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Full-Text Articles in Counseling

Decolonizing Psychotherapy, Nicole D. Taylor Jun 2022

Decolonizing Psychotherapy, Nicole D. Taylor

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This project aims to increase the use and inclusivity of mental health services within marginalized communities by providing education and training tools on the use and application of integrative mental health approaches. It is an offering of guidance, providing a culturally responsive framework for integrating yoga into psychotherapy. The manual aims to reduce systemic, colonialist, barriers to mental health services. This project is founded on the basis that mono-cultural foundations in traditional psychotherapeutic treatments negatively impact the attitudes and beliefs of service seekers, typically within excluded groups. Systems Theory and Critical Race Theory and Social Justice principles inform the application …


Anticipating Success Within Mental Health Training, April Wozencroft Mar 2022

Anticipating Success Within Mental Health Training, April Wozencroft

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The Anticipating Success within Mental Health Training (ASWMHT) provides a 2-day training that consumes two hours a day for a total of two days. This training provides emotion dysregulation techniques that can be done within 2-5 minutes of a patient and provider interaction. The skills promoted throughout this training will be Dialectical Behavioral Therapy informed, which is an evidence-based therapy that has been used in multiple health care facilities and targets severe depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicidal, homicidal, and self-mutilation behaviors. The training focuses on equipping medical doctors who encounter the mental health population with the skills necessary to regulate …


Constructing Bicultural Identity And Shame Resilience In Chinese* Americans, Natalie Wei-Mun Hsieh Sep 2021

Constructing Bicultural Identity And Shame Resilience In Chinese* Americans, Natalie Wei-Mun Hsieh

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Mental health and family therapy professionals must respond to the resurgence of race-based trauma experienced by Asian Americans during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (Cheah et al., 2020). Yet Asian Americans are the lowest helpseeking group for mental health needs (NAMI, n.d.), often due to shame (Masuda & Boone, 2011). Dominant theories of shame resilience (Brown, 2006; Van Vliet, 2008) assume Western norms of an autonomous self, missing important aspects of Asian American collectivist, bicultural, and minority understandings of self, and the salience of interpersonal shame (Wong & Tsai, 2007; Shih et al., 2019; Yeh & Hwang, 2000). Bicultural …


What’S Faith Got To Do With It? Christian Sexual Scripts And The Transition To Marriage, Sandra Abidemi Banjoko Jun 2021

What’S Faith Got To Do With It? Christian Sexual Scripts And The Transition To Marriage, Sandra Abidemi Banjoko

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this research project was to examine how messages from the sociocultural context of conservative Protestant women influence the sexual scripts that inform the beliefs and expression of sexuality in marriage and how they process, navigate, express, and manage their sexuality during the transition from singlehood to marriage. In this grounded theory study interviews were held with 16 married heterosexual conservative Protestant women, all in first marriages of five years or less. The results of this study highlight the gaps in the process of preparation during the women’s premarital experience, exposing the conflict caused by the moral incongruence …


Youth-At Risk Behaviors Within The School System In Trinidad And Tobago, Se-Anne Chance May 2020

Youth-At Risk Behaviors Within The School System In Trinidad And Tobago, Se-Anne Chance

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the interplay of risk and protective factors within the home, school, and individual domains may influence problem behaviors in youth ages 12 to 19 years. Moreover, this research was one of the most recent studies in Trinidad and Tobago that focused primarily on school risk and protective factors. It aimed to examine how school, family, and individual characteristics may shape adolescents’ substance-using, violent, and antisocial behaviors. This relationship was analyzed using the measures of the Community that Cares or CTC instrument. Notably, within relevant literature, it was revealed that teenage behavior …


Task Analysis Of Sert: Exploring The Efficacy Of Feminist Therapy, Gregory B. Donihoo Jun 2019

Task Analysis Of Sert: Exploring The Efficacy Of Feminist Therapy, Gregory B. Donihoo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Feminist theorists have begun to view gendered power as a core component of relational distress (Knudson-Martin & Mahoney, 2009; Moradi, 2012). Leading couples toward equality is a social justice ethic and is arguably a stand-alone clinical outcome (Evans, Kincade, Marbley, & Seem, 2005; Fitzgerald & Betz, 1994). Leading couples toward mutual support brings relational stability and long-term relationship satisfaction in both men and women (Acitelli & Antonucci, 1994; Buunk & Mutsaers, 1999; Mahoney & Knudson-Martin, 2009; Sprecher, 2001). SERT [Socio-emotional Relationship Therapy] was designed to integrate feminist theory as a core component to bringing power change in couples (Knudson-Martin & …


