Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Lived Experience Of Counseling Students In Natural Disaster, Amy M. Sirocky-Meck

Dissertations, 2020-current

After natural disaster, survivors may experience moderate to severe signs and symptoms of emotional distress which may subside or worsen as time passes (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2022). Adults pursuing higher education when natural disaster strikes experience an additional array of unique issues which may exacerbate symptoms of emotional distress (Wilkinson et al.,2013). To create and improve curricular and co-curricular structures that meet the needs of their students, educators in many health and mental health disciplines can draw from a variety of quantitative and qualitative studies, particularly those focused on how their disciplines’ students navigate the experience …

Affectionately Attached: The Impact Of Attachment Styles On Sexual Self-Concept Among Adults Who Identify As Lgbtgeqiap+, Karli M. Fleitas

Dissertations, 2020-current

The aim of this quantitative research study was to investigate the interplay between attachment orientation and subscales of sexual self-concept among an exclusively LGBTGEQIAP+ adult sample. A Pearson’s correlation coefficient was computed to examine attachment anxiety and avoidance with four subscales of sexual self-concept including, sexual motivation, sexual satisfaction, sexual consciousness, and sexual monitoring. The purpose of this study was two-fold—to compare findings with non-LGBTGEQIAP+ samples and provide new data. The relationships between attachment insecurity (i.e., anxious and avoidant attachment) and sexual motivation and satisfaction were compared to prior findings in the literature. Each test was statistically significant and negatively …

Affirmative And Integrative Counseling For Lgbtqia+ Individuals, Allison De Blois

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Counselors are ethically obligated to serve LGBTQIA+ clientele and therefore should strive to integrate an affirmative approach to counseling. A counselor may say that they are providing affirming care, however it is important to reflect on what affirming counseling is in application. To better serve LGBTQIA+ clientele, counselors may grow their affirmative counseling approach by being knowledgeable of historical considerations, evidenced-based approaches to implement, clinical recommendations for a counselor to implement, and considerations on advocacy practices and resources.

You Have Every Right To Be Angry: Impacts Of The Angry Black Woman Stereotype And Counseling Considerations For Helping Black Women Honor Their Anger, Jenelle Francis

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The Angry Black Woman (ABW) stereotype depicts Black women as hostile and aggressive. It is rooted in slavery and functions to silence and invalidate Black women. The ABW stereotype perpetuates racist ideology and is used to control the narrative of Black women and justify their mistreatment. Black women are faced with the impacts of the ABW stereotype throughout different areas of their life, beginning in childhood. Because of the risk of being negatively and inaccurately perceived, Black women have had to filter themselves to not be labeled as aggressive, hyperemotional, and/or the “angry” Black woman. This paper explores the history …

Equitable Counselor Education: Promoting A Sense Of Belonging In Master's Counseling Students, Jessica E. Mastrangelo

Dissertations, 2020-current

The discrepancies in racial and ethnic demographics between counselors, counselor educators, and the clients they seek to serve are prominent (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2018). Mental health counseling and the field of psychology have a traditionally Eurocentric value system that has positioned the White population to benefit from services and to become clinicians. As such, the centering of the White experience has perpetuated a lack of diversity in the field. As the demographics of the United States population continues to diversify, counseling needs to produce a greater number of racially and ethnically minoritized counselors …

Black Girl Magic: The Endurance Of Enslaved Mothers’ Lessons, Briana G. Gaines

Dissertations, 2020-current

Intergenerational trauma involves a traumatic event that began years prior to the current generation and has impacted the ways in which individuals cope with and heal from trauma. Intergenerational trauma can negatively impact families and individuals as a result of unresolved emotions and thoughts about a traumatic event. Motherhood has always been an important role for Black women (Green, 1990) and although all women face challenges in their role as mothers, Black women are faced with unique tasks that their White counterparts are not. Black women are often the transmitter of culture to their children and frequently set the example …

Addressing Systemic Inequities: A Psychoeducational Group For Advocating For African Americans, Jaree' Barnwell

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This paper will discuss and describe the development of an open psychoeducational group that will empower people of the community through education to advocate for African American/Black people within institutions that may perpetuate barriers. Acknowledging that one in four people struggle with mental health issues, it is imperative to consider an appropriate treatment modality that destigmatizes mental health and equips participants with information. This group is especially relevant as one in three African Americans, who struggle with mental health concerns, will never receive the appropriate care comparatively afforded to white populations. This thesis will concisely discuss the education system, the …

