Counseling Commons^™

A Mental Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: The Dangers Of International Reporting For Journalists, Lydia Fielder

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study assesses the impact of international reporting on journalists’ physical and mental health. Previous research focuses almost exclusively on the quantitative prevalence of mental health issues in professional journalists. This study advances understanding of qualitative effects of international reporting.

The project is motivated by three research questions: (1) What are the impacts on journalists while abroad? (2) How is daily life back home affected after journalistic work abroad? (3) What resources are available to journalists who are suffering from mental health impacts? To examine these questions, the research culminates in a three-part documentary film.

Using in-depth interviews with a ...

Language & Online Learning: Inform, Inspire And Engage Virtual Learning Communities, Linda Foster, Anita Neuer Colburn, Cynthia Briggs

The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Standards for technology-assisted teaching/learning have existed for nearly 20 years (ACES, 1999), and trends show that counselor education programs increasingly integrate technology into the delivery of instruction for students either through hybrid classes, fully online classes, or fully online programs. While many researchers have investigated various aspects of student engagement in online formats, counselor educators still lack consensus for best practices in the online classroom. Maximizing the effectiveness of online pedagogy will help improve overall learning, retention of students, and growth of online programs. We suggest the intentional use of appropriate, warm, inviting and supportive language to inform, inspire ...

Research Mentoring: A Study Of Doctoral Student Experiences And Research Productivity, Alyse M. Anekstein, Linwood G. Vereen

The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This article explored the research mentoring experiences of doctoral students’ (N = 131) in counselor education. Descriptive statistics and a factorial Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) were utilized to ascertain the mentor roles utilized and the classification of productivity of doctoral students. Recommendations and limitations and implications for the counseling profession are offered to further the development of research regarding the research mentoring experiences of doctoral students.

Why Should We Care? Psychodynamic Theory And Practice In Counselor Preparation, Elyssa Smith

The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Abstract

This constructivist grounded theory investigation explored the experiences and perceptions of seven counselors-in-training regarding psychodynamic theory and practice. Two categories, five themes including three subthemes, and a tentative theory which spoke to the experiences, perceptions, and attitudes of students regarding contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy emerged. Implications for counselor education and the training of counselors are discussed.

Keywords: counselor preparation, psychodynamic, reflective practice

Cognitive Complexity In Counseling And Counselor Education: A Systematic And Critical Review, Jaime H. Castillo

The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Cognitive complexity has found a small yet established niche in the counseling and counselor education literature over the last 40 years. This body of research has highlighted how individuals with high cognitive complexity have greater consistency in empathy, show more varied responses to clients, demonstrate greater toleration of ambiguity, and show higher frequencies of unbiased clinical judgements towards clients. This article provides a systematic and critical review of the cognitive complexity literature and discusses future implications of cultivating cognitive complexity in emerging and professional counselors and supervisors.

Building A Consensus Of The Professional Dispositions Of Counseling Students, Jeffrey K. Christensen, Charles A. Dickerman, Cort Dorn-Medeiros

The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Professional dispositions expected of counseling students has been a contested area within the counseling profession, and students challenging dismissal decisions have put counseling programs at risk of litigation. To better guide counseling programs’ evaluation and remediation efforts, the authors used a content analysis to investigate the most recurring professional dispositions of master’s level counseling students listed within student retention policies, evaluations and rubrics of CACREP accredited counseling programs (n=224). The most common dispositional themes included; Openness to Growth, Awareness of Self and Others, Emotional Stability, Integrity, Flexibility, Compassion, and Personal Style. Implications for how the disposition themes can ...

Undergraduate Minor In Counseling Program: Design, Implementation, And Reflection, Christopher D. Schmidt, Stacey Havlik, Krista Malott

The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This article argues the benefits for having an undergraduate counseling program and offers suggestions for successful implementation. The presence of an undergraduate counseling program could be an additional method for growing the field of counseling. Specifically, the development of a Minor in Counseling for the undergraduate population is described and reflections from students and faculty are included to help elucidate how other counseling programs might follow suit.

