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Experience Of Established Mental Health Counselors Working With Adults Who Have Intellectual Disabilities, Margarete Denk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals with disabilities make up the largest minority population in the United States. Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) make up a significant portion of this population, yet there are limited studies addressing counseling with the I/DD population. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs has addressed the need for disability competence in their upcoming 2024 standards. The purpose of the phenomenological study was to describe lived experiences of established counselors working with adult clients diagnosed with an I/DD. A descriptive phenomenological approach was used along with the social model of disability. The study involved six …

Experience Of Established Mental Health Counselors Working With Adults Who Have Intellectual Disabilities, Margarete Denk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals with disabilities make up the largest minority population in the United States. Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) make up a significant portion of this population, yet there are limited studies addressing counseling with the I/DD population. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs has addressed the need for disability competence in their upcoming 2024 standards. The purpose of the phenomenological study was to describe lived experiences of established counselors working with adult clients diagnosed with an I/DD. A descriptive phenomenological approach was used along with the social model of disability. The study involved six …

Examining The Relationship Of Race On Students’ Perceptions Of Safety And Concealed Campus Carry On A University Campus, Whitney H. Mascaro

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous literature suggests that students who feel unsafe in their academic settings experience harmful academic, social, and psychological ramifications. With an alarming increase in school shootings, violence, and media coverage, the political discourse surrounding gun violence and strategies to ensure safety on college campuses has become increasingly polarized. States like Texas, Georgia, and Colorado have passed bills allowing students to carry concealed handguns on university campuses. At the time of this study, the state legislature in West Virginia passed a similar bill known as the Campus Self-Defense Act (Senate Bill 246, 2021). College students who identify as Black, Indigenous, People …

Relationships Among Racism, Dental Care-Related Fear/Anxiety And Dental Care Utilization Among Black And African American Women In Appalachia, Kalo Sokoto

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation is a study of the implications of racism in oral health care settings for dental care-related fear/anxiety, and dental care utilization. One in five adults in the US have experienced discrimination while receiving health care. Even though racism is the most reported type of discrimination in health care, little is known about its impact on dental outcomes. There is a paucity of prior studies measuring experiences of racism in dental settings. The current study proposed the application of Krieger’s Ecosocial Theory of Health Equity to explore relationships among racism in oral health care settings, dental care-related fear/anxiety, and …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Intimate Partner Violence In Gender Minority Populations, Claire Mason Mccown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Childhood adversity has been linked to numerous health and mental health concerns in adulthood (Felitti et al., 1998). Among the many outcomes associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), victimization and perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a public health crisis. Research has found that those identifying as gender minority individuals are disproportionately impacted by IPV (Messinger, 2017; Peitzmeier et al., 2020). Further, gender minority individuals experience equivalent, if not higher, rates of ACEs when compared to their cisgender counterparts (Baams, 2018; Juárez-Chávez et al., 2018; Schnarrs et al., 2019; Tobin & Delaney, 2019). While many factors contribute to the …

Internalized Heterosexism, Shame Proneness, And Disclosure In Clinical Supervision Among Sexual Minority Supervisees, Christian Joseph Carey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sexual minority supervisees face unique struggles including prejudice, discrimination, and heterosexism, which may impact their psychological well-being and development within the supervisory experience through shame proneness and reduced disclosure. This study aims to explore the challenges facing sexual minority trainees and contribute to the empirical knowledge of multicultural supervision. Thus, this study proposes two mediation models for the hypothesized relationships among internalized heterosexism, shame-related withdrawal, shame-related negative self-evaluation, and disclosure in supervision. A total of 170 supervisees identifying as sexual minorities completed an online survey. The primary analysis included a three-step linear regression and confirmatory analysis for mediation. The results …

Evaluation Of A Three-Hour Cross Disciplinary Internship Site Supervisor Training Session, Leigh Ann Tipton Fisler, Emily Jo Hernandez, Elina Saeki, Deborah Ribera, Roxanna N. Pebdani

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Given the importance of supervision in the counseling fields for facilitating trainee growth, the frequency, type, and delivery of supervision varies widely and can be limited or nonexistent (Pearson, 2004). Thus, a supervisor in any counseling profession must have strong supervisory skills that match the needs of the trainee, even if their professional skills and background differ (Davies et al., 2004). This study examined the effectiveness of a professional development training for school counseling, rehabilitation counseling and school psychology site supervisors. Results demonstrated significant improvements in participant confidence in Managing Supervision as well as general improvements in self-reported self-efficacy. Future …

Refugees In Counseling Journals: A 20-Year Content Analysis, Mina Attia, Hanyun Li, Yuquing Qiu, Shiyu Tang

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

This article is a 20-year content analysis of counseling journals exploring refugees and refugee issues from 1998-2018. The investigation intended to identify publication trends in counseling journals and the field’s responsiveness to the refugee crisis and global climate. An exhaustive analysis of American Counseling Association (ACA) and ACA division journals was conducted. Themes of the publishing trends, gaps in the literature, and recommendations for future research are presented for the counseling field.