Exploring The Role Of Defense Styles In The Relationship Between Childhood Adversity And Vicarious Trauma, Stewart Nafziger

Dissertations, 2020-current

The National Council for Behavioral Health (2013) estimated that the majority of clients in public behavioral healthcare settings have experienced trauma. Providing high quality mental health services to clients who suffer from traumatic stress can take a toll on the professional (Trippany et al., 2004). Vicarious trauma is a unique form of traumatic stress that results from treating clients who suffer from traumatic stress (McCann & Pearlman, 1990). It has been recognized by the American Counseling Association (2011) as an occupation hazard. Yet, not all professionals who treat clients suffering from traumatic stress develop it. There is a lack of …

The Fetishization Of Asian American Women: Where We Are And Where To Go, Genevieve Askin

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Women of color in the United States suffer from hyper sexualization and fetishization, and Asian American (AA) women are no different. These racial microaggressions and normalized expressions of oppression based on both race/ethnicity and gender contribute to a distinct marginalization that women of color experience. This paper seeks to 1) explore the unique layers of oppression that AA women face, including combating the model minority myth, westernized beauty standards, and fetishization, as well as 2) address the difference in reception between the Stop Asian Hate movement and Black Lives Matter, while defining and critiquing the whitewashing of this field in …

Trauma Healing With The Neurosequential Model Of Therapy And Bal-A-Vis-X, Becky Johnston

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Stigma related to childhood trauma is shifting with the help of advancements in the understanding of neurobiology and interventions that are proving to be effective for healing. There are immense costs and consequences for survivors of childhood trauma and their loved ones that were not so long ago considered irrelevant and the notion that kids bounce back from adversity was previously popular in the psychological community (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017). The broad strokes of Dr. Bruce Perry’s clinical intervention model, The Neurosequential Model of Therapy (NMT) describes a trauma-sensitive, sequential approach to changing the stress response within mental health counseling. …

Nature And Its Place In Professional Counseling: A Qualitative Study Of Expert Views, Experiences, And Future Plans, Matthew V. Bukowski

Dissertations, 2020-current

Recent publications and initiatives within professional counseling indicate a growing interest in the connections between human wellness and the natural world. Despite consistent growth of this trend between the years 2000 and 2021, there has been little dialogue within the profession about the ethical, ideological, and social justice implications of integrating nature therapy with professional counseling and counselor education. This study investigated the views, experiences, and future plans of 10 counselor educators who integrate nature therapy into their professional roles and developed two major themes and 12 subthemes that encapsulate their responses. Participants in the study overall shared a desire …

Alcohol Use In Women: Resources And Recommendations For Counselors, Samantha Haling

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The research shows that alcohol use is rising rapidly among women, resulting in devastating consequences that have not been sufficiently explored in counselor education and training. This paper aims to address this by providing a review of the literature which shows that women are more vulnerable to many of the physical and mental health consequences of alcohol use than men, and that they have unique treatment needs and face gender-specific risk factors and barriers to treatment. The review examines the interaction between gender and alcohol use, summarizes the existing research on the physical and behavioral health consequences of alcohol use …

Exploring How Interpersonal Childhood Trauma Impacts Emotional Development, Kathleen Hobbs

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Our earliest interactions in life lay the foundation of how we relate to ourselves and others throughout adulthood. When a child experiences abuse and neglect that is relational in nature, referred to as interpersonal childhood trauma, research shows that they are at a much higher risk to display emotional difficulties that have been found to contribute to extensive health consequences throughout the lifespan. Less has been documented however regarding exactly how this kind of trauma influences emotional development. The purpose of this paper is to explore the current research that exists on the relationship between interpersonal childhood trauma and emotional …

Informing Consent: A Grounded Theory Study Of Parents Of Transgender And Gender Diverse Youth Seeking Gender Confirming Endocrinological Interventions, Charles F. Shepard

Dissertations, 2020-current

Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) identity during the Twenty-first Century in the United States has been associated with pervasive patterns of mistreatment and discrimination across social, educational, occupational, legal, and healthcare experiences (Drescher, 2010; James et al., 2016; Stryker, 2008). Despite these trends, affirming stances toward TGD identity has been developing almost simultaneously tracing its roots to Christine Jorgensen’s transition in the 1950s. About a decade later, endocrinological interventions were pioneered that aimed to medically support TGD patients who wished to feminize or masculinize their bodies to be more congruent with their gender identity without surgery. These gender-confirming endocrinological interventions (GCEI) …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Self-Reported Emotional Well-Being For Well-Functioning Young Adults: The Case Of Burundian College Students, Peace N. Ningabire

