Counseling Commons^™

Compassion And Self-Compassion: Conceptualization Of And Application To Adjustment To Disability, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

For many, disability may ignite feelings of grief, sadness, loss, and/or emotional pain. Others discover they harbor negative or self-critical thoughts and beliefs (i.e., blame) which compounds and complicates the personal coping process. Adjustment to disability models exist to help persons with disabilities and professionals understand or explain their negative thoughts, feelings, and experiences; yet, they do not overtly discuss or address emerging skills and approaches such as compassion and selfcompassion as a part of the disability adjustment process. In an effort to change this trend, an eclectic theoretical model which infuses self-compassion and compassion-based techniques has been developed. Rehabilitation …

Spirituality Transformative Psychotherapy: Repairing Spiritual Damage And Facilitating Extreme Well-Being (Review), Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Spirituality is personal and is an individualized journey. For some, it is connected to religious beliefs and practices (i.e., Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism). For others, spirituality is not and may be about personal learning, insight, and transformation. Still others may view spirituality as a part one’s cultural heritage and ethnic background. While some people believe in God or a Higher Being, others do not. When hurt and trauma occur, the situation often becomes more complex because peoples’ beliefs and values are challenged and brought into question. Some may “fall away” from their beliefs or “upbringing” and feel that they have …

Examining The Practicum Experience To Increase Counseling Students’ Self-Efficacy, James Ikonomopoulos, Javier Cavazos Vela, Wayne D. Smith, Julia Dell'aquila

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Counseling graduate students may begin practicum with low self-efficacy regarding their counseling abilities and skills. In the current study, we implemented a small-series (N = 11) single-case research design to assess the effectiveness of the practicum experience to increase counseling students’ self-efficacy. Analysis of participants’ scores on the Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scale yielded treatment effects indicating that the practicum experience encompassing direct services, group supervision, and triadic supervision may be effective for increasing counselor self-efficacy. Given that the practicum experience with triadic supervision was a promising approach for improving counseling graduate students’ selfefficacy, we provide implications for counselor educators to …

Resilience And Disability: Creation Of An Online Course For Professionals, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Resilience is an area of emerging interest among counselors, psychologists, and allied helping professionals. Much of this has occurred due to the advent of the Positive Psychology Movement. Despite this recent surge of interest, rehabilitation counseling has been well acquainted with factors and skills related to positive coping and adjustment among persons with disabilities. Yet, a recent survey conducted by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) found that rehabilitation counselors reported an interest in learning about skills and techniques related to resilience. For this reason the author was asked to develop an on-line course for CRCC pertaining to resilience …

Disability And Forgiveness: An Intervention To Promote Positive Coping For Persons With Disabilities, Susan Stuntzner, Angela Macdonald

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Disability is an event that forever changes a person's life. Throughout the coping and adaptation process, many experience negative thoughts and feelings such as anger, anxiety, depression, and multiple forms of frustration. Some of these may be related to a disability, while others are by-products of the negative experiences, attitudes, and treatment of persons with disabilities. These include societal barriers and injustices and changes and losses that often accompany a disability. Counseling professionals can assist persons with disabilities in learning to improve their coping process by learning about approaches and, in this case, interventions to help promote healing and positive …

Meeting The Mental Health Needs Of Syrian Refugees In Turkey, Mehmet A. Karaman, Richard J. Ricard

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Movements such as the Arab Spring (as described by popular media) and recent regional conflicts have forced people to leave their homes and flee to other countries or regions. Syrian refugees are currently the second largest refugee group worldwide, with half of them resettled in Turkey. Turkish government and non-governmental civil organizations have mobilized efforts to address the immediate survival needs of these refugees such as food, shelter and other provisions. Despite efforts to manage the complexity of mental health and social service needs of forcibly displaced people, counseling services are still lacking. This expository article addresses the mental health …

Hypnobirth: Theories And Practices For Healthcare Professionals By Yulia Watters (Review), Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Hypnobirth: Theories and Practices for Healthcare Professionals is a book written for mental health and medical professionals, and caregivers intimately involved in the birthing process of the expectant mother. It is intended to inform professionals and individuals about the relevance and role of hypnobirthing during the pregnancy and birthing process and to help them understand the connection between medical and alternative health practices. Because of this, professionals are provided with the opportunity to learn and understand that one approach (i.e., medical versus alternative practices) does not have to necessarily exclude the other and there is a place for both throughout …

