Counseling Commons^™

The Integration Of Neuroscience And Counseling Using Neuroeducation In Trauma Treatment: A Quantitative Study, Daniel Ross Wood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Researchers in numerous professional fields, including psychology, have applied neuroscience integration in their studies. Yet research has also demonstrated a hesitancy among counselors to utilize neuro-informed principles in case conceptualization and treatment. No researchers in the studies found among the mental health counseling fields considered this issue. If left unaddressed, counselors and clinicians may avoid the use of an effective and complimentary integrative approach or unintentionally misapply neuro-informed principles and violate ethical standards in practice. This quantitative research used a survey and case study design to consider mental health professional characteristic variables of self-competency, theoretical attitude, and strength of religious …

A Phenomenological Study On Trauma And Binge Eating Disorder Among African American Women In The State Of Virginia, Vester Appiah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The primary goal of this research was to investigate trauma and binge eating disorders among African American women. This study is related to numerous research assessments on disordered eating even though they have majorly focused on binge eating among European American women, thus ignoring the African Americans. However, the investigation aimed to build on the previous research studies by conducting a more in-depth exploration of the adverse impact experienced by the minority groups and how traumatic events contribute to the situation. Besides, culturally specific models of binge eating among African American women were conducted in trauma survivors and possible mechanisms …

Advocacy Experiences Of Licensed Professional Counselors Who Serve Minor Survivors Of Abuse And Neglect, Earniesha S. Lott-Kennebrew

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

LPCs in Louisiana operate in multiple professional roles and maintain various responsibilities, including advocacy for clients. Although numerous advocacy opportunities occur when counselors are working with children, a minimal amount of research exists regarding advocacy training, as well as the associated intricacies and responsibilities of advocacy. Lack of awareness of advocacy issues is a prominent barrier to advocacy involvement and it is suggested that counselor education programs are infusing advocacy education into courses but are not necessarily teaching specific constructs of advocacy. Thus, relevant and existing advocacy literature is sparse.

The purpose of my qualitative phenomenological research is to understand …

K-5 Elementary Alternative Program: A Case Study, William E. Scheuer Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine how the K-5 elementary alternative program All Students Can Thrive (ASCT) used student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. There is a lack of research on K-5 elementary alternative programs, such as ASCT, and specifically those that integrate student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. Literature does not contain universally accepted interventions that are effective in the elementary alternative setting to help students return to the mainstream classroom setting better prepared to display appropriate behaviors when a student is removed from a mainstream classroom setting due to disruptive behaviors. …

Growing Up In A Time Of War: Exploring The Psychological Flexibility Of Adults Raised In The Military Community, Margaret Catherine Benjamin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Significant research and focus are aimed toward service members and their families. Children in military families are exposed to an atypical lifestyle. As children grow into adulthood, there are decreased resources, and this cohort of individuals is missing from the research. The literature review will discuss the available research about children raised in military families and the reported effects of being raised in a military family during formative years. The psychological flexibility and trauma-related symptoms of service members will be addressed and reviewed. Furthermore, there will be a discussion about behavioral and familial concerns during the first and subsequent deployments …

Becoming A Trauma-Informed School: Teacher, Administration, And Support Staff's Perception To Handle Trauma In The School Setting, Jaime Baas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Childhood trauma is an increasing issue that families, children, and schools face. Schools are often restricted to specific protocols when handling undesired behaviors that could overlook or perpetuate trauma. Teachers, administration, and support staff could lack the skills to handle trauma and crisis in the school setting. This research used a single case study in a Title 1 school district focused on the perception of preparedness to address crisis using trauma-informed care— the district supports approximately 4,000 individuals including students, teachers, administration, and support staff. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived ability of teachers, administration, and …

Evaluating The Use Of Poetry To Reduce The Signs Of Depression, Anxiety, And Stress In Veterans, Misty Pearl Ely

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A veteran is anyone who has served on active duty in one of the five branches of the military, regardless of peacetime or combat exposure. Currently, veterans make up 2.2 million of our nation’s population and the rates of mental health concerns are continually on the rise due to the prolonged nature of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. With the drawdown of forces, the military is smaller than usual and yet must maintain the safety and security of the world at the same standard. Therefore, these service members are recycled over and over to deployments abroad and …

Engaged Trauma Training Through Role-Play Observations During Covid-19, Emily Horton, Claudia G. Interiano-Shiverdecker, Crystal L. Hughes, Mica Stumpf