Mapping Sex Therapy Across The United States: An Exploratory Study, Frances L. Mcclain, Dylan M. Amlin

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

The primary purpose of this study was to determine what someone who was interested in obtaining a provider for sex therapy would find if they simply searched for sex therapy using the Google search engine. The goal was to ascertain how someone might access providers in each state, what types of information someone seeking treatment for sexuality issues might find on provider websites, who is providing the services, what types of services are being provided, and whose services might appeal to given the content of the website. Once all of the data was compiled, the resulting data would include a …

Complicated Grief: Counseling Considerations And Techniques, Loretta Bradley, Nicole Noble, Kumudu Witanapatirana

Adultspan Journal

This article presents a case study about a fictional client’s experience of complicated grief. This article differentiates between complicated grief and normal (adaptive) grief. It also distinguishes between bereavement, grief, and mourning. The counseling process is described using developmental theory and narrative reconstruction to illustrate how to implement creative techniques.

Rehabilitation Counselor Competency When Working With Sci And Physical Disabilities, Denise M. Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to address the gap in knowledge of the perceived competency of rehabilitation counselors when working with patients with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and/or a physical disability. The factors that influence the mental health needs of person with SCI and the understanding of how rehabilitation counselors view their competency levels with supporting this population were explored. Selection criteria included licensed or certified rehabilitation counselors actively providing care for persons with SCI and/or a physical disability applying a theoretical framework. A qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach was used to address the central research question …

Athlete Attachment Style With Coaches As A Predictor Of Athlete Disordered Eating And Body Image Anxiety, Taylor Allen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The coach-athlete relationship has been established as an important and significant relationship within athletes’ lives (Davis & Jowett, 2010; Jowett, 2008). There is also literature that demonstrates the impact of the sport culture environment and the quality of the coach-athlete relationship on disordered eating and body image anxiety in athletes (Galli et al., 2011; Petrie & Greenleaf, 2012; Reel et al., 2010; Shanmugam et al., 2013). However, much of the current literature does not examine this significant coach-athlete relationship from an attachment framework. Current literature supports the significance of the coach-athlete relationship and more recent research supports viewing coaches as …

First Responders’ Assumptions: An Exploration Of Emergency Medical Technicians’ Secondary Traumatic Stress And Perceptions Of Substance Users, Glenn Noble

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Emergency medical technicians (EMT) and firefighters respond to critical incidents and provide emergent care. As the opioid crisis continues and drug overdose rates increase, first responders administer first aid to substance users, including Naloxone, more frequently. This study examined the influence of repeated exposure to drug-related critical incidents and provision of care to substance users on EMTs' and firefighters' secondary traumatic stress (STS) level, world assumptions, and substance use stigma. First responders' world assumptions, STS, burnout, and exposure to drug-related overdoses were analyzed for their power in predicting substance use stigma. Results suggest that occupational burnout, rather than STS, is …

Crisis Counseling Self- Efficacy: Personal Abilities And Situational Influences, Suzanne Maniss Ph.D., Yuleinys A. Castillo Ph.D., Jason Cartwright, Selma D. Yznaga Ph.D.

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Crises are unpredictable in nature and affect the general well-being of individuals. A proper crisis management foundation can prepare future counselors to effectively work with clients who are experiencing a crisis. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the perceptions of counselors-in-training (CIT) in relation to their anticipated crisis intervention abilities. This paper reports the results of qualitative focus groups of counselors in training. Participants reported perceived strengthens and limitations shaping their ability to handle a crisis. Counselor preparation offers opportunities to properly train culturally responsive providers for crisis management.

Key words: Crisis counseling; self-efficacy; counselor education

Making Room: Addressing The Counter-Therapeutic Nature Of Psychiatric Hospitalization Through Containment- Based Group Expressive Therapy, Max Sandor Copans

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The process of hospitalization and the environment of a typical psychiatric hospital is often counter-therapeutic. To challenge this problem, clinicians may introduce the concept of psychological containment. To elaborate, being hospitalized anywhere can be disorienting, frightening and even traumatic. This problem is only further exacerbated in psychiatric hospitals where patients may be disorganized, manic, or struggling with psychosis. Furthermore, psychological containment is essentially the ability for psychiatric patients to prevent their intense emotions from effecting others negatively, and to act with resiliency when other patients are unable to contain their own disruptive behaviors. This paper utilizes both an initial literature …

A Descriptive Case Study Of The Challenges Of Drug And Alcohol Counselors, Ruben Herron

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Substance abuse is the number one public health problem in Oklahoma and nationally. Annual related expenses of substance abuse in Oklahoma are nearly $2 billion. This qualitative descriptive case study asks the question what are the challenges of substance-abuse counseling? The researcher will be describing in detail the history of drug and alcohol treatment and counseling in America. Using interviews, observations and document collection which will allow the interviews voices to be heard.