Forgiveness And Disability: Reconsideration Of Forgiveness As A Vital Component Of The Rehabilitation Counseling Profession, Susan Stuntzner, Jacquelyn A. Dalton

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Forgiveness and self-forgiveness is an area of growing interest in the allied helping professions. In recent years, the study of forgiveness has been expanded to a number of different populations. However, forgiveness as a construct, a model of understanding to cope with difficult and hurtful people, and as an intervention has not been fully considered and explored in the rehabilitation counseling profession. To help rehabilitation counseling professionals better understand the importance of forgiveness as it relates to disability, this article explains the meaning of forgiveness and self-forgiveness, barriers that inhibit the development of forgiveness, models of forgiveness, and empirical research …

Balancing Self-Compassion With Self-Advocacy: A New Approach For Persons With Disabilities Learning To Self-Advocate, Susan Stuntzner, Michael Hartley

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Self-advocacy and self-compassion are concepts typically not perceived as related or as skills which hold great value when infused. Learning to self-advocate can be a challenging task for many persons with disabilities. Oftentimes people are not afforded access to information on how to self-advocate. As a result, many people must struggle to figure out if, when, and how to self-advocate. In an effort to change this trend, the present article argues that self-compassion connects self-advocacy and empowerment while also reinforcing an underlying message that individuals do not need to be rescued and are not victims of their environments. Self-advocacy is …

Comparison Of Two Online Interventions To Cope With Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study, Susan Stuntzner, Michael Hartley, Ruth Lynch, Robert Enright

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disability and life experience that may suddenly, drastically, and forever change a person’s life. While psychosocial interventions and support services are typically integrated within the acute rehabilitation process, there is limited research on psychosocial interventions and support services after individuals have been discharged from the hospital and are living in their communities again. To address this void and important need, two interventions were administrated through an online website to people who had lived with a spinal cord injury (SCI) for at least one year. Results found that both Enright’s (2001) forgiveness intervention and Kennedy …

The Mindful Path To Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself From Destructive Thoughts And Emotions By Christopher Germer (Review), Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

The books begins by explaining peoples’ tendency to resist, suppress, or escape their emotional and mental pain. The author, Dr. Christopher Germer, helps the reader understand that by doing so, people actually create more personal, mental, and emotional pain for themselves. More specifically, he lays out in an easy-to-understand equation that pain compounded by resistance equates to more suffering (p. 15). While experiencing pain is a part of the human experience, Germer (2009) explains that “suffering is optional” (p. 16), meaning that people do not need to compound their experiences and make them worse. Rather than resist our pain, the …

Women With Disabilities In The Workplace: A Need For Advancement Opportunities, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Women in the workplace is not a new concept, particularly given the fact they constitute about half of the workforce in many countries. Despite their increased presence, women continue to be challenged in their ability to advance within the workplace or, in some instances, acquire solid, well-paying, meaningful positions. Reasons for this are varied. Women continue to find themselves charged with the responsibility of maintaining their home and raising their children while also being a part of the workforce; thus, causing them to consider a non-linear career or employment path. Others may not have been raised or encouraged from a …

Forgiveness: A Vital Skill To Cope With Employment Issues, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Forgiveness is a topic most people probably associate with personal values, spirituality, or religiosity. It may even be considered in relation to living a healthier lifestyle but not in relation to employment concerns or injustices. Despite, its traditional associations and the perspectives most commonly held, forgiveness is a value, a practice, and a way of life that benefits to person who practices it more than the person who committed the offense, hurt, or perceived wrongdoing. Forgiveness is also a skill and a process which can be learned or taught and has value in regards to employment issues and concerns.

Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up And Leave Insecurity Behind By: Dr. Kristen Neff (Review), Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

In her book, Dr. Neff helps the reader understand self-compassion and its importance. She clarifies the essential components which make up compassion, as much of this is also discussed throughout her research. In addition, she explains benefits and constructive reasons to consider self-compassion and applies it to various life domains to which we all can relate due to our being human. Finally, Dr. Neff ends her book with a beautiful illustration of the ways we can emerge ‘for the better’ when we are on the other side of our difficult times and when we have incorporated self-compassion into our lives …

A Life Beyond Endurance By: Fay Grindrod (Review), Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

