Psychology Commons^™

The Flourishing Trainee: Operationalizing Self-Care Education In Clinical Psychology Training Programs, Bonnie B. Zinn

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Evidence suggests that clinical psychology trainees may be vulnerable to stress, vicarious traumatization, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Research also indicates that engaging in self-care may help to protect clinical psychology trainees against those experiences and enhance their well-being. However, best available research suggests self-care education is not consistently incorporated into clinical psychology training or prioritized by program directors. This study provided a systematic review of existing literature on self-care for clinical psychology trainees, utilizing reflexive thematic analysis to identify the essential skills, knowledge, and attitudes of self-care which should be taught to trainees, and how to operationalize …

The Impact Of Creative Arts On Meaning Reconstruction And Loss Adaptation In Widowed Adults, Dani Baker-Cole

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

In counseling, helping grieving clients find meaning after significant loss is a unique, multidimensional, and lengthy process. This is particularly true in Western societies, where antithetical linear grief models, supported by hegemonic expectations to move on after loss, add exhausting pressure to speed up an individual’s natural grieving process. For that reason, this study examined how creative arts interventions such as using traditional art media and expressive writing, combined with postmodern, nonlinear, culturally sensitive bereavement models, help individuals explore their loss narrative to make meaning and adapt to loss. Specifically, this study examined the impact of a switch from traditional …

A Journey To Finding Space In The Tension: Experience Of Instructors' Relationship With Religion And Spirituality In Doctoral Psychology Programs, Samantha Mcgee

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Religion and spirituality, when viewed through a holistic lens, can reflect important aspects of a person’s identity. It can be a source of well-being and also struggle. The fields of religion, spirituality and psychology have had a history of being polarized, with some efforts to integrate the two fields. Tensions exist at multiple ecological levels around the topic of religion and spirituality, which can make it easier to avoid discussing it in classrooms and therapy rooms. It is important to address and create room for discussion of experiences around religion and spirituality in classrooms that are training psychologists so they …

The Experiences Of Marriage And Family Therapists Balancing Relational Teletherapy And Self-Care During The Covid-19 Pandemic: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Elizabeth Dumayne

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many changes to the world of mental health, especially in the delivery that marriage and family therapists provide services to their clients and while balancing their own self-care. In order to provide therapists with a base from which to work through these changes, a thorough review of the literature is provided as well as an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Chapter one provides an introduction to the topic of relational teletherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic and self-care for therapists, defines the terms teletherapy and self-care, and clarifies the conceptual frameworks at use in the dissertation: ecological systems …

Social And Cultural Considerations In Accessing Mental Health Treatment In The Gambia, West Africa, Safiya Njai

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This study examines the social and cultural considerations in accessing mental health treatment in The Gambia, West Africa. Participants were recruited from The Gambia for a qualitative study that included semistructured interviews (N = 17). A team of analysts identified five themes. The results highlighted social and cultural conceptualizations of mental health and mental illness, sociocultural determinants of health, interventions, barriers to care, and the legal framework to support mental health change. These findings are important for counselors to understand different perceptions of mental health and mental illness and the associated stigma. Furthermore, several opportunities for advocacy in The Gambia …

It Takes Two: Professional Interconnections And Potential Collaborations Between Small-Town Family Attorneys And Couple/Family Therapists, Wendy Lenk Mcclary

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Attorneys who specialize in family practice may experience significant rates of mood disorders and substance reliance. Law schools typically do not provide supportive coursework or mentoring to help students learn to manage their feelings and those of crisis-impacted clients. Lawyers may well consider that understanding emotional needs and providing emotional support does not fall within their codes of practice. Societal stigma may prevent family attorneys and their clients from seeking therapy. Small-town attorneys may be particularly vulnerable to professional stress and safety concerns. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand the lived experiences of family attorneys practicing …

Integrating Interpersonal Neurobiology In Healthcare Leadership And Organizations, Lynn Redenbach

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) is an interdisciplinary, science-based field that seeks to understand human reality including the nature of mind, brain, and relationships. IPNB has been used extensively by mental health practitioners as well as child development and parenting experts. While practitioners and scholars have described ways that IPNB can be used in leadership and organizations, there has been no systematic inquiry into the practical and phenomenological experience of this application. IPNB offers an alternative to dominant models of care and leading in healthcare settings and fields, which are characterized by disconnection, objectification, and separation. It offers a relationally centered approach …

Locating Uncertainty In Hospital Leader Sensemaking And Sensegiving Of Organizational Change: A Single Case Study, Sara E. Barry

