Philosophy Commons^™

Integrating Music Therapy Into Dental Clinics For Whole Person Care, Dana Osterling Benoit Mba, Mt-Bc, Nisreen Al Jallad Dds, Ms2, Shasha Cui Ed.D. Mba, Mandy Fraser, Gaelen Mccormick Mm1, Rosemary Oliva Obi Ms, Lcat, Mtbc1, Adela Planerova Dds, Ms2, Madeline Vinolus Mt-Bc1, Angela Valeria Perez Pita Dds, Ms2

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This case study describes the integration of a board-certified music therapist into two specialty dental clinics at the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Eastman Institute for Oral Health. Initiated in collaboration with the Eastman Performing Arts Medicine Center, the effort reflects a humanistic and biopsychosocial approach to dentistry that leverages music therapy to reduce anxiety, improve patient experience, and support better clinical outcomes.

Before implementation, monthly interdisciplinary planning meetings were held, bringing together dental faculty, research and administrative staff, and the music therapy team. These meetings built a shared understanding of each clinic’s unique patient population, workflow, and clinical priorities, …

J Am Coll Dent 2026 92 2a

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists responds to a growing but long-underrecognized demand for humanities and ethics in dental education, practice, and scholarship. It emerges from the work of the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED), a multi-institutional partnership formed in 2023 to address the persistent exclusion of dentistry from broader health humanities conversations. Through national webinars and scholarly collaboration, NCHED has demonstrated substantial interest in ethical reflection, historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and the arts as essential to understanding oral health and dental care. The unexpectedly strong response to the call …

The Mouth As A Mirror: A Parent- Hygienist’S Ethical Reflections On Oral Healthcare And Pompe Disease, Anika Atkins Ma, Rdh

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This reflective narrative explores the ethical tensions and emotional realities of a dental hygienist who is also the parent of a child with Pompe disease. Drawing from personal experience and care ethics philosophy, the author examines how traditional clinical frameworks—centered on autonomy, beneficence, and protocol— often fall short when addressing the needs of medically fragile children. The piece weaves in the work of care ethicists and pastoral ministry to embrace the philosophy of caregiving as presence, to suggest that oral healthcare must evolve to include responsiveness, context, and relationship-based decision-making. Through the dual lens of provider and parent, the narrative …

Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels.  Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say.  However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be.  That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an unfolding period of weeding out and alignment with the …

Observation, Analysis, Compassion, William J. Maloney Dds, Pgcertmed, Facd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Drawing on examples from literature, art, and history, this article argues that optimal health care rests on a triad of observation, analysis, and compassion. Referencing physician-writers and keen observers such as Anton Chekhov, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Leonardo da Vinci, the discussion illustrates how careful attention to the human condition enhances diagnostic insight and ethical care. In the context of unprecedented global migration and strained health care systems, clinicians are challenged to move beyond technical competence toward a deeper understanding of patients’ fears, cultural barriers, and dignity. At the intersection of careful observation, thoughtful analysis, and genuine compassion, the highest …

Practicing Dentistry And The Piano: Reflections On Coaching, Feedback, And The Humanities In Dental Education, Sarah E. Grafton Dmd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Dentistry is often described as both art and science, yet its pedagogy still leans heavily on technical instruction. Drawing on the author’s personal experience as a lifelong piano student, this paper explores the parallels between learning a musical instrument and developing clinical skills in dental education. Both domains require the integration of mind and hand, repeated practice, and feedback that transform mistakes into growth. Piano training illustrates that mastery emerges not from innate talent but from deliberate practice and the willingness to accept critique. This orientation provides a framework for understanding dental education as coaching rather than didactic instruction. Dental …

J Am Coll Dent 2026 92 2b

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists responds to a growing but long-underrecognized demand for humanities and ethics in dental education, practice, and scholarship. It emerges from the work of the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED), a multi-institutional partnership formed in 2023 to address the persistent exclusion of dentistry from broader health humanities conversations. Through national webinars and scholarly collaboration, NCHED has demonstrated substantial interest in ethical reflection, historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and the arts as essential to understanding oral health and dental care.

The unexpectedly strong response to the call …

How Dentists Can Remain Advisors Of Merit To Their Patients, Daniel L. Orr Ii, Dds, Ms (Anesth), Phd, Jd, Md, Facd (Nevada Section Chair)

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This article examines how members of the dental profession can sustain their longstanding reputation as trusted advisors amid declining public confidence in major institutions. Grounded in ethical principles, informed consent, and professional self-regulation, dentistry has historically ranked among the most trusted professions. The discussion explores challenges to credibility, including media scrutiny, concerns about anesthesia safety, controversial treatment hesitancy, and debates over community water fluoridation. Emphasizing the concept of the “advisor of merit,” the author argues that continued trust depends on truthful communication, transparency about risks, respect for patient autonomy, and freedom from conflicts of interest in clinical and public health …

Humanities And The Moral Vision Of Dentistry, Toni M. Roucka Rn, Dds, Ma, Facd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Editorial is a feature in each issue of the JACD. It includes commentary on issue content, relevant topics, or other items of interest to the fellowship.