The author of this book is one such individual. Ms. Grindrod witnessed the Holocaust from an early age, saw and experienced the devastating effects of it firsthand. Grindrod opens the book with a synopsis of her time and experiences as a master’s student in a guidance and counseling program. During this portion of her life, she is afforded an opportunity to explore and write about her own (a) personal and life development; (b) familial experiences growing up and those that occurred during the Holocaust; (c) testimonial witnessing to mass starvation amongst people she knew; and (d) stark observations of friends, …

Implementing A Holistic Approach To Enhance Career Opportunities For Transition Students With Disabilities, Susan Stuntzner, Bryan Austin

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Transition services are vitally important and an essential component of successful employment, career planning, self-determination, and independent living for students with disabilities. Public schools strive to meet the federal mandates placed upon them to help this group of students reach graduation and beyond. However, students with disabilities oftentimes fall short and do not succeed following high school. In an effort to change this trend, information pertaining to transition services and ways it can be enhanced are provided. This chapter addresses: the necessity of transition services and its relationship to federal legislation, barriers that inhibit students’ successful transition to adult life, …

Resiliency And Coping With Disability: The Family After, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

The content of this book was also intended to be used as a starting place for families to sort out and make sense of their experiences with self, life, other people, and society following disability. I believe this to be very important because the process of figuring out what to do following disability is often murky and extremely vague. It is my hope that readers can take the information provided and apply it to situations of childhood disability (e.g., congenital conditions), acquired disability (e.g., later onset such as TBI, SCI), or age-related disability (e.g., dementia, Alzheimer’s disease), although the specific …

Family Resilience Following Disability: Enhancing Counselors’ Skills, Susan Stuntzner, Michael Hartley

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Resilience is a relatively new research concept that has yet to receive the attention it needs to be adequately applied to individuals with disabilities and their families. Resilience as an approach, solution, or set of skills has scantly been applied to families dealing with the advent of disability. The information provided is intended to change this trend. Counselors can enhance their work with families living with a disability by understanding ways disability may influence family functioning and how familial coping impacts personal coping and adaptation to disability, as well as utilizing strategies to help families become more resilient following disability.

Resilience: A Pathway To Healthier And Happier Living, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Resilience….What does it mean? How does a person acquire it? What is its relationship to disability, employment, and quality of life? These are some questions people may ponder when they hear it used in conjunction with disability, employment, and healthier living.

While the expectation of being resilient following a traumatic or life changing event is an embedded value within our culture, resilience is not a topic often discussed or readily understood. It is either assumed it will just materialize or it is simply expected. Such beliefs are not necessarily helpful because there are times in all peoples’ lives when situations …

Stuntzner's Forgiveness Intervention: Learning To Forgive Yourself And Others, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

In an effort to help persons with disabilities learn to forgive and to achieve a more peaceful and serene way of life, a seven module forgiveness intervention has been developed. While the full intervention consists of seven modules, some professionals, depending on the person, group, or situation, may tailor the process to only six modules. This is because an additional but specific module (i.e., Module 2) was added for women with disabilities. While many of the experiences, feelings, beliefs, and personal hurts or offenses are similar regardless of gender, it was felt that an additional module be included for women …

Understanding Perceived Differences Between Successful And Struggling First-Year Mexican American College Students: An Exploratory Study, Javier Cavazos Vela, Michael B. Johnson, Veronica Castro, James Ikonomopoulos

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this exploratory study, we conducted in-depth interviews with university seminar instructors to discover perceived differences between successful and struggling first-year Latina/o college students. Several factors emerged from interviews to differentiate successful and struggling Latina/o college students. These factors include assimilation, motivation to pursue goals, family knowledge and resources, family social class, different preparation for postsecondary education, and different levels of support and encouragement in high school. We provide recommendations for high school counselors and researchers.

High School Counselors’ Support And Latina/O Students’ Career Development, Javier Cavazos Vela, Brandé Flamez, Ashley Clark

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current study examined the impact of high school counselors' support of Latina/o students' career development outcomes. We used a quantitative, predictive design to explore Latina/o students' vocational self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Perceptions of investment, accessibility, positive regard, appraisal, and expectations from school counselors did not impact Latina/o students' vocational self-efficacy or outcome expectations. In addition to a discussion regarding the importance of these findings, implications for school counselors and researchers are offered.