Training Needs Of Counseling Trainees In Corrections: A Survey Of Clinical Directors, Frank Dicataldo, Brett Dejesus, Don Whitworth

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

As the mental health treatment needs of adults and adolescents within the criminal justice system has garnered increasing attention, the training of mental health professionals has increasingly focused on serving individuals in forensic and correctional settings. We surveyed 55 clinical directors of mental health programs in forensic and correctional settings in a New England state. Respondents reported that Clinical Mental Health Counselors (CMHCs) broadly participated in assessment, treatment and supervision within these programs. Counseling experience emerged as the most important knowledge/experience domain for prospective job applicants and CMHCs were rated as providing a large share of the treatment within these …

The Person Of The Therapist: Therapists’ Personal Characteristics As Predictors Of Working Alliance And Treatment Outcomes, Alyssa Laura Clements

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Recent years has seen an increase in studies examining the unique contribution that the therapist has on treatment outcomes, which is commonly referred to as “therapist effects” (Barkham et al., 2017). Therapist effects on outcomes are believed to occur primarily via how the therapist’s interpersonal and intrapersonal qualities influence the therapeutic relationship, which in turn influences outcomes (Wampold et al., 2017). The current study focused on professional self-doubt, counseling self-efficacy, and humility because of previous writings about their potential to influence therapists’ interpersonal behaviors. Data was collected from Southwest Behavioral and Health Services (SBHS), a non-profit, comprehensive community behavioral health …

Rehabilitation Counseling Perceptions And Psychosocial Stressors Of Arab-Immigrant Caregivers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Maram Alfulayyih

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

This research study provides important insights on the psychosocial stressors faced by U.S. Arab immigrants when raising a child with ASD, their perceptions of rehabilitation counseling, and the implications of rehabilitation counseling practice based on gender, age, education, and race. More specifically, this study has provided a detailed literature review as well as new insights into the challenges faced by the caregivers and recommendations that rehabilitation counselors should consider when helping these families overcome psychosocial issues and adjust to their circumstances. Using the DASS-21 questionnaire and a multi-factor analysis, it has identified specific groups of caregivers that may need help …

Comparing Depression And Anxiety Among Athletes And Nonathletes In A College Counseling Center Population., Alexandria Kinder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study focused on self-reported rates of anxiety and depression when first presenting to a college counseling center at a state university in the mid-Atlantic region. The self-reported measures are the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-62 (CCAPS-62) and Standardized Data Set (SDS), data forms that are supported through the electronic medical record system, Titanium. The data compared clinical populations of non-student-athletes and student-athletes to understand how the additional athlete identity may contribute to mental health. This study employed a between-subjects, quantitative-descriptive, cross-sectional, design to define and describe the nature of the relationships between one continuous dependent (anxiety or depression) …

The Relationship Amongst Faith, Perceived Discrimination, Sexuality Acceptance, And Psychological Well-Being In Black Sexual Minority Individuals, Sandra Fanning

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study explored the relationship amongst faith, internalized homophobia, outness, perceived discrimination, and psychological well-being in Black sexual minorities (BSM). BSM participants (N = 211) completed an online survey assessing these variables. The result of this study indicate that faith is not related to internalized homophobia, outness, perceived discrimination, or psychological well-being in BSM individuals. However, internalized homophobia, outness, and perceived discrimination all independently predict psychological well-being. Explicitly, greater reports of internalized homophobia, outness, and perceived discrimination predicted worse psychological well-being in participants. However, the effects of internalized homophobia and outness were no longer present when accounting for …

A Deeper Inquiry Into The Transitional Needs Of Student Veterans, Nathan Calvin Bridendolph Jr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous research revealed that veterans transitioning to post-secondary institutions have unique characteristics (PNPI, 2018; Wurster et al., 2013) and may suffer from a constellation of physical, psychological, and social problems that can impact their ability to perform to their full potential on campus (Ackerman et al., 2009; Alschuler & Yarab, 2016; Igielnik, 2019). Despite knowing the struggles student veterans (SVs) face when transitioning to campus, no studies were found that directly gain SVs’ input on what they believe will help their transition. The current study sought to gain a holistic perspective of SV needs by using the biopsychosocial model and …

