Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Counseling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Counseling

Articles 1 - 24 of 24

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Proactive Pastoral Counseling: A Christlike Integrative Therapeutic For Creating Christian Intrapersonal Formation In Believers At First Baptist Church Of Harmony, Me, Yaron I. Kohen May 2024

Proactive Pastoral Counseling: A Christlike Integrative Therapeutic For Creating Christian Intrapersonal Formation In Believers At First Baptist Church Of Harmony, Me, Yaron I. Kohen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project introduces Proactive Pastoral Counseling (PPC) as a Christian Integrative Therapeutic (CIT). PPC, combined with its counterpart, Christian Intrapersonal Formation (CIF), offers a proactive pastoral counseling approach to assist others in coping with intrapersonal conflict while guiding them toward Christian intrapersonal formation. The impetus behind the study addresses the need for pastoral counseling with members of First Baptist Church (FBC) in Harmony, ME. Chapter One lays out the history, background, and beliefs of FBC and the Maine culture dating back to the late 1700s. Chapter Two addresses the nature of pastoral counseling, its tenets, and applications described …


An Investigation Of The Effect Of A Combined Physical Exercise And Counseling As A Therapeutic Approach To Reducing Anxiety Symptoms, Andrea C. Beltran May 2024

An Investigation Of The Effect Of A Combined Physical Exercise And Counseling As A Therapeutic Approach To Reducing Anxiety Symptoms, Andrea C. Beltran

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mental health issues are on the rise as the increase in emotional, psychological, and social well-being affects how people think, act, or feel toward themselves and others. The topic of physical exercise and mental health services has been researched to show a strong relationship between physical activity and positive mental health outcomes. Anxiety is the most common mental health concern in the United States (Goodwin et al., 2020). This study aims to investigate and quantify the impact and explore the relationships of the combined intervention approach of physical activity and counseling in reducing symptoms of anxiety. This research will utilize …


A Phenomenological Study Exploring What Integrating Adolescent Identity Means To Christian Public-School Counselors, Todd Christopher Houchin Apr 2024

A Phenomenological Study Exploring What Integrating Adolescent Identity Means To Christian Public-School Counselors, Todd Christopher Houchin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adolescence is a numinous stage of self-discovery fraught with challenges and obscurities that threaten a healthy trajectory. Religion and spirituality are proven coping resources and school counselors can provide identity and meaning-making resources to aid adolescent development. However, religion and spirituality are often avoided in the public-school setting. Exploring what integrating adolescent identity means to Christian public-school counselors is important toward clarifying roles and ensuring best practices. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore what integrating adolescent identity means to Christian public-school counselors. Guiding questions include how Christian school counselors navigate identity and meaning making issues with adolescents, …


A Study On The Effects Of Biblical Counseling Techniques On Teacher Relationships With Students With Autism, Matthew Mcneill Feb 2024

A Study On The Effects Of Biblical Counseling Techniques On Teacher Relationships With Students With Autism, Matthew Mcneill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christian school students with Autism Spectrum Disorder are in need of greater spiritual care from their teachers. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a concept which is becoming increasingly present in the world of education. With this growing presence, autism is becoming an issue in Christian education, as it seems that Christian educators struggle to understand it and to care for their students with autism spiritually. Further, little to no research has been done regarding autism and this area. The purpose of this study was to train Christian special educators in biblical counseling techniques and perspectives in order that they might better …


Beyond Acculturation And Resilience: International Students Navigating Shame And Self-Concept, Shauna Thompson Dec 2023

Beyond Acculturation And Resilience: International Students Navigating Shame And Self-Concept, Shauna Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study highlights the unique experiences of international students while they pursue higher education, manage adjustment issues, and navigate internal struggles. To explore whether English proficiency and family expectations correlate with self-concept and acculturation resilience, this study focused on the acculturation process, incorporating aspects of shame and self-concept that contribute to a student’s motivation and resilience. International students commonly face academic and personal challenges while adjusting to an environment that requires fluency in English. Additionally, many experience the pressure of high expectations from their families in their countries of origin. This study used a sociocultural approach to explore how international …


Help For The Emotional Religious Doubter: Divine Revelation As An Epistemic Axiom And Its Significance Upon The Implementation Of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (Rebt), Ronald Henry Davis Jr. Apr 2023

