Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Conundrum Of Both/And In A World Of Either/Or: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Resilience And Intersectional Identities In Queer Women Of Afro-Caribbean Descent, Stephane Louis

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Queer people of color are more at risk for bias and brutality than other sexual or racial minority groups (Follins, Walker, & Lewis, 2014). Homophobic violence is embedded in Afro-Caribbean culture and even substantiated by some of those countries’ laws (Calixte, 2005). While more research is being increasingly done on LGBTQ+ black lived experiences, studies have focused more on discriminatory trauma than everyday triumph. Movements like Black Girls Rock (Bond, 2018) and intersectional black feminism (Nash, 2018) celebrate women of color surviving and thriving the compound effects of racism and sexism. In addition to misogynoir, this research gave consideration to …

Exploring The Professional Development Of Mft Students Enrolled In Equine Assisted Family Therapy Coursework: An Experiential Learning Modality, Natalie Rothman

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Equine assisted activities have been utilized in various manners with multiple populations in therapeutic and educational environments. A graduate level marriage and family therapy program in South Florida is currently offering Equine Assisted Relational Learning (EARL) activities focused on teaching a specific sub-model of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP), known as Equine Assisted Family Therapy (EAFT). The experiential nature of EAP and EARL transforms abstract concepts such as thoughts and mannerisms into tangible experiences, as well as highlights behavioral patterns. The unique and innovative theoretical foundation of EAFT is being taught, demonstrated, and utilized to assist graduate level therapists with professional …

The Impact Of Grief Work On Hospice Mental Health Providers Through A Bowen Family Systems Lens, Joshua Hernandez

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Marriage and family therapists and other mental health professionals and clients can be thought of as their own, divine emotional unit, generating and distributing the anxiety of one to the other. In fact, Kerr and Bowen (1988) described anxiety as a driving force exchanged by every living organism, and the energy surrounded by every human relationship. Within a hospice setting, anxiety can be heightened due to catering to end-of-life care, which can potentially affect the emotional response and reactivity of the mental health professional, changing the course of treatment for the patient and their family. Emerging research within healthcare has …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Adults Who Have Experienced A Parental Divorce: Identifying Collaborative Divorce Aspects As They Adjusted To Adulthood, Arlene Brown

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Divorce itself is a traumatic experience for everyone involved, especially the children. Studies have been conducted to focus on the effects on children, and ways to help with adjustment. Furthermore, researchers have delved into the long-term effects parental divorce has on children. Collaborative divorce is an approach to divorce that utilizes a specially trained team of family law, financial, and mental health professionals (MHPs) working together with couples to resolve issues related to the dissolution of their marriage, the co-parenting of their children, and the restructuring of their lives–without involving the court system. Some of the aspects of a collaborative …

Sin Papeles: The Experiences Of Undocumented Central American Immigrants In The United States, Elizabeth Jarquin

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

In the United States, the topic of immigration represents a source of intense debate, which has escalated in recent years. Research indicates that Latinx immigrants are negatively impacted by current immigration policies— they are feeling afraid, angry, exhausted, defeated, overwhelmed, and concerned about themselves and their family (Castrellón, Rivarola, & López, 2017; Wray-Lake et al., 2018). This research, however, has largely neglected the Central American subgroup and the experiences of undocumented immigrants. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of undocumented Central American immigrants and their families within the current sociopolitical context. I utilized interpretative phenomenological analysis …

Therapeutic Autoethnography: From Epiphany To Catharsis, Kelsey Railsback

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

A large percentage of the U.S. population has been directly or indirectly affected by sexual violence. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (2020b) reported 433,648 victims annually, and Dillinger (2018) reported 747,408 registered sex offenders living in the United States. As a victim-survivor of sexual violence, I have a unique narrative in that I chose to work therapeutically with sexual offenders. Reactions from my family, friends, and colleagues have varied from surprise to alarm, but I hope this dissertation inspires readers to take a second look. Readers who are mental health professionals may consequently be motivated to work with …

Appreciative Inquiry Of An Exemplary Trauma Informed Wellness Center Created For The Community And Families Affected By A School Shooting, Halle Solomon

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Gun violence has flooded our society with human-caused disasters, making mass shootings an unfortunate new normal. In the wake of large- scale shootings, the United States Government and other agencies provide financial support and resources to the affected community in hopes of bringing solidarity to the fractured system. This financial reinforcement and other funding sources have been utilized to build resiliency centers within a certain distance of the unnerving events. Resiliency facilities play a pivotal role in helping communities recover from human-caused disasters such as mass shootings. These resources are becoming customary across the country, with resiliency centers in Newton, …

Happy Tears: An Evocative Autoethnography On An Adoptee’S Development Of Identity Through Reunification, Jessica Popham

