Identifying Challenges And Resiliency Of Adolescents Living With Parents Misusing Substances: A Mixed Methods Study, Alison Palmer

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This study aimed to identify challenges, resiliency factors, and needs of adolescents living with parents misusing substances. Seven first-year students at James Madison University in PSYC 101 and PSYC 160 classes signed up to participant in this study to receive course credit. While supervised by a mental health provider, participants individually completed a Modified CAST-6 screener as well as a locally developed survey. A nonexperimental mixed-methods study was conducted including the convergent collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analyzed through Braun and Clarke’s (2006) model of thematic analysis. The …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Youth Experiencing Homelessness: A Qualitative Study, Bryan A. Pecoraro

Dissertations, 2020-current

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted youth experiencing homelessness (YEH). During the coronavirus outbreak, millions of people’s health worldwide was negatively affected. In addition to poor physical health, society’s mental health was affected by political discourse, viral mitigation factors, social distancing, and distrust of both the media and government. Decades of research with those experiencing homelessness suggest that the housing insecure suffer from a litany of poor outcomes. Their physical and mental health are negatively affected by traumas and illnesses suffered prior to, and during, their transience. This study takes a phenomenological …

Children’S Experiences Of Parental Death, “Lost But Still Remembered”, Nour Salem

Dissertations, 2020-current

Parental death is prevalent during childhood, and the emotional, social, and behavioral effects on children’s development are well-documented. Although there is extensive literature on grief in children, most studies on children’s grief have obtained data about children’s experiences though collateral interviews with parents or caregivers, from adults who lost a parent as a child, or through quantitative measures with children and caregivers. Few studies have implemented a qualitative exploration of parental death by asking bereaved children. The objective of the current study was to involve parentally bereaved children in responding to the research question, “what is it like to lose …

Identifying The Current State Of Practice Utilized By School Counselors And School Psychologists In Facilitating Divorce Groups In Elementary Schools, Stephanie Harris

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Divorce is considered an adverse childhood experience (ACE) and may lead to a number of negative outcomes for children involved. Research has demonstrated that these children may have higher amounts of internalizing difficulties, externalizing difficulties, as well as lower academic performance. The present study analyzes the current state of practice surrounding divorce groups for elementary aged children within a county of a Southeastern state. The researcher gathered data by providing an online, anonymous survey by attending department meetings for school counselors and school psychologists. The data revealed that several facets of how these groups are facilitated align with evidence-based practice; …

Dealing With Your Dragons: Counseling Through Dungeons And Dragons, Devon Howell

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The purpose of this literature review is to explore the idea of using the game of Dungeons and Dragons as a form of group counseling in a therapeutic setting. A search of relevant literature was conducted to discover potential therapeutic utility and cultural aspects of this prospective methodology. It was hypothesized that while the topic might not be well researched, it will yield potential possibilities for therapeutic use. The research presents possibilities for different theoretical underpinnings; in particular, it offers a unique range of benefits to both the client (improvements to social skills, sense of community, and overall mental health), …

You Have Every Right To Be Angry: Impacts Of The Angry Black Woman Stereotype And Counseling Considerations For Helping Black Women Honor Their Anger, Jenelle Francis

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The Angry Black Woman (ABW) stereotype depicts Black women as hostile and aggressive. It is rooted in slavery and functions to silence and invalidate Black women. The ABW stereotype perpetuates racist ideology and is used to control the narrative of Black women and justify their mistreatment. Black women are faced with the impacts of the ABW stereotype throughout different areas of their life, beginning in childhood. Because of the risk of being negatively and inaccurately perceived, Black women have had to filter themselves to not be labeled as aggressive, hyperemotional, and/or the “angry” Black woman. This paper explores the history …

Impact Of Parental Substance Misuse On Attachment In Young Adults: A Qualitative Approach, Susan E. Hardman

Dissertations, 2020-current

This study examined the impact of parental substance misuse on young adult development and relationships by interviewing young adults about their experience being raised by a parent who misused substances. A qualitative design based on constructivist grounded theory and informed by constructs from attachment theory was used. Participants consisted of 10 young adults, ages 18-26, who endorsed being raised by a parent who misused substances. The interview questions developed for the study were informed by a measure of adult attachment. Analysis of the data included identification of emergent categories/themes as well as a priori constructs from attachment theory (safe haven, …

Integrating Creative Arts In Counseling: Review And Recommendations, Brittany Sehenuk

