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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Weight-Based Microaggressions Experienced By Obese Women In Psychotherapy, Kerri Jo Schafer
Weight-Based Microaggressions Experienced By Obese Women In Psychotherapy, Kerri Jo Schafer
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
A large body of research demonstrates the existence of weight bias in healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and dietitians (Budd, Mariotti, Graff, & Falkenstein, 2011). Very few published studies examine mental health providers' attitudes toward obese clients, but a small body of existing data suggests that mental health providers attribute more negative personal attributes to fictional obese clients and rate them as having more severe symptoms than their average weight counterparts (Agell & Rothblum, 1991; Hassel, Amici, Thurston, & Gorsuch, 2001; Young & Powell, 1985). Given these findings, it is important to understand whether obese clients experience mental health professionals …
A Meta-Analytic Review Of The Relationships Between The Therapeutic Alliance, Empathy, And Genuineness In Individual Adult Psychotherapy., Jacob B. Nienhuis
A Meta-Analytic Review Of The Relationships Between The Therapeutic Alliance, Empathy, And Genuineness In Individual Adult Psychotherapy., Jacob B. Nienhuis
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation explored the relationship between the therapeutic alliance and perceptions of therapist empathy and genuineness through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Alliance, empathy, and genuineness are each integral parts of the therapeutic relationship. Prior meta-analyses demonstrated that alliance, empathy, and genuineness each had a moderate relationship to therapy outcome. No previous analysis has explored how therapist empathy and genuineness contribute to the therapeutic alliance. Studies for this analysis were obtained through a multi-part search strategy. Out of 2,141 obtained abstracts, 46 studies contained enough data for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Thirty-six studies reported alliance/empathy relationships, six studies reported alliance/genuineness …
Unexpected Dramatic Change In Psychotherapy: Comparing Three Methods, Joseph Richard Horner
Unexpected Dramatic Change In Psychotherapy: Comparing Three Methods, Joseph Richard Horner
Theses and Dissertations
Unexpected dramatic changes in psychotherapy have been observed historically and tied to high recovery rates. Many different methodologies that identify these changes are assumed to be capturing similar or identical phenomena. This study compared three methods – Sudden Gains (SG), Percentage Increase – 50% (PI-50%), and Rapid Response (RR) - in a large database looking for similarities and differences. Results suggest that there are significant differences between SG, RR, and PI-50 as methods for operationally defining unexpected dramatic treatment response, and caution should be used when referring to SG, PI-50, and RR as the same phenomenon or interchangeable terms for …
Youth Motivation As A Predictor Of Treatment Outcomes In A Community Mental Health System, Brett M. Merrill
Youth Motivation As A Predictor Of Treatment Outcomes In A Community Mental Health System, Brett M. Merrill
Theses and Dissertations
The role of motivation in relation to youth symptoms and psychotherapy outcomes is not well understood. Some cross-sectional research suggests that motivation predicts youth treatment outcome in low-motivation populations. The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of change in youth motivation over the course of treatment and to elucidate the relation between motivation, youth symptoms, and psychotherapy outcomes in a routine community mental health setting. Participants and their caregivers were from three community mental health outpatient clinics and completed youth or parent forms of the Youth Outcome Questionnaire (Y-OQ) and Treatment Support Measure (TSM) at frequent intervals throughout …
An Exploratory Mixed Methodology Study Into The Theoretical Foundation Of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Bradford Tyler Dawson
An Exploratory Mixed Methodology Study Into The Theoretical Foundation Of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Bradford Tyler Dawson
Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations
Equine-assisted psychotherapy is emerging as a new alternative therapy method. As the field is new, there is limited amount of research looking at the current theoretical foundation being utilized in the therapeutic process. This study aims to explore the field of equine-assisted psychotherapy and its current theoretical foundation. The main question guiding this study was: What are the therapeutic theories and themes guiding the current practice of equine-assisted psychotherapy? The study consisted of six in-person qualitative interviews with current practitioners of equine-assisted psychotherapy. A short Likert-type scale was also used to quantitatively gather descriptive statistics about theories currently being used …
Embracing Counseling And Psychotherapy In Kenya, Faith Mueni Masambia
Embracing Counseling And Psychotherapy In Kenya, Faith Mueni Masambia
Educational Specialist, 2009-2019
