Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Promise Of The Wild For Families : Factors Of The Anasazi Foundation's Wilderness Therapy Program Associated With Positive Parent-Adolescent Relationships : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At The Anasazi Foundation, Mesa, Arizona, Katharine W. Reynolds

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify which aspects of The Anasazi Foundation's wilderness therapy treatment are most strongly associated with positive parent-adolescent relationships after treatment. To this end, 59 parents and 36 adolescents completed surveys designed by the Anasazi Foundation to assess individual goal attainment, family relationships, continued connection to The Anasazi Foundation, aftercare follow-though, and physical and spiritual health after the adolescent had been discharged from the program, which lasted at least 49 days. Adolescent study participants ranged in age from 12 to 25 years, and parent study participants had children who ranged in age from 12 …

Supporting Probation Youth : An Examination Of Services And Access To Services Provided : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation Of San Francisco Bay Mental Health Agencies, Marjorie R. Gomez

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study explored a sample of the San Francisco Bay Area agencies providing mental health services to probation youth in hopes of looking at best practices and what barriers and facilitators there are for youth to access services. This study surveyed 19 program leads of agencies that have among their clients, youth on probation. The mixed methods survey included 28 questions covering topics such as services provided, funding sources, client demographics, program structure, coordination with other support services, post-program evaluation and barriers and facilitators to accessing services. The findings demonstrated that these agencies were mostly funded through MediCal contracts and …

Experiences Of Multilingual Social Workers : Trauma Therapy In Spanish And English, Emily H. Aviles

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory study examines the experiences of social workers engaging in multilingual—Spanish and English—therapy with individuals who speak both Spanish and English, identify as Latino/a, have a history of trauma, and identify as having a history (personal, familial) of immigration to the U.S. The study uses semi-structured interviews with 10 social workers to gather qualitative data about their experiences engaging in trauma therapy with individuals who identify as multilingual as well as Latino/a immigrants to the U.S. The project examines ways that multilingual clinicians process trauma with individuals in more than one language; paying attention to the ways clinicians think …

The Contribution Of Negative Social Responses To Self-Blame Among Survivors Of Sexual Violence : A Psychodynamic And Sociocultural Perspective, Jessica J. Somers

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Survivors of sexual violence often blame themselves for harms committed against them, echoing the negative responses they receive from others upon disclosure. While it appears that the hostile social climate surrounding sexual violence disclosure contributes to self-blame, the mechanism by which negative responses exert this pernicious influence has not been sufficiently articulated in prior research. Responding to this deficit, this theoretical investigation addresses three questions: 1) What is the psychic mechanism by which negative social responses engender self-blame among survivors of sexual violence? 2) What social factors explain why this mechanism is activated around sexual violence disclosure? 3) What are …

Farm Work As Treatment For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Mindy L. Walls

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This exploratory, descriptive study assessed what, if anything, is beneficial about engaging in agricultural work, or, farm work, for individuals living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). An anonymous, online survey was utilized, asking a series of multiple choice and open ended questions about the participants’ farm work history, PTSD experience, and demographic information. Thirty-nine participants responded with varying identities and work history, but many shared experiences of PTSD. Almost all of the participants found farming to be beneficial for managing PTSD. Specifically, four themes arose from the data that explained what about farming was beneficial for individuals with PTSD: farming …

Exploring Military Social Worker's Dual Professional Identities, Sarah E. Bakst

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative, exploratory study examines how active duty military social workers negotiate their dual roles as military officers and as social workers. This study used a demographic survey and semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions to interview twelve military social workers. The primary research question was "What are the experiences of active duty social workers in negotiating their dual professional identity as both social workers and military officers?" The major findings focus on the differences between military and civilian social work and implications for military social work practice. Recommendations include the need for workload management as well as education for …

Clinicians' Voices On Suicide Prevention For Veterans, Katherine E. Culpepper

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This was an exploratory study using a mixed methods design. The purpose of the study was to examine suicide prevention programs from the perspective of clinical practitioners who work or have worked with veterans in therapeutic settings. The data was collected anonymously through Survey Monkey. The study focused on practitioner observations and insights regarding increased risk factors and effective ways to meet the needs of veterans who are at risk for suicide. A total of 40 clinical respondents who work or have worked with veterans in therapeutic settings participated in this qualitative study. Participants were recruited through social media sites …

The Kids Feel (More Than) All Right : A Study Exploring The Subjective Experiences And Perceptions Of Adult-Male Children Raised In Planned Lesbian Families As Relates To Their Gender Development, Naomi D. Drexler