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Creativity is present in many aspects of counseling practice. While clinical decisions are often assisted by the ability to think creatively, clinicians may not identify the potential benefit further exploration of creative pursuits within the counseling room could provide. The following paper seeks to explore the benefits of arts in counseling as well as the barriers that keep clinicians and clients from feeling comfortable brings arts into sessions. Arts may assist clients dealing with trauma and grief and can provide support for training clinicians and those in training. Clients and clinicians both may keep themselves from connect with artistic activities …

Black Girl Magic: The Endurance Of Enslaved Mothers’ Lessons, Briana G. Gaines

Dissertations, 2020-current

Intergenerational trauma involves a traumatic event that began years prior to the current generation and has impacted the ways in which individuals cope with and heal from trauma. Intergenerational trauma can negatively impact families and individuals as a result of unresolved emotions and thoughts about a traumatic event. Motherhood has always been an important role for Black women (Green, 1990) and although all women face challenges in their role as mothers, Black women are faced with unique tasks that their White counterparts are not. Black women are often the transmitter of culture to their children and frequently set the example …

Marketing And Branding For Counseling Interns And Residents In Private Practice, Madeline Grove

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

For interns and residents in mental health counseling beginning their careers in a private practice setting, building a full-time caseload of clients is challenging. The process of marketing and branding outpatient psychotherapy services is not generally covered in clinical training programs, leading to a gap in practical knowledge upon departure from higher education. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of behavioral health disorders have increased, leading to a sense of urgency to providing care for communities in need. Effective marketing and branding of services allows for clinicians to work with populations they are most well suited to serve, and potentially allows …

Trauma Healing With The Neurosequential Model Of Therapy And Bal-A-Vis-X, Becky Johnston

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Stigma related to childhood trauma is shifting with the help of advancements in the understanding of neurobiology and interventions that are proving to be effective for healing. There are immense costs and consequences for survivors of childhood trauma and their loved ones that were not so long ago considered irrelevant and the notion that kids bounce back from adversity was previously popular in the psychological community (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017). The broad strokes of Dr. Bruce Perry’s clinical intervention model, The Neurosequential Model of Therapy (NMT) describes a trauma-sensitive, sequential approach to changing the stress response within mental health counseling. …

Informed Consent In Counseling Processes With The Transgender Community, Sindhura Elagandhala

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Cultural competence from mental healthcare professionals is vital to effectively serving the transgender population. Unfortunately, specifics for working with this community often remain unaddressed in most counselor education programs. Working with gender diverse individuals requires a nuanced understanding and application of contemporary theories surrounding gender, sex, intersectional theories, and potential medical consultation. Counselors may be asked to play unique roles for transgender clients that require knowledge of basic concepts and definitions regarding transgender identity and the ways in which these topics become relevant in the clinical, counseling environment. It is also necessary to question roles that mental health counselors may …

Aggression In Session: Defining, Conceptualizing, And Treating Aggression, Tyler A. Greenough

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Within the counseling profession, there is a great deal of interaction with aggression affecting both clients and the systems affecting clients. Therefore, it is vital that counselors be adequately prepared to work with various presentations of aggressive behavior. Aggression is defined, categorized based on common historical delineations, and summarized from a multi-axis continuum perspective. Contextual factors are considered such as the role of hormones, neurotransmitters, varying substances, and a wide range of diagnoses. Aggression is then conceptualized from a functional lens and explored based upon a need fulfillment model. Treatment practices such as building self-esteem, increasing emotional regulation, and developing …

The Attraction Of Fear And The Potential Therapeutic Value Of Horror Films, Mari-Peyton Kouchinsky

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Cinematic horror has historically had a negative reputation among its peers even though it is a genre that commercially and financially thrives. There are many different perspectives as to what motivates an individual to willingly expose themselves to horror movies, ranging from psychological and metaphorical confrontation with repressed or socially unacceptable behaviors to fulfilling a somatic, thrill-seeking desire. Whatever the motivation, there is potential for harnessing both the psychological and physical reactions for therapeutic intervention. This paper aims to provide counselors with a synthesis of information on the potential therapeutic value of cinematherapy with horror movies, focusing on the relationship …

Exploring How Interpersonal Childhood Trauma Impacts Emotional Development, Kathleen Hobbs

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Our earliest interactions in life lay the foundation of how we relate to ourselves and others throughout adulthood. When a child experiences abuse and neglect that is relational in nature, referred to as interpersonal childhood trauma, research shows that they are at a much higher risk to display emotional difficulties that have been found to contribute to extensive health consequences throughout the lifespan. Less has been documented however regarding exactly how this kind of trauma influences emotional development. The purpose of this paper is to explore the current research that exists on the relationship between interpersonal childhood trauma and emotional …

