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The Coming Out Process : An Exploratory Study Of Famiies With More Than One Lgbq Sibling, Kimberly Dasso
The Coming Out Process : An Exploratory Study Of Famiies With More Than One Lgbq Sibling, Kimberly Dasso
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The purpose of this study was to explore families in which there are more than one Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Queer identified sibling, specifically looking at the coming out process as influenced by another LGBQ sibling. Twelve semi-structured, exploratory interviews were conducted with six sibling sets, aimed at exploring the perceived impact of having a LGBQ sibling with regards to revealing one's sexual identity. All of the participants in this study reported experiencing some level of anxiety and/or fear before coming out, regardless of having an LGBQ sibling. The majority of participants in this study reported feeling closer to their …
The Role Of Self-Compassion In Alcohol Use Disorders : An Exploratory Study : A Project Based On An Investigation At Servicenet, Inc., Northampton, Massachusetts, Kaitlyn M. Janicki
The Role Of Self-Compassion In Alcohol Use Disorders : An Exploratory Study : A Project Based On An Investigation At Servicenet, Inc., Northampton, Massachusetts, Kaitlyn M. Janicki
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The goal of this study was to replicate prior research that has examined differences between self-compassion, depression, anxiety and stress in adults with Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs). This is the first study that has compared levels of self-compassion by whether or not participants are in sober recovery. A clinical sample of 69 adults, who were currently in sober recovery or in treatment for an AUD, were administered a quantitative survey to assess various characteristics, which included: current depression, anxiety and stress levels; current alcohol use and related problems; and how they treat themselves during difficult times. Major findings were that …
Idealization : Clinicians And The Idealizing Transference, Christine Spera
Idealization : Clinicians And The Idealizing Transference, Christine Spera
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This qualitative study explores the ways that therapists describe and address the idealizing transference in therapeutic encounters. It also explores how clients utilize the idealizing transference and how clinicians view their participation in the idealizing transference. The study was based on interviews conducted with 12 licensed therapists, all of whom have been practicing for a minimum of two years. Other topics explored were: Are certain clients more susceptible to idealization? Is there always a "fall from grace"? Do therapists experience idealizing countertransference? The findings of this research study revealed that 10 out of 12 clinicians felt that tolerating the idealizing …
The Emergency Department As A Holding Environment : Using Object Relations Theory And Institutional Transference To Explore Schizophrenia And Emergency Department Overuse, Caroline B. Schnell
The Emergency Department As A Holding Environment : Using Object Relations Theory And Institutional Transference To Explore Schizophrenia And Emergency Department Overuse, Caroline B. Schnell
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The purpose of this study was to explore if object relations theory and institutional transference can help explain why some people with schizophrenia overuse the emergency department (ED). Since deinstitutionalization, and the implementation of managed care, high utilization of the ED by people with mental illnesses has become an important, and controversial topic within medical and mental health settings. High utilization negatively impacts both ED staff members, and people with schizophrenia. Specifically, this study examined this phenomenon through the lens of object relations theory, and institutional transference. Object relations theory contributed to an understanding of social relationships in schizophrenia, and …
Expectations In Committed Relationships, Amanda R. White
Expectations In Committed Relationships, Amanda R. White
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study sought to identify trends in American expectations regarding commitment, marriage, monogamy, cohabitation, child rearing, and domestic responsibilities in committed relationships and explored the ways expectations differed based on gender, generation, income, and US region. A committed relationship was defined as an interpersonal romantic relationship based upon a mutually agreed-upon commitment to one another regarding certain behavior and lifestyle choices. The different generations that were compared fall into the following year brackets: Boomers (1943-1960), Generation X (1961-1981), and Millennials (1982-2004). Two hundred and ninety-four participants completed an online, anonymous survey that collected basic demographic information including gender, sexual orientation, …
"The Most Badass Thing I'Ve Ever Done" : Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Birth Parents, Lauren Ambrosini
"The Most Badass Thing I'Ve Ever Done" : Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Birth Parents, Lauren Ambrosini
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
To most people, the ability to carry and bear children is one that is inextricably linked with femininity and womanhood. However, some individuals who gestate and give birth to a child do not identify as women or as feminine. At the forefront of disentangling these two concepts from pregnancy and birth are gender non-conforming individuals, including masculine identified women, transgender men, and folks who identify as outside the gender binary of man/woman, who have chosen to carry and bear children. Beyond the narratives of a few well known transmen (e.g., Thomas Beatie) and masculine-of-center lesbians (e.g., A.K. Summers) who have …