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Leaders planning strategic change face significant ambiguity and uncertainty due to the complex, fast-paced, and volatile nature of organizational life. What one leader sees as an opportunity, another may view as a threat depending on their past experiences, their existing mental models, and their perceptions of uncertainty. Sensemaking and sensegiving theories provide a framework for how leaders retrospectively make sense of new and disorienting information through recursive cycles of interpretation, action, and learning, and seek to influence the meaning-making of others towards a shared vision of the strategic change. Despite decades of research using these theories, studies have yet to …

Traditional Healing In Psychology On The Caribbean Island Of Montserrat, West Indies, Yvette Adelcia Cabey

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

In Montserrat, traditional healing medicines consist of herbal treatments and customary therapeutic methods such as ritual practices and herbal teas also known as “Bush and Weed” (Duberry, 1973, p.1). The purpose of this study is to discuss herbs known as “Bush,” in Montserrat, and how they benefit psychological wellbeing among the communities in Montserrat. A subsequent intention of this study is to address how an understanding of Montserratian Traditional Healing remedies can be beneficial to Western Psychological practice and enhance the efficacy for psychological healing. The gap in the literature indicates that few studies are examining mental health methods in …

Managing Expectations After Expecting: A Phenomenological Study Of Anger And Societal Expectations In New Motherhood, Jennifer Monahan Demella

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The literature on motherhood is dominated by topics on the roles of attachment, prenatal care, and childrearing. Research on the negative effects of motherhood is typically described in terms of postpartum depression (PPD) or postpartum mood disorder (PPMD). However, anger is a prominent component in motherhood, which may not be seen through the criteria of PPD or PPMD. Additionally, angry mothers conflict with the mythos of the Good Mother. In this phenomenological study, the thematic structure of mothers’ experience within the first year of their newborns’ life are examined. Data from interviews with seven women who were four to ten …

No Time For That: Graduate Psychology Student Perspectives On Self-Care Culture, Anthony Primavera

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Graduate psychology students face numerous stressors that can hinder their performance both academically and clinically as they move through their education and into the professional world (Pakenham & Stafford-Brown, 2012; Shen-Miller, 2011). Engagement with regular self-care not only can enhance a sense of well-being, but also plays a crucial role in shielding an individual from some of the most harmful effects of stress (Wise et al., 2012). Graduate level psychology programs are inherently positioned to teach graduate trainees about the importance of self-care practices and to help them develop self-care habits that they can take into future careers. It appears …

The Caregiver’S Experience Of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, Jordyn Deschene

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

As the rate of Lyme disease diagnoses increases in the United States, it can be assumed that the frequency at which post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) is diagnosed will also increase. While research has been published on the experience of caregivers of other chronic illnesses, no studies have examined the experience of the PTLDS caregiver. This quantitative study sought to discover the most significant burdens, mental health status (levels of anxiety and depression), and level of invalidation experienced by the PTLDS caregiver. Thirty individual participants took part in this study. This study found that mental burden is a significant area …

Love Outside Margins: Mental Health And Marginalization In Intercultural And Monocultural Couples, Tara Masseratagah

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

As the number of intercultural couples increases in North America, the impact of perceived marginalization of these relationships on the mental health of individuals is an area that requires continued clinical understanding. This quantitative study sought to explore how anxiety and depression levels in intercultural and monocultural couples are associated with levels of perceived marginalization. Qualitative follow-up questions were used to understand the varying reasons for marginalization and support between couples. One hundred twenty-four individual participants in romantic relationships took part in this study; of this, 64 were in monocultural relationships and 60 were in intercultural relationships. This study found …

Exploring The Needs Of Black Single Mothers In Therapy, Nompelelo Boucher

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study of 6 Black single mothers utilizes a focus group format to explore their experiences in mental health treatment. The specific barriers they face to seeking treatment are reviewed, given that this particular population is substantially underrepresented in mental health therapy. The study seeks to gain a better insight of what factors contribute to attracting and retaining them in therapy for positive outcomes. Six emergent themes surfaced highlighting the fact that these women overcome numerous historical and cultural barriers to present for treatment to address serious issues of stress, grief, and loss, that they have a desire to …

Beyond The Controversy: An Exploration Of Cultural Socialization Behaviors In Transracial Adoptive Families, Karmen Smith

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The voices of the families that have successfully raised transracially adopted children with a positive cultural identity are missing from the literature: “Further research is needed on adoption from the perspective of the adoptee” (Clark et al., 2006, p. 192). There are methodological shortcomings that inhibit our ability to definitively determine adjustment outcomes for this population. Such shortcomings, combined with a failure to address additional variables that influence outcomes, have left identified gaps in the research unaddressed. The purpose of this grounded theory study is to identify the cultural socialization behaviors that contributed to the development of the participant’s positive …

