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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Presentation Of Childhood Parental Divorce In Adulthood: A Retrospective Phenomenological Study, Sheala Catherine Morrison Dec 2014

The Presentation Of Childhood Parental Divorce In Adulthood: A Retrospective Phenomenological Study, Sheala Catherine Morrison

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There has been a wealth of research aimed at developing an understanding of the way in which the experience of divorce impacts children. However, adult children of divorce have been widely underrepresented in this literature, much of which is outdated being at least ten years old. With shifting societal attitudes and the transformation of the family system since the 1990's it is crucial that the research is updated in order to stay up on the way children and families are impacted in today's society. The purpose of this study was to hear directly from adults who experienced their parents' divorce …


The Reluctance Of African-Americans To Engage In Therapy, Monique Estelle Williamson Aug 2014

The Reluctance Of African-Americans To Engage In Therapy, Monique Estelle Williamson

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis is presented with the intent to explore the reasoning behind why members of the African-American culture are reluctant to enter into therapy. While the numbers of African-Americans who enter therapy continue to rise there are still persistent stigmas that make therapy a taboo option for solving problems. The goal of this qualitative study is to identify (1) if there truly is reluctance in the African-American community, (2) why the African-American community is reluctant, (3) what are the stigmas regarding mental health and therapy from the perspectives of American participants, and (4) what would help break the barriers to …


The Quality Of Presence: An Essential Component Of Therapeutic Work, Melissa R. Haley Aug 2014

The Quality Of Presence: An Essential Component Of Therapeutic Work, Melissa R. Haley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concept of therapeutic presence has only recently been addressed in the literature. However the literature regarding this topic indicates that therapeutic presence is an important aspect of effective therapy (Boudette, 2011; Bradford, 2007; Greason & Cashwell, 2009; Hall-Renn, 2006; Nanda, 2009). As much of the literature is comprised of conceptual pieces, empirical data needs to be expanded on regarding therapeutic presence. One of the areas that is not addressed in the literature is how practicing counselors perceive or utilize presence The objective of this qualitative study was to gather information from a sample of expert counseling practitioners concerning therapeutic …


The Impact Of Relationship Functioning On Cortisol In Married Couples: A Dyadic Exploration Of Sleep As A Potential Mediator, Benjamin D. Clark Jun 2014

The Impact Of Relationship Functioning On Cortisol In Married Couples: A Dyadic Exploration Of Sleep As A Potential Mediator, Benjamin D. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Relationship functioning in couples has been linked to numerous health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between 1) marital functioning and sleep dimensions, 2) marital functioning and cortisol, and 3) sleep dimensions and cortisol. The sample consisted of 108 heterosexual, married couples and was part of a larger marital intervention study. As predicted, poor marital functioning was related to negative sleep outcomes. However, these effects were only significant for wives. There was also evidence to suggest that poor marital functioning was associated with increased cortisol levels in husbands. These effects were independent of age and …


Knitting As A Therapeutic Group Technique With 4th Grade Elementary School Students, Cassandra Marie Dominick May 2014

Knitting As A Therapeutic Group Technique With 4th Grade Elementary School Students, Cassandra Marie Dominick

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of the current study was to explore the use of knitting as an expressive arts technique. Knitting groups were conducted with 4th grade elementary school students. Each group met for 8 sessions on a weekly basis. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or control group. The experimental group received knitting instructions in the group format first. Prior to beginning the group, all participants, their teachers, and their parents completed the Social Skills Improvement System assessment (Gresham & Elliot, 2008). This measure was repeated following the end of the experimental group and again approximately 8 …


Responding To Trauma: Help-Seeking Behavior And Posttraumatic Growth In A College Sample, Aaron J. Burrick May 2014

Responding To Trauma: Help-Seeking Behavior And Posttraumatic Growth In A College Sample, Aaron J. Burrick

Honors Scholar Theses

Research indicates that traumatic experiences can impact college students’ mental health, academic abilities, and relationships with peers. Trauma and associated symptoms of PTSD can lower students’ well-being and increase the risk of withdrawing from the university. Research also emphasizes the importance of psychological help-seeking as a way to experience posttraumatic growth. This study examines traumatic experiences, help-seeking attitudes, barriers, and behaviors, and posttraumatic growth in a sample of 168 undergraduate college students. Results indicated an overwhelming preference for informal help-seeking resources and the importance of traumatic severity in the decision to seek help. Additionally, female participants reported greater traumatic severity …


Therapists’ Experiences Of Incidental Encounters With Their Clients, Beth Ketaineck Jan 2014

Therapists’ Experiences Of Incidental Encounters With Their Clients, Beth Ketaineck

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Incidental encounters with clients occur frequently and have been found to elicit feelings of surprise, uncertainty, and discomfort for the therapist (Sharkin & Birky, 1992). This qualitative study examined therapists' experiences of such incidental encounters to better understand factors that may contribute to those feelings. I conducted semi-structured interviews, in line with Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), with six licensed clinical psychologists who have experienced an incidental encounter within the last five years. Participants were asked to imagine the encounter, discuss factors that contributed to their feelings about the encounter (during and after), consider long-term consequences, and describe their level of …


A Guy Walks Into A Bar...: Exploring Clients' Preferences For Humor And Ratings Of Therapy Sessions, Courtney E. Sonntag Jan 2014

A Guy Walks Into A Bar...: Exploring Clients' Preferences For Humor And Ratings Of Therapy Sessions, Courtney E. Sonntag

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Humor has been identified as an important factor in the establishment of relationships. This study explores the use of humor in mental health therapy and how clients’ preferences for humor impact an evaluation of the therapy session. Forty-eight individuals currently receiving mental health therapy were examined along with the use of three forms of humor: positive, negative, and instrumental. There was a significant relationship between a preference for negative humor and session evaluation scores in which the more negative humor preferred, the lower the session ratings. Although not significant, other trends were noted between self-enhancing humor and session depth, aggressive …


A Preliminary Perspective For Identifying Resilience And Promoting Growth Among Survivors Of Sex Trafficking, Michelle Sobon Jan 2014

A Preliminary Perspective For Identifying Resilience And Promoting Growth Among Survivors Of Sex Trafficking, Michelle Sobon

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This work offers an analysis of the existing literature on trauma, resilience, posttraumatic growth, and sex trafficking. It argues that the field tends to gravitate toward trauma and overlook resilience and the potential for posttraumatic growth amongst survivors of sex trafficking. This work recommends that the field should attend to both abuses endured as well as the courage and strength gained by survivors. Specifically, it argues that it is the task of the mental health professional to step into trauma trajectories with a strengths-based perspective to promote positive, resilient, and growth-oriented outcomes. Resilience and posttraumatic growth theories have been substantiated …