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The story of adoption reunions is a story of many others. With the invention of the internet and DNA profiling websites, what was once impossible, or very difficult, is now as simple as submitting saliva to a DNA profiling company. This easier way to explore family backgrounds has created new experiences for adoptees. After a reunification, adoptees can reevaluate their identity with the new information to help develop a broader and deeper view of themselves (Henze-Pederson, 2019; Kiecolt & LoMascolo, 2003; Palmer, 2011; Schooler & Norris, 2002). In this study, I looked at how my adoptive identity changed after reunification …

An Exploration Of The Lived Experience Of Women Who Had Abortions And The Effects Of The Abortion Secret On Their Relationships: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Marckdaline Johnson

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The United States Supreme Court decision in the Roe v. Wade (1973) case provides women with a right to privacy and the liberty to make decisions concerning their reproductive lives. With this, women who become pregnant are offered the right to choose between keeping their pregnancy and terminating the pregnancy by way of abortion. Since Roe v. Wade (1973), many women have exercised their reproductive liberties, as evidenced by the termination of over 60 million pregnancies via legal abortion in the United States. Still, secrecy among women with a history of abortion remains a common phenomenon. Studies conducted on abortion …

Clinical Director Perspectives On Decision Making Of Family Involvement With Clients At Inpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Centers, Lauren Amber Serdencuk

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Literature supports that family members of individuals who abuse substances are significantly influential, whether it be positive or negative (Liddle et al., 2001). Evidence-based family therapy decreases substance use by adolescents (Slesnick et al., 2006). The purpose of this study was to gain the perspectives of clinical directors regarding decision making of family involvement at inpatient substance abuse treatment centers. Clinical directors were the focus of this study due to their experience, credentials, and their ability to oversee all clients and programs in a substance abuse treatment center. Purposeful sampling was utilized to obtain participants. Saturation was reached at three …

Cooking With Couples: A Grounded Theory Study On The Relational Aspects Found In The Cooking Interactions Of Couples, Nicole R. Gordon

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Cooking is a universal activity which all humans can relate to on some level. Historically, cooking has continued to connect people across cultures and time, simultaneously providing nutritive sustenance as well as socio- and psychological benefits. Medical and mental health practitioners only in recent years have utilized cooking in a therapeutic process, and most of those cooking activities available tend to focus on cooking from an occupational and nutrition-education stance. A gap in the literature pertaining to cooking and its therapeutic applications exists around the relational nature underlying the cooking process, especially as it pertains to couples. While marriage and …

An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Women Veterans Transitioning Back Into Civilian Life, Paula Boros

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Officially, women have been serving in the United States military since 1948 when President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act. Women currently make up approximately 8% of active duty military. Based on progress due to equality and equity, women are now occupying positions previously designated for men. Although women have made great strides in the military, there is limited research on women in the military or how their military service affects them. There is even less literature on women who have transitioned out of the military. For this reason, I conducted an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) with a …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Afro-Caribbean Marriage And Family Therapists Working With Persons Who Identify As Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender And/Or Questioning: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Raquel Yvonne Campbell

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

This study explored and highlighted the experiences of trained Marriage and Family Therapists of Afro-Caribbean descent in working with persons who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Questioning (LGBTQ). The researcher utilized collected data to help to advance our understanding on the potential impact of the cultural experiences and how they may or may not contribute to institutionalized homophobia within the Caribbean, by Mental Health professionals, specifically Marriage and Family Therapists. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 3 practicing Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) with strong Caribbean upbringing, values, and influences. For the purpose of this study, strong has …

Vwa: Hearing The Courageous Voices Of Extraordinary Women Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence In Haiti, An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Michaelle Darley Pierre

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a huge epidemic in Haiti. It is estimated that 273,200 women suffer from instances of IPV yearly in Haiti. This is in line with the finding that 9.4% of the population of 14-49 year old Haitian women are affected by IPV (Gage, Honoré, & Deleon, 2016; Hindin, Kishor, & Ansara, 2008). It is critical to incorporate the voices of courageous women who have lived through partner violence into our understanding of this phenomenon. This qualitative study aimed to hear the VWA (Voice in Creole) of women in Haiti based on their lived experiences of IPV …

Marriage And Family Therapists’ Clinical Impressions Of Romantic Relationship Dissolution Heartbreak: A Modified Delphi Study, Isibel C. Moreno

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2018) defines heartbreak as “crushing grief, anguish or distress.” Heartbreak can lead to biological, psychological and social responses and consequences. Heartbreak from the dissolution of a romantic relationship is a form of disenfranchised grief, which is defined as the griever’s belief that society does not recognize their source of grief as legitimate (Doka, 1989). The literature shows that talking about grief helps those who experience it (Fisher & Archer, 2008). Hence, the present study sought to provide a consensus of the best practices that marriage and family therapists have utilized to help broken-hearted clients. I employed a …