Weight And The Therapeutic Relationship: Implications For Counselors, Emily Shank

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Central to the healthcare system in the United States is the belief that weight is an accurate measure of health. This belief, which is the foundation of the Weight Centered Health Paradigm (WCHP), is linked to the proliferation of diets, weight cycling, and weight stigma. However, a growing body of research indicates that higher weight is not necessarily linked to negative health outcomes and that the impact of weight cycling and weight stigma pose far greater risks to health. Counselors and other mental health professionals function within the weight-normative healthcare system in the United States and are faced with the …

An Interpersonal View Of Personality Disorders, Mariafé T. Panizo Jansana

Dissertations, 2020-current

One of the most controversial psychological disorders in the mental health field is personality disorders. Personality disorders are difficult to study and difficult to treat. Among other issues, high comorbidity among personality disorders interferes with its reliability and differential diagnosis. Substantial efforts in the last decades are attempting to address some of these issues by rethinking the way personality disorders are diagnosed, and special attention has been placed on traits-based dimensional models. Despite the multiple advantages of traits-based dimensional models, there is some hesitancy in the field regarding whether these models are truly equipped to serve as the basis for …

A General Education Course Designed To Cultivate College Student Well-Being, Jessica C. Davis

Dissertations, 2020-current

Mental health issues appear to be on the rise across our world, especially within the college student population. Considerable data suggests that today’s students have lower rates of well-being and healthy psychological functioning and higher rates of distress, fragility, and clinically significant mental health problems than seen in previous generations. These findings have led some scholars to define this trend as a college mental health crisis. The purpose of this study was to respond to this crisis via the development and administration of a well-being general education course conceptually grounded in Henriques’ Unified Framework of psychology and psychotherapy (see, Henriques, …

Counseling Needs Of First Responders, Donna V. Garber

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Abstract

This paper examines the counseling and psychological needs of first responders, as a special population with special needs. It also proposes how counselors can address these needs. Included is a review of relevant literature and concludes with strategies counselors could implement to respond effectively to direct and vicarious trauma experienced by first responders. There is also information related to pre-incident and post-incident care and addresses issues that impact this population’s response to care, ability to seek care, and the overall understanding of what mental health care really means to this group.

Navigating "Technoference" In The Family System, Kathlynn Sergent

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This integrative literature review explores the increase of technology use in families, with a focus on how technology is disrupting in-person social interactions within the family system. Many studies have been conducted on how technology impacts a couple’s romantic relationship, and only a few have examined the relationship between the parent and child. This review is one of the first to examine how technology may affect the entire family unit from before children to raising adolescents. Each section of the family unit is examined, beginning with before children, followed by the early bonding and attachment associated with infant/childhood, and then …

Assessment Project, Caroline Hamby 5887520

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

My project presents research related to prescription drug abuse. It lays out a brief, hypothetical intervention focused on psychoeducation around potential negative effects of prescription drug abuse. It proposes that patients being placed on strong painkillers must go though a brief program before they obtain their first refill. This will hopefully result in less prescription drug abuse over time, as measured by tools assessing problematic use.

A Bereavement Support Group For The Non-Religious, Charles L. Miller

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

In American culture, the approach of many to death and bereavement is couched in religious messaging. For much of the country, this approach resonates with a mourner's worldview. However, this is not the case with a growing segment of the population: individuals who identify as non-religious. While well-meaning, common strategies intended to comfort these individuals and help them navigate the mourning process may be less than effective, and in some cases even distressing due to religious content.

The design of the proposed intervention is intended to provide a purely secular support environment in which group members explore the cultural context …

Parental Acceptance Project: Affirming Gender Variant Youth, Shelley Faulkner

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

The number of gender expansive and gender variant youth has risen dramatically, leading to a mental health and education service gap that must be addressed. The author reviews relevant literature supporting the importance of the parent-child relationship via the lens of attachment theory, affirming that parental support for gender variant children is critical to their well-being and overall positive life outcomes. A curriculum for parents of gender variant children is proposed, in an effort to educate and support parents of gender variant children, so that they may in turn develop affirmative and supportive practices toward their children. The ultimate goal …

Attachment In Middle Childhood Among Foster And Adopted Children: Preliminary Validation Of A Behavioral Observation System, Somer George