Help For The Emotional Religious Doubter: Divine Revelation As An Epistemic Axiom And Its Significance Upon The Implementation Of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (Rebt), Ronald Henry Davis Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study addresses the concept of religious doubt concerning those who embrace the Christian tradition, i.e., those who embrace the words and works of Christ, specifically the reality of the Resurrection, as true and efficacious for both salvation and spiritual formation. The existential crisis of doubting these truths is a consistent and significant issue addressed in both religious and secular circles driven by the desire to help the individual overcome the emotional distress associated with this phenomenon. This study is designating doubt that creates an existential crisis as emotional religious doubt (ERD), i.e., it is a species/variety of doubt that …


Phenomenological Study On Use Of Sports And Exercise For Veterans With Ptsd, Hope Angelina Torres Dec 2022

Phenomenological Study On Use Of Sports And Exercise For Veterans With Ptsd, Hope Angelina Torres

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological research was intended to explore the effectiveness of sports and exercise to decrease or manage D-PTSD symptoms in veterans. The study was framed around four research questions: How do veterans describe the impact sports and exercise have on their D- PTSD?, When there are PTSD symptoms being experienced prior to engaging in a sport or exercise, how does the veteran feel after the sport or exercise is completed?, What do veterans describe as the primary catalyst that draws them to engage in combative sports?, What is the holistic connectedness with sports and exercise for veterans with D- PTSD …


The Integration Of Neuroscience And Counseling Using Neuroeducation In Trauma Treatment: A Quantitative Study, Daniel Ross Wood Dec 2022

The Integration Of Neuroscience And Counseling Using Neuroeducation In Trauma Treatment: A Quantitative Study, Daniel Ross Wood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Researchers in numerous professional fields, including psychology, have applied neuroscience integration in their studies. Yet research has also demonstrated a hesitancy among counselors to utilize neuro-informed principles in case conceptualization and treatment. No researchers in the studies found among the mental health counseling fields considered this issue. If left unaddressed, counselors and clinicians may avoid the use of an effective and complimentary integrative approach or unintentionally misapply neuro-informed principles and violate ethical standards in practice. This quantitative research used a survey and case study design to consider mental health professional characteristic variables of self-competency, theoretical attitude, and strength of religious …


Heart, Soul, Mind, And Strength: Understanding Spirituality's Transformative Impact As Assisted By Intradisciplinary Integration, Christopher Taylor Stokes Oct 2022

Heart, Soul, Mind, And Strength: Understanding Spirituality's Transformative Impact As Assisted By Intradisciplinary Integration, Christopher Taylor Stokes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Spirituality is an essential and deeply embedded part of Black Americans’ psyche. The counseling field has largely overlooked the roles of spirituality and religious beliefs in the development of the consciousness of this demographic. In the treatment of Black Americans, particularly Black churchgoers, this can be a serious oversight. The purpose of this DMin action research thesis is to provide sufficient intradisciplinary integrative spiritual teaching to effect holistic coping strategies for Lake Providence’s Mid-Week Bible Study Service members. The goal is to bring healing through an intradisciplinary integrative teaching approach utilizing psychology, theology, and spirituality. If the members of Lake …


The Shared Experiences Of Privilege And Oppression Among Black Females In Counselor Education And Supervision Programs: A Thematic Analysis, Kimberly Spellman Oct 2022

The Shared Experiences Of Privilege And Oppression Among Black Females In Counselor Education And Supervision Programs: A Thematic Analysis, Kimberly Spellman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Because the United States has one of the most complex cultural identities in the Western world, it is essential that counselors and counselor educators develop the multicultural and social justice competencies needed to work within this diverse society. To this end, counselor educators must have awareness of their own knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors related to privilege, oppressions, social group status, etc., as well as to be aware of the intersectionality of privilege and oppression across one’s various identities. This is particularly important given that research suggests that the intersectional privilege and oppression dynamics often experienced by Black females facing …


All The Counselors Say, "Amen!": The Lived Experiences Of Counselors Who Engage In Colloquial Prayer In Nonreligious Settings, Matthew Ray Simmons May 2022

All The Counselors Say, "Amen!": The Lived Experiences Of Counselors Who Engage In Colloquial Prayer In Nonreligious Settings, Matthew Ray Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Among the many helping professions, counselors often have a high risk of stress and burnout. Therefore, it is important that counselors understand the types of coping strategies that can help manage stress and self-care, including religion and prayer. The works of Carl Jung, William James, and Poloma and Pendleton present the importance of religion and religious activities, including prayer. In addition, the literature reviewed indicates that religion and religious activities, including prayer, can be a positive aspect in the lives of others to combat emotional and physical issues. This includes colloquial and meditative prayers. However, a gap in the research …


Integrated Model For Teaching Multicultural Competence: Incorporating Broaching As A Basic Skill For Counseling Students, Katie Askren May 2022