Inside Out: Mask-Making And The Counseling Student Identity, Jil Hus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At the field experience level, current research is limited on reflective expressive arts exercises as a modality to facilitate professional identity development in counseling students, with no mention of the effectiveness of mask-making. The purpose of this art-based hermeneutic phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of master’s students’ counselor identity at the field experience level using research questions to explore participants’ lived experiences as they engaged in a mask-making expressive arts activity aimed at the enhancement of their self-awareness, insight, and reflection into their professional identity development. A qualitative design was utilized, and 5 students participated in this study …

A One-Session, Brief Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Workshop For Chronic Pain Patients: A One-Sample Pretest-Posttest Prospective Exploratory Study, Kelly Anne Thomas Ms

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chronic pain affects one in every four persons (NIH, 2010). For individuals residing in rural communities where chronic pain treatment is often not accessible (Artnak et al., 2011), a one-session brief mental health intervention is a critical healthcare need. More specifically, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for chronic pain is a novel treatment approach in need of more research (Society of Clinical Psychology, 2016). This current study contributes to the gap in the literature by implementing an ACT workshop in a rural healthcare setting for individuals with chronic pain. It was hypothesized that the workshop would increase adaptive coping mechanisms …

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

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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 …

Psychologists' Use Of Touch In Individual Psychotherapy With Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Clients, Caroline M. Kobek Pezzarossi Ph.D, Irene W. Leigh Ph.D, Daniel S. Koo Ph.D

JADARA

The use of touch in psychotherapy is a topic often undiscussed in graduate training programs. Stenzel and Rupert’s 2004 study showed that nearly 90% of clinicians never or rarely offered touch to clients during a session. This study examined the use of touch in a psychotherapeutic setting with culturally Deaf clients, since touch is a culturally accepted, even expected, practice. Results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference among culturally Deaf therapists compared with the Stenzel and Rupert’s (2004) findings, but there is a statistically significant difference in those who identify as hearing and work with culturally Deaf clients. …

Perceptions Of Recovery While Delivering Medicaid Covered Rehabilitation Services, Zakia Clay, Anthony Zazzarino, Emilie Banz, Ann Reilly

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Many states have shifted to Medicaid reimbursement methods to cover behavioral health services. In doing so, state mental health authorities have incorporated the concept of recovery into mental health policy. Thus, gaining a better understanding of practitioners’ perceptions of recovery in a new fiscal environment is warranted. This qualitative study explores how New Jersey practitioners transitioning to a new state-wide Medicaid payment structure perceive recovery from mental illness. Four themes emerged following a thematic analysis. Future studies that explore perspectives of individuals receiving services could provide useful information for policy makers, agencies, and community stakeholders.

Counselor Education Doctoral Students’ Research Self-Efficacy: A Concept Mapping Approach, Zahide Sunal

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Research self-efficacy (RSE) is a key concept not only for counselor educators as successful researchers but also for the advancement of counselor education field. In the literature, researchers have studied multiple factors (e.g., research interest, productivity) to understand the complex nature of RSE phenomenon. Despite being informative, these studies only focused on partial aspects of the multilayered RSE, showing methodological and conceptual limitations. Particularly, we do not have a holistic understanding of RSE and the interrelated relationship among the factors informing RSE. In the current study, the researcher used a mixedmethods design, Concept Mapping (Kane & Trochim, 2007) to explore …

Examining Burnout In Community Mental Health Clinicians From A Job Demands-Resource Perspective, Michelle Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health clinicians employed in a public mental health setting are at an increased risk of experiencing burnout, which contributes to undesirable consequences. Examining burnout using the job demands-resources (JDR) theory allows for the examination of job demands and job resources as both separate independent variables or interactively, which provides for a model with the ability to better predict organizational outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional, predictive survey study was to use the JDR perspective to examine the extent of the relationship, if any, between job demands, job resources, job satisfaction, and burnout of mental health clinicians working in …

Barriers And Facilitators Of Seeking Psychological Help For Muslims In The United States, Sarah R. B. Milam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Due to increased social, cultural, and political struggles for Muslims in the United States (MUS), affordable, accessible, and culturally appropriate mental health care is important for these individuals (Aloud & Rathur, 2009). MUS are an underrepresented group that use mental health services at low rates (Ciftci, Jones, & Corrigan, 2013; Khan, 2006). MUS, especially those with mental health concerns, hold a number of stigmatized identities, often including their race and ethnicity, religion, and mental health status that can result in discrimination (Ciftci et al., 2013). The purpose of this study was to examine factors related to self-stigma for seeking psychological …