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Mindfulness

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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Impact Of Mindfulness Training On Test Anxiety In College Students, Lindsay Alcock Mar 2024

Impact Of Mindfulness Training On Test Anxiety In College Students, Lindsay Alcock

ELAIA

Background Mindfulness is defined as the state of giving full attention to a stimulus, internal or external, without inducing judgment or becoming reactional about the feelings experienced, positive or negative (Davis & Hayes, 2012). Previous studies have investigated the relationship between mindfulness techniques and the reduction of anxiety (Chambers et al., 2008; Macdonald & Olsen, 2020); a smaller number of studies have considered test anxiety (Cho et al., 2016; Sparks, 2017). Prior research has used multiple mindfulness techniques to measure the impact on test anxiety, but few have isolated mindfulness trainings to compare the relative impact of each type on …

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Literature Review Nature-Based Art Therapy Exploring Connections And Relationships, Janell Lopez-Curtis Jan 2024

Literature Review Nature-Based Art Therapy Exploring Connections And Relationships, Janell Lopez-Curtis

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Art therapy is a modality used in clinical psychotherapy. It is supported through both quantitative and qualitative research. Branching out from art therapy is nature-based art therapy. This branch of expressive therapies holds the potential to be beneficial as art therapy due to the interconnected access to the scientific fields of ecology, ecopsychology, art therapy, expressive therapies, and other nature-based therapeutic activities; this includes intersectionality in ecological theories such as ecofeminism and deep ecology as well. Through an exploration of literature, this paper will provide definitions and theory-based support through reviewing clinical psychotherapy, evidence-based practices, and art therapy theories. The …

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Evaluating The Role Of Interoceptive Awareness In Insomnia And Across The Sleep Health Spectrum, Lara Lobrutto Jan 2024

Evaluating The Role Of Interoceptive Awareness In Insomnia And Across The Sleep Health Spectrum, Lara Lobrutto

Theses and Dissertations

Interoceptive awareness, characterized by a non-judgmental and trusting attitude towards body sensations, is an understudied construct that is implicated in sleep and health outcomes. Interoceptive awareness is cultivated via contemplative and mindfulness-based practices. Given that it may be utilized to reduce pre-sleep arousal, which is a key mechanism in insomnia, interoceptive awareness is posited to be a protective factor for sleep health. A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate university students (N = 420) in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States to assess the association between interoceptive awareness and sleep outcomes. Participants received a survey link and completed …

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A Mindfulness Intervention For Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Ashley N. Ries, Steven M. Gerardi Phd, Otd, Mss, Otr, Mary Horne Lcsw May 2023

A Mindfulness Intervention For Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Ashley N. Ries, Steven M. Gerardi Phd, Otd, Mss, Otr, Mary Horne Lcsw

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Every day, many United States veterans are suffering from the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Responses to trauma may vary from person to person; however, a diagnosis of PTSD includes the individual experiencing clinically significant distress in their social and occupational areas of functioning. The impact of PTSD on a veteran’s life could impact their ability to carry out activities of daily living, decrease the amount of social participation they have, and limit their ability to perform instrumental daily activities, such as grocery shopping. Mindfulness is the practice of paying full attention to the present moment, without judgment, and …

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Consideration Of Mindfulness Intervention For Hispanic Adolescents In A School Setting, Kierra Mcshine Gregory Jan 2023

Consideration Of Mindfulness Intervention For Hispanic Adolescents In A School Setting, Kierra Mcshine Gregory

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic adolescents’ accessibility to treatment options for depression is met with limitations associated with financial barriers and cultural misalignment. This research study aimed to bring to light an alternative psychotherapy treatment through the foundations of mindfulness interventions. The goal was to understand the experience of Hispanic adolescents when engaging in mindfulness in a school setting. The purpose of this study was to gather information about the experiences of Hispanic adolescents using mindfulness to support mental health practitioners, school counselors, and behavioral interventionists to provide treatment options that are accessible and meet the needs of this culture group. This explanatory case …