Maintaining Trust In Uncertain Times: Funding Pauses And The Ethical Cost To Community-Engaged Research, Brynn E. Sheehan

Department Psychiatry & Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Federal funding pauses, once considered rare, are increasingly disrupting the stability and continuity of community‐engaged research. Even projects with active, awarded grants are experiencing the strain of funding uncertainty, raising substantive concerns among research teams and community partners. These disruptions extend beyond operational delays; they jeopardize the continuity of relationships developed through sustained, collaborative engagement. In the absence of clear information about a project's future, uncertainty undermines trust and challenges the ethical principles that guide human subjects research, particularly beneficence and justice. This paper draws on direct experience and insights from the broader field to examine the practical and ethical …

A Delphi Study Of Ethical Best Practices For Psychedelic Assisted Therapy, Alyssa K. Griskiewicz

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this Delphi study was to establish areas of ethical consensus regarding psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) from the perspectives of an expert panel of practitioners, with attention to issues of equity and access. Participants (N = 29) include individuals with two or more years of experience in one or more of the following domains of psychedelic expertise: clinical/professional practice, scholarly/research contributions, or guided community/ceremonial facilitation. In Round 1, qualitative data were collected through open-ended questions and analyzed using thematic analysis to generate Delphi statements. In Round 2, panelists (N = 24) rated these statements using a Likert-type scale to …

Large Language Model-Assisted Research Question Development In Public Health: A Case Study In The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants, And Children (Wic), Qi Zhang, Bidusha Neupane, Priyanka Patel, Futun N. Alkhalifah, Yi He, Leslie Hodges

Health Behavior, Policy & Management Faculty Publications

Objective:

To assess the feasibility of using large language models (LLMs) to develop research questions about changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food packages.

Design:

We conducted a controlled experiment using ChatGPT-4 and its plugin, MixerBox Scholarly, to generate research questions based on a section of the USDA summary of the final public comments on the WIC revision. Five questions weekly for three weeks were generated using LLMs under two conditions: fed with or without relevant literature. The experiment generated 90 questions, which were evaluated using the FINER criteria (Feasibility, Innovation, Novelty, Ethics, …

The Use Of Mindfulness In Empirically Supported Treatments In Psychology, Timothy Stewart

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

After gaining popularity in the United States of America (USA) in the 1960s and 1970s, Buddhist mindfulness was introduced to clinical psychology and investigated for its potential psychological healing effects. In the years since, mindfulness has been widely used in empirically supported treatments (ESTs) in clinical psychology in the USA to treat a wide variety of psychological conditions and disorders. This dissertation examines and compares conceptualizations and implicit understandings of mindfulness in early (Theravāda) Buddhism and in ESTs in clinical psychology in the USA. Through textual narrative analysis of two Buddhist sutta and 10 clinical psychology journal articles, this study …

Hospitality As A Philosophy Of Care, Freddy Clark

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines hospitality as a philosophy of care and a practice of social justice, particularly within marginalized communities. While hospitality is often understood as a gesture of kindness or a function of the service industry, this research reframes it as an ethical and relational practice grounded in human dignity, mutuality, and community formation. It explores how hospitality extends beyond transactional exchanges to become a transformative expression of care that challenges exclusion and affirms belonging. Drawing on interdisciplinary frameworks, the study integrates biblical narratives, including the Good Samaritan and Matthew 25:35–40, philosophical perspectives from Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida, and …

Homoeopathy During One Hundred Years Of Lmhi (1925–2025)– Part 1: Philosophical Perspectives, Josef M. Schmidt

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

The celebration of 100 years of “Liga medicorum homoeopathica internationalis” (LMHI) in 2025 gives reason to reflect on the philosophical essence of Homoeopathy as well as its historical development within a dynamic, changing world up to now.

From a philosophical perspective, in this first part, it is pointed out that Hahnemann, the founder of Homoeopathy, needs to be understood in his entirety– not only as a keen discoverer, practitioner and thinker, but also in his spiritual shape, i.e. in his ethical, religious and humanitarian attitude and conviction.

