Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Does Family Matter? A Phenomenological Inquiry Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Women Persisting In Distance Education, Professional Doctoral Programs, Lisa S. Sosin, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw, Lucinda S, Spaulding

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The qualitative study aims to examine the lived experiences of women persisting in the distance; professional doctoral degrees as they seek to integrate and balance their family of origin and current family system with their development as scholars.

This qualitative study employed Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental phenomeno-logical approach through a purposive sampling of eleven women who are en-rolled in distance education, professional doctoral programs at two universities in the southern United States.

This study furthers the existing research by demonstrating that family is inti-mately tied to the scholarly identity development and persistence of women enrolled in distance education, professional doctorate programs. …

Church Conflict In The Atlanta-Rome District: Developing A Systematic Approach To Conflict And Membership Attrition, James C. Clements

Masters Theses

The decline in church membership and attendance of the 22 churches and 18 ministries of the Atlanta-Rome District (ARD) of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church has dramatically impacted the ministries and effectiveness of the Atlanta-Rome District churches in conducting what Jesus Christ commanded in the Great Commission. The congregations whose membership once boasted governmental officials and civil rights icons have all but dwindled to a faithful few that continue to support the Spiritual and fiduciary obligations of the local churches. The rise of non-denominational churches with a more contemporary style of worship as well as internal conflicts within the …

Husbands' Experience Of Being Trusted By Their Wives: A Heuristic Study, Paul Andrew Johns

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Trust is widely understood to be a critical component of interpersonal relationships. In an effort to understand this complex construct, the majority of research on dyadic trust has focused on the decision to trust and the interactions between a trustor and trusty, with a strong bent toward understanding the trustor’s experience. Surprisingly little is known about the experience of the trusty, or the recipient of trust, which if not remedied may result in erroneous assumptions about the experience of the trusty or an obscuration of the relational dynamics surrounding trust as a whole. Using qualitative, heuristic methodology, the author sought …

Health And Wellness Factors Affecting The Wholistic Lifestyle Of National And International Christian Missionaries, Angela C. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis will focus on the health and wellness of missionaries and will develop a wholistic framework for healthier living. This framework will be used as a guide to help sustain missionaries living in various cultural contexts by connecting and integrating the mind, body, and spirit in harmony for wholistic lifestyle. God intended for His people to live a healthy lifestyle and to take care of their temples. Missionaries are the backbone of cross-cultural evangelism, but they often find themselves living unhealthy lifestyles. These unhealthy lifestyles can have a negative impact on missionaries’ overall health, wellness, and fruitfulness in serving …

A Strategic Evangelism Project For The Youth Of The Newly Formed South Brooklyn Academy Sparklers: The Indiscriminate Distribution Of God's Four Everlasting Covenant Provisions, Courtney W. Wickham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

God’s prophetic word to Jeremiah (31:31-34) echoes God’s plan of redemption which was there, even before the foundation of the earth. In this prophecy, God declares that “He will write His law on the hearts of men”. God’s law is His Word, and this Word “became flesh and dwelt among men” (John 1:14). This Thesis Project focuses on the first stage of Evangelism, sowing. The membership of the South Brooklyn Academy Sparklers Pathfinder Club, represent the youth arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They are passionate about the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) and the Three Angels Messages (Rev. 14:6-12). However, …

Pastoral Burnout Of African American Pastors: Creating Healthy Support Systems And Balance, William E. Johnson Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastoral self-care is critical in minimizing the symptoms of burnout in ministry. Caught up in the daily demands of ministry, pastors are under tremendous stress as they try to serve God’s people in multiple roles in ministry. Often, pastors are called upon to be counselors, preachers, project managers, students, social activists, and a moral compass for those they lead. Too often, pastors are expected to perform duties with superhuman perfection, life and ministry can get so crowded with obligations and emergencies that pastor’s maintenance of a healthy lifestyle can become unbalanced or cease to exist. This research study will complement …

The Influence Of Teacher And Institutional Support On Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Outcome Expectations, And Academic Interest: An Exploration Study, Maureen Quiles Ponce

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While college and career readiness benchmarks were created to provide evidence that a student is academically ready to succeed in a post-secondary educational setting, many high school graduates do not reach these academic benchmarks, and of students who go on to college, many do not complete their bachelor’s degree. Furthermore, current college and career readiness markers neglect to consider non-academic factors despite research suggesting that psychosocial factors strongly influence readiness beyond academic performance. The literature supports the premise that other powerful forces, namely social-cognitive factors also shape learning and performance, which in turn shapes academic and career outcomes. Self-efficacy emerged …