Developing A Protocol For The Treatment Of Transitioning Adolescents : A Survey Of Gender Clinics In The United States, Elise Lehotsky
Developing A Protocol For The Treatment Of Transitioning Adolescents : A Survey Of Gender Clinics In The United States, Elise Lehotsky
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The goal of this descriptive study is to determine what is common practice for endocrine intervention with adolescents diagnosed with GD or seeking treatment related to gender identity. The study surveyed gender clinics in the United States that work with adolescent clients. Gender clinics are defined by this study to be one or more providers who work with adolescents to actualize their gender identity. Twenty gender clinics completed a mixed method survey that asked them to describe basic demographics of their clinic, what recommendations they utilize to influence their treatment protocols, if and how mental health is involved in treatment, …
In The Space Of The Father : Father Images, Emptiness, And Father Mirroring In Father Absent Men, Frank P. Tisano
In The Space Of The Father : Father Images, Emptiness, And Father Mirroring In Father Absent Men, Frank P. Tisano
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This is an empirical, psychoanalytic inquiry designed to uncover what exists in the space for "father" when men grow up father absent. I interviewed 10 father absent men to find out how they conceptualized their personal representations of father and whether the conjured images played a material role in their lives. In light of the interviews, I contend that, regardless of circumstance, intrapsychic space exists for father. Building on Green (2004), I argue that father absent men have a combination of positive and negative space for father. Positive space is filled principally with directly experienced memories, and stories as recounted …
The Roots And Implications Of Rape Myth Acceptance In Public Discourse : The Steubenville, Ohio Rape Case, Shannon E. Mackey
The Roots And Implications Of Rape Myth Acceptance In Public Discourse : The Steubenville, Ohio Rape Case, Shannon E. Mackey
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
Sexual violence is an endemic problem in the United States. Despite the ubiquity of rape and our legally affirmed agreement that it is a crime, research and observation indicates that people who would not perpetrate sex crimes nonetheless frequently endorse sexual violence through both passive and proactive behaviors. Evidence of such cultural norms can be found in public discourse when we observe how people talk about sexual violence, a concept that has been operationalized in the field of psychology as the rhetoric of rape myths. Using the 2011 Steubenville, Ohio high school rape case, this theoretical project explores psychological and …
Client Perceptions On The Therapeutic Quality Of Care When Disclosing Spiritual And Religious Beliefs : A Mixed Methods Study, Maia Nikitovich
Client Perceptions On The Therapeutic Quality Of Care When Disclosing Spiritual And Religious Beliefs : A Mixed Methods Study, Maia Nikitovich
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The spiritual and religious life of clients is an important clinical factor in therapy; it holds significant meaning and may support therapeutic outcome. This study explored client perceptions of the quality of care they received in therapy when disclosing their spiritual/religious life to their therapists as well as the factors that might contribute to their perceptions of care and disclosure. A total of 75 respondents participated in an online survey tool composed of quantitative and qualitative questions. Qualitative responses were coded and data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings showed that most clients (73%) shared some or all of their …
The Effect Of Mindfulness Practice On The Personal And Professional Lives Of Hospice Bereavement Counselors, Heather R. Floyd-Haupt
The Effect Of Mindfulness Practice On The Personal And Professional Lives Of Hospice Bereavement Counselors, Heather R. Floyd-Haupt
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This exploratory study was conducted to examine the perceptions of hospice bereavement counselors' and how mindfulness practices impact their work with bereaved clients. Additionally, this study looked at the self-defined practices of participants and collected rich narratives of their personal and professional experiences with mindfulness. Using interviews with hospice bereavement counselors, this investigation found that all of the 10 participants described that mindfulness provided them with enhanced awareness through the use of self-nurturing rituals. These exercises helped all participants in three areas: to quiet the mind, improve physical awareness, and to serve as inspiration in their work. The study concluded …
The Impact Of Identity On The Experience And Management Of Bipolar Disorders, Lisa M. Jaffe
The Impact Of Identity On The Experience And Management Of Bipolar Disorders, Lisa M. Jaffe
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This mixed-method thesis explores the impact of Identity, operationally defined as the framework from which individuals interact with the world, and on the lived experience and symptom management of bipolar disorder. I created an online survey for participants to use as my research tool, utilizing a standardized scale, the Sense of Self Scale (SOSS), in conjunction with my ow Likert scale items for the quantitative component, and open-ended questions for the qualitative component of the research. A positive correlation was found between self-identified symptom management and SOSS, showing that individuals with a higher sense-of-self score did have better management of …