This paper looks at the status of mental health in Kenya with specific focus on counseling and psychotherapy. It looks at the history of counseling and psychotherapy in Kenya, counselor educations programs, accreditation, licensure and certification, current counseling and psychotherapy theories, processes and trends, and research and supervision. Its purpose is to examine how counseling and psychotherapy is developing in Kenya. It explores how Western methods of psychotherapy are being incorporated in treatment of individuals with mental illness. It also looks at possible ways in which traditional methods of healing can be incorporated into the treatment of mental illness. This …
Modifying Psychotherapy When Working With An Adult Diagnosed With A Co-Occurring Intellectual Disability And Mental Disorder, Jesse Virgil Buchner
Modifying Psychotherapy When Working With An Adult Diagnosed With A Co-Occurring Intellectual Disability And Mental Disorder, Jesse Virgil Buchner
Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers
Adults diagnosed with an intellectual disability are three to four times more likely than the general population to be diagnosed with a mental disorder. There are traditionally four classifications of intellectual disability: mild, moderate, severe, and profound. Each classification has characteristics that limit the cognitive functioning and abilities of the individual affected. This qualitative research was developed to explore the question of what might constitute some emerging best practices used in modifying psychotherapy when working with adults with a diagnosed intellectual disability and mental disorder. Five current and former psychotherapists and one psychiatrist served as respondents for the project. The …
Mindfulness In Traditional Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Study, Andrea M. Dorn
Mindfulness In Traditional Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Study, Andrea M. Dorn
Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers
Empirically tested research suggests the effectiveness and applicability of mindfulness interventions in psychotherapy to treat or provide supplemental treatment to a variety of mental health disorders, to improve the therapeutic alliance, and to promote self-care and use of self in clinicians. Despite the successes of mindfulness in the mental health community, only a select culture of clinicians utilize mindfulness techniques in their practice. In order to explore how mindfulness can impact the therapeutic process, a qualitative study was conducted. Seven clinicians who currently practice mindfulness and who utilize mindfulness-based and mindfulness-informed interventions in clinical practice were interviewed. The interviews explored …
Individual Differences In Psychotherapy Change Among Ethnic Minority Patients, Joan Lenore Degeorge
Individual Differences In Psychotherapy Change Among Ethnic Minority Patients, Joan Lenore Degeorge
Doctoral Dissertations
There is limited research on ethnic minorities in psychotherapy, particularly with regard to the process of change. Most existing studies subscribe to a “uniformity myth” in which individual differences across and within minority groups are often masked or ignored because of an assumption of shared characteristics and experiences. The primary aim of this study was to address the gap in research on individual differences in psychotherapeutic change by analyzing a large sample of adult patients (N = 2,272) of varying ethnicity who received psychotherapy across various naturalistic settings. The treatment settings all participated in a national practice-research network, administering …
Same-Sex Couples' Lived Experiences Of The Repeal Of The Defense Of Marriage Act's (Doma) Section Three, Alicia Anne Bosley
Same-Sex Couples' Lived Experiences Of The Repeal Of The Defense Of Marriage Act's (Doma) Section Three, Alicia Anne Bosley
Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects
Same-sex couples are affected by the social and political climates in which they live, as these create the difference between acceptance and legalization, and discrimination and prohibition, of their relationships. This contingence is made increasingly impactful by the privileges and protections afforded to married couples by the federal government; same-sex couples, along with other couples that choose not to, or cannot, marry, are excluded from these benefits. Following the June 26, 2013 ruling that Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage as between a man and a woman, was unconstitutional, same-sex couples were given access …
Predicting Use Of Evidence-Based Treatments By Helping Professionals For The Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Sean A. Lafleur
Predicting Use Of Evidence-Based Treatments By Helping Professionals For The Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Sean A. Lafleur
ETD Archive
Research suggests that evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for posttraumatic stress disorder are underutilized by counselors, psychologists, and other helping professionals (Becker, Zayfert, & Anderson, 2004 Van Minnen, Hendriks, & Olff, 2010). The current study examined factors that may predict use of EBTs by helping professionals including theoretical orientation, workplace setting, training, client preference, and highest degree held by the helping professional. Training was the only factor found to significantly predict the use of EBTs, suggesting that training may be key in disseminating EBTs and increasing their use
Impacts Of The Recovery Movement On Treatment Adherence For Individuals With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Kelly J. Campanile
Impacts Of The Recovery Movement On Treatment Adherence For Individuals With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, Kelly J. Campanile