Dissertations, 2020-current

As the body of research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has grown over the last few decades, a gap between how individuals and families experience and cope with such adversities in Western societies versus in non-Western communities has also widened. Moreover, many studies conducted in low/middle-income countries on ACEs have looked at marginalized populations, such as children-soldiers, homeless children, refugee camps, etc. The present study, on the other hand, sought to explore childhood adversities, as well as current emotional well-being and coping strategies for Burundian well-educated, high-functioning young adults. A survey of 100 Burundian college students documented many adverse childhood …

Weight And The Therapeutic Relationship: Implications For Counselors, Emily Shank

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Central to the healthcare system in the United States is the belief that weight is an accurate measure of health. This belief, which is the foundation of the Weight Centered Health Paradigm (WCHP), is linked to the proliferation of diets, weight cycling, and weight stigma. However, a growing body of research indicates that higher weight is not necessarily linked to negative health outcomes and that the impact of weight cycling and weight stigma pose far greater risks to health. Counselors and other mental health professionals function within the weight-normative healthcare system in the United States and are faced with the …

Reviewing Counseling Literature Regarding Toxic Masculinity, Jenna Clough

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

With the rates of mental health disorders increasing for men in the United States, counseling research has identified factors attributing to this concern and explore ways in which the counseling field can better serve this population. The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to present seven empirically based research articles and one literature review on toxic masculinity. Including seven qualitative articles and one quantitative article, this annotated bibliography will provide an overview of the counseling research findings on toxic masculinity. A review of literature and research methodology is included. Reflections for future research will also be included.

Posttraumatic Growth During Covid-19: A Quantitative Analysis Of Individualist And Collectivist Values, Stephanie Chalk

Dissertations, 2020-current

The 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has spurred a major global crisis. Collective trauma is inevitable. Compared to posttraumatic stress, relatively little research has been conducted on posttraumatic growth. This study examined the associations between individualism-collectivism, coping behaviors, and posttraumatic growth in the context of COVID-19. A total of 314 adult participants were recruited to complete a questionnaire on COVID-19 experiences, individualism-collectivism, coping, and posttraumatic growth. Posttraumatic growth was measured globally and across five factors: relating to others, personal strength, new possibilities, appreciation of life, and spirituality. A t-test found no difference in global posttraumatic growth in participants who were …

Concluding Remarks: Responsibility And Therapeutic Freedom, Fred Redekop, Chad Luke

International Journal on Responsibility

No abstract provided.

The Development Of Professional Responsibility In Counselor Training, Ryan Bowers, Helen Hamlet

International Journal on Responsibility

Responsibility in the field of counseling is a complex, multi-faceted concept which includes responsibility to the client, responsibility to the profession, and responsibility to the self. These responsibilities encompass the profession’s global role, the call to establish consistent professional requirements, the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics, the developmental process of student skill acquisition and professional identity development, and the curriculum and training requirements of counselor education programs. Following a general exploration of responsibility in counselor education, this article focuses on when and how counselors-in-training (CITs), as they grow in counseling skills and professional identity through coursework and mentoring and …

Gatekeeping: A Counselor Educator’S Responsibility To The Counseling Profession And Community, Patricia L. Kimball, Lucy C. Phillips, Krista E. Kirka, John J.S. Harrichand

International Journal on Responsibility

Counseling is one of the few professions practiced in private with vulnerable individuals. Because of this, counselors must be held to high training standards and be deemed competent prior to being allowed to practice independently. The responsibility for ensuring future counselors’ competence rests with counselor educators and clinical supervisors via a process known as gatekeeping. This paper highlights the importance of gatekeeping in the counseling profession and describes models of remediation for supervisors and educators navigating this complex process. Utilizing a case study, the authors demonstrate the protective function gatekeeping serves society by applying a gatekeeping decision-making model. Finally, recommendations …

Allyship: The Responsibility Of White Counselor Education. Allies In Addressing Racism And Discrimination, Amanda M. Evans, Brittany Williams, A. Renée Staton, Darius Green, Charles Shepard

