Counselor Education Commons^™

Mindfulness Misconceptions In Counselor Education And Supervision: Mitigating Vicarious Trauma Among Counselors-In-Training, Elise Angelos, Adrienne Baggs

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

As counselors-in-training (CITs) continue to address a larger client base with pandemic induced mental health stressors, they may experience increased levels of vicarious trauma (VT) that can jeopardize the quality of treatment, as well as their own well-being. Thus, VT among CITs should be recognized as a priority problem among counselor educators. Despite well-documented personal and professional benefits of mindfulness, most CITs will not receive mindfulness education or training. Recognizing the relatively low rate of integration of mindfulness within CES, it is necessary to address several misconceptions about mindfulness that may be hindering the effective inclusion of mindfulness resources and …

Now What?, David L. Hart Jr, Rebecca J. Armstrong

FDLA Journal

NOW WHAT?

David Hart, Ph.D. and Rebecca Armstrong, Ph.D.

Making the decision to pursue an advanced degree is certainly commendable. To add to one’s knowledge base is ambitious and the results of such a commitment are monumental. However, it goes without saying that in that scheme, life’s challenges are ever-present, and along with other given responsibilities, the concept of time becomes a faded memory. If that is not enough, COVID-19 presented all degree-seekers with issues that seemed insurmountable. Many decided that virtual learning programs would provide an environment that allowed for success in the academic arena despite the forces that …

Trauma-Informed Practices For Test-Taking Anxiety At The Elementary Grade Level, Kate Campbell, Shalini Mathew

Journal of Research Initiatives

Test -Taking Anxiety (TTA) is a challenging experience for children of all ages. Childhood exposure to trauma and adverse experience has been increasing. Fortunately, trauma-informed practices, such as mindfulness activities have become more widespread in schools throughout the last few years. Existing school counseling literature offers limited perspectives on how school counselors can support elementary students for TTA. This conceptual article explores the effects of trauma-informed practices on elementary-age students' test anxiety and overall academic success in schools and offers implications for practice.

Race Matters: Managing Racial Tension When Teaching Multicultural Competence, Tiffany P. Brooks, Korinne H. Babel

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

In this article, the authors suggest using the Mindful Inquiry (Lee, 2009, 2014) to navigate cultural conversations in the counselor education classroom in tandem with the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC; Ratts et al., 2015). The authors highlight the literature about racial tension in and outside the classroom, multicultural counseling and social justice, mindfulness and multiculturalism, and teaching multicultural competence. This article concludes with a case example highlighting how to use the Mindful Inquiry (Lee, 2009, 2014) in the classroom while demonstrating how counselors-in-training develop across the MSJCC (Ratts et al., 2015).

The Impact Of Mindfulness Practices In Teachers, Shawn M. Martin Hettinga

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Mindfulness training has been identified as a promising means for cultivating social and emotional competencies and reducing stress. The purpose of the quantitative pre-post study using convenience sampling of educators in a rural K-12 in the Arkansas River Valley was to examine whether teachers’ participation in mindfulness activities were associated with changes in levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and job satisfaction. The study used the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) and measured the responses from novice (0-3 years) and experienced (4+ years) teachers. The findings revealed that there was no difference between the …

Observations On The Relationship Between Resilience And Mindfulness, Jason N. Linder Psy. D., Jay A. Mancini

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

In the last three decades, mindfulness and resilience have received extensive scholarly attention. Research has burgeoned and they have both become “buzz words” in the social sciences and mental health fields. That said, they are often presented as unrelated qualities, skills, or states, and few studies and texts have examined their linkages and/or how they complement each other. Masten’s (2001, 2009) seminal papers and subsequent book (2014) that presented resilience as “ordinary magic” have had large impacts on resilience scholarship, bringing forth that resilience is much more of a common human occurrence and proclivity than previously considered. In this paper, …

Impact Of School-Based Mindfulness Programs In Elementary Schools, Hannah Rosholt

Graduate Teacher Education

Educators in the 21st Century face a myriad of emerging concerns with child and adolescent behavior. Surfacing educational issues include increased anxiety disorders, cyber bullying, students who have experienced trauma, increased aggressive behavior, absenteeism, and suicide ideation. As new concerns arise, educators seek ways to support students in these challenges. Mindfulness practice in schools has become more and more prevalent in the past twenty years. Research on adults who practice mindfulness has revealed lowered stress, increased resilience, and clearer focus. Researchers aim to understand the effects of mindfulness on children and adolescents. This paper analyzes how mindfulness practice impacts students’ …

Contemplative Practice: A Proposal In Reducing Novice Counselor’S Performance Anxiety And Excessive Self-Focus, Clarissa Cigrand

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This article proposes the utilization of mindfulness meditation and other contemplative practices to help mitigate the challenges experienced by novice counselors when working with clients for the first time, namely, performance anxiety and an excessive self-focus marked by self-doubt, self-criticism, and fear of making a mistake. The author specifies forms of contemplative practice that have been used in counselor preparation and highlights their demonstrated value in developing therapeutic presence, enhancing self-compassion, supporting self-awareness, strengthen active listening and attention skills, and bolstering emotion regulation. The author presents a case study that illustrates the utility and integration of contemplative practice into a …