Self-Compassion And Employment Issues Of Persons With Disabilities, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Self-compassion……..What is it? Why is it of value? How does it relate to the employment needs of persons with disabilities? These are just a few of the questions people might have when they hear the term followed by having it associated with employment and persons with disabilities. For starters, self-compassion is not a topic that has been historically discussed openly, correctly understood, or promoted. Instead, the societal message when faced with difficult life events such as disability, unemployment, and lack of resources (i.e., access, education) has been one of “just man up and deal with it.” Self-compassion offers everyone, including …

Living With A Disability: A Gateway To Practicing Forgiveness And Compassion, Susan Stuntzner, Jacquelyn Dalton

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Forgiveness and compassion are two helpful approaches toward reducing the emotional, psychological, and spiritual anxiety brought about by negative and harmful experiences. Disability, forgiveness, and compassion are terms that may not be thought of in relation to one another, but here the authors introduce the idea that the experience of living with a disability can be an opportunity to practice forgiveness or compassion, whether directed toward one’s self or toward others. Forgiveness and compassion are similar yet unique practices that influence the emotional well-being. The experience of disability includes both the disabling life event (in the case of acquired disabilities) …

Compassion & Self-Compassion: Exploration Of Utility As Potential Components Of The Rehabilitation Counseling Profession, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Compassion and self-compassion are two constructs emerging within the research as useful agents in reducing negative thoughts,feelings, and outcomes while also promoting positive ones. To date, these constructs have not been studied or applied to the rehabilitation counseling profession or the needs of individuals with disabilities. In an effort to bridge this gap and to enhance rehabilitation counseling professionals' awareness of their potential value, an in-depth review of the literature and research on these two constructs was conducted. Throughout this article, compassion and self-compassion are more clearly conceptualized and barriers which may hinder their development are discussed. A review of …

The Effects Of Barriers, Acculturation, And Academic Goals On Latina/O Students’ Academic Performance, Javier Cavazos Vela, Michael B. Johnson, Leticia Cavazos, James Ikonomopoulos, Stacey Lee Gonzalez

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current study explored 112 Latina/o college students’ perceptions of barriers, acculturation, academic goals, and academic performance. Acculturation to the Anglo culture and academic goals were positively related to college performance. Perceptions of career barriers also had a positive relationship with college performance. A discussion regarding the importance of these findings is provided and implications for counselors are offered.

Reflections From The Past: Life Lessons For Better Living., Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

The sections and skills presented in this book are a compilation of areas sometimes discussed throughout the disability literature as factors thought to be associated with adjustment, coping, and resiliency combined with my personal experience of learning how to deal with and overcome various situations. This book is broken down into 10 areas that are often discussed in relation to adjustment, coping, and resiliency. Within each section are the various “skills” I have used or further refined out of necessity when living with a visible condition. Most of these skills I have learned to use and incorporate as a regular …

Resilience, Coping, & Disability: The Development Of A Resilience Intervention, Susan Stuntzner, Michael Hartley

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Learning to live with a disability can be a significant transition, and many individuals struggle with the complex challenge of examining how the disability will affect who they are and what their role is in society. Counseling professionals can play a key role in helping individuals address common psychological and social barriers associated with disability. Focused specifically on promoting resilience among individuals with disabilities, the present article provides the rationale for the development of a resilience intervention for counseling professionals to define and better support how individuals transition to living with a disability. Implications address how counseling professionals can use …

Disability And The Counseling Relationship: What Counselors Need To Know, Susan Stuntzner, Michael Hartley

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Disability is often misunderstood by counseling professionals and society. More often than not, persons without disability perceive it as a negative event and as something undesired, although this is not necessarily the experience or belief of many persons with a disability. Counselors that work with persons with disabilities and their families need to understand the experience and process of disability. Unfortunately, many counseling and psychology programs do not offer extensive training in this area. In an effort to enhance counselors’ understanding and effectiveness when counseling persons with disabilities, the authors provide pertinent and relevant information to help individuals respond successfully …

Self-Compassion And Sexuality: A New Model For Women With Disabilities, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sexuality and self-compassion are two concepts which have not been previously considered or combined when discussing the needs of women with disabilities. Sexuality, by itself, is a challenging topic for many counselors to address, let alone in combination with the needs of women with disabilities. Additionally, self-compassion is an emerging area which has rarely been applied to the needs of women with disabilities. In an effort to bridge this gap and to improve the sexual adjustment counseling services offered to women with disabilities, barriers which affect sexual adjustment, sexual concerns, and an illustration of ways to infuse sexuality into the …