Cancer, Sexual Quality Of Life, And The Dyad: A Qualitative Study, Gabriela E. Gutierrez Mar 2019

Cancer, Sexual Quality Of Life, And The Dyad: A Qualitative Study, Gabriela E. Gutierrez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

As the rate of survivorship continues to increase within oncological care (White, 2007), more attention is being focused on the quality of life and long-term outcomes of cancer survivors (American Cancer Society, 2014). Sexual quality of life (SQOL), which includes both sex and intimacy, have been identified as primary sources of stress among patients and their partners across cancer types (Manne & Badr, 2008; 2010; Manne, Badr, & Kashy, 2012); however, reproductively related cancers, such as breast and gynecologic cancers have especially posed unique challenges to both patients and their partners (Jonsdottir, et al., 2016). It is widely known that …


From Homelessness Toward Self-Sufficiency: A Longitudinal Study Of Families, Elsie S. Lobo Jun 2018

From Homelessness Toward Self-Sufficiency: A Longitudinal Study Of Families, Elsie S. Lobo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Family homelessness is a serious concern in the United States. Recognizing this, increased efforts have been put into housing families through various rapid rehousing initiatives. Little is known, however, about effectively supporting families to transition from these temporary housing programs to sustainable self-sufficiency (Cunningham, Gillespie, & Anderson, 2015). This dissertation is a community-engaged study that examines the needs and experiences of families over time in the No Child Left Unsheltered (NCLU) program, operated by the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB). It uses a mixed-methods, longitudinal design to capture the experiences and needs of families over a …


The Substance Abuse Treatment Experience Of Men Who Have Sex With Men, Scott Sanford Johnson Dec 2017

The Substance Abuse Treatment Experience Of Men Who Have Sex With Men, Scott Sanford Johnson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The following qualitative research study focuses on the substance abuse treatment experiences of men who have sex with men. Current research in this area indicates that while these men sometimes seek treatment for substance abuse issues, their treatment experience can be compromised due to personal fears or ignorance on the part of treatment staff members or others in treatment (Cabaj, 2008; Cheng, 2003; Hellman, Stanton, lee, Tytun, & Vachon, 1989). Specific goals of this study include: (1) gaining insight into the treatment experience(s) of these men and (2) learning about how their individual and collective treatment experience(s) contribute to their …


Living On Borrowed Time: A Longitudinal Examination Of A Time-Limited Housing Voucher Program, Lauren D. Foster Jun 2017

Living On Borrowed Time: A Longitudinal Examination Of A Time-Limited Housing Voucher Program, Lauren D. Foster

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

There are a number of families currently living in poverty across the United States (Census, 2010). These families are often stressed and spread thin in their daily lives. Different governmental supports are used to bolster individuals and families during their experiences of poverty. One such entity is the United States Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUD). This agency provides housing to countless residents each year (HUD, 2016). Much is known about the different program that HUD offers but information is limited what strengths families can bring in that can aid in their experiences while living in poverty. Using Hierarchical …


Dyadic Research In Couple Therapy: The Link Between Attachment And Relationship Satisfaction, Bryson Greaves Jun 2017

Dyadic Research In Couple Therapy: The Link Between Attachment And Relationship Satisfaction, Bryson Greaves

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Couple therapy ranks among the most frequently and diligently researched topics in Marital and Family therapy (MFT). Additionally, intimate partner relationships are a key focal point for clinical intervention with increasingly more couples seeking therapy to address relational conflict, repair emotional injury, and increase intimacy (Lebow, Chambers, Christensen, & Johnson 2012). Rigorous empirical inquiry has suggested that attachment theory is a crucial foundation to understanding relationship distress and increasing relationship satisfaction (Wiebe & Johnson, 2016). Secure attachment between intimate partners can lead to an increase in trust (Pistole, 1993), healthy emotion regulation (Kobak & Hazan, 1991), and positive conflict resolution …


Marriage And Family Therapy And The Law: Discovering Systemic Common Ground, Jason C. Richards Mar 2017

Marriage And Family Therapy And The Law: Discovering Systemic Common Ground, Jason C. Richards

