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Erotic Mindfulness: A Core Educational And Therapeutic Strategy In Somatic Sexology Practices, Marie I. Thouin-Savard

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Somatic sexology modalities such as sexual surrogacy, sexological bodywork, masturbation coaching, and orgasmic meditation have shown significant potential for helping individuals transcend sexual difficulties and grow into more fulfilling erotic lives. The use of an embodied state of consciousness similar to neo-traditional forms of mindfulness meditation may be a common factor contributing to therapeutic efficacy in a variety of somatic sexology methods. Comparing the structure of three somatic sexology modalities—sexual surrogacy, masturbation coaching, and orgasmic meditation—with recent evidence supporting the efficacy of neo-traditional mindfulness practices in promoting women’s sexual wellbeing reveals that somatic sexology practitioners use embodied mindfulness as a …

Divine Kink: A Consideration Of The Evidence For Bdsm As Spiritual Ritual, Sam E. Greenberg

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This paper reviews the limited empirical research supporting BDSM as a spiritual ritual that enables distinct altered states of consciousness. It expands upon Sagarin, Lee, and Klement’s (2015) preliminary comparison of BDSM to extreme ritual by suggesting that BDSM bears in common with spiritual ritual elements of pain or ordeal, spiritual meaning, and transformative potential. An increasing interest in BDSM in the West is considered in light of the spiritual and ritual roles BDSM fulfills for many practitioners. The relevance of BDSM to transpersonal psychology is discussed and BDSM is considered as an area for further research in transpersonal psychology.

Meaning-Making Among Intentionally Childless Women, Christine Brooks

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This paper is a summary of a qualitative research project that focused upon meaningmaking processes as described by intentionally childless women. A grounded theory exploration, it involved semi-structured interviews with 30 cisgendered women aged 27–61 who chose childlessness early in life. Based on principles inherent to social constructivism and feminist theories, the subjective voices of the participants were analyzed as normative expressions of female identity. The main category that accompanied intentional childlessness was a sense of freedom. In addition, two additional thematic categories focused on ways the women view their contributions to their communities and experience belonging and a sense …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Cognitive Ability, And Psychosocial Functioning, Maleia Mathis

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Nearly half of all children in the U.S. have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) and 23 percent have experienced at least two ACEs. Cumulative exposure to ACEs places children at increased risk for poor psychosocial functioning in childhood and cognitive ability may mediate this relationship. The study aims were to assess the predictive ability of cumulative exposure to ACEs on poor psychosocial functioning and to determine if verbal and non-verbal cognitive ability mediated this association. Parent-child dyads from a low-income pediatric clinic were assessed. Parents were given a parent report measure to assess the child’s psychosocial functioning …

When Violence Is In Our Homes, Melissa Ponce-Rodas

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Does Ethnic Identity, In-Group Preference, And Acculturation Protect Latinas With A History Of Interpersonal Trauma From Developing Symptoms Of Ptsd?, Evelyn M. Ramirez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Previous research suggests ethnic identity, a sense of belonging to a particular cultural group, may be protective against symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the role of ethnic identity, in-group preference (i.e., an individual’s preference for interactions with members of their own ethnic group) and acculturation (i.e., the level of comfort with the mainstream culture) have not been investigated as protective factors for Latinas with a history of interpersonal and sexual trauma. In this study, ethnic identity, in-group preference and acculturation were assessed via self-report on the Scale of Ethnic Experience in two samples of undergraduate Latina and non-Latina …

Towards A Pedagogy Of Life Purposes, Manny Lopez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

College students who understand how the courses that they are enrolled in connect with their broader life goals are more likely to apply an approach of task perseverance with academic endeavors. Yet, nearly three million adolescent community college students in the United States may not have developed clear purposes in life. Relatedly, overtime the lack of lucid life purposes contributes to maladaptive behavior.

This dissertation is a compilation of three interrelated studies that took place in two public community colleges in the City University of New York. Guided by authentic inquiry and framed by sociocultural theory, central to each study …

Mental Health Professionals’ Attitudes Toward Clients With Antisocial Personality Disorder: An Exploratory Study, Edward T. Dunbar Jr., Shari M. Sias, Stephen Leierer, William L. Atherton, Robert J. Campbell, Lloyd R. Goodwin Jr

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This exploratory study examined mental health professionals’ attitudes toward clients with antisocial personality disorder. Specifically, are mental health professionals’ attitudes influenced by (a) personal experiences with criminal victimization, or (b) contact with clients with antisocial personality disorder. A factorial MANOVA and follow-up univariate ANOVAs revealed a statistically significant main effect in relation to participants’ level of clinical contact with clients having antisocial personality disorder. Participants with higher levels of clinical contact were associated with more positive attitudes towards clients. Implications for mental health professionals, supervisors, and counselor educators are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided.

Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Child Welfare Workers, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

There is growing evidence to suggest that child welfare workers are experiencing high levels of secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of exposure to traumatized clients in crisis (e.g., Barbee, et al, 2018). The Quality Improvement Center on Workforce Development (QIC-WD) surveyed 1,113 front line child welfare workers in 13 jurisdictions between November, 2017 and March, 2018 using the Bride (2007) Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale as part of a comprehensive workforce needs assessment. An average of 54% of participants reported clinical levels of STS. When these elevated numbers are compared to the original Bride research of social workers, they …

The Impact Of Client's Gender And Culture On Service Providers Strategies In Diversion Programs, Stephany Betances

Student Theses

Despite the growing rate of adolescent girls in the criminal justice system, there has been little institutional support for empirically supported programs tailored for girls (Matthews & Hubbard, 2008). There is a similar substantial lack of culturally specific programming. Problematically, both constructs have been found to impact treatment (Bright & Jonson-Reid, 2010; Matthews & Hubbard, 2008). This qualitative study utilized grounded theory principals to investigate the impact of gender and culture on the therapeutic relationship for justice-involved youth in seven alternative-to-incarceration agencies in New York City. Elicited themes focused on both recommended strategies and continued challenges. Results indicated that while …

Recent Trends, Current Research In Cyberpsychology: A Literature Review, Amarjit Kumar Singh, Pawan Kumar Singh

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Cyberpsychology refers to the study of the mind and behavior in the context of interactions with technology. It is an emerging branch, which has focused on the psychological aspects connected to the increasing presence and usages of technology in modern lives. This paper traces recent advancement and trends of Cyberpsychology is an emerging domain of knowledge and goes on the give a literature review of the same. An analysis of the recent research and literature covering 300 most relevant research papers from the period of 2012 to 15, August 2019 was conducted to determine and shape the research pattern based …

Cognitive Strategy Intervention For Elders Living In A Residential Care Facility., Thomas Michael Vorwerk

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Residential care facilities are communities for elders that encourage residents to maintain their independence for everyday activities. These individuals may experience memory dysfunction which can negatively impact their confidence and well being. Through the implementation of an intervention focusing on teaching elders strategies to improve everyday memory functioning, older adults’ knowledge of memory strategies, confidence in their memory, and quality of life may improve. The present study examines the efficacy of a five-session cognitive strategy program for elders on memory self-efficacy, quality of life, and memory strategy knowledge. The memory self-efficacy of participants of elders in the intervention group improved …

Perceived Discrimination From Providers On Latina Mothers’ Decision-Making On Hpv Vaccination Initiation And Completion In Houston, Tx, Fatima Frausto

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the United States (US). Certain HPV strains have the potential to develop into cervical, anal, penile, vulvar, and throat cancers. Latinos in the U.S. have the highest rates of cervical and penile cancers compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Despite the availability of HPV9v, uptake of the vaccine is suboptimal in the Latino community. Previous research has found factors such as provider recommendation and communication are important in HPV vaccine series initiation and completion. Discrimination in the medical setting is linked to poorer health outcomes and delayed …

Measurement Implementation In Youth Psychotherapy: An Examination Of Barriers And Facilitators Of Y-Oq And Tsm Implementation, Tess Janeen Collett

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown a concerning and disproportionate amount of treatment failure and premature termination in youth populations. Routine measurement feedback has been proposed as a means to prevent treatment failure and premature termination for adults and may also improve youth mental health services. However, studies examining helpfulness of measurement feedback systems in youth populations have demonstrated a lack of effects more likely due to poor measurement implementation than to the measurement feedback system itself. Because contexts within the service settings are such crucial factors in whether an innovation is successfully implemented, examining barriers and facilitators in said contexts is a …

Animal Assisted Therapy And Support Animals, What Mental Health Professionals Know And Understand, Alexandro H. Velez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Animal-assisted therapy can greatly benefit mental health professionals with clients in and out of the school settings in many ways. It is believed mental health professionals are successfully implementing Animal Assisted Therapy, even though some are not. Mental health professionals who are not using Animal Assisted Therapy are not doing so as the result of various variables, such as lack of information, knowledge, training, certification and policies, which prevents them from using Animals Assisted Therapy with clients and the community. It is also believed some mental health professionals are using animals as part of therapeutic interventions without proper training. The …

A Thematic Approach To Understanding Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, And Barriers To Self-Care In Pediatric Healthcare Providers Of Medically-Ill Children, Courtney Hurd