An Autoethnography Of A Bilingual Therapist Working With Haitian Clients: Reconnecting To Home, Marie Philomise Joseph

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

This evocative autoethnographic study is a very personalized account of my life as a Haitian American and a bilingual family therapist working with Haitian refugee earthquake survivors. The study focused on the lived experiences and challenges encountered as a family therapist trained in systemic techniques, linguistic terminology, and the Westernized psychotherapy approach to engaging Creole-speaking clients in therapy. Other challenges that existed were uncovered during the integration of the use of Haitian Creole language and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) tenets as the preferred model. It explored this therapist’s narrative in the process of providing psychotherapy to these clients, emerged a …

From Horse Walk To Therapy Talk: Exploring The Effects Of Equine Assisted Family Therapy Coursework On Self Of The Therapist Development Of Mft Student Therapists, Tiffany De Leon

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The Introduction and Advanced Equine Assisted Family Therapy (EAFT) courses offered at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) provide graduate Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) student therapists the space to learn about collaborating with horses for therapeutic and educational purposes. However, these courses also offer the potential for a unique dimension to self of the therapist development. Through these courses, student therapists are able to learn theory and application of an innovative experiential model for clients, but also utilize the activities to get to know themselves better as emerging therapists.

The purpose of this study was to explore if and how the …

Solution-Focused Family Weekends In An Addictions Treatment Facility: An Action Treatment-And-Research Study, Sandra Dimarco

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

For the past 69 years, since the start of the addiction treatment system in the United States, treatment providers have been utilizing the same interventions in rehab centers, the majority of which are based on outdated ideas about substance misusers. Though the premise of such interventions has been questioned by researchers, treatment providers continue to utilize them. Family therapy, in particular, shows promising results for substance misusers and their families; it has been cited as the most powerful form of intervention in addiction treatment. Nevertheless, family therapy is underrepresented in the addiction literature and rehab centers. Furthermore, postmodern models of …

High School Peer Counseling: Understanding The Impact Of A Systemic Training Incorporating Bowen Concepts, Christina Elizabeth Berdebes

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Peer counseling programs benefit peer-to-peer relationships in schools through students providing active support for one another. Literature shows that peer counseling programs are effective with adolescents, especially in school-based settings. Bowen family systems theory is a model that focuses on the importance of emotional and relationship systems. Differentiation of self, a key concept in Bowen systems theory, is described as the balance between emotional and intellectual functioning; the higher the level of differentiation, the less likely one is to experience emotional and social difficulties. This dissertation I explored the potential for training high school senior counselors from a Bowenian perspective. …

A Grounded Theory Investigation Of Adaptations To Adverse Childhood Experiences, Jeffrey Michael Friedman

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, and household dysfunction. Much has been reported about the detrimental outcomes associated with these experiences. The associated negative outcomes of ACEs can include addiction, suicide, disability, teenage pregnancy, and early death. However, it is well known that many people experience ACEs and do very well. Rather than viewing negative outcomes only as symptoms of trauma and positive outcomes only as signs of resilience, it is possible to consider adaptations. This study focused on how adults adapted to their adverse childhood experiences. Data were collected …

Evaluation Of The Relationally Based “Calm-Driven” Service Training For The Automotive Industry, Based On The New World Kirkpatrick Model, Katia Tikhonravova

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the relationally based “Calm-Driven” Service (CDS) training program from the New World Kirkpatrick model perspective. The CDS training program is designed to help automotive professionals in sales and service to relate to their customers by (a) thinking in a different way about human relationships, and (b) realizing their own role in relationships and behavior. The CDS training program is based on the relational systems theory concepts of relational triangles, chronic anxiety, and differentiation of self from the Bowen Family Systems Theory.

The results suggest that the participants had a positive reaction to the training …

Exploring The Experiences Of Clinicians Dually-Trained In Behavior Analysis And Family Therapy Working With Families Facing Autism, Janessa Dominguez

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The main aim of this dissertation is to identify the importance of utilizing both a behavior analytic lens and systemic thinking lens when working with families with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Currently, the prevalence of ASD is on the rise, which means more families are in need of services. Services are typically available for the individual with ASD or the family; however, it is the researcher’s belief that services delivered utilizing a both/and lens are more impactful. Through the use of transcendental phenomenology, trained behavior analysts and marriage and family therapists were interviewed to gain insight into …

Autoethnography Of A Whitegirl Marriage And Family Therapist's Experience Working On The Rez, Andrea L. Cuva

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Despite the abundance of literature regarding potentially effective treatment modalities for Native American clients, researchers have been unable to identify an empirically proven effective treatment modality for this population. Common recommendations/considerations for therapists working with Native clients have been identified throughout literature; however, such findings were gathered by insiders (i.e., Native researchers or trained Tribal staff), which has left questions regarding the efficacy of such recommendations when applied by non-Native therapists. Due to Native American history, elaborate IRB requirements were put in place to ensure ethical research with this population but impedes the research process. I conducted an analytic autoethnography …