Integrated Model For Teaching Multicultural Competence: Incorporating Broaching As A Basic Skill For Counseling Students, Katie Askren

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study is the critical first step in evaluating the Integrated Model for Teaching Multicultural Competence (IMT-MCC), which has the potential to completely revamp the way counselors are trained in multicultural competence (MCC) to be far more effective. By adding the domain of clinical interventions to the well-established MCC domains of awareness, knowledge, and skills, the model lays out a plan for countering current education deficits. Beginning with the Counseling Techniques and Helping Relationship course, this study adds MCC components to each course activity without adding additional work for students. Specific broaching prompts were provided, and each culture reference was …


God-Image And Romantic Partner Relationships: Emotional Neglect And Adult Women, Danette Alene Buchanan Apr 2022

God-Image And Romantic Partner Relationships: Emotional Neglect And Adult Women, Danette Alene Buchanan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Childhood emotional neglect often leads to relationship dissatisfaction, psychopathology, decline in physical health, and permanent scars from a lack of emotional validation. Women who have grown up with a history of emotional invalidation are at risk for suicide, divorce, emotional instability, unstable relationships, and a chronic belief that they are not enough. Lacking emotional attachment from parents and other primary figures, girls and young women may transition into adulthood either anxiously attached, avoidant attached, or both. This state of dysphoria may extend into their perceptions of God and other authority figures. Counselors and other professional helpers such as clergy, teachers, …


The Relationship Between Shame Proneness And Guilt Proneness, Counseling, And Recidivism In Incarcerated Individuals, Tristin Corrine Galvez Mar 2022

The Relationship Between Shame Proneness And Guilt Proneness, Counseling, And Recidivism In Incarcerated Individuals, Tristin Corrine Galvez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The growing rate of individuals being incarcerated is an ongoing concern within the United States, and more so with an increase in recidivism rates. Shame and guilt are two forms of emotions that can occur due to multiple factors that could influence recidivism. Each emotion can have a different effect on an individual depending on the incident that occurred. Jails and prisons have been seen as a lucrative business that fails to provide the necessary services to reduce recidivism. Counseling could be utilized as an intervention for individuals who are currently or previously incarcerated. Having counseling in place can help …


Premarital Counseling And Christianity: A Composition Of Couples Intuition And Understanding As It Relates To Marital Satisfaction, Sheila Delores Salley Jan 2022

Premarital Counseling And Christianity: A Composition Of Couples Intuition And Understanding As It Relates To Marital Satisfaction, Sheila Delores Salley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Increasing divorce rates in the United States of America have resulted in Premarital Counseling (PMC) gaining grave popularity over the last couple of decades. There has been a proliferation of premarital counseling programs in the United States of America since the 1930s with a thrust toward building and sustaining satisfying marriages. Traditional premarital counseling programs focus on ensuring satisfaction once the couple is married; however, there is a significant gap in researching the impact of incorporating Christian values as a means of therapeutic intervention. This study involved eight Christian, African American, heterosexual couples who received Christian-based PMC (CPMC) and have …


Counseling Women In Prison On Forgiveness, Guilt, And Shame, Lashawnda Denise Key Nov 2021

Counseling Women In Prison On Forgiveness, Guilt, And Shame, Lashawnda Denise Key

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a lack of adequate counseling on forgiveness, guilt, and shame in the women’s prison. Without effective counseling on those subjects while incarcerated, there is potential for the female offender to reoffend. Adequate counseling could increase the recidivism rate. Counselors in the prison system address behavior issues, acclimation of prison life and rehabilitation programs. Addressing the issues that precipitates criminal behavior and helping the offender understand the factors that lead them to engage in criminal behavior are overly complex. With passable counseling the offenders have the propensity to release the hurt and pain they have lived with and become …


A Phenomenological Study Of The Attitude Of Church Attending Caribbean-Canadian Christians Toward Counseling, Melbourne Webster Turgott Aug 2021

A Phenomenological Study Of The Attitude Of Church Attending Caribbean-Canadian Christians Toward Counseling, Melbourne Webster Turgott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe the attitude of church-attending Caribbean-Canadian Christians toward counseling. The two central research questions were, What is the lived experience of Caribbean-Canadian church-attending Christians with counseling? What meaning do Caribbean-Canadian church-attending Christians ascribe to their experience with counseling? The theories guiding this study included expectancy-value and social learning theories. Expectancy-value theory amplifies the belief Caribbean-Canadian Christians have a favorable attitude toward counseling if it aligns with their Christian beliefs. Social learning theory supports the idea that Caribbean-Canadian Christians are shaped by their communal and individual experiencing the world. Data were …