Doctoral Dissertations

Due to the nature of their work, healthcare providers working in pediatric settings may be especially vulnerable to experiencing negative consequences of compassion fatigue and burnout. Pediatric healthcare providers often work long hours in the hospital to manage children with acute and chronic medical concerns. Within this setting, unpredictable outcomes and potential for death when caring for this fragile population may contribute to short-and long-term effects on not only caregivers but also healthcare providers. Healthcare providers typically work on an interdisciplinary team within the pediatric hospital setting which can include medical doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and child life …

Factors Influencing The Use Of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy With Autistic Adults: A Survey Of Community Mental Health Clinicians, Brenna B. Maddox, Samantha Crabbe, Jessica Fishman, Rinad S. Beidas, Lauren Brookman-Frazee, Judith Miller, Christina Nicolaidis, David Mandell

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) can improve anxiety and depression in autistic adults, but few autistic adults receive this treatment. We examined factors that may influence clinicians’ use of CBT with autistic adults. One hundred clinicians completed an online survey. Clinicians reported stronger intentions (p = .001), more favorable attitudes (p < .001), greater normative pressure (p < .001), and higher self-efficacy (p < .001) to start CBT with non-autistic adults than with autistic adults. The only significant predictor of intentions to begin CBT with clients with anxiety or depression was clinicians’ attitudes (p < .001), with more favorable attitudes predicting stronger intentions. These findings are valuable for designing effective, tailored implementation strategies to increase clinicians’ adoption of CBT for autistic adults.

Autistic adults have high rates of anxiety and depression (Buck et al. 2014; Croen et al. 2015), and often do not receive quality mental healthcare for these or other co-occurring conditions (Maddox et al. 2019; Roux et al. 2015; Shattuck et al. …

Teen Dating Violence In A Sample Of High School Students In The Rio Grande Valley, Gabriela Ontiveros

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes the extent of teenage dating violence (TDV) perpetration and victimization among a sample of high school students in the Rio Grande Valley and its relationship with the occurrence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and exposure to interparental violence. Two hundred and twenty participants out of 426 were eligible for analyses. Rates of male and female physical abuse perpetration and victimization were similar although females reported significantly higher perpetration and males higher victimization rates. Regression analyses indicated that females exposed to interparental violence reported higher rates of overall TDV perpetration and physical abuse perpetration.

Females with higher occurrences …

"We've Been Here All Along" : The Standpoint And Collective Resilience Of Transgender U.S. Service Members., Jacob R. Eleazer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The 2010 repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy ended the ban on open lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) military service (Alford & Lee, 2016). However, prior to 2015 transgender military personnel were still considered medically and psychologically unfit for service (Kerrigan, 2012; Yerke & Mitchell, 2013). From 2015 through 2017, the Department of Defense (DoD) researched the implications of policy change, developed new policies and trainings, and implemented open service for transgender persons (Belkin, 2016; Carter, 2015). The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of transgender military service members prior to this transition in …

Cultural Considerations Of Gender-Based Violence In Jordan, Tara Sloan Jungersen

Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches and Lectures

No abstract provided.

Group Interventions When Domestic Violence Is Present, Tara Sloan Jungersen

Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches and Lectures

No abstract provided.

Effectively Using & Sharing Data, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development (Qic-Wd)

Other QIC-WD Products

The QIC-WD recently had the opportunity to talk with a group of human services training evaluators in Baltimore about how to effectively use and share data. The QIC-WD has a dissemination plan and data visualization experts (learn more here) to help our team and our sites use and share data for a variety of purposes. We shared the following tips to help evaluators determine what to share, when, and why.

• Plan for dissemination – that is, identify who needs the information and how best to get it to them.
• Consider who is in your target audience and how they …

The Association Of Optimism With Sleep Duration And Quality: Findings From The Coronary Artery Risk And Development In Young Adults (Cardia) Study, Rosalba Hernandez, Thanh-Huyen T. Vu, Kiarri N. Kershaw, Julia K. Boehm, Laura D. Kubzansky, Mercedes Carnethon, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Kristen L. Knutson, Laura A. Colangelo, Kiang Liu

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Optimism is associated with better health outcomes with hypothesized effects due in part to optimism's association with restorative health processes. Limited work has examined whether optimism is associated with better quality sleep, a major restorative process. We test the hypothesis that greater optimism is associated with more favorable sleep quality and duration. Main analyses included adults aged 32-51 who participated in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study (n = 3,548) during the fifth (Year 15: 2000-2001) and sixth (Year 20: 2005-2006) follow-up visits. Optimism was assessed using the revised Life-Orientation Test. Self-report measures of …