International Journal on Responsibility

Counselor educators have a responsibility to ensure client welfare in counselor training and this extends to increasing the cultural competence of counseling students when working with clients representing diverse populations. Due to the persistence of inequality and absence of cultural competence in the health and behavioral health settings, People of Color (POC) experience health disparities at alarming rates. This begs the questions about who is responsible for these health disparities and how inequities can be addressed. This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study examined the narratives of eleven self-reported White Allies who are working to dismantle oppression through their advocacy efforts. …

Introductory Remarks On The Ijr Special Issue, Responsibility In Counselor Training And Practice, Chad Luke, Fred Redekop

International Journal on Responsibility

No abstract provided.

Helping The Doubly Vulnerable: A Trauma And Emotion Regulation Group For Juvenile Offenders, Sarah Kline

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This paper explores literature published about juvenile offenders including demographics, offenses and trauma experiences. It explores the high rates of trauma within juvenile facilities and how these rates of trauma impact mental health issues seen in juvenile facilities. It focuses on the mental health of juvenile offenders and the high prevalence of mental illness, specifically Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among juvenile offenders. It provides an overview of evidenced based programs used with juveniles and juvenile offenders including Emotional Intelligence training and the Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET) intervention. The paper provides a detailed program procedure to …

The Effects Of Community On Wellness: An Exploration Of Utilizing Community To Address Loneliness, Carter G. Bagnall

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The subjective experience of loneliness is a growing public health concern that is deserving of the attention of mental health professionals. This project offers a review of current literature necessary for conceptualizing and understanding loneliness, and provides evidence for the positive impact of finding community in fostering acceptance and sense of belonging for lonely individuals. Research on possible responses to loneliness are explored, as are cultural influences and the implications of connection through the use of technology. Finally, the responsibility of mental health practitioners in addressing loneliness is examined, and suggestions for prevention, advocacy, and treatment are discussed.

The Space Between Black & White: Examining The Lived Experiences Of African American Supervisees In Cross-Racial Supervisory Relationships, Brittany A. Williams

Dissertations, 2020-current

There is a growing trend in the counseling research that addresses the importance of multicultural counseling and specifically the need for effective work with African American clients (Chang, Hays, & Shoffner, 2004). More specifically, attention should be given to African American supervisees in cross-racial supervisory relationships who experience complex forms of discrimination due to the differing cultural identities within the supervisory relationship. While also meeting the needs of the African American clients, increased representation in the field could also be beneficial for the counseling profession and support the growth and development of same race clinicians. This influx of African American …

Undue Police Violence Towards African Americans: A Quantitative Analysis Of Professional Counselors, Darius Green

Dissertations, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which counseling professionals identify and address undue police violence (UPV) in their professional roles. This study investigated circumstances associated with experiencing types of force that counselors identify as undue, the extent of advocacy efforts made by counselors related to UPV, and training received related to UPV. Lastly, this study investigated the relationships between counselors’ attitudes towards officer legitimacy, perceived racism, and beliefs related to UPV and addressing it. An exploratory research design that used descriptive analysis, simple linear regression, and thematic analysis was used to analyze data collected for …

Counseling Needs Of First Responders, Donna V. Garber

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Abstract

This paper examines the counseling and psychological needs of first responders, as a special population with special needs. It also proposes how counselors can address these needs. Included is a review of relevant literature and concludes with strategies counselors could implement to respond effectively to direct and vicarious trauma experienced by first responders. There is also information related to pre-incident and post-incident care and addresses issues that impact this population’s response to care, ability to seek care, and the overall understanding of what mental health care really means to this group.

Navigating "Technoference" In The Family System, Kathlynn Sergent

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This integrative literature review explores the increase of technology use in families, with a focus on how technology is disrupting in-person social interactions within the family system. Many studies have been conducted on how technology impacts a couple’s romantic relationship, and only a few have examined the relationship between the parent and child. This review is one of the first to examine how technology may affect the entire family unit from before children to raising adolescents. Each section of the family unit is examined, beginning with before children, followed by the early bonding and attachment associated with infant/childhood, and then …

Using The Reflective Functioning Scale To Predict Counseling Outcomes, Matthew Swartzentruber

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

It is my proposal to demonstrate the usefulness of the Reflective Functioning Scale within counselors-in-training populations to promote effective counseling clinicians and improve counseling competencies.