Capacity For Humanity : An Exploratory Study Into The Use Of Affiliative Humor With Clients Who Experience Paranoid Symptomatology, Lisa Orenstein
Capacity For Humanity : An Exploratory Study Into The Use Of Affiliative Humor With Clients Who Experience Paranoid Symptomatology, Lisa Orenstein
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate clinicians' experiences and perceptions about the use of affiliative humor as a means of establishing a bond with a client whom experiences paranoid symptomatology. This population in particular is the most difficult to initially engage and develop a therapeutic alliance with due to their severe level of mistrust and propensity towards misinterpreting interpersonal situations. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore one means of navigating this barrier. Additionally, the findings of this study not only indicate that affiliative humor can be used successfully while working with this population, but …
The Only One : Exploring Identity Development In Black Adolescent Girls Who Are Both Educated And Raised In White Spaces, Jessica L. Ricardo
The Only One : Exploring Identity Development In Black Adolescent Girls Who Are Both Educated And Raised In White Spaces, Jessica L. Ricardo
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This theoretical study offers insight into how racial isolation experienced by Black adolescent girls living and educated in white spaces hinders their overall wellbeing and sense of identity. By focusing on Black adolescent girls who are raised and educated in predominantly white settings, my research adds and expands the often rigid and incomplete narrative that is found in academia regarding the psychosocial functioning and development of Black adolescent girls. This research uses both Erikson's model for Adolescent Development and Objectification Theory to illuminate the challenges posed by the encompassing experiences of racial isolation on positive self-image and identity development for …
The Kids Feel (More Than) All Right : A Study Exploring The Subjective Experiences And Perceptions Of Adult-Male Children Raised In Planned Lesbian Families As Relates To Their Gender Development, Naomi D. Drexler
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The purpose of this study was to explore the subjective experiences and perceptions of adult-male children of planned lesbian families as relates to their gender development. Furthermore, this study sought to explore if/how adult-male children of planned lesbian families perceive their family form to have impacted their constructions and expressions of masculinity and male identity. No study to date has exclusively, nor deeply, explored the subjective experiences and perceptions of this particular population as relates specifically to their gender development. This qualitative study relied on intensive interviewing as its data collection method. Interviews were semi-structured and conducted in person or …
Love-Melancholy : Revolt Against Mourning, Samantha R. Chaplin
Love-Melancholy : Revolt Against Mourning, Samantha R. Chaplin
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The aim of this paper is to consider the phenomena of love-melancholy through an object relations framework, conceiving of this phenomena as a revolt against mourning. The theoretical framework utilized is the early object relations concepts introduced by Freud in his 1917 paper Mourning and Melancholia and elaborated by object relations theorist Melanie Klein in her later works. Using the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) as a case example, this writer identifies a developmental process that occurs in resolving the pain of love-melancholy, emphasizing mourning the lost love object as necessary for establishing hope for future attachments.
"If You Talk To God, You Are Praying; If God Talks To You, You Have Schizophrenia" : Distinctions Between Psychosis And Spiritual Experience Among Christians, Jennifer Callaghan
"If You Talk To God, You Are Praying; If God Talks To You, You Have Schizophrenia" : Distinctions Between Psychosis And Spiritual Experience Among Christians, Jennifer Callaghan
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
Many clients within the current system who are diagnosed with psychotic spectrum disorders, such as schizophrenia, present with what mental health professionals often consider to be hallucinations and delusions with religious or spiritual content. However, these presentations often have striking similarities to spiritual experiences, in which an individual may report having a prophetic-type experience or some type of otherworldly communication that is embedded within their value and belief-system. The present study seeks to explore how these attributions are made and which contextual factors are associated with individuals' interpretations of these ambiguous presentations. A sample of 177 Christian adults living in …
A Study Of How Love Is Experienced Over Time In Non-Heterosexual Relationships, Michelle Okun
A Study Of How Love Is Experienced Over Time In Non-Heterosexual Relationships, Michelle Okun
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study explored how love is experienced in long-term non-heterosexual relationships. This study used the Triangle of Love Scale to assess how reported levels of passion, intimacy, commitment, and relationship satisfaction are experienced at different stages within relationships. In addition, individuals self-reported on factors that potentially impact relationship satisfaction and reported levels of intimacy, passion, and commitment. A sample of 185 non-heterosexual participants who reside in the US, are over the age of 18, and have been in a relationship for two or more years, was obtained. Participants completed an online survey and provided demographic information, completed the Triangle of …