Only thus may one grasp the significance of the schism pervading Homoeopathy’s history …

A Confucian Response To Stoic Perspectives On Physician Burnout, Charlene Tan, Ruth Neo

Journal of Wellness

Aimed at promoting cross-cultural dialogue and exchange of ideas in the humanities, this article provides a Confucian response to the Stoic viewpoints expounded by Kutch in this journal. Two arguments are made in this paper: first, Confucius shares the Stoics’ emphasis on being mindful. Secondly, a significant difference between Confucius and the Stoics is that the former replaces the Stoics’ fate with Heaven (tian), which is a central Confucian spiritual ideal. Applying Confucian and Stoic insights to burnout, medical professionals are encouraged to (re)gain strength by reflecting on and embracing spiritual ideals, whether it is fate or Heaven. …

Ethical Dilemmas Surrounding Community Water Fluoridation, Roopwant Kaur, Herminio Perez, Mark Moss

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Since the 1950s, community water fluoridation (CWF) has stood as a cornerstone of dental public health. However, a growing amount of public scrutiny necessitates reflection on the ethical basis for coming to a firm position on the topic. Aside from CWF, fluoride in the form of ingestible supplements has recently been identified as a concern by the US Food and Drug Administration. Indeed, it is challenging to wade through the facts, opinions, misinformation, and policy shifts. This article examines the ethical dilemmas that surround CWF through the lens of the American Dental Association (ADA) Principles of Ethics and Code of …

J Am Coll Dent 2025 92 1

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Journal of the American College of Dentists (JACD) publishes scholarly articles, editorials, essays, and reflections addressing the ethical, professional, and social dimensions of dentistry. The Journal serves as a forum for advancing ethics, professionalism, leadership, and excellence within the dental community. By fostering dialogue across disciplines and perspectives, JACD provides readers with insights that encourage ethical, professional practice, lifelong learning, and service to the public, reinforcing dentistry’s commitment to advancing oral healthcare and the common good.

The Efficacy Of Mindfulness, Breathwork, And Neurofeedback: A Holistic Approach To Healing, Cheryl Moore-Whidby

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the holistic impact of mindfulness, breathwork, and neurofeedback on individuals experiencing a range of emotional and physical health conditions, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, cardiovascular symptoms, and other chronic illnesses. This investigation is grounded in multiple theoretical frameworks, including the Polyvagal Theory (Porges, 2009), Cognitive Theory (Beck, 1963), Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow et al., 1943), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Kabat-Zinn, 1990), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (Linehan, 1993). A total of 28 participants, approved through IRB review, engaged in 24 sessions across 30 days, divided between in-person and virtual formats. Breathwork …

Living Heritage, Resilience And Ethically Informed Infrastructures In Malawi, Martha B. Lerski, Frank Puluputu Mwale

Publications and Research

Rooted in a rural community’s needs, this paper explores how historically, and ethically informed infrastructures can support community engagement towards identification, documentation, and dissemination of local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge relating to climate change. The paper examines climate adaptation and sustainability issues through the lenses of community organizing and Library & Information Science best practices. It draws on a growing body of literature identifying a role for expanded epistemological and subject discipline perspectives. While the impacts of climate on material culture are increasingly recognized, intangible, and biocultural heritage have not received as much attention. Living heritage traditions and knowledge systems …

Psycho-Analysis Will Not Save Us: Reflections On The Gen Z Mental Health Crisis, Victor Dubitans

Middle Voices

Generation Z (born between 1997 – 2012) is characterized as having both unprecedented mental health awareness and unprecedented mental distress. An apparent contradiction with troubling implications for the mental health field: Either the response to the mounting crisis has been insufficient or the field forms part of the problem. Taking seriously Wilks’ (2023) criticism of “therapeutic overreach” of the contemporary mental health field in the lives and development of youth, this paper attempts a selfanalysis and moral inventory about the field’s potential complicity in the crisis and in the history of hysteria. Lacan’s writings on the “analyst’s discourse” are considered …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …

Gust, Stroll, Veil, Jungeun Park

Masters Theses

I witness the unsettling and chaotic moments of everyday life:

blood clots in fried eggs, a dead rat on my porch, mites crawling on our skin . . .

These quiet tragedies exist with almost brutal indifference!

We eat, digest, excrete. We menstruate. We parasitize. We coexist.

I seek the intersection of repulsion and wonder in my daily experience and body sensations, visualizing unseen stimuli. I employ veil as a strategy. It conceals yet reveals. Sometimes, it acts as a transparent layer, sharpening what lies beneath. Other times, it blurs colors and forms, rendering them ambiguous. Veil transforms, entices, and …

The Portals: Jewelry As A Site Of Escape And Solace, Jung Ki Min

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates jewelry as a medium for emotional escape and psychological refuge, offering multisensory alternative forms of escapism. Rooted in personal experiences of continuous change and instability, the work explores how imagined spaces—constructed through AI-generated and digitally assisted visuals and layered material processes—can serve as intimate sanctuaries. Drawing from psychological theories, surrealism, and escapism, the study positions jewelry as a portable interface that enables temporary retreat without full detachment from reality. The series of work, which integrates transparent acrylic, visual layering, and subtle dimensionality, materializes these imagined spaces into wearable forms. These pieces invite reflective engagement, allowing wearers to …