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This phenomenological investigation explored counselors'-in-training experiences while observing role-plays of trauma-specific cases. Three themes emerged: (a) learning to be a trauma counselor, (b) growth as counselors-in-training, and (c) connection and engagement through multiple delivery methods. The findings from this study showed that observing role-plays can be an efficacious teaching approach in trauma counseling courses. Findings also suggest that integrating role-plays into trauma curricula helped students understand the complexity of trauma, increase self-competency, self-efficacy, and emotional intelligence, and engage with the content in face-to-face and online formats. The authors provide a further discussion on implications for counselor education and …

The Effectiveness Of Music Therapy With Children Who Have Experienced Trauma Using The Neurosequential Model Of Therapeutics (Nmt): A Literature Review, Brianna Lambert-Jenkins

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper initiates filling the gap in the literature by utilizing NMT, which addresses trauma through understanding and assessing how it has impacted a child neurodevelopmentally with music therapy. Children in intensive residential care are referred to treatment with a unique range of challenges resulting from their traumatic experiences. Of these challenges, included are a wide range of traumatic experiences such as physical/emotional abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, homelessness, witnessing violence or domestic abuse, adjustment issues, attachment issues, or trauma while in utero. The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) is a newer framework for working with developmental trauma. Current research around …

Exploring The Benefits Of Expressive Arts Therapy With Survivors Of Sexual Violence, A Literature Review, Allison Dooley

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Sexual violence is a common experience throughout the United States. The aftermath of this traumatic experience impacts the entire body, including the emotional, physical, and mental states of an individual. The distressing symptoms of sexual violence can last from weeks to years. The aftermath of sexual violence can make it difficult for victims to complete daily tasks and can lead to disorders such as Depression or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This literature review explores the current treatments used with survivors of sexual violence, which include trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and other effective treatments. Due to …

Dance/Movement Therapy As A Transdisciplinary Approach To Treating Trauma, Destany Schadder

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis considers dance/movement therapy as a transdisciplinary approach to treating trauma in the body. It explains what the functions of the brain are, how trauma negatively affects it, and how posttraumatic stress disorder is expressed in both the body and the brain. It discusses multidisplinary approaches, it shows how these approaches leverage the body in treating trauma. Moreover, it demonstrates the benefits and advantages of a dance/movement therapist in supporting individuals who have experienced traumatic events. To achieve these goals, this thesis discusses research by neuroscientists, such as Damassio (1999), who maintain that the body and mind directly affect …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of The Lived Experience Of Parental Caregivers For Children With Severe Epidermolysis Bullosa, Michael J. Valentine

Theses and Dissertations

Providing care to child with a chronic, rare diseases has been identified as a major life stressor with a myriad of negative physical and mental health consequences. These stresses have previously been found to create burden that may impair caregiving efforts and increase the risk of mortality for both the caregiver and affected child. Many rare diseases affect children. It is not known how caregiver burden and the source of stress varies by disease. Qualitative methods have been used to understand caregiver experience with the rare disease, epidermolysis bullosa (EB), but no such studies have occurred in the United States. …

Understanding Combat Veterans And Their Social Supporters’ Experiences Related To Trauma And Combat Veteran Suicide: A Qualitative Case Study, Martisa V. Bullock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand combat veterans and their social supporters’ experiences related to trauma and mitigating combat veteran suicide. The research questions were: What are combat veterans and their social supporters’ understandings and experiences related to trauma? What do combat veterans and their social supporters identify as significant aspects of support in mitigating suicidal ideation and suicide? The theories guiding this study were interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide and the psychache theory as these theories address the connections between suicidal thought processes and the trauma that contributes to them. This multiple case study consisted of …

Exploring Trauma: Lived Experiences Of Foster Parents In The Foster Care System, Audrey Michelle Butler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative transcendental phenomenology study explored the lived experiences of foster parents who care for traumatized children. Children in the foster care system are often exposed to trauma before and after entering the foster care system. Therefore, the trauma that foster children experience can impact them emotionally, psychologically, and cognitively. Unfortunately, foster parents are often unequipped to deal with these issues when these children enter their homes. The gap this study aimed to address was that foster parents did not have opportunities to share their experiences on what it was like to provide care for traumatized foster children. Husserl’s phenomenology …

The Prevalence Of Unaddressed Trauma In The Lives Of Ministerial Leaders And Pastoral Care-Oriented Steps To Greater Spiritual And Emotional Health, Deanna D. Shrodes

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Ministerial leaders carry an abundance of responsibility in innumerable areas while simultaneously managing life-threatening crises at the same time. They provide pastoral care for those they serve in addition to overseeing a plethora of areas such as discipleship, program development, fundraising, and conflict management. Pastoral leaders often keep unhealthy and unsustainable schedules and receive inadequate compensation particularly in comparison to their professional counterparts. The weight of the ministry alone lends itself to stress and burnout if the leader is not careful to maintain adequate self-care. If unaddressed trauma is present along with all of the stressors commonly found in the …