Quantitative Research On Peer-To-Peer Biblical Soul Care Through The Encourager Program, Michelle D. Dickens Apr 2021

Quantitative Research On Peer-To-Peer Biblical Soul Care Through The Encourager Program, Michelle D. Dickens

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study sought to discover what impact a church program could have on personal well-being, spiritual well-being and church engagement, well-studied constructs in a variety of other clinical type settings. Quality, long-term research has been lacking in regard to the efficacy of pure, biblical soul care, a type of pastoral care methodology, that is provided strictly in a church setting. This type of research could allow for critical conversations about the larger ministry of soul care and potentially withstand scientific criticisms as biblical soul care becomes a proven, quantitative resource to help those who are hurting. The significance of this …


The Silent Disease Of Law Enforcement Officers: The Stigma Of Mental Health In Law Enforcement Identity And Mental Health Outcomes, Timothy Lavelle Myles Jun 2020

The Silent Disease Of Law Enforcement Officers: The Stigma Of Mental Health In Law Enforcement Identity And Mental Health Outcomes, Timothy Lavelle Myles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the organizational and personal factors affecting law enforcement officers' willingness to seek mental health assistance following a stressful/traumatic experience from the perspective of the law enforcement officer. The effect of stigmas associated with mental health-seeking behaviors and its impact on the reluctance of law enforcement officers' willingness to seek assistance is the central phenomenon of this study. Study participants included twelve active and retired law enforcement officers from the northern part of the state of Minnesota in an effort to elicit rich narratives and lived experience from this target population. …


Case Study On Providing Telemental Health Video Counseling Services In A Sober Living Home, Kenneth Ray Taylor Apr 2020

Case Study On Providing Telemental Health Video Counseling Services In A Sober Living Home, Kenneth Ray Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to examine the process and report outcomes of providing telemental health video counseling to men who reside at Providence Home, a sober living facility located in Columbia, South Carolina. This case study is instrumental in design. The South Carolina Telehealth Alliance (SCTA) provided a $20,000 grant jointly, for Bright Side Counseling Center and Midlands Recovery Center to expand telehealth services into underserved populations. An extensive search, at the time of this writing, was conducted and we found no instances of telemental health video counseling services being provided to residents of sober living homes …


Pastoral Counseling: The Pastor’S Guide To Ministering Chronic And Terminally Ill Children And Their Families, Barbara F. Holston-Jones Feb 2020

Pastoral Counseling: The Pastor’S Guide To Ministering Chronic And Terminally Ill Children And Their Families, Barbara F. Holston-Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Millions of children will die this year due to chronic and terminal illnesses. The medical and psychological communities have attempted for decades to find a methodology that will help parents and the child find hope for the future. The psychological and medical communities’ meta-analysis studies have shown that the goal of hope has been elusive for children and families in all current modalities. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only true assurance for parents and children experiencing chronic and terminal childhood illness. Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Romans that believing in the gospel brings life all joy, …


Mental Health Counseling: A Phenomenological Study Of Afro-Caribbean Christian's Help-Seeking Tendencies, Heather G. Lewis Aug 2019

Mental Health Counseling: A Phenomenological Study Of Afro-Caribbean Christian's Help-Seeking Tendencies, Heather G. Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the help-seeking tendencies of Afro-Caribbean Christians. The use of social support systems and the impact of generational status on asking for and seeking help is the central phenomenon of the study. Study participants include 10 members selected from a Philadelphia church. The theory guiding this study is social support as it explains the relationship between social support and the use of professional mental health services. Study participants were interviewed using a semistructured interview process, transcribed interviews were analyzed in NVivo a qualitative data analysis software used for data management and analysis. …


An Alcohol Questionnaire And Referral Tool For Baptist Churches, Rita D. Moore Apr 2019

An Alcohol Questionnaire And Referral Tool For Baptist Churches, Rita D. Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Alcohol addiction is a pervasive ill within our society with detrimental bio-psycho-social outcomes. Unfortunately, the Baptist churches or more specifically those churches who are members of the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGVA) are not immune to seeing the devastation of this disease, including the spiritual impact. Pastors may find themselves in the role of “first responder” unprepared to fully address this issue. This study explored, through a web-based questionnaire, how those churches associated with the BGVA are currently addressing alcoholism and if pastors would find a referral tool helpful to connect members with professional therapists. It is widely accepted …


Health And Wellness Factors Affecting The Wholistic Lifestyle Of National And International Christian Missionaries, Angela C. Williams Dec 2018

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 …