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Many important decisions regarding couples and families are made by the legal system. However, this system’s adversarial nature often results in relational losses for clients, even when one “wins” a case. Some believe a solution may exist in legally-minded marriage and family therapists, who, as experts in family systems theory, are in a unique position to help facilitate healing in a flawed, but well-meaning family court system (Brooks & Madden, 2012; Madden, 2008). However, the literature reveals that new therapists may lack appropriate legal knowledge when they graduate, suggesting a need for different preparation by marriage and family therapy programs …


A Tele-Coaching Intervention To Support Families In The Npp+: An Experimental Mixed Method Design, Wendella Wray Sep 2016

A Tele-Coaching Intervention To Support Families In The Npp+: An Experimental Mixed Method Design, Wendella Wray

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Poverty is the single greatest threat to a child’s well-being. Poverty has been shown to exacerbate child maltreatment (CM) and minimize nurturing parenting. CM is a leading cause of death among children under the age of five in the United States. Both poverty and CM are major public health concerns worldwide with important implications for the family. For over three decades great focus has been placed on developing evidence-based (EB) parenting and family interventions to promote the well-being of high-risk families. Using a conceptual framework guided by elements of the social cognitive theory, attachment theory and family systems theory, this …


Relational Engagement And Empowerment: Establishing A Foundation To Address Gender And Power, Sarah K. Samman Sep 2016

Relational Engagement And Empowerment: Establishing A Foundation To Address Gender And Power, Sarah K. Samman

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Feminist informed therapists view relational distress as a complex reflection of the influences of larger disempowering discourses resulting in gendered power inequalities in heterosexual couple relationships. These disempowering discourses often manifest in males’ socialization to maintain autonomy compared to females’ socialization to orient toward the needs of others (Silverstein, Bass, Tuttle, Knudson-Martin, & Huenergardt, 2006). The general purpose of this study was to bridge the gap between feminist informed theory and practice using the Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy (SERT; Knudson-Martin & Huenergardt, 2010) Model to relieve relational distress in heterosexual intimate partners often caused by these competing discourses toward a relational …


Intimate Partner Violence In A Conservative Christian Denomination: Prevalence And Risk Factors, Carolyn Sallion-Love Jun 2016

Intimate Partner Violence In A Conservative Christian Denomination: Prevalence And Risk Factors, Carolyn Sallion-Love

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examines the prevalence and risk factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) in a Christian denomination. To date, no studies have been found in the literature that looked at IPV in a Christian denomination in South America, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Little is known regarding how church members from these countries experience victimization from IPV. One 2002 Inter-American Division (IAD) data set provides some insight into IPV; and the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church has analyzed cross-sectional data of more than 7,000 SDA respondents from the study area of interest. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) was used to determine if …


Developmental Pedagogy In Marriage And Family Therapy Education, Christopher Russell Hoff Jun 2016

Developmental Pedagogy In Marriage And Family Therapy Education, Christopher Russell Hoff

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

New practice domains are opening up for practitioners of family therapy in the medical, organizational, and human relations fields. In this new environment, family therapy educators and supervisors are required to cross the epistemological spaces of scientist-practitioner, postmodernism, and critical theory. These new possibilities require that family therapist educators become comfortable moving between multiple epistemologies. This poses increasing challenges that will require a hybridization of knowledge and practice approaches in MFT education. Through focus groups consisting of 34 participants, all of who were in their first quarter of a Master’s degree program in Marriage and Family Therapy. We found a …


Exploring Factors In The Relationship Balance Assessment, Thomas B. Luttrell Jun 2016

Exploring Factors In The Relationship Balance Assessment, Thomas B. Luttrell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

While studies have highlighted the role of gendered power in relationships, many assumptions have not been quantitatively tested due to a lack of measures for power. This study uses exploratory factor analysis to construct a dyadic assessment of relative power and equality in relationships. This assessment would be useful for research and for clinical work with couples to help raise awareness of the balance of power in their relationship. Equality is defined as a mutual process in which both partners demonstrate that they hold equal value in the relationship, whereas inequality is when there is a relative imbalance of value …


Paternal Depression In The Peripartum Period: An International Delphi Study, Cassidy J. Freitas Dec 2015

Paternal Depression In The Peripartum Period: An International Delphi Study, Cassidy J. Freitas

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This dissertation aims to reach consensus on the defining factors of Paternal Peripartum Depression (PPPD) as well as identify research priorities through the Delphi method. Peripartum Depression is a major health issue for parents and their children. Fathers are at risk for peripartum depression due to the changes in identity, relationship, and biology they face during their transition to parenthood. A father’s mental health plays an intimate role in the overall health and outcomes of his family, but up until this point has been significantly overlooked. Due to the paucity of research and lack of clear consensus on the identifying …