The Effectiveness Of Attachment Injury Resolution Protocol (Airp) In Reducing Marital Distress And Improving Marital Satisfaction In The Areas Of Communication, Commitment, And Trust In High-Conflict Couples Affected By Infidelity, Sarah R. Cordonnier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A quasi-experimental pilot study of fourteen heterosexual couples, twenty-eight participants, was conducted to assess whether Attachment Injury Resolution Protocol (AIRP) was effective in reducing marital distress and improving marital satisfaction in the areas of communication, commitment, and trust post infidelity for high-conflict couples. This study was important due to the fact that roughly thirty percent of couples engaged in marital infidelity (Norona et al., 2018). Fourteen heterosexual couples volunteered and were chosen from the clinician’s private mental-health practice to participate in a quasi-experimental pilot study. Four self-report assessments were implemented, including the Kansas Marital Conflict Scale (KMCS), Interpersonal Communication Skills …

From Whence Cometh Her Strength, Janis E. Roberson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

On May 29, 1851, Isabella Baumfree, a 54-year-old former slave, delivered the keynote address at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio. Baumfree, better known as Sojourner Truth, could have focused her speech on the lashes grooved in her back, or her children she watched sold off into slavery. Yet her rallying cry came in the form of a simple question: “Ain’t I a woman?” Before gendered racial microaggressions had been defined, Sojourner Truth recognized that although she was a woman, she was not treated the same as non-Black women. There is no shortage of data on the deleterious effects of …

Sadness And Social Media: An Analysis Of The Effects Of Social Media On Depression In Young African American Females, Rosa Lee Sutton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social media has the propensity to inadvertently cause the vicarious traumatization of its users due to their witnessing violent or distressing content. This current research proposes that African American social media users suffer vicarious traumatization via social media and suffer the effects of direct, historical, racialized trauma. In the past decade, through social media, Black Americans have vividly witnessed videos depicting several high profile, violent deaths at the hands of law enforcement, police brutality, racial violence, civil unrest, the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement, experienced blatant discrimination, engaged in racially divisive discourse, and have witnessed attempts to have …

The Significance Of Trauma In The Relationship Between Co-Occurring Disorders And Recidivism Among Participants Of A Community Mental Health's Jail Diversion Program, Emily A. Schott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Abstract Individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis have higher levels of criminal justice involvement compared to the general population. Multiple programs have been developed through grant monies utilizing various models to allow these individuals to be linked to mental health services in the community for the treatment of symptoms which may contribute to recidivism. These programs are designed to provide an encounter with mental health professionals who collaborate with law enforcement and other agencies to intercept these individuals at various points of justice involvement and possibly prevent further entanglements with the legal system. This study explores how trauma may impact justice …

Teaching Students About Trauma, Stress, And Brain Regulation, Kathy J. Van Horn

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

All students are impacted by stress and can improve learning through understanding the brain and brain regulation. For students who have experienced trauma this information is critical to their success. This presentation will provide guidelines, ideas, and strategies for teaching students key trauma-informed principles including strategies for physical, emotional, and cortical regulation. These principles and strategies can be taught to students individually or through group and classroom settings. Practical ideas and examples will be given along with feedback and lessons learned from the students we have taught.

Analysis Of Zero Balancing Case Studies Through An Occupational Therapy Lens, Deanna Waggy Otr, Msa, Czb, Csla

Journal of Transformative Touch

Does Zero Balancing positively impact occupational performance? This is a question many Occupational Therapists (OTs) ask when discerning if Zero Balancing (ZB) is an evidence-based treatment modality. Case studies from the book Experiencing the Power of Zero Balancing: Case Studies of Journeys to Health and Wholeness (Quarry & King, 2016) were reviewed and compared to the Occupational Therapy domain of practice to show clear evidence that each case study had a positive impact on occupational performance. A comparison chart shows a direct link between the occupational categories and documented evidence of improved occupational performance through practitioner observation and client feedback …

The Experiences Of Religiously And Spiritually Diverse Counselors And Psychotherapists Who Work With Survivors Of Sexual Violence, John M. Waters

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of religiously and spiritually diverse counselors and psychotherapists who work with survivors of sexual violence. The researcher used a transcendental phenomenological approach to understand how the participants engaged their religious and/or spiritual identity to cope with the traumatic stress that accompanies continuous exposure to their clients’ trauma narratives over time. As the only study that has examined these phenomena qualitatively, the present study aimed to enhance counselors and counselor educators’ understanding of the ways that religiously and spiritually diverse counselors make meaning of their experiences. The researcher collected …