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the subjective experiences and perceptions of adult-male children of planned lesbian families as relates to their gender development. Furthermore, this study sought to explore if/how adult-male children of planned lesbian families perceive their family form to have impacted their constructions and expressions of masculinity and male identity. No study to date has exclusively, nor deeply, explored the subjective experiences and perceptions of this particular population as relates specifically to their gender development. This qualitative study relied on intensive interviewing as its data collection method. Interviews were semi-structured and conducted in person or …

I Googled. "How Do You Know You're Gay?" : A Qualitative Study On Lgbtq Identity Formation And The Internet /, Rebekah M. Meresman

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative, exploratory study examined the impact of the internet on the identity formation process of LGBTQ individuals. This study aimed to answer the question: How and why do some LGBTQ-identified adults use the internet as a tool to formulate their sexual/gender identity? Through an anonymous online survey, LGBTQ identified participants were asked several open-ended questions about their identity formation experiences, and the role of the internet on this process.

Fifty individuals participated in the study, from a wide range of sexual and gender identities, half of which identified as transgender or gender non-conforming. Of these participants, most indicated that …

"I Love My Children... But I Hate Being A Mom" : Exploring Narratives Of Maternal Ambivalence In Anonymous, Digital Spaces, Christine M. Lacy

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore narratives of maternal ambivalence displayed on an anonymous, digital discussion forum. This investigation based on an analysis of 341 written discussion posts shared on a message thread of a public website, which became an anonymous platform for mothers expressing negative feelings about mothering. This central questions of this study focus on how mothers' described their maternal ambivalence, what factors impact their ambivalence, whether they discuss guilt, shame, and social stigma associated with maternal ambivalence, and what participants reported gaining from their use of the site. The findings of this study suggest …

Millennials' Perceptions Of How Their Capacity For Romantic Love Developed And Manifests, Kate Mcguire

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explores how the Millennial Generation understands how they learned to love, how they define and experience romantic love in the present, and what their hopes and fears are for romantic love in the future. The investigation is based on the perspectives of 25 participants from the Millennial Generation who answered 11 interview questions, in addition to completing the Experiences in Close Relationships – Revised Questionnaire (ECRR). Findings from my study suggests that the Millennial generation is forging a distinctively different pathway from older generations in areas related to social media, marriage and commitment, children, religious fidelity, social …

Social Work And Human Sexuality : An Examination Of The Country's Top 25-Cwse Ranked Msw Curricula, Hannah R. Wineburg

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Graduate students of social work seek education and training to increase their competency to practice in dynamic, multicultural environments that allow them to help diverse clients with a multitude of mental health and sociological related issues. Moreover, social work programs have long been known for teaching students to be agents of change, in particular preparing social workers to effectively and ethically enhance the wellbeing and productivity of an increasingly diverse client base. This often translates into confronting oppressive systems that uphold traditional policies and practices in areas such as race, class, gender identity, and human sexuality. How are social work …

How To Best Support Clinical Social Workers In Their Practive With Children Who Have Experienced Trauma, Anna N. Query

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This research set out to explore how clinical social workers working with children who have experienced trauma are supported in their practice, both at an individual and organizational level. Given the concepts of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma and burnout as a natural part of working with trauma, it is essential to make sure that clinical social workers are properly supported in their work. With the theoretical understanding of person-in-environment, individuals must be understood in their environment, as both individual and environment constantly influence one another. For this qualitative study, twelve clinical social workers across the United States, in …

The Birds And The Bees Can Have Canes And Wheels : The Sexual Identity Formation Of Women With Visible Physical Disabilities, Clara J. Miller

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The study descriptively examines the views women with visible physical disabilities have on their sexual identity formation. For the purposes of this study, the term sexual identity is defined as an awareness of one's self as a sexual being. 158 self-identified women with visible physical disabilities answered survey questions about their experiences during their adolescent years. Overall, this study found that women with disabilities face the same difficulties as their abled-bodied peers, but face additional struggles having to do with their disability when forming their sexual identity.