African American Adolescent Males' Experiences Within The Education System: Implications For School Counseling Practice, Damon D. Chambers

The Hilltop Review

This article examines the literature on the experiences of African American adolescent males in the education system. The primary focus of the article is to explore the following: historical accounts dating back to the transatlantic slavery era; Disciplinary Disparities within the education system Postsecondary opportunities. Implications for counselor education and practice are discussed. The author concludes with recommendations to improve the experiences of African American adolescent males within the educational system.

Problems Facing The Working Poor: Implications For Counseling, Tristan D. Mcbain

The Hilltop Review

The most recent reports from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that 8.6 million people in the United States are among the working poor, a population whose formal employment does not provide sufficient income to remain above the poverty threshold. The problems facing the working poor are examined in this article. Labor market issues, job stress, mental health concerns, stigma, and barriers to appropriate treatment were all identified as problems facing this disadvantaged population. Implications for counselors and counseling practice are discussed including considerations for the working poor population and counselor education training programs.

Multilingualism In Counselor Education And Human Services Professionals: Implications For A New Training Paradigm, Roberto Swazo, Dorota Celinska

Michigan Journal of Counseling: Research, Theory and Practice

This study analyzes the relationships among the three distinct levels of language and cultural-linguistic professional competences. A total of 483 participants from three U.S. and one Central American university representing the fields of counseling, social work, family services, and psychology were surveyed. The results suggest that there is a large multilingual training deficit among human service providers in the U.S. Training programs need to make curricular revisions to include bi/multilingual training consistent with multilingual clientele. Recommendations for culturally-embedded and non-native language use are provided to increase cultural-linguistic competences among counselor education trainees.

Service Providers Perspective On The Unique Needs Of Sexually Exploited Women And Children In The Inland Empire, Ruth Harrison

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore and expose the needs of sexually exploited women and children. The participants were recruited from a few non-profit agencies in the Inland Empire area. This study found one of the most underlying challenge facing the participants when working with sexually exploited victims was the unavailability of resources, particularly, shortage of transitional housing for them. Another finding that featured prominently in the study was related to a need for continuous training and education for the service providers in order to stay current with trends. The study also identified the rapport building ...

Wellness And Karate, Cristina Kumpf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The promotion of wellness is an integral part of the counseling field and is considered to be a central focus to the counseling process (Barden, Conley, & Young, 2015; Myers, 1992). The counseling profession adopted the concept of wellness because it harmonizes with many of the founding principles of the ACA and is seen as a process of questing toward optimal health and well-being in body, mind, and spirit (Barden, Conley, & Young, 2015; Myers, 1992; Myers, Sweeney, & Witmer, 2000). Additionally, ACA Code of Ethics (2014) state that counselors “engage in self-care activities to maintain and promote their own emotional, physical, and mental well-being to best ...

Re-Queering The Trans Binary: Gender Nonconforming Individuals’ Experiences In Counseling And Therapeutic Settings, Michael Stephens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to unearth the narratives of gender nonconforming (GNC) individuals’ experiences of mental health services. The term gender nonconforming refers to individuals who do not identify with a strictly male or female concept of gender identity. There is an insubstantial research that has been conducted into the provision of effective mental health services for gender nonconforming individuals. Most of the studies in the literature review used the term transgender to highlight gender minority experience of counseling.

This study used gender nonconforming to separate from this terminology confusion. Individuals who identify with the identity label of transgender can be ...

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 ...

A Narrative Inquiry Into African American Female Faculty Research Mentorship Experiences In Counselor Education, Chantrelle D. Varnado-Johnson

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, narratological research was to gain a deeper understanding of the stories of three African American counselor educators who experienced research mentorship as counseling students and faculty members while working towards tenure. The three participants were employed as assistant professors in CACREP-accredited counselor education graduate programs provided their perspectives of research mentorship. The primary research question for my research was: How do pre-tenured African American female counselor educators perceive their research mentorship experiences? The foundation for my study was provided by the review of literature focused on critical race theory, marginalized groups in academe, mentorship among ...