PCOM Psychology Dissertations
The recovery movement presents a shift in the treatment of severe mental illness to a more person-centered approach. The current researcher hypothesized that the more recovery-oriented a treatment was perceived to be, the more participants would have attended appointments and adhered to their psychiatric medication regimen. The variables of empowerment, recovery assessment, attitudes toward treatment, and participatory decision-making were explored in relation to their possible correlation with increased treatment adherence. An archival data set was used. Participants included 215 adults who met criteria for a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The participants generally rated their treatment as high on all four of …
Why Activists Seek Psychotherapy, Collin B. Lee
Why Activists Seek Psychotherapy, Collin B. Lee
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This exploratory study aimed to identify reasons why people who identify as activists seek psychotherapy. The literature on social movements supports the claim that activists are highly motivated individuals who seek to create meaning through work to promote social change, and as a result are exposed to a complex array of social forces that are institutional and interpersonal. As a collective social behavior, involvement in social movements allows activists to develop strong relationships with others while also becoming exposed to the risks of conflict and disapproval of others. Given that these relational factors and the nature of their organizing work …
Maybe We Really Are What We Eat : Implications Of Nutrition And Mental Illness Research For Clinical Practice, Leslie H. Rosenberg
Maybe We Really Are What We Eat : Implications Of Nutrition And Mental Illness Research For Clinical Practice, Leslie H. Rosenberg
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
In light of our nation's growing obesity epidemic, this paper will explore the growing body of research indicating clear links between nutrition and mental health, and the implications for clinicians treating mental illness in chronically ill clients who are overweight or obese. I will analyze the intersection between nutrition and mental illness according to the concepts of motivational interviewing (MI) and Irwin Yalom's group therapy theory in order to inform social work practice with these adults. Medical professionals who tend to shoulder the responsibility of addressing diet concerns in mentally ill patients rarely have adequate time nor training to fully …
Exploring Clinicians' Use Of Evidence-Based Interventions That Treat Attachment Problems Between Children, Five Years Of Age And Under, And Their Primary Caregivers, Jean Faucher
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This exploratory quantitative study was an attempt to address the dearth of research regarding the use of attachment-focused evidence-based treatments (AF EBT) in the clinical setting. Thirty-eight Master’s level or higher licensed mental health clinicians who work with children that are five years old and under, as well as with their primary caregivers, were surveyed via an anonymous web based questionnaire. The survey explored clinicians’ level of awareness, training, use, adaptation, and perceived effectiveness regarding four AF EBTs, as well as potential barriers that may have impeded their use. The AF EBTs were Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-UP …
Who Cares? : Psychotherapy As Care Work, Explored Through Socialist Feminist And Relational Perspectives, Sarah L. Beller
Who Cares? : Psychotherapy As Care Work, Explored Through Socialist Feminist And Relational Perspectives, Sarah L. Beller
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This project was undertaken to better understand psychotherapy within the broader historical concept of "care work." The methodological approach involved using key concepts from feminist socialist theory and relational theory to explore what it means to consider psychotherapy as care work. The two theories helped flesh out some of the tensions between "care" and "work," as well as illuminated the way that the line between the two might be seen as a dichotomy. The project has implications for psychotherapists practicing within the United States system of the "White supremacist capitalist patriarchy" who want to engage in a co-created journey with …
Does The Supervisory Working Alliance Moderate Psychotherapy Trainee's Personal Distress Empathy And Trait Arousability As Predictors Of Vicarious Traumatization, Jill Eileen Deltosta
Does The Supervisory Working Alliance Moderate Psychotherapy Trainee's Personal Distress Empathy And Trait Arousability As Predictors Of Vicarious Traumatization, Jill Eileen Deltosta
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
This study sought to contribute to the extant literature regarding clinical training and Vicarious Traumatization (VT; McCann & Pearlman, 1990) by exploring aspects of clinical supervision and psychology trainee characteristics as antecedents. By replicating and extending dissertation work by Fama (2003) and Moosman (2002), this study specifically investigated the supervisory working alliance (SWA; Bahrick), personal distress empathy (PDE; Davis, 1983), and trait arousability (TA; Mehrabian, 1995) as they relate to VT in psychology trainees. It was hypothesized that SWA would moderate the relations between PDE and VT, as well as between TA and VT, such that as working alliance increased, …