Ego Development And Anxiety During Emerging Adulthood, Alexander M. Rascovar

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Emerging adulthood is a time period wrought with many life changes (Arnett, 2000); therefore, periods of anxiety that are distressing and may potentially disrupt or challenge ego growth can be expected. This study addressed the question: What is the relationship between anxiety and ego maturity in emerging adulthood? Wayment, Bauer, and Sylaska (2014) asserted that the ego in higher levels of development is less defended. This means that the defensive personality organization in the "quiet ego" is integrated in higher-level defensive adaptation, but it remains unclear how Sullivan's (1953) concepts of anxiety might interact with varying levels of ego development. …

Self-Love Or Self-Obsession? : A Comparative Theoretical Analysis Of Black Women's Natural Hair Selfies On Social Media, Rachael E. Gardiner

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Whether selfies and use of social media is indicative of rising trends in narcissism in American culture is a ripe debate in academic and popular culture. This theoretical thesis will examine current research on social media usage and narcissism, and consider how aspects of culture, historical, and structural racism complicate understanding of the current trend. This project will consider how oppression of Black women's bodies and perpetuation of European standards of beauty in American culture negatively impacts Black women's self-perception, particularly in relation to their hair. Due to ongoing negative perception and attempts to control Black women's bodies through their …

Capacity For Humanity : An Exploratory Study Into The Use Of Affiliative Humor With Clients Who Experience Paranoid Symptomatology, Lisa Orenstein

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate clinicians' experiences and perceptions about the use of affiliative humor as a means of establishing a bond with a client whom experiences paranoid symptomatology. This population in particular is the most difficult to initially engage and develop a therapeutic alliance with due to their severe level of mistrust and propensity towards misinterpreting interpersonal situations. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore one means of navigating this barrier. Additionally, the findings of this study not only indicate that affiliative humor can be used successfully while working with this population, but …

Conceptualization And Treatment Of Psychoanalytic Envy Through Kleinian/Bionian Lens, Maia Kolchin-Miller

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Envy, like so much in psychoanalytic thought, occupies something of a transitional space between concept and experience. Colloquially, envy is often used to mean something similar to (but worse than) jealousy. Psychoanalytically, the concept/phenomenon/experience is far more complex, however; it is something for which there are many causes and for which there can be no material cure. In this theoretical study of psychoanalytic envy, the work of Melanie Klein and Wilfred Bion are used to develop a conceptualization of envy and formulate recommendations for clinical work with the "envious patient." Case material is used to synthesize their two approaches to …

Theories And Interventions With Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Clients, Charles R. Shealy

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This original qualitative study identifies the theories and techniques therapists have found supportive in their work with Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming clients. Twelve clinicians currently in practice in the New York City area and one clinician from Virginia who had experience working with Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming clients were interviewed. The questions posed to them were intended to guide them to reflect on their practice considering what theories arose as themes in their work and what techniques or approaches arose as supportive in their work with this population. Their responses were in line with the current body of literature reflecting …

The Narratives Of Adult Third Culture Kids : Cultural Identity Development And Psychological Support Upon Reentry To One's Home Country, Yoko Hisano

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study explored the experiences of adults who grew up outside their parents' home country as minor dependents, as known as Third Culture Kids (TCKs), and how their experiences abroad as well as their reentry experience back home shaped their cultural identity development and their psychological health. The research used semi-structured interview questions and interviewed 12 adult TCKs who were of age 30 and over and lived in the US at the time when the study was conducted. One of the incentives for this study was to inform mental health providers to gain a deeper understanding of adult TCKs experiences. …

Jewish Annihilation Anxiety : Diasporic Legacies Of Trauma, Alexandra T. Samets

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This paper presents and discusses the existence of Jewish annihilation anxiety, using both psychoanalytic theory and thinking from critical whiteness studies to do so. First drawing from early psychoanalytic thinking by both Sigmund Freud (1916, 1926, 1933) and Melanie Klein (1935) on the most basic dangers and fundamental anxieties, and then from later psychoanalytic thinking on the role of inherited trauma in creating enduring anxieties across generations, this paper presents the concept of annihilation anxiety as both an internally experienced psychic state and a trauma-induced one. Using the work of Eric Goldstein (2006) on the process and experience of Jewish …

Understanding The Obstacles And Motivations Of Offering Human Sexuality Coursework : An Analysis Of Accredited Msw Programs In The U.S., Nicole M. Nelson

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This mixed methods study aimed to examine the regional variation among MSW programs that offer human sexuality coursework, determine some of the personal obstacles faculty of human sexuality coursework face and the motivations faculty members have in teaching such coursework. After completing a content analysis of 140 accredited MSW programs in the U.S., a series of eight semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with faculty who teach human sexuality coursework. The content analysis surveyed a purposive sample of MSW programs from each of the five regions of the U.S.; the eight participants were also purposively sampled by region. Findings of this …

Talking About Race : How Do White Clinicians Engage In Dialogue About Race In Cross-Racial Therapy With Black Clients?, Elizabeth J. Hare