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

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 ...

Creative Problem Solving As A Positive Intervention And Approach To Career Development, Laura Delprato

Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Capstone Projects

Every year, over 19 million college students in the United States face big decisions like choosing a major, securing an internship, and deciding their next steps after graduation (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018). With rapid advancements in the world of work, there are many emerging environmental factors that make these decisions complex and challenging (Callanan, Perri, & Tomkowicz, 2017). This paper explores how positive psychology and creative problem solving research can support students as they make career-related decisions and design their lives. Advancements in positive psychology build a foundation of research that supports work as a pathway to flourishing. Accordingly ...

Using Reality Therapy In Clinical Supervision : A Psychotherapy-Driven Model., Quentin Hunter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Clinical supervision is the signature pedagogy of counseling, with most professional counselors engaging in some type of supervision during their careers (Bernard & Goodyear, 2014). Psychotherapy-based models of supervision are the oldest models, originally intended to train supervisees to practice a specific psychotherapy (e.g., psychodynamic, behavioral; Watkins & Scaturo, 2013). Pearson (2006) indicated that contemporary clinical supervision could be informed by both the research in the role of development in clinical supervision and the tenets of a theory of psychotherapy. Although Pearson (2006) provided a conceptualization of psychotherapy-driven models of supervision, there is little research into the efficacy of such models. Reality therapy is a psychotherapy designed to enhance client responsibility in making choices to meet needs by examining client wants and behaviors toward meet wants, then promoting client self-evaluation of behaviors to determine if new or modified actions may better meet personal wants (Wubbolding, 2011). Reality therapy is an established psychotherapy used with clients and can be conceptualized as a psychotherapy driven supervision model. A reality therapy driven supervision model is described in this paper as a model that applies the tenets of internal control psychology v and self-evaluation to both the client-counselor relationship and the supervisee-supervisor relationship to improve supervisee’s practice of counseling and use of supervision. This study is a single-case research design to evaluate the proposed reality therapy driven model of clinical supervision as an effective model for increasing supervisee report of counseling skill use and counseling self-efficacy. Three participant supervisees received reality therapy driven supervision during part of their semester-long clinical field experience. The findings indicated that for two of the three participants, self-report of skills and self-efficacy significantly increased during the reality therapy driven supervision phase, while accounting for the supervisees’ predicted growth trend. The third participant did not have a significant change in self-report of skills or self-efficacy; however, all three participants evaluated the reality therapy driven supervision process positively, stating that the model promoted self-evaluation and accountability. The results may indicate that reality therapy driven supervision may be an effective model for some supervisees. Discussion includes implications for supervision practice and future research.

Race In Predominately White Schools : Implications For School Counselors., Katelyn Marie Gosnell Richey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the phenomenon of white school counselors and the discussions about race that occur at predominately white schools. Research in the area of predominately white schools and discussions about race is severely lacking (Chandler, 2009; Chandler & McKnight, 2009). Additionally, many researchers and authors reported that conversations about race are either avoided or poorly managed in K-12 schools (Brown & Brown, 2010; Chandler & McKnight, 2009; Lintner, 2004; Burrell & Walsh, 2001; ; Loewen, 2007; Zimmerman, 2004). This points to an even greater importance on school counselors cultivating these conversations with the students at the schools in which they work. ASCA (2012) identified advocacy as a core theme of their national model for school counseling. Included in the advocacy suggested by ASCA is the importance of promoting multicultural and social justice ...

Predicting Help-Seeking Attitudes And Intentions In A Diné Sample, Chesleigh N. Keene

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between cultural factors, psychological distress, barriers, and attitudes toward seeking psychological help among Diné tribal members. This study is in response to calls to consider psychological and cultural factors in the underutilization of mental health services by ethnic minorities. The present study examines psychological and cultural antecedents to seeking professional psychological help among Diné tribal members (N=119). It examined the mediating role of attitudes toward help seeking in the relationship between psychological distress, barriers to care, three acculturation variables, and intentions to seek counseling. Mediation was assessed with Hayes ...