Retrying Leopold And Loeb: A Neuropsychological Perspective, David L. Shapiro

Faculty Proceedings, Presentations, Speeches and Lectures

They called it the crime of the century; in 1924 in Chicago two brilliant, well-educated, and wealthy young men kidnapped and murdered a 14-year-old boy and killed him "for the thrill of it". Expert testimony was presented by several well-known psychiatrists and psychologists, but even with all their clinical insights, none could reach a conclusion about the causal relation between their disturbed childhoods and a violent senseless crime. In fact, the well-known criminal defense attorney Clarence Darrow made little mention of the extensive psychiatric and psychological workups, and the judge did not deal with it in his sentencing. A review …

Predictors And Missed Opportunities For Blood Glucose Screening Among African Americans: Implications For Church-Based Populations, Alexandria G. Bauer, Jannette Berkley-Patton, Carole Bowe Thompson, Kelsey Christensen

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

African Americans (AAs) are disproportionately diagnosed with prediabetes, diabetes, and related complications. Guidelines for prediabetes/diabetes screening emphasize reaching at-risk adults. The AA church has potential to increase reach of BGS with AA church members and community members. The current study identified predictors of blood glucose screening (BGS) and individuals with missed opportunities for BGS among church-affiliated AA adults. Participants were drawn from a previous pilot study (Project Faith Influencing Transformation) conducted in six AA churches over eight months. Eligibility criteria included self-identifying as AA and being aged 18 or older. Participants who had previously been diagnosed with diabetes were excluded, …

Transforming Trauma: Resilience And Healing Through Our Connections With Animals, Philip Tedeschi, Molly Anne Jenkins

Purdue University Press Books

Have you ever looked deep into the eyes of an animal and felt entirely known? Often, the connections we share with non-human animals represent our safest and most reliable relationships, offering unique and profound opportunities for healing in periods of hardship. This book focuses on research developments, models, and practical applications of human-animal connection and animal-assisted intervention for diverse populations who have experienced trauma. Physiological and psychological trauma are explored across three broad and interconnected domains: 1) child maltreatment and family violence; 2) acute and post-traumatic stress, including military service, war, and developmental trauma; and 3) times of crisis, such …

Teaching Generationpmto, An Evidence-Based Parent Intervention, In A University Setting Using A Blended Learning Strategy, Ana A. Baumann, Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez, Elizabeth Wieling, J. Rubén Parra-Cardona, Laura A. Rains, Marion S. Forgatch

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background Despite the large number of evidence-based practices (EBPs) ready for implementation, they are the exception in usual care, especially for ethnic minority patients, who may not have access to trained health professionals. Providing EBP training as part of a graduate curriculum could help build the pipeline of professionals to provide quality care. Methods We conducted a before-after study to determine whether we could implement a blended learning strategy (BL; i.e., in vivo and online training) to teach an EBP in university settings. Feasibility in this pilot was operationalized as knowledge acquisition, satisfaction, fidelity, acceptability, and usability. Using GenerationPMTO as …

Using A Logic Model To Guide Workforce Interventions, Quality Improvement Center For Workforce Development

Other QIC-WD Products

The QIC-WD uses logic models—visual representations that depict the resources that go into and expected results that will come out of the implementation of a program—to guide the implementation and evaluation of the selected interventions. A logic model is developed after the intervention is selected and must fit within the overall theory of change, as part of the exploration phase of the project. Read this summary (originally developed on behalf of the Center for States) by Dr. Megan Paul, the QIC-WD Workforce Team Lead, to learn more about why a jurisdiction should create a logic model and see what a …

Professional Ethics, Decision-Making, And Interdisciplinary Collaboration: An Exploration Of Teacher Preparation Programs And Practice, Brittany Mccreary

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The first purpose of this research was to explore the prevalence, methods of instruction, and perceived value of professional ethics, ethical decision-making, and interdisciplinary collaboration in teacher preparation programs throughout the U.S. These factors were addressed using the Ethics Training and Curriculum Survey (ETCS). Participants for the ETCS included teacher educators (n = 977) from CAEP accredited preparation programs. Survey results suggest that professional ethics is widely addressed throughout CAEP accredited programs, but that instruction in ethical decision-making varies considerably. To connect these findings with practice, a second purpose of this study was to explore how educators make ethical …

Relationship Of Proximal Predictors Of Success In A Psyd Program On Alumni Distal Factors, Nicole Fontenot Ford

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Due to the new Standards of Accreditation (SoA) by the American Psychological Association (APA), implemented in 2017, there is minimal research to evaluate how proximal competency factors within clinical psychology programs relate to distal outcomes of alumni. This study consisted of 65 doctoral psychology graduates who completed an APA alumni survey 2 and 5 years after graduation. Findings showed strong positive relationships between faculty mentoring, foundational knowledge, program support and clinical training. Results showed proximal factors of faculty mentoring significantly predicted graduates would be employed as psychologists, while program support (peers and faculty) significantly predicted lifelong learning of alumni. Career …