Mindfulness And The Need To Minimize The Risk Of Harm: A Proposal To Implement And Enforce Standards For Secular Mindfulness Practice, Michael Falick

Mindfulness Studies Theses

While Western mindfulness practice is indeed beneficial for many participants, the research now clearly demonstrates that for some meditators, there are attendant potential risks. These potential risks to practitioners require a level of care from those individuals (and corporations) that disseminate mindfulness practice. Historically, in traditional Buddhist practice, mindfulness was but one of the eight factors on the Noble Eightfold Path. An important component of traditional practice strongly relies on ethics in the delivery of the practice. A formalized standard of care for modern, secular mindfulness practices, and a method to implement and enforce that standard, will greatly enhance safety …

Reducing Stress In Creative Spaces: Art Therapy With Adults Living With Physical Disabilities, A Literature Review, Kelly Brennan

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Historically and currently, adults living with physical disabilities encounter life dilemmas, triggering high levels of stress. Despite the seriousness of these situations, the support and recognition of the struggle such obstacles cause tend to go ignored by society. Since persons living without disabilities do not personally feel or even perceive the gravity of the stress, accessibility demands remain overlooked. Monumental changes in political and societal constitutions take time, however, current methods that are often used with individuals coping with stress are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based therapy. These treatments reduce stress among varied populations, specifically when treating individuals living …

The Mediating Role Of Differentiation In The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Working Alliance, Caleb P. Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study involved a mediation analysis exploring the relationship of counselor’s perceptions of mindfulness and working alliance through differentiation of self. Sample data (N=80) was collected and analyzed using the PROCESS mediation model to quantitatively determine the indirect effect of counselor’s perceptions of mindfulness and their perceptions of working alliance through the variable of differentiation of self. This indirect effect was not statistically significant, b = .08, 95% CI [-.11, .25], therefore no mediating effect was demonstrated for differentiation. A follow-up moderation analysis was also conducted on these same three variables. Results revealed that at low levels of …

The Experience Of Counseling Interns And Their Perceived Preparedness Of Multicultural Counseling: A Phenomenological Study, Bianca Maria Milz

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to acquire additional knowledge into the lived experiences of counseling interns and their perception of readiness for multicultural counseling. A phenomenological approached was used to understand the lived experiences and describe the essence of the phenomenon. Master’s level counseling interns (N=8) in CACREP accredited programs were surveyed in which they responded to five open-end question related to their experience. From those responses two themes emerged, participants described their perceived preparedness related to their mindfulness and education with diverse populations. The textural and structural descriptions of responses were combined (Creswell & Poth, 2018) to arrive …

Mindfulness-Based Practices For School Aged Children With Anxiety, Bethany Schmitt

Counselor Education Capstones

No abstract provided.

Expressive Mindfulness: A Trauma-Sensitive Expressive Arts Therapy Group Method, Meghan Daly

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Mindfulness and expressive arts therapy are both supportive of directing attention in a manner that promotes integration and function of a person. In this paper, a trauma-sensitive method was created for use in a day treatment setting for adults with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). This method utilized expressive movement, visual art making with three different materials, and creative writing to encourage mindful, non-judgmental acceptance of the present moment; a sense of relaxation; and an overall increase in quality of life. During development of the method arts-based research informed the choice of materials, music, and structure of the group. …

Managing Negative Countertransference Utilizing An Integrated Counselor Mindfulness Training For Counselors Working With Children Exhibiting Externalized Behaviors, Jessie D. Guest

Theses and Dissertations

Using a multiple-probe, single case research design, this study investigated the effects of an integrated mindfulness intervention on counselors’ negative countertransference while working with children exhibiting externalized behaviors in session. More specifically, this study utilized a two-pronged intervention including mindfulness practices as well as the theoretical tenets of relating to children to assist counselors in managing negative countertransference as measured by the Countertransference Management Scale (Perez- Rojas, et al., 2017), reducing negative countertransference feelings as measured by Therapist Appraisal Questionnaire (Cooley & Klingler, 1989; Fauth et al., 1999), and improving the child’s perception of the counselor as measured by Young …

A Phenomenological Study Of A Combined Mindfulness And Social-And-Emotional Learning Intervention As Delivered By A Counselor-Consultant To Early-Childhood Educators, Alfredo F. Palacios

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Mindfulness is an emerging tool that is growing in use in early childhood educational settings. This project identified a high needs area of Albuquerque New Mexico and implemented a mindfulness-based intervention with teachers in a Head Start setting. This study took place over a school year where teachers met weekly with researchers for training in mindfulness and social emotional learning. This study employed a phenomenological inquiry into the perceived experiences of teachers learning these pedagogical tools to be used in their classrooms. Implications are made for early childhood educators and professional counselors that serve in a consultation role in these …