Predictors Of Placement Satisfaction For Foster Youth, Shereen Mcfarlane Sep 2015

Predictors Of Placement Satisfaction For Foster Youth, Shereen Mcfarlane

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Youth in the foster care system are often removed from their biological families because of challenges to their safety and wellbeing and are often at risk for further placement disruption and poor socio-emotional development. Placement stability is a crucial component to establishing permanency and placement satisfaction might be a contributing factor. This study uses an ecological framework to explore the impact of the foster youth’s ecosystem, such as the foster child, foster parent, child welfare worker, and the placement environment on placement satisfaction. This quantitative study uses secondary data to determine the predictability of these factors on placement satisfaction of …


A Needs Assessment Of Caregiving Parents To Children With Substantial Disabilities, Liza Maria Garcia Sep 2015

A Needs Assessment Of Caregiving Parents To Children With Substantial Disabilities, Liza Maria Garcia

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Parents who have a child with substantial disabilities have two distinct roles, parent and caregiver. This study sought to understand how parental and caregiver roles require distinct skills, attitudes, and behaviors that are affected by the concept of parental ambiguous loss. Using boundary ambiguity as a predictor of ambiguous loss, this study quantitatively explored levels of ambiguous loss experienced by caregiver parents. Results showed that ambiguous loss, as exhibited through boundary ambiguity positively correlated with levels of depression, and anxiety, but was negatively correlated with levels of parental efficacy, parental satisfaction and familial/friend social support. The results of this needs …


Legal Marriage, Civil Unions, Registered Domestic Partnership And Well-Being Among Same-Sex Couples, Naomi J. Schwenke Jun 2015

Legal Marriage, Civil Unions, Registered Domestic Partnership And Well-Being Among Same-Sex Couples, Naomi J. Schwenke

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This dissertation used a quantitative method of analysis to explore well-being among couples with different types of legal unions: legal marriage, civil unions, registered domestic partnership. Specifically, this study examined individual, relational, social, and familial components of well-being. Individuals in legally recognized same-sex relationships were recruited for this study. Participants were asked to complete an internet-based survey. Social constructionism provided the theoretical framework for this study. Results show differences among individuals in legally married unions compared to individuals in all other forms of legal unions on measures of satisfaction with life, psychological and physical well-being. Additionally, the results show strong …


Gender, Power, And Trust Issues In Couple Therapy With Adult-Survivor Couples, Melissa A. Wells Jun 2015

Gender, Power, And Trust Issues In Couple Therapy With Adult-Survivor Couples, Melissa A. Wells

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Although one-third of partners in couple therapy have experienced childhood abuse, our field has developed few specific interventions that address the lingering effects of child abuse on current couple dynamics. A common impact on adult survivors is the struggle to trust their intimate partner. Furthermore, asymmetrical gendered power processes often erode trust. Given the propensity for adult-survivor couples to experience a distrusting emotional culture, this dissertation studied the effect of gendered power dynamics on trust in partner interactions, as well as identified clinical processes of Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy (SERT) that helped adult-survivor couples change power disparities to a mutually supportive …


Prostate Cancer Screening Of Heterosexual Caribbean American And African American Men And Their Partners, Horatius C. Gittens Mar 2015

Prostate Cancer Screening Of Heterosexual Caribbean American And African American Men And Their Partners, Horatius C. Gittens

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The incidence and prevalence of prostate cancer are very alarming among men in general, among African American men more narrowly, and among Caribbean American men more specifically. While the disease has variable impact on men of different racial and ethnic backgrounds the impact of the disease on diagnosed Caribbean American men and their families is of particular importance. Prostate cancer screening decisions and behaviors can be very helpful in prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery from prostate cancer. This research uses a symbolic interactionist framework within a family systems approach towards evaluating and understanding the experience of prostate cancer screening …


Intergenerational Congruence In Chinese American Young Adults, Kimberly Doe Sep 2014

Intergenerational Congruence In Chinese American Young Adults, Kimberly Doe

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Chinese American families are often underrepresented within the family therapy literature. This grounded theory study used a symbolic interaction framework to understand how second generation young adults locate themselves within the larger cultural context to construct an individual ideology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Chinese American young adults between the ages of 18-24. Family and cultural experiences influences how young adults develop and transition from childhood to adolescence to young adulthood. This study suggests the importance for family therapists to identify Chinese American young adults’ experiences and their development to understand how multiple factors impact their construction of “I”.