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Consideration Of Mindfulness Intervention For Hispanic Adolescents In A School Setting, Kierra Mcshine Gregory Jan 2023

Consideration Of Mindfulness Intervention For Hispanic Adolescents In A School Setting, Kierra Mcshine Gregory

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic adolescents’ accessibility to treatment options for depression is met with limitations associated with financial barriers and cultural misalignment. This research study aimed to bring to light an alternative psychotherapy treatment through the foundations of mindfulness interventions. The goal was to understand the experience of Hispanic adolescents when engaging in mindfulness in a school setting. The purpose of this study was to gather information about the experiences of Hispanic adolescents using mindfulness to support mental health practitioners, school counselors, and behavioral interventionists to provide treatment options that are accessible and meet the needs of this culture group. This explanatory case …

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Authentic Mindfulness Within Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Qualitative Study Of Participants' Experiences, Supakyada Sapthiang, Edo Shonin, Paul Barrows, William Van Gordon Jan 2023

Authentic Mindfulness Within Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Qualitative Study Of Participants' Experiences, Supakyada Sapthiang, Edo Shonin, Paul Barrows, William Van Gordon

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

There are concerns that participants of some modern mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are receiving a superficial form of mindfulness training. However, empirical investigation of this issue according to participants’ first-hand experiences has been limited. Thus, this qualitative study aimed to capture the first-hand perspectives relating to authentic mindfulness of participants who had recently attended an MBI in the UK. Ten adults completed a recorded, online semistructured interview. Based on a thematic analysis, the following four master themes were identified: (a) authentic mindfulness as a construct, (b) positive aspects of the training, (c) something missing, and (d) recommendations for authenticity. Although all …

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Coping Styles As Potential Mediators In The Relationships Between Morally Injurious Events, Moral Injury, And Meaning-Making, Marjorie A. Perkins Dec 2022

Coping Styles As Potential Mediators In The Relationships Between Morally Injurious Events, Moral Injury, And Meaning-Making, Marjorie A. Perkins

Doctoral Dissertations

Exposure to morally injurious events has consistently been correlated with negative mental health outcomes for military servicemembers and veterans (Bryan et al., 2014; Currier et al., 2015a; Currier et al., 2015b; Currier et al., 2017; Dennis et al., 2017; Jordan et al., 2017; Maguen et al., 2009, 2010; Maguen, Vogt et al., 2011; Nash et al., 2013). However, some servicemembers and veterans may experience a deeper sense of understanding of the event and/or growth after a potentially morally injurious experience through a process called meaning-making (Park, 2013). The present study seeks to examine the relationship between individual coping styles and …

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Toward Holistic Mental Wellness: A Literature Review Of Mindfulness-Based And Focusing-Oriented Art Therapies, Lesley Vernon May 2022

Toward Holistic Mental Wellness: A Literature Review Of Mindfulness-Based And Focusing-Oriented Art Therapies, Lesley Vernon

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Modern day living, for all its benefits, is synonymous with record levels of stress. The mental health clinician’s role is to assist clients in accessing the skills and tools necessary to reduce and alleviate the symptoms of stress-induced anxiety. Mindfulness is emerging as a potent and effective tool to restore one’s state of well-being. Likewise, engaging in art therapy has been shown to reduce stress and foster resilience. Grounded in humanistic and existential theories, this literature review aimed to assess the impact and effectiveness of two intermodal holistic therapies, specifically mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) and focusing-oriented art therapy (FOAT). A …

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The Protective Influence Of Mindfulness Facets On The Relationship Between Negative Core Beliefs And Social Media Addiction Among Latinx College Students, Mariany Gainza Perez May 2022