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Abstract

The study of attachment in middle childhood, especially among foster and adoptive children, is a critical and timely one. An assessment that helps us understand the behavioral manifestations of attachment for these children, while considering the link with caregiving behavior and parental reflective functioning (PRF) can help to provide effective and efficient intervention leading to security and relational healing. This study examines the attachment patterns of 39 foster and adopted children (ages six to twelve) in the Modified Strange Situation Procedure (MSSP), with their caregivers. Association with caregiving patterns, PRF, and caregiver reported child behavior are analyzed using Pearson’s …

Gratitude In Relationships: A Study On Gratitude, Attachment, And Relationship Satisfaction, Brittany D. Dioszeghy

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

This study utilized Pearson correlations to assess for relationships between dispositional gratitude, attachment type, and relationship satisfaction. The survey was completed by 599 participants (77.57% female; 21.64% male; 0.63% other; 0.16% decline to state). Three separate instruments were used to assess for dispositional gratitude, attachment type (anxious/avoidant), and relationship satisfaction, respectively. First, it was hypothesized that anxious attachment would be negatively correlated with dispositional gratitude. Second, it was hypothesized that avoidant attachment types would be negatively correlated with dispositional gratitude. Third, it was hypothesized that anxious attachment would be negatively correlated with relationship satisfaction. Fourth, it was hypothesized that avoidant …

The Kids Are (Going To Be) Alright: Authorship Of A Post-Divorce Narrative, Caroline Hamby

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

This integrative literature review explores the suitability of narrative therapy for children ages 7-12 coping with divorce and family transition. Charting the history of research on post-divorce children, the review discusses common negative and positive post-divorce outcomes for children in academic, financial, and socio-emotional domains. It links the fundamental objectives of narrative therapy to the corresponding needs of post-divorce children and families, namely emotional security, internal control, and personal agency. It posits that narrative therapy is a modality uniquely situated to address these concerns and amplify the often-ignored voices of children otherwise lost in marital chaos. The developmental considerations of …

Mentalization In Counseling Processes, Matthew J. Swartzentruber

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

The purpose of this literature review is to demonstrate the profound influences and numerous applications the concept of mentalization has within counseling processes. The skill of mentalizing extends across theoretical orientations within existing counseling frameworks and has been suggested to be a core factor within the counseling process (Allen, Fonagy, & Bateman, 2008). Mentalizing capacities have been linked to positive therapeutic alliances (Markowitz & Milrod, 2011), positive client outcomes (Bernbach, 2002; Bouchard et al., 2008; Fonagy & Target, 1996; Karlsson & Kermott, 2006; Levy et. al., 2006; Meehan, Levy, Reynoso, Hill, & Clarkin, 2009), and counselor effectiveness (Cologon, 2013); and …

Benefits Of Expressive Dance Classes In Women Experiencing Homelessness, Ashley J. Runnells

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project represents multiple layers of a therapeutic dance experience intended to assist homeless women in increasing their sense of social connectedness, happiness, and self-esteem. Therapeutic dance classes were conducted at Mercy House in Harrisonburg, VA, illuminating the benefits to participants as well as the challenges of engaging this population. Further exploration occurred during the January dance therapy intensive workshop regarding developing of therapeutic dance interventions. The project concluded with a choreographed site-specific dance work exploring the stories of the participants, and a tangible creative response by way of a tea bag dress. Lessons learned included the rich opportunities present …

Substance Use In College Students In Relation To Adolescent Invulnerability And Distress Tolerance, Jordan Barnes

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Substance use among college students is often regarded as a normal part of the college experience. However, reasons for engaging in substance use are varied and dependent on many factors. The current study examined the relations between adolescent invulnerability, distress tolerance, and alcohol behaviors, marijuana behaviors and smoking frequency. Adolescent invulnerability was positively correlated with alcohol behaviors. Distress tolerance was negatively correlated with marijuana behaviors. Adolescent invulnerability and distress tolerance were found to have a moderately positive, significant correlation. College counseling centers, health professionals in charge of alcohol programs, and campus police could all benefit from understanding factors associated with …

The Effect Of Dog Interaction Through Therapy Trained Animals Or Harrisonburg-Rockingham Spca Volunteering On High Achieving First Year College Student Adjustment Period, Kamille L. Aiello

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Transitioning to college is a big change. A change that can be life altering for some students, especially when they realize that transitioning to college also means leaving their beloved companion at home. This research study proposes an Animal Assisted Activity intervention for high achieving first year college students through the Honors College as a way to lower their anxiety and increase their happiness as they adjust to their new environment. The research compared an intervention using therapy dogs from the university counseling center to an intervention using SPCA dogs and a control group to see where the largest difference …