Minority Parents' Narratives Of Living With Their Child With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Monique Willis Sep 2014

Minority Parents' Narratives Of Living With Their Child With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Monique Willis

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Previous studies addressing the impact of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on the family focus largely on the Caucasian population (Cassidy, McConkey, Truesdale-Kennedy, & Slevin, 2008; Hebert & Koulouglioti, 2010; N. Johnson, Frenn, Feetham, & Simpson, 2011; Myers, Mackintosh, & Goin-Kochel, 2009; Rao & Beidel, 2009). There is a dearth of research examining the impact of ASD on family dynamics in marginal groups. This study attempts to add to the sparse literature and to increase understanding of the specific experiences of minority parents of children with ASD. Family systems theory, family systems-illness model, and social constructivism frameworks inform this study and …


Development Of A Divorce Recovery Program For Korean American Women, Jua Grace Kim Jun 2014

Development Of A Divorce Recovery Program For Korean American Women, Jua Grace Kim

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study is a needs assessment of first generation immigrant, separated and divorced Christian Korean-American women for the purpose of developing a divorce recovery program. A large number of divorced Korean-American women currently do not receive adequate support from their communities, whether from the church or from their social networks (Kim, B., Titterinton, Kim, Y., & Wells, 2010; Lee & Scott, 2009; Son, 2011). This inadequate support may in part be due to the lack of a research community investigating the issues that Korean-American women face during divorce (Lee & Scott, 2009). The complexity of the divorce recovery process for …


Co-Constructing Cultural Attunement With Latino Clients In Couple Therapy, Marco Antonio Elias-Juarez Jun 2014

Co-Constructing Cultural Attunement With Latino Clients In Couple Therapy, Marco Antonio Elias-Juarez

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

There is a need for culturally attuned approaches for couple’s therapy with Mexican/ Mexican-American people (Falicov, 2009). However, there have been few theoretical frameworks to conceptualize cultural attunement, and attunement has been primarily understood as a skill or as an attitude rather than as a relationship or as a series of clinical concepts with steps to follow (Hoskins, 1999; Oakes, 2011). From the social constructionist perspective, cultural attunement is related to the cultural context and cultural interactions that shape beliefs and attitudes about what is meaningful in establishing deep relationships for Latino and non-Latino therapists and their Mexican and Mexican-American …


Illness As A Relational Process: Qualitative Analysis Of Couple Therapy With Liver Patients, Elizabeth Ashley Patrick Jun 2014

Illness As A Relational Process: Qualitative Analysis Of Couple Therapy With Liver Patients, Elizabeth Ashley Patrick

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The medical model traditionally emphasizes individual biological disease and is often unable to attend to the many ways illness impacts families and couples. Due to the focus on the biological process of disease, couples often struggle with the relational experience of illness. Quantitative research has provided ample evidence that couples coping with chronic illness from a relational orientation experience more positive outcomes than couples that cope individually. In this study, 25 therapy videos were analyzed with particular attention to how couples with liver disease work in therapy to shift to a relational illness orientation. Analyzed through a feminist lens, the …


Navigating Postmodernism & Critical Theory In Family Therapy, Justine Anne White Jun 2014

Navigating Postmodernism & Critical Theory In Family Therapy, Justine Anne White

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Postmodern and critical theories have become important theoretical paradigms encouraging therapists to honor diversity and combat oppressive social structures and practices. However, at times, these two paradigms have been thought to position therapists in contradictory ways, with critical models advocating for activism and postmodern models encouraging pluralism. In many ways, these two therapeutic positions have come to characterize two distinct ways of conceptualizing therapist roles, with little conversation about how to embrace both stances in clinical practice. Through a grounded theory analysis, fifteen family therapists known for working within postmodern and critical paradigms shared with us how they navigate between …


Marital Selflessness Scale (Mss): An Exploratory Factor Analysis, Marj Buchholz-Castronova Jun 2014

Marital Selflessness Scale (Mss): An Exploratory Factor Analysis, Marj Buchholz-Castronova

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

There has been an increasing momentum in the field of marriage and family therapy to attune the therapy process to the client’s socio-culture influences; however when this socio-cultural influence includes spirituality there is often a restraint in the attuning. While there are several explanations for this, two rationales rise to the surface: therapist not feeling adequately trained to attune to spirituality and lack of validated tools to effectively measure this socio-cultural influence of spirituality. When working with couple’s this can be even more complicated as validated dyadic measures are limited and those that exist usually measure spirituality through a global …