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study explores how White clinicians engage in dialogue about race in cross-racial therapy with Black clients. Open-ended survey questions were used to gather narrative data from 12 White clinicians who have conducted therapy with Black clients. The central question of this research study is: when, how and why do White clinicians engage in dialogue about race in cross-racial therapy with Black clients? The study investigates how White clinicians think about their choices to broach the subject of race and their perceptions of the therapeutic alliance as it relates to conversations about race and racial difference. It also explores …

Ecotherapists' Perceptions About The Efficacy Of Their Work, Fiona C. Lundy

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative, exploratory study sought to answer the question, what do ecotherapists think makes their nature-based therapy (NBT) work effective and for whom? Twelve American mental health clinicians who practice NBT's (including animal-assisted therapy (AAT), horticultural therapy (HT), nature-reconnection practices (NRP's), and wilderness therapy (WT)) regularly in their professional work were recruited using snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews revealed that practitioners explain NBTs' effectiveness by citing the biological, psychological, spiritual, and therapeutic power of the natural world, the different ways that NBT's are structured, and additional factors that are unknown. Participants shared varied views about whom ecotherapies best serve; some stated …

Relationships That Appear To Contribute To The Development Of An Earned- Secure Attachment, Abby E. Feinberg

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study was undertaken to explore what relationships appear to contribute to the development of an earned- secure attachment with a specific focus on the type and quality of the relationship. Well over 1,000 people received the study through social media requesting participation in a SurveyMonkey survey consisting of 3 screening questions, 14 demographic questions, 6 multiple choice questions, and 4 open ended questions. The screening and demographic questions allowed the 1,035 participants to be categorized by attachment style. The survey items assessed most important current relationship type and quality. The findings of this research corroborated with previous studies that …

Parent Perceptions Of School Violence : A Replication Study, Maria Segura Kwon

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Although not the epidemic the media leads us to believe, incidents of school violence continue to be alarming in any school environment. The purpose of this study was to explore parents of school-aged children's perceptions' towards causes of, solutions for school violence, changes in parental behavior as a result of concerns of violence and opinions of firearms. This study was a partial replication of a study by Bliss et al., conducted in 1999 and published in 2006. Results of this study indicated that, generally, parents continue to believe that matters regarding causes of school violence are bound to issues in …

Love-Melancholy : Revolt Against Mourning, Samantha R. Chaplin

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The aim of this paper is to consider the phenomena of love-melancholy through an object relations framework, conceiving of this phenomena as a revolt against mourning. The theoretical framework utilized is the early object relations concepts introduced by Freud in his 1917 paper Mourning and Melancholia and elaborated by object relations theorist Melanie Klein in her later works. Using the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) as a case example, this writer identifies a developmental process that occurs in resolving the pain of love-melancholy, emphasizing mourning the lost love object as necessary for establishing hope for future attachments.

The Coming Out Process : An Exploratory Study Of Famiies With More Than One Lgbq Sibling, Kimberly Dasso

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore families in which there are more than one Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Queer identified sibling, specifically looking at the coming out process as influenced by another LGBQ sibling. Twelve semi-structured, exploratory interviews were conducted with six sibling sets, aimed at exploring the perceived impact of having a LGBQ sibling with regards to revealing one's sexual identity. All of the participants in this study reported experiencing some level of anxiety and/or fear before coming out, regardless of having an LGBQ sibling. The majority of participants in this study reported feeling closer to their …

Bridging The Gap : Integrating Intersectional Oppression And The Unconscious Mind In Prostitution Discourse, Hannah R. Pocock

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This paper brings intersectional theory into conversation with relational psychoanalytic theory to examine how the interlocking oppressions of race, class, and gender shape and sustain the commercial sexual exploitation of women, and how an intrapsychic analysis can shed light on women's entry into prostitution, they challenges they face in attempting to escape it, and considerations for psychotherapy with prostituted women. This paper attempts to bridge the gap between sturctural and intrapsychic analyses of prostitution, examining the interaction between structural oppression and intrapsychic processes that script multiply marginalized women for prostitution. This analysis challenges the notion of the universal "sex worker" …

The Roots And Implications Of Rape Myth Acceptance In Public Discourse : The Steubenville, Ohio Rape Case, Shannon E. Mackey

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Sexual violence is an endemic problem in the United States. Despite the ubiquity of rape and our legally affirmed agreement that it is a crime, research and observation indicates that people who would not perpetrate sex crimes nonetheless frequently endorse sexual violence through both passive and proactive behaviors. Evidence of such cultural norms can be found in public discourse when we observe how people talk about sexual violence, a concept that has been operationalized in the field of psychology as the rhetoric of rape myths. Using the 2011 Steubenville, Ohio high school rape case, this theoretical project explores psychological and …