The Impact Of Cyber-Bullying On Adolescents' Georgia Milestones Scores, Sy Hudson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This correlational study investigated the relationship of adolescent cyber-victimization to performance on the Georgia Milestone Assessment System (GMAS) competency test. Technology today allows students to learn how to operate various forms of digital equipment very early, but proper cyber etiquette training is not always included. This study addressed the potential that cyber-victims’ may have low performance scores on high stakes tests. A closer look at the predictive relationship between the two is an important step in the process for developing plans to resolve this issue. The participants included 100 randomly-selected Georgia middle school students. After collecting the Cyberbullying and Online …

Burnout In Sweden And The United States: A Cross-Cultural Comparison, Gina G. Barker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation begins with a background on the phenomenon of burnout. A review and examination of the literature on burnout in offered, including diagnoses, symptoms, and assessments; causes and antecedents; the related concepts of demands, motivation, and stress; prevention, intervention, and treatment; and cultural influences. Research on cross-cultural differences between Swedish and American cultures is addressed. The review concludes with a rationale, research questions, and hypotheses to guide this cross-cultural investigation of burnout in Sweden and the United States. Next, the research design is described and illustrated. This study examined how cultural dimensions, self-efficacy, and performance-based self-esteem moderate the relationships …

A Phenomenology Of The Practice Of Music Therapy With Children, Shelby Tortorello

Senior Honors Theses

Music therapy has been demonstrated as an effective mode of therapeutic intervention for children in recent literature. There is extensive research suggesting benefits for various populations of children, namely: children in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), children who have experienced trauma, and children with disabilities. The current study served to address gaps found in the literature by conducting a phenomenology of professionally trained music therapists. Four board certified music therapists near major cities on the east coast were interviewed to comment on how they understand music therapy, and how they live out those understandings in their practice. It was …

Ethical Dilemmas? Are You Appropriately Following The 2014 Aca Code Of Ethics?, Patti Hinkley

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This session will review the changes made in the 2014 Code of Ethics. The presentation will cover the background to the changes made in 2014 along with pointing out the specific changes made for both counselors as well as counselor educators. The presenter was trained at the 2018 ACA Conference to provide presentations or workshops on the Code of Ethics.

Worrywarts: Alleviating Anxiety Through School Counselor Interventions, Summer Kuba

Faculty Publications and Presentations

If unaddressed, childhood and adolescent anxiety can have a lasting negative impact on students’ social/emotional development, academic success and college/career readiness. School counselors play an integral role in addressing students’ mental health needs. Through evidenced-based interventions, school counselors can effectively promote the skills and attitudes necessary to cope and even overcome childhood anxiety disorders.

The Stages Of Change And The Stages Of Group Counseling, Karin Mcpeak Dumont

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This program will seek to enhance’ knowledge and use of the Stages of Change within each of the stages of group counseling. It will examine how to integrate appropriate Motivational Interviewing techniques within each stage of the group process.

Getting Unstuck: Using The Conceptual Mapping Task As A Dynamic Supervision Tool For Trainees And Seasoned Counselors, John King

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Conceptual Mapping Task (CMT) originated as a tool in qualitative counseling research. It has also been used in counseling supervision. In this session, the presenter will provide a real-life demonstration of the CMT with a supervisee, and then provide additional strategies utilizing the CMT as a counseling intervention.

The Opioid Crisis: What Counselors Need To Know, David Jenkins, Jonna Byars

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The opioid epidemic has been declared a national emergency that resulted in nearly 50,000 opioid overdose deaths last year alone. Counselors can and should be meaningfully involved in response. This session will present current information about the opioid crisis and the addictive process generally, and then specifically focus on opioid addiction, treatment and recovery. The session will explore how counselors can effectively respond to clients who use opioids, including for pain management, and how education, prevention, and treatment are important ways counselors can respond to the opioid crisis.

Child Centered Play Therapy, Christina Villarreal-Davis

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This session will provide a summary of Child Centered Play Therapy and highlight the meaning of play, tenets for relating to children, child-centered theoretical concepts, therapeutic relationship, characteristics of facilitative responses, and therapeutic limit setting. This creative and informative presentation will engage participants through case examples and previously recorded sessions.

Approaching Grief Counseling From A Perspective Of Diversity, Deborah A. Braboy

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding how society, race, culture, age, and developmental levels impact grief is key to being able to process grief and loss in a healthy manner. Contemporary grief models give clinicians a roadmap to assist them as they walk with their clients through their grief journey

Addressing Crisis In K-12 Schools, Rita Cantrell Schellenberg, Richard Justin Silvey, Kerry Bowles

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The session will provide research-supported information needed to identify and respond appropriately to the needs of minors in crisis situations prevailing in our schools today such as self-harm (including eating disorders), suicide, and homicide ideation. Case studies will engage participants in interactive discussions that include ethical, legal, cultural, and professional aspects of decision making.