The Protective Influence Of Mindfulness Facets On The Relationship Between Negative Core Beliefs And Social Media Addiction Among Latinx College Students, Mariany Gainza Perez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Social media use has continued to rise over the last decade. This behavioral addiction shares essential components with substance addictions (e.g., mood modification, withdrawal). Dysfunctional core beliefs have recently been investigated in relation to Internet addiction and problematic Facebook use, but not with social media addiction specifically. Similarly, mindfulness-based interventions have been developed for various types of technology-related behavioral addictions, yet the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and social media addiction remains unexplored. This study investigated the relationships between these constructs among Latinx undergraduates within the context of social cognitive theory. Participants (n=386; 80.3% female) completed an online survey that assessed …

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Mitigating Weight Stigma In The Medical System: Self-Compassion For Nursing Students, Ellen C. Joseph Jan 2022

Mitigating Weight Stigma In The Medical System: Self-Compassion For Nursing Students, Ellen C. Joseph

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Weight stigma is a form of oppression that has been shown to have a detrimental impact on the well-being of people with higher weight. Healthcare providers are one of the most common sources of weight stigma, and their stigmatizing beliefs have been found to be associated with differential care for patients with “obesity”. The current study aimed to explore the feasibility of the loving-kindness meditation (LKM) as a brief intervention that reduces weight bias in nursing students by increasing self-compassion, positive, other-focused emotions, and cognitive flexibility, in order to improve compassionate care for patients with higher weight. Participants (189 nursing …

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The Relationship Between Sex Role, Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, Anxiety, And Flow In Team Sport Female Athletes, Vanessa Chafos Aug 2021

The Relationship Between Sex Role, Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, Anxiety, And Flow In Team Sport Female Athletes, Vanessa Chafos

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

In recent years, studies have emerged that support the use of mindfulness interventions to enhance sport performance (Cathcart et al, 2014; Gardner & Moore, 2012; Jekauc et al., 2017; Kee & Wang, 2008; Moen et al., 2015). Among these studies, there is a gap in the literature in regards to sex role and mindfulness, perception of stress, and ability to reach a flow state. This study discusses current sport psychology literature and explores the relationship between sex role, mindfulness, perceived stress, anxiety, and flow among 185 team sport female athletes. Correlational Analyses from this study indicated that there is a …

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Self-Compassion Integrated Art Therapy For Mothers During A Pandemic, Shannon Dover May 2021

Self-Compassion Integrated Art Therapy For Mothers During A Pandemic, Shannon Dover

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis reviews literature related to parental mental health and the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). COVID-19 is a collective trauma in which individuals experience the trauma differently depending on race, gender, and class. Women’s experience of living during COVID-19 related to changes in the workplace, caretaking, and more. The pandemic influenced parents and notably mothers with increased stress, depression, grief, and anxiety. The practice of self-compassion reduces shame and self-criticism which are common experiences during parenting and trauma. Self-compassion and art therapy can aid in resiliency and make living during COVID-19 more comfortable. With a literature review, results yield the following …

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Self-Efficacy, Trait Mindfulness, And Self-Compassion As Predictors Of Risk Of Substance Use Relapse, Jonathan Nauser Jan 2021

Self-Efficacy, Trait Mindfulness, And Self-Compassion As Predictors Of Risk Of Substance Use Relapse, Jonathan Nauser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Previous research has demonstrated relationships among mindfulness, self-efficacy, and substance use relapse. Contrasting research has found mindfulness and self-efficacy are not consistently negatively associated with substance use relapse demonstrating a need for further research. An additional factor that has been found to associated with substance use is self-compassion; however, it has yet to be examined in relation to the process of relapse. The current study assessed self-efficacy, self-compassion, and mindfulness and their associations with substance use relapse, with the aim of predicting relapse risk. Higher levels of relapse risk were found to be negatively associated with self-efficacy, trait mindfulness, and …

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Vicarious Traumatization And Quality Of Life Among Supervisees : Testing Moderation And Mediation, Mackenzie Lee Mcnamara Jan 2021

Vicarious Traumatization And Quality Of Life Among Supervisees : Testing Moderation And Mediation, Mackenzie Lee Mcnamara