Developing The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Power, And Privilege Assessment In Cft/Mft: A Delphi Study, Carrie Hatch

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) and Couple and Family Therapists (CFTs) engage in clinical practice from a systemic framework. This framework positions MFTs to consider the impact of social systems on the MFT/CFT field and their clients. Issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, power, and privilege (DEIPP) impact all of the systems in which we operate. Currently, there is no consensus on a tool measuring training clinicians’ competencies related to DEIPP beyond self-report. There is a need for a DEIPP competency measure because, currently, the most widely used measure is self or observer report, which may not provide a complete …

Experiences Of Queer Women And Nonbinary Individuals With Mental Health Care Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth Claire Simpson

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on mental health. Queer women and nonbinary individuals disproportionately experience mental health issues when compared to heterosexuals, often facing challenges in receiving care from providers who are sensitive to their concerns and competent in their care. Objective: To report experience of queer women and nonbinary individuals in the United States with mental health care services before and during the pandemic. Methods: Data were gathered via a 43-item survey about experiences with mental health care services before and during the pandemic that was posted on four social media sites, and flyers hung …

The Lived Experiences Of Sports Retirement Among Elite, Action Sports Athletes, Gracie Struthers

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This study explored the lived experiences of sports retirement among elite, action sport athletes. This study examined participants’ retirement experiences, their well-being post-retirement, and recommendations participants had for current athletes about retirement. Interviews were conducted remotely with four participants. Participants identified as Caucasian, in the 25–38 age range, had been involved with their sport competitively for 17.75 years, and had been retired for 3.37 years. Data was collected and analyzed utilizing Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Participants’ experiences during retirement illustrated a significant disruption in their lives and the way they lived. This disruption was characterized by significant grief and distress, …

Motivational Interviewing In Vocational Rehabilitation: Why It Matters For People With Disabilities, Alicia Wein-Senghas

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is increasingly being trained within and integrated into public vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs based on its efficacy in related fields and yet research specific to the efficacy of MI in public VR programs is almost nonexistent. This study used a quantitative sequential design to explore relationships between MI training, MI proficiency, and VR customer outcomes within the State of Vermont’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VT DVR) program. The study occurred in two phases. In the first phase, 30 VR counselors were recruited, and their level of MI proficiency was established using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Measure …

Influencing Legislation For Juveniles In The Adult Judicial System: A Phenomenological Examination Of Legal Advocates, Krista F. Franklin

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

INFLUENCING LEGISLATION FOR JUVENILES IN THE ADULT JUDICIAL SYSTEM: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF LEGAL ADVOCATES Krista Franklin Antioch University Seattle Seattle, WA This phenomenological study explores the lived experience of Washington State lawmakers and legal activists regarding their involvement in passing Washington State Senate Bill 5064 in February 2014. In response to the 2012 landmark federal Supreme Court decision, Miller v. Alabama, Senate Bill 5064 reduced the number of crimes for which juveniles could be sentenced as adults to life without parole. Six interviewees were selected from those who testified in Olympia, WA. Individual interviews were conducted in an open-ended …

Divine Narcissism: Raising A Secure Middle-Aged Adult, Rachel Sachs Riverwood

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Utilizing an arts-based feminist autoethnographic stance and method, this dissertation is an evocative exploration of the process and experience of attempting to develop a cohesive identity and build a secure attachment to the self. The author uses countercultural methods—prioritizing and centralizing her experience and uncovering and acting in defiance of oppressive norms—to identify and experience their impact on her identity and intra- and inter- personal relationships. Various tensions are explored, including the suppression of self and desire, self-objectification, fearful-avoidant attachment, and shame; and their influence on engaging in emotional and sexual intimacy is examined. Critique on the role of female …

Experience Of Gender Role Expectations And Negotiation In Second Generation Desi Couples, Deepa Patel

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Due to the lack of research on the Desi community, this qualitative study was the first of its kind to investigate the process of gender role expectation and negotiation style among second generation Desi couples. Previous research provided awareness of unequal treatment amongst the male and female genders within the patriarchal structure of the Desi community. However, this study provided a unique understanding on Desi couples’ perspective on gender dynamics. Six couples, ages 25- 35, who were married for at least 3 years and identified as second generation Desi were interviewed in order to gain a deeper understanding of gender …

I’M So Satisfied: A Qualitative Approach To Understanding The Process Of Marriage Satisfaction Among African American Couples, Rashida Spence