Understanding The Student Intern's Journey Through A Holistic Counseling Center: A Phenomenological Inquiry, John C. Harvey

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Eight Counselors in training (CITs) were followed through their professional counseling internships in a holistic outpatient counseling center. All participants were similarly exposed to mindfulness activities including yoga, qigong, meditation, and auricular acupuncture over the course of a semester, then asked to respond to the research question: How do student interns of the study site perceive and describe their lived experience of mindfulness phenomena? Phenomenological methodology was applied to the study and data was gathered through focus group discussion and face-to-face interviews. CITs registered descriptions of mindfulness phenomenon with insight, depth, and meaning. Their descriptions were recorded, transcribed, coded, themed, …

Measuring The Effects Of A Mindfulness Intervention On Counselors’-In-Training Dispositions, Strength Of The Therapeutic Relationship, And Client Outcomes, Therese Louise Newton

Theses and Dissertations

Using a multiple baseline single case research design, the present study sought to measure the effects of a mindfulness intervention on counselors’-in-training facilitative dispositions of: (a) empathetic understanding, (b) level of regard, (c) unconditionality of regard, and (d) congruence (as observed through weekly in-session engagement with clients), and client outcomes (as measured by the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II; [Robitschek et al., 2012] and the Outcomes Questionnaire-45.2; [Lambert et al., 1996]). In addition, the investigation examined the influence of counselors-in-training participation in a brief mindfulness intervention on clients’ perception of the strength of the therapeutic alliance (as measured by the Barrett-Lennard …

Laying Groundwork For The Use Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Constructs To Enhance The Identity Development Of Counselors-In-Training: An Exploratory Quantitative Analysis, Emma Christine Burgin

Doctoral Dissertations

Counselor educators aid counselors-in-training (CITs) in the process of professional identity development, which has its own challenges, such as managing anxiety and increasing self-awareness. One way proposed to enhance these therapeutic challenges is mindfulness. However, most research examining mindfulness in counselor education to-date lacks a standard theoretical framework, which may cause counselors to diminish the value of mindfulness in counselor training. One theory-driven concept of mindfulness comes from ACT, an empirically validated approach to counseling. It is possible that ACT could serve as a common language for educators to use when implementing mindfulness into counselor training, and thus, there is …

Client Experiences Of Mindfulness Meditation In The Counseling Setting: A Qualitative Study, Veronica L. O'Brien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness meditation is an emerging trend, and previous research conducted focused on benefits of mindfulness meditation as a training technique for beginning counselors, symptoms mindfulness meditation may alleviate, and specific types of mindfulness meditation (e.g., Feldman, Greeson, & Senville, 2010; Greason & Welfare, 2013; Khoury et al., 2013; Sedlmeier, et al., 2012). Little research exists on the client’s experiences when mindfulness meditation is used within the counseling session; therefore the primary goal of the present study was to explore experiences and potential benefits of mindfulness meditation and its clinical application in session. Because previous research done on mindfulness meditation used …

The Impact Of A Christian Adaptation To Mindfulness Training On Stress, Religious Coping, And God Attachment: A Randomized Trial, Kristy Ford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Multicultural sensitivity requires consideration of a client’s personal belief system in the administration of ethical and effective mental health treatments. Religiously accommodative treatments seek to increase therapeutic effectiveness, enhancing empirically supported treatments by adapting interventions as needed to respectfully incorporate the worldview of the client. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a religiously accommodative treatment in a Christian sample. Volunteer participants (n=78) were randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions. The Christian mindfulness training (CMT) group protocol was explicitly adapted to a Christian worldview, while the conventional mindfulness training (MT) group protocol lacked explicit …

Cognitive Complexity, Mindfulness, And Reflection In Mental Health Professionals, Dharshini Goonetilleke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In this cross sectional quantitative investigation, the relationships among mental health professionals' cognitive complexity, mindfulness, and reflection were explored. To determine if there was a correlation between mindfulness and cognitive complexity, a Pearson's correlation was conducted: There was a strong positive correlation between mindfulness and cognitive complexity. To determine whether observing and describing (two key variables of mindfulness) could predict counselor overall cognitive complexity, a simultaneous multiple regression was conducted. The observing subscale significantly predicted counselor cognitive complexity and the describing subscale did not significantly predict mindfulness. To determine if there is a correlation between mindfulness and reflection, a Pearson's …

The Mindfully Attached Therapist: Factors That Predict And Prevent The Development Of Compassion Fatigue, Stephanie E. Armes

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Characterized as a loss of empathy, compassion fatigue is experienced by many in the helping professions. Also known as secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue occurs when those in the helping professions experience trauma through interacting with the traumatic experiences of the people they are helping. Previous literature has found the development of compassion fatigue to be inevitable due to the amount of empathy those professionals must utilize on a daily basis. Mindfulness practices, such as Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) have been found to be a helpful learning tool for those in the helping …

Ciis Today, Spring 2009 Issue, Ciis

CIIS Today

This volume is the Spring 2009 issue of CIIS Today, the Magazine of the California Institute of Integral Studies.