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This study sought to replicate and extend existing research (i.e., DelTosta et al., 2019) on predictors of vicarious traumatization among mental health counseling trainees and tested empirically the effects on trainees’ quality of life. The current investigation examined relations among personal distress empathy (PDE), the supervisory working alliance (SWA), mindfulness, vicarious traumatization (VT), and quality of life (QoL) in a sample of 294 mental health counseling trainees in the United States and Canada. Multivariate path analysis was used to test serial mediation of PDE and QoL through the SWA and VT. Additionally, this study examined the extent to which (a) …

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The Experience Of Equanimity Expressed Through Art: How Artmaking Facilitates The Practice Of Equanimity, Seyma Cavusoglu Sep 2020

The Experience Of Equanimity Expressed Through Art: How Artmaking Facilitates The Practice Of Equanimity, Seyma Cavusoglu

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to explore the experience of equanimity expressed through art and its implications for the field of Expressive Therapies by examining the artmaking process of six participants (an illustrator, a visual artist, a musician, an art therapist, an expressive arts therapist, a clinical psychologist who is an art therapy practitioner). The participants were recruited based on their involvement in a contemplative practice that supported their practice of equanimity. The study utilized qualitative and arts-based research methods. Data were collected in the form of art (visual arts, poetry and music), interviews, journaling and artmaking by …

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Mindfulness And Technology: Evaluating An Online Mindfulness Intervention For Symptoms Related To Sexual Assault, Erica Catherine Johnson Aug 2020

Mindfulness And Technology: Evaluating An Online Mindfulness Intervention For Symptoms Related To Sexual Assault, Erica Catherine Johnson

Dissertations

Sexual assault has been found to increase the risk of distressing psychological symptoms including PTSD, depression, somatization, drug and substance use, lower quality of life and experiential avoidance. As such, interventions for reducing the distress and negative impacts of sexual assault are of importance. Mindfulness is of particular interest as it addresses one of the prominent factors known to maintain psychological distress after trauma, experiential avoidance (Polusny et al., 2004; Merwin et al., 2009). Furthermore, an online mindfulness-based intervention can increase the accessibility and reduce the barriers to treatment. A within subjects repeated measures open clinical trial design was used …

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Exploring The Relationship Between Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, And Empathy In Student Therapists, Nicole Montes Aug 2020

Exploring The Relationship Between Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, And Empathy In Student Therapists, Nicole Montes

Dissertations

Literature suggests that the practice of mindfulness may foster self-compassion within the practitioner. Mindfulness is also associated with increased empathy towards others. The current study explored the relationship between a mindfulness intervention and student clinicians’ levels of self-compassion and empathy towards a mock “client.” Graduate student clinicians were randomly assigned to two groups: one that participated in a mindfulness exercise then viewed a mock client video, and another that did not participate in the mindfulness exercise and went directly to viewing the mock client video. Participants’ levels of empathy towards the client and self-compassion were measured. The results revealed no …

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Creatively Exploring Self: Applying Organic Inquiry, A Transpersonal And Intuitive Methodology, Larisa J. Bardsley Phd Jul 2020

Creatively Exploring Self: Applying Organic Inquiry, A Transpersonal And Intuitive Methodology, Larisa J. Bardsley Phd

The Qualitative Report

This article explores the merit of using Organic Inquiry, a qualitative research approach that is most effectively applied to areas of psychological and spiritual growth. Organic Inquiry is a research approach where the psyche of the researcher becomes the instrument of the research, working in partnership with the experiences of participants and guided by liminal and spiritual influences. Organic Inquiry is presented as a unique methodology that can incorporate other non-traditional research methods, including intuitive, autoethnographic and creative techniques. The validity and application of Organic Inquiry, as well as its strengths and limitations are discussed in the light of the …

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Moving Through Depression: Development Of A Dance/Movement Therapy Method In Psychiatric Inpatient Care, Melissa Olmedo May 2020