Using Hofstede’S Axes Of Cultural Values As A New Way Of Understanding Culturally Diverse Clients, Jerry Vuncannon, Angelia Dickens

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Today’s multicultural focus utilizes many prescriptive approaches based on cultural groups and client preferences. However, these approaches may not account for individual differences within these groups. This presentation will introduce Hofstede’s Axes of Cultural Values which empower therapists, supervisors, and educators to understand culturally diverse clients in a new way

Courageous Conversations: Cultural Humility - Being Comfortable With The Uncomfortable, Arleezah Marrah, Brandi Janee' Chamberlin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This round table discussion will be a courageous conversation for counselors, counselor educators, site supervisors, and graduate students. How can we be comfortable having uncomfortable conversations? This round table will explore the topic of cultural humility in the counseling relationship.

Technology, Counseling, And The Autism Spectrum: Using Tech To Promote Growth And Healing With Autism Spectrum Clients, Kevin Boyd Hull

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Autism spectrum clients in counseling are challenging due to limitations in perspective taking as well as emotional/cognitive delays. Many autism spectrum clients use technology as a way to feel safe and relate to the world around them. Computer/tablet/video games have rich metaphors and themes that can help these young people understand themselves and the world around them and can be used to enhance self-representation and social, emotional, and cognitive growth.

Ethical And Legal Issues: Working With Minors With Trauma, Robin Switzer

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Review of the particular ethical and legal issues that can arise for counselors when working with minors with trauma. Includes scenarios experienced and strategies to avoid pitfalls of reporting, legal cases, techniques, documentation and expectations of treatment.

Integrating Motivational Interviewing Into Counseling Techniques And The Helping Relationship, Karin Mcpeak Dumont

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This program will provide a demonstration of how to integrate Motivational Interviewing techniques into the use of the helping Skills of active listening, paraphrasing, reflection of feelings, reflection of meaning, and summarizing. Through the use of both didactic and experiential learning, attendees will apply these techniques effectively in the process of counseling

Successful College Transition: Supporting Students With Learning Differences, Laura Daniel

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this presentation is to provide information on support strategies to ensure high school seniors with diagnosed learning differences have a successful transition to the college setting. Information will include helping students to secure academic and mental health support, and ways to advocate for students beyond high school.

To Publish Or Perish: What Faculty Need To Know About Scholarly Activity, Brandi Janee' Chamberlin, Jeffrey Boatner, David Brown, Nivischi Edwards, Kevin Boyd Hull, Robyn Simmons, Kevin Van Wynsberg

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This session will feature a panel presentation to include Counselor Education and Family Studies leadership, published faculty, and counseling journal editorial board members. The topic will be on the expectations for faculty and tips for successful (unsuccessful) manuscript submissions

Modeling Group Leadership Skills In Classroom Guidance And/Or Class Discussion, Richard Justin Silvey, Rita C. Schellenberg, Kerry Bowles

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this session is to define and explore the use of group leadership skills as a way to engage students in both classroom guidance as a school counselor and/or classroom discussions as a counselor educator. Participants will learn to recognize and reflect on their use of various group leadership skills.

Collaborative, Creative, And Diversity Celebrating Case Conceptualization: Working With Counselees To Map The Journey Ahead, Lisa S. Sosin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Comprehensive assessment and treatment planning are the foundation of ethical and effective counseling (Sperry, 2012) and require sensitivity to counselee’s personal and cultural contexts (ACA Code of Ethics, 2014). In this presentation, attendees learn a creative way to conceptualize and plan the therapeutic journey that is collaborative and richly meaningful.

Collaborative Care: Coordinating Services With Community Partners To Promote Client Wellness, Holly Johnson, Jeffrey Boatner

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research reveals that extra-therapeutic factors can contribute significantly to the wellness and stability of clients. Yet, many counselors have little experience or training in linking clients with supportive services in their community. This presentation provides attendees with information and strategies to promote a collaborative, multi-culturally sensitive approach to client wellness.

Online Social Relationships: Ethical Considerations For Counselors, David Brown

Faculty Publications and Presentations

With the increasing popularity of social media, it is imperative that counselors understand the outcomes of relying heavily on the Internet for social connectedness. This program will review online vs. in-person relationships, consider social media’s influence on well-being and relationships, and discuss the role of social media and therapy.

Clinical Supervision: Theory And Practice Of Counselor Supervision, Steve Johnson, Melvin Pride

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The session is designed to enlist, inform, and encourage clinical supervisors in their pursuit of ongoing competency development in supervising the next generation of professional counselors. This is particularly relevant for new site supervisors, faculty members who teach Practicum and Internship classes, and counselors who may be interested in becoming a site supervisor with Liberty University. Clinical Site Supervisors are expected to keep abreast with current topics related to ethics, legal and cultural issues, counseling related skills and professional development. This session offers resources for these topics along with some of the key supervision theoretical orientations that provide guidance in …