Could It Be A Brain Injury? : Difficulty In Identifying Clients With Brain Injury In Psychotherapeutic Work, And Best Means Of Clinically Supporting Clients With Possible Brain Injury, Sarah E. Gordon
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study explored the experiences of brain injury survivors as clients in psychotherapy in order to learn whether mental health professionals are properly screening for brain injuries, the factors that may inhibit mental health professionals from screening, the factors that may inhibit clients from disclosing their histories of brain injuries; to identify the psychotherapeutic needs specific to clients living with brain injuries; and to identify the best means of serving this client population. Nine adult brain injury survivors, ranging in age from 29-70, answered nine openended research questions during one of three focus groups. One participant was interviewed individually. Participants …
Ego Development And Anxiety During Emerging Adulthood, Alexander M. Rascovar
Ego Development And Anxiety During Emerging Adulthood, Alexander M. Rascovar
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
Emerging adulthood is a time period wrought with many life changes (Arnett, 2000); therefore, periods of anxiety that are distressing and may potentially disrupt or challenge ego growth can be expected. This study addressed the question: What is the relationship between anxiety and ego maturity in emerging adulthood? Wayment, Bauer, and Sylaska (2014) asserted that the ego in higher levels of development is less defended. This means that the defensive personality organization in the "quiet ego" is integrated in higher-level defensive adaptation, but it remains unclear how Sullivan's (1953) concepts of anxiety might interact with varying levels of ego development. …
Altruism In Relationship To The Therapeutic Process : An Exploratory Study Of The Perspectives And Experiences Of Clinical Social Workers, Leslie M. Hammer
Altruism In Relationship To The Therapeutic Process : An Exploratory Study Of The Perspectives And Experiences Of Clinical Social Workers, Leslie M. Hammer
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
While engaging in altruism has been found to be therapeutic in many settings including mutual aid groups, there is a lack of empirical data regarding altruism in the context of clinical social work with individuals. Using qualitative methods, this study gathered perspectives on the current state of altruism in clinical social work, and inquired specifically about the use of altruism as a clinical tool. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 13 licensed clinical social workers. Participants varied in their perspectives about engaging in conversations about altruism with clients and the therapeutic use of participating in altruistic acts. Clinicians expressed being guided …
Gang Stalking : Internet Connectivity As An Emerging Mental Health Concern, Elizabeth E. Dietrich
Gang Stalking : Internet Connectivity As An Emerging Mental Health Concern, Elizabeth E. Dietrich
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study examines emerging concerns about small online social communities that purport to support their members, but which in actuality exacerbate mental health issues. Here, the author focuses on one such community that has gone unstudied: The Gang Stalking community. Here, individuals who seem to suffer from Delusional Disorder come together and discuss their experiences of being stalked by a multitude of people in concert with the sole aim of creating terror in their lives. These people call themselves Targeted Individuals. The support that these individuals find on gang stalking websites soothes their amorphous anxiety about being watched, but in …
What's Faith Got To Do With It : Clinicians' Experiences Of Addressing Issues Of Religion And Spirituality In Therapy, Lauren Raymond
What's Faith Got To Do With It : Clinicians' Experiences Of Addressing Issues Of Religion And Spirituality In Therapy, Lauren Raymond
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This exploratory, mixed-methods study was conducted to investigate the experiences of clinicians who have both been in personal therapy and practice with clients, to consider the nature of addressing issues pertaining to religion and spirituality, both in the role of client and as clinician. The study sought to explore whether there was any evident correlation between clinicians' experiences in therapy or one's personal spiritual affiliation, or lack thereof, and if and how they approached the discussion of these topics with clients. The research was carried out via an online survey that was distributed to practicing clinicians via direct as well …
Navigating A Paradoxical Identity : The Experiences Of Mixed Race Individuals Who Are Perceived As White, Marcella Emily Galvez Wagner
Navigating A Paradoxical Identity : The Experiences Of Mixed Race Individuals Who Are Perceived As White, Marcella Emily Galvez Wagner
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This qualitative exploratory study examines the experiences of mixed race individuals who are perceived as White by others based on physical appearance. Literature on the mixed race population has only more recently focused on the phenomenon of racial misrecognition, or the incongruence between racial identity and racial perception by others. This study seeks to advance this literature by exploring the experiences of individuals who have a particular form of racial misrecognition where they hold a non-dominant racial identity and yet are perceived as White by others. The study explored racial identity, racial markers, disclosure and passing, family context, experiences of …