Moving Through Depression: Development Of A Dance/Movement Therapy Method In Psychiatric Inpatient Care, Melissa Olmedo

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Short-term psychiatric hospitalization is a challenging health care model due to its short duration of care, treating the highest risk psychiatric population. Priority care within a short-term psychiatric hospitalization involves monitoring a patient’s safety for stabilization by decreasing acute mental health symptoms. Holistic psychotherapy treatment options are needed to meet the severity of patients’ symptoms for effective stabilization within a short-term model of care. This paper investigates the first implementation of a dance/movement therapy (DMT) method within two short-term units in a notable Boston hospital. The DMT group called Mindful Movement was facilitated weekly as single sessions to adults ranging …

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Mindfulness-Based Dance/Movement Therapy For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder And Health Anxiety: Development Of A Method, Katherine Stahl May 2020

Mindfulness-Based Dance/Movement Therapy For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder And Health Anxiety: Development Of A Method, Katherine Stahl

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Despite the development of effective interventions such as Exposure and Response Prevention, the literature on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) demonstrates a large proportion of individuals whose symptoms do not improve with behavioral therapies alone. Supplemental therapies such as Mindfulness have been studied in order to address this issue, demonstrating partial success. The current thesis focuses on individuals diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder who present with health anxiety symptomology. Dance/Movement Therapy is a modality which addresses the mind/body connection, especially important those who have body-based triggers. In order to address the need for supplemental treatment modalities for individuals suffering from OCD, a mindfulness-based …

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Promoting Resilience In Self-Management (Prism): Adverse Childhood Experiences And Impacts On Emotion Regulation, Kasey Ann Macedo Apr 2020

Promoting Resilience In Self-Management (Prism): Adverse Childhood Experiences And Impacts On Emotion Regulation, Kasey Ann Macedo

Honors Scholar Theses

PRISM (Promoting Resilience in Self-Management) is a mindfulness-based intervention that aims to strengthen emotion regulation skills among individuals by employing cognitive behavioral therapy components. The purpose of the current study is to identify the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depression, as well as to examine the changes in emotion regulation strategies of participants by comparing pre and post test data. The participants were voluntarily recruited from the Cornerstone Foundation, a homeless shelter, food pantry, and community center in Vernon, CT. The 13 participants completed PRISM through four weeks of two-hour workshop sessions in a small-group format. Results indicate …

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Acceptability Of Making Mindfulness Matter (M3): A Community Based Program For Families Experiencing Adversity, Emilia Pacholec Apr 2020

Acceptability Of Making Mindfulness Matter (M3): A Community Based Program For Families Experiencing Adversity, Emilia Pacholec

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study utilized a mixed methods sequential embedded design to explore the acceptability of Making Mindfulness Matter (M3), an eight-week, concurrent intervention for families who have experienced adversity, from the parent’s perspective. M3 incorporates education and skills development around mindfulness, social-emotional learning, positive psychology, and neuroscience. Participants were 74 families, with children ages four to nine, who participated in the M3 program at a family support and crisis centre. Frequency data was collected for attendance and skills use between sessions. An inductive content analysis was used to identify the key themes pertaining to parent’s experience with the M3 program. The …

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Diverse Mindfulness Practices For Bipolar Recovery: Qualitative Study Results, Sasha Strong Jan 2020

Diverse Mindfulness Practices For Bipolar Recovery: Qualitative Study Results, Sasha Strong

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

This study investigated the lived experience of Buddhist-informed mindfulness practice and its utilization in recovery from bipolar disorder (BD) in 9 adult participants. Established mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) decontextualize mindfulness practice from a Buddhist theory base, omitting conceptual frameworks that may have adaptive value in recovery from BD. In interviews, participants reported blending techniques learned from various Buddhist lineages throughout the course of their recovery, as well as a variety of other contemplative practices such as techniques to cultivate adaptive emotions, devotional practices, visualization practices, embodiment practices, investigative practices, and informal daily practice. Mindfulness practice for recovery from BD is …