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The current study uses a strengths-based framework to identify the process of marriage satisfaction among 1 same-sex African American married couple and 5 heterosexual African American married couples. Six themes emerged through qualitative analysis demonstrating that marriage satisfaction is a co-constructed experience created between couples through a series of interactions cultivating healthy conditions that strengthen relationship functioning and promote well-being. Based on the results the experience of marriage satisfaction is formed by the organizing concepts of connection, intentionality, purpose, sentiments of peace, authentic communication, and well-being. Results are discussed in association with existing research, as well as, Self-Determination, and Relationship …

Self-Concept, Healthcare, And Leadership: Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Physician Leaders In Urban Community Healthcare Centers, Eric James Charlton

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Reducing disparities in health services delivery and outcomes is a continued challenge. The consistence of healthcare disparities, despite advances in medical technology and increased awareness of the problem, poses an ongoing test to the nation. There is a growing body of work that demonstrates providing access to good primary care may be the most effective intervention at hand. For over 40 years, community health centers have been providing quality, comprehensive primary care focusing on reducing health outcome disparities. Increased awareness is now emphasizing primary care elimination of health disparities within disadvantaged, underserved populations. A major failing of the system that …

“They Let Me Loose, Will You Hold Me Tight?” Adult Adoptees And Their Romantic Partners' Experience Of Attachment After Participating In The Hmt Program, Bethany Baker

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Adult adoptees may be blocked from feeling securely attached to their romantic partners and they may not even know it or what to do about it. The literature shows adult adoptees being overrepresented in insecure attachment styles, and not enough attention has been paid to the effect this has had on adoptees in their romantic relationships. In fact, no known study, to date, has provided an attachment-based psychoeducational approach for this marginalized population. The purpose of this introductory qualitative study was to explore the experiences and meaning-making of attachment, specifically related to adoption, for the adult adoptee and their romantic …

The Strategically Broken System: A Grounded Theory Study Of The Clinical Implications Of Immigration Law, Policy, And Practice, Kelle Agassiz

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The majority of clinicians do not receive education pertaining to the legal aspects of immigration in their curriculum, training, or continuing education. In addition, the process of navigating the immigration system has been exacerbated in recent years due to rapid policy changes under the Trump administration, which has contributed to a hostile political climate, particularly for immigrants from Central America and Mexico. Using a classic grounded theory research approach, this study explored the relationship between the psychological implications of immigration and the legal challenges that immigrants face today, with a specific focus on immigration from Central America and Mexico. Through …

Examining The Relationship Between Five Factors Of Mindfulness And Parenting Stress: A Correlational Study Of New Mothers, Jessica L. Lazaro

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

It can be tempting to want to dissociate from the stress of parenting. The implication being that the early years of parenthood are meant to simply be endured. In contrast, mindfully embracing all aspects of parenthood, including the difficult moments, may allow the appreciation of beauty, growth, and connection, which is so essential to the human experience, especially as it relates to the parent-child relationship. As the popularity of mindfulness research increases, so does the information we have about using it with parents in general, and mothers in particular. The current study explores what, if any, relationship exists between levels …

Internet Pornography Addiction In The Treatment Of Heterosexual Dyadic Relationships: A Literature Review, Sarah Ogier-Bloomer

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The following dissertation provides a thorough literature review of internet pornography and internet pornography addiction for psychologists treating heterosexual couples in therapy and those training said clinicians. Factors that contribute to the development of compulsive sexual behavior are discussed, as well as how the addiction is maintained through reinforcing cycles. Factors including neuropsychological effects of neurotransmitters on the pleasure-reward system, insecure attachment, and childhood development provide insight into the manifestation of an addiction to pornography. Therefore, a thorough literature review on these aspects is necessary for current clinicians, as well as for those who are training clinicians. In addition, questionnaires …

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Client Experience Of The Psychotherapy Relationship, Mark D. Knutzen

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Meta-analyses have indicated that there are likely common factors across varied treatment modalities that account for the effectiveness of psychotherapy. Research has attempted to identify therapist and treatment relationship components that correlate with effective mental health treatment. Yet, there is a paucity of research directly addressing the qualitative experience of the relationship between psychotherapists and their clients.

Eight adult psychotherapy clients were interviewed regarding their experience of the psychotherapy relationship with their mental health therapist. The interviews were analyzed through the use of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Seven themes emerged. Three themes related to the formation, and overall foundation of …

The Experience Of Children's Mental Health Leaders During Times Of Constraint: A Narrative Study, Jody Levison-Johnson

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Across the United States, each state has a public mental health system that is designed to support children and youth with emotional and behavioral challenges. This is critically important as recent estimates show that one in six children in the United States has a diagnosed mental health condition (Whitney & Peterson, 2019). The design and structure of these systems vary by state, but consistent across them is the presence of a state-designated leader who is faced with an array of constraining factors that influence their behavior and shape the resulting system. This study describes the experience of leaders in children’s …