayne R. Anderson, Lindsay L. Edwards

Faculty Publications

Studies suggest that few practicing marriage and family therapists use formal assessments and even fewer use systemic assessments. Given the potential value of formal assessment to both clinicians and clients, we surveyed current marriage and family therapy students (N = 91) about their familiarity, attitude, and confidence in training with assessment. Experience using assessments predicted familiarity. Having a supervisor that valued assessments predicted familiarity and confidence in training. The number of courses taken in assessment was not predictive of familiarity, attitude, or confidence. Implications for training and future research are discussed

Clinical Implications Of Internet Infidelity: Where Facebook Fits In, Jaclyn D. Cravens, Jason B. Whiting Phd

Faculty Publications

The Internet can enhance existing relationships or facilitate the development of new relationships, including illicit ones. Increased research in this area has predominately been on online sexual addiction and pornography, with few about social networking sites. Facebook, a popular social networking site boasting 1.15 billion active users. This article reviews existing literature on Internet infidelity, comparing online activities and Facebook-specific behaviors. Five areas related to Internet infidelity will be explored, such as definitions and the impact on relationships. Although several similarities exist between general Internet and Facebook-specific infidelity, unique differences exist. Implications for future research and clinical practice are presented.

Counting The Economic Costs And Policy Implications Associated With Divorce: Texas As A Case Study, David G. Schramm, Steven M. Harris, Jason B. Whiting Phd, Alan J. Hawkins, Matt Brown, Rob Porter

Faculty Publications

Although many adults and children are resilient after divorce, it is common for marital breakups to precipitate the need for government assistance for families who had been self-sufficient. This study focuses on the economic costs of divorce associated with means-tested welfare programs in Texas, which fall into five central areas: medical assistance; cash assistance; food assistance; housing, energy, and utility assistance; and child care and development assistance. The study estimated that Texas spends at least $3.18 billion on divorce and its related consequences each year, accounting for approximately 12% of the total Texas budget in 2008. These results reinforce the …

A Butterfly Effect: The Impact Of Marriage And Family Therapy Training On Students' Spouses, Carla M. Dahl, Mary L. Jensen, Jane L. Mccampbell

Faculty Publications

This qualitative study examines the impact of mar- riage and family therapy (MFT) training on the

marriages of trainees. Analysis of data from 18 spouses of alumni from a training program in an evangelical Protestant seminary found participants reporting mostly negative impacts related to time and finances, both negative and positive impacts related to role changes and adjustments, and mostly positive impacts related to marital communication. The additional contribution of this study has to do with the report of an overwhelmingly positive impact of systemic, integrative MFT training on the student’s faith as observed by their spouse and on the …

Values In Family Therapy Practice And Research: An Invitation For Reflection, Stephen T. Fife, Jason B. Whiting Phd

Faculty Publications

Values have been shown to be a pervasive part of both marriage and family therapy (MFT) clinical practice and research. Yet, many therapists and researchers remain unclear about how values affect their work. This article examines the influence of Western philosophical assumptions and therapy traditions in light of current understandings of values in therapy. The influence of values in MFT research processes is similarly examined. Implications for how family therapy professionals can be more reflective and sophisticated in their understanding of values in clinical practice and scientific inquiry are discussed. Suggestions for addressing values in MFT training also are given.

Bereavement In The Modern Western World, David San Filippo Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Bereavement is the process of suffering that follows the loss of a living being that is significant to someone. When one suffers, she or he has to endure an unpleasant experience, in the case of bereavement, the loss of something special to the person. This loss most often is a loved one but could also include the loss of a pet, relationship, or physical or mental capability. This state of suffering is called grief. In describing his grief, C. S. Lewis stated, after the loss of his wife, “No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear. …

Foster Parent Pre-Service Training Programs: A Content Analysis Of Four Common Curricula, Jason B. Whiting Phd, Paul Huber, Alice Koech

Faculty Publications

This study compares four curricula commonly used in the pre-service training of US foster parents. Stufflebeam's (1983) CIPP model for program evaluation was used to guide a content analysis of each curriculum, with specific attention to the content and training methodology used. The content was examined to determine if it covered topics identified as germane to the task of fostering children. The instructional methodology of each program was compared with established andragogical adult education techniques. Results indicated that each curriculum varied in content and method of instruction, although there were many areas of overlap. Suggestions for curriculum selection criteria are …

Significant Stress And Real Rewards: The Ecological And Ambiguous Experiences Of Foster Parents, Jason B. Whiting Phd, Paul T. Huber Ma

Faculty Publications

To obtain an insider's perspective of the unique dynamics and needs of foster parents, surveys and interviews were conducted using human ecology and ambiguous loss as a guiding framework. The resulting qualitative and quantitative data show significant and distinctive stressors for foster parents. These include challenges with agency staff and procedures and ambiguous situations. However, these parents generally found meaning and satisfaction in service and coped with the help of informal and formal supports.

Historical Perspectives On Attitudes Concerning Death And Dying, David San Filippo Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Beliefs and practices concerning death have changed throughout human history. In pre-modern times, death at a young age was common due to living conditions and medical practices. As medical science has advanced and helped humans live longer, attitudes and responses to death also have changed. In modern Western societies, death is often ignored or feared. Changes in lifestyles and improved medical science have depersonalized death and made it an encroachment on life instead of part of life. This has left many people ill equipped to deal with death when it touches their lives.

Religious Interpretations Of Death, Afterlife & Ndes, David San Filippo Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This E-book reviews religious beliefs concerning death, afterlife, and near-death experiences. The discussion will provide commentary regarding the similarities between different religious beliefs and experiences concerning death, as well as between religious interpretations of near-death experiences.

Perspectives On The Fears Of Death & Dying, David San Filippo Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This E-Book will examine some perspectives on fear, the fears of death, and constructs used to overcome or deal with the fears of death. By examining the literature on fear in general, a framework can be developed to understand how individuals become fearful. In the section, “Fears of Death,” what people fear about death and why they fear it will be discussed.

Philosophical, Psychological & Spiritual Perspectives On Death & Dying, David San Filippo Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This Ebook reviews the philosophical perspectives on death, the psychological perspectives on death and the fears of death and some religious perspectives of death. The philosophic section will review perspectives of death from ancient Greece through modernity. The psychological section will review death, and the fear of death, from the perspectives of psychoanalytic, humanistic, and existentialist theories. The religious section will provide a brief overview of Prehistoric, African, Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish, and Christian religious beliefs concerning death and afterlife.

Using The Levels Of Family Involvement Model With Religious Professionals, Dale R. Hawley, Carla M. Dahl

Faculty Publications

Serving as a religious professional is a complex task with a wide variety of demands and responsibilities. This variety contributes to a professional identity that requires the fulfillment of a number of roles. The Levels of Family Involvement (LFI) model (W. J. Doherty, 1995) offers a structure for helping clergy ascertain which roles may be most beneficial to a family in a given set of circumstances, as well as which roles are beyond their training and mission. The LFI is offered as a guideline for helping clergy select modes of intervention and identify areas for personal and professional development. Case …