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The Importance Of Mindfulness And Self-Compassion In Clinical Training: Outcomes Related To Self-Assessed Competency And Self-Efficacy In Psychologists-In-Training, Chelsea Latorre Jan 2020

The Importance Of Mindfulness And Self-Compassion In Clinical Training: Outcomes Related To Self-Assessed Competency And Self-Efficacy In Psychologists-In-Training, Chelsea Latorre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The release of the APA (2011) Revised Competency Benchmarks used for evaluation of doctoral-level psychology trainees calls for literature to examine competencies in this population with use of appropriate instrumentation. The recent publication and validation of the Professional Competencies Scale-Revised (Taylor, 2015) allows for researchers to explore factors associated with trainee competencies as it relates to the benchmark system. Previous literature suggests a strong relationship between counselor self-efficacy and professional competency (e.g., Constantine, 2002), suggesting that interventions that can foster these constructs may lead to enhanced counseling performance. This study examined the predictive value of mindfulness and self-compassion for self-assessed …

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A Systematic Review Of Mindfulness Interventions’ Impact On Athlete Emotional Distress & Wellbeing, Trevor Nathan Tierney Jan 2020

A Systematic Review Of Mindfulness Interventions’ Impact On Athlete Emotional Distress & Wellbeing, Trevor Nathan Tierney

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Mindfulness-based interventions’ (MBIs) effectiveness for improving wellbeing and reducing emotional distress is well-documented in both clinical and non-clinical sections of the general population (McAlarnen & Longshore, 2017). Although mindfulness has been shown to be effective with these populations, less is known about the specific effects for athletes. The effects of MBI’s for athletes may be different given that the intention for MBIs in the sport context is typically to improve performance, where in most other contexts it is not (Gardner & Moore, 2012). Furthermore, athletes are a distinct population who possess unique factors on which their wellbeing and mental health …

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The Experience Of Counseling Interns And Their Perceived Preparedness Of Multicultural Counseling: A Phenomenological Study, Bianca Maria Milz Dec 2019

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 …

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Decreasing Stress Through An Emotion Regulation And Non-Judging Based Intervention With Trauma-Exposed College Students, Megan Cherry Aug 2019

Decreasing Stress Through An Emotion Regulation And Non-Judging Based Intervention With Trauma-Exposed College Students, Megan Cherry

Doctoral Dissertations

Among college students, trauma and PTSD symptomatology are associated with negative consequences (e.g., poor academic performance, stress sensitivity, and negative coping). College is often a stressful time, and those who have experienced trauma, particularly those experiencing PTSD symptoms, are vulnerable to heightened stress sensitivity and negative outcomes. It is imperative to identify interventions that decrease stress for trauma-exposed college students to reduce the deleterious effects of related outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether emotion regulation and non-judgment could be enhanced in trauma-exposed college students through a short, mindfulnessbased intervention, and whether the intervention would lead to …

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Mindfulness-Integrated Art Therapy & The Cultivation Of Self-Compassion: Development Of A Method, Mollie German May 2019

Mindfulness-Integrated Art Therapy & The Cultivation Of Self-Compassion: Development Of A Method, Mollie German

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone thesis explored the links between the research on self-compassion and a mindful art therapy approach in treatment for mental health. Through a critical review of the literature on mindfulness, art therapy, and self-compassion the author extracted the overlapping themes that support well-being theory. It was identified that mindful art therapy approaches that focus on the development of emotional regulation, identity development, resiliency, and wellbeing overlap with those same themes in the self-compassionate approach to treatment for mental health. Many of the approaches were found to not only reduce pathology but also increase wellbeing simultaneously through a positive psychology …

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Expressive Mindfulness: A Trauma-Sensitive Expressive Arts Therapy Group Method, Meghan Daly May 2019

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. …

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