Clinicians' Experiences Of Personal Wealth : Impacts Within Clinical Practice, Sarah Schwartz Sax
Clinicians' Experiences Of Personal Wealth : Impacts Within Clinical Practice, Sarah Schwartz Sax
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This exploratory/descriptive quantitative/qualitative study surveyed clinicians with wealth about their experiences working with clients who do not have wealth. While there is much research that examines the implications of race-privileged clinicians (i.e., white clinicians) when they work with clients who are race-oppressed (i.e., clients of color) there is very little research on parallel class-based dynamics when the clinician is of a more privileged socioeconomic class than the client. Thus, this research was an initial attempt to fill that gap in the literature. Fifty-four mental health clinicians with wealth voluntarily identified themselves to the researcher via a confidential online tool. Screened …
How To Best Support Clinical Social Workers In Their Practive With Children Who Have Experienced Trauma, Anna N. Query
How To Best Support Clinical Social Workers In Their Practive With Children Who Have Experienced Trauma, Anna N. Query
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This research set out to explore how clinical social workers working with children who have experienced trauma are supported in their practice, both at an individual and organizational level. Given the concepts of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma and burnout as a natural part of working with trauma, it is essential to make sure that clinical social workers are properly supported in their work. With the theoretical understanding of person-in-environment, individuals must be understood in their environment, as both individual and environment constantly influence one another. For this qualitative study, twelve clinical social workers across the United States, in …
Clinician Perspectives Of Behavioral Health Service Delivery In Patient-Centered Medical Homes, Melanie L. Cox
Clinician Perspectives Of Behavioral Health Service Delivery In Patient-Centered Medical Homes, Melanie L. Cox
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The need to reform health care in the U.S. is evidenced by exorbitant costs that for many patients, fails to produce better outcomes (McCarthy, How, Fryer, Radley, and Schoen, 2011). Provisions within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) intend to decrease spending while enhancing the quality of care provided, thus improving patient satisfaction. Notably, the PPACA promotes the patient-centered medical home (PCMH), a model of health care in which a team of practitioners coordinate care for each patient as to ensure that all health needs are addressed (PPACA, 2009a, 2009b). The use of the PCMH model has major …
Narratives Of Thriving : Black Lesbian And Queer Women Negotiating Racism, Sexism, And Heterosexism, Arianne J. Napier
Narratives Of Thriving : Black Lesbian And Queer Women Negotiating Racism, Sexism, And Heterosexism, Arianne J. Napier
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This qualitative exploratory study explores the narratives that Black lesbian and queer women age 21 to 35 tell about their lived experience by addressing racism, sexism, and heterosexism and how Black lesbian and queer women live and negotiate in the world. In exploring these narratives, the research focused on the following questions: What are the ways in which Black Lesbian and Queer Women create their own story as they negotiate at the margins of society? How do Black lesbian women create meaning out of their experiences in the face of racism, sexism, and heterosexism? The study found that these 12 …
Moral Injury In Veterans : A Theoretical Investigation Of The Psychic, Moral And Social Sequelae Of War Trauma, Sarah C. Towers
Moral Injury In Veterans : A Theoretical Investigation Of The Psychic, Moral And Social Sequelae Of War Trauma, Sarah C. Towers
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
Although the idea that a violation of deeply held moral and ethical values can result in a profound psychic, social and spiritual wounding is an ancient one, the exploration of the phenomenon of moral injury in the field of mental health has only recently gained traction. Moral injury is increasingly being regarded as its own psychological phenomenon, one that shares symptomology with PTSD, but is also distinct, and as yet not sufficiently accounted for in current PTSD criteria. This theoretical thesis charts the evolving clinical construct of moral injury and draws on two bodies of theory, narrative theory and adult …
The Exploration Of Young Adults' Online And Offline Interpersonal Relationships, Josselyn B. Sheer
The Exploration Of Young Adults' Online And Offline Interpersonal Relationships, Josselyn B. Sheer
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The present study sought to learn about the ways in which young adults who are avid social networking site users (SNS) build and maintain interpersonal relationships given the ways in which social media shapes how young adults connect. This research explored how experiences via SNS such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tinder played a role in one's online and offline relationships. Inclusion criteria included being between the ages of 18 and 30, being an English speaker, logging onto SNS at least 10 times per day, and being able to speak in person or on the phone for one hour. With …