Context-Enriched Conversation Analysis Of Relational Hypnotherapy With A Client Diagnosed With A Phobia Of Blood And Needles, Carlos Armando Ramos

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Although clinical hypnosis has been studied in a variety of ways, most of the research has focused on individual and evidence-based approaches; few have examined relational or systemic models. Influenced by Milton Erickson’s hypnosis methods and Gregory Bateson’s systemic concepts, relational hypnotherapists value the importance of both the intra- and interpersonal context in the treatment of problems, accentuating the significance of the mind and body connection (or relationship) in inviting non-volitional therapeutic change. The author of this research explored how Douglas Flemons, the developer of relational hypnosis, facilitated an enduring non-volitional shift with a client, “Grace,” who desired to have …

A Conversation Analysis Of Therapist-Client Interactional Patterns In Single Session Therapy: A Researcher's Interpretation, Nozomu Ozaki

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

In response to the growing awareness of the issue of accessibility to mental health services (World Health Organization, 2013), single session therapy (SST) has been implemented in various settings throughout the world. (Hoyt &Talmon, 2014b; Miller, 2008; Miller & Slive, 2004; Talmon, 2014). Although there has been much advancement in the knowledge and application of SST, an understanding of therapist-client interactional patterns that enfold in SST is extremely scarce. In this study, I investigated how therapists collaboratively improved the talk in SST turn by turn in such a way that promoted therapeutic improvement. I utilized conversation analysis (Sacks et al., …

The Art Of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Experiential Training For Novice Therapists In Creative Collaborative Language, Lori Ann Pantaleao

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Novice solution-focused brief therapists often have difficulty delivering scaling questions within the languaging of their clients. To help beginning Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) trainees, this researcher has created the metaphorically enhanced scaling question (MESQ) training program. By incorporating a meaning making system such as the metaphor, the scaling question becomes expressive and symbolic to the client and his or her own story. The MESQ objective is to assist novice therapists in facilitating the SFBT scaling question creatively through the use of metaphor. A metaphor is a created meaning isomorphic to its original meaning or experience. The metaphor will be co-constructed …

Sexual Attraction In The Therapy Room: An Exploration Of Licensed Marriage And Family Therapists’ Experiences And Training, Rafiah Prince

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The client-therapist relationship is an essential part of therapy and is central in helping clients achieve therapeutic goals as the joining process facilitates the change process. However, in an effort to create a space for change, there is a possibility that professional boundaries may become blurred wherein a client may express a sexual attraction toward their therapist. To explore this phenomenon, the researcher employed convergent parallel mixed method design to explore the experiences of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) who have experienced sexual attraction from their clients. The study was conducted online through a secure forum. Implications for clients, …

An Exploration Of Home-Based Therapists’ Supervisory Experiences: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Cherre Camper

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

In-home family therapy has become one of the most common options of treatment for providing services to families who do not typically utilize a private clinic (Lawson, 2005; Reiter, 2000; Yorgason, McWey, & Felts, 2005). Researchers have given some attention to the topic of home-based therapy and to general supervision, but little attention has focused on the actual supervision experiences of home-based therapy providers. This phenomenological study explored the supervision experiences of seven past and current in-home therapists: marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and social workers (MSWs). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants, and data was analyzed to develop …

Enhancing The Couple Alliance And Developing A Dyadic Orientation In Discursive Couples Therapy: A Conversation Analysis Of Therapists', Samira Y. Garcia

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The purpose of this study is to develop an interpretative understanding of how discursive therapists’ linguistic actions enhance the couple alliance. Additionally, this study includes an exploration of whether these models hold up to a common factors conversation in the practice of couples therapy. The couple alliance is the central relationship in couples therapy. Previous research suggests that therapists’ actions might have an effect on enhancing this alliance by creating a dyadic orientation. In postmodern/discursive models of practice, therapists’ actions have gone mostly unexplored, leaving therapists with little understanding of what is done in the process of couples therapy that …

Social Grief: A Grounded Theory Of Utilizing Status Updates On Facebook As A Contemporary Ritual, Celese Catania-Opris

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The popular Social Networking Site, Facebook, offers its users the ability tocommunicate with others from all over the globe. Individuals can create a virtual identity for themselves enabling members to call, message, and locate others in a matter of seconds. The number of Facebook users appears to increase; yet, the number of members who die daily is not normally accounted. Facebook now permits the memorialization ofthe deceased’s profile. This allows members to continue commenting, sharing photos and videos, and visiting the deceased’s Facebook page. This trend led to the central question of this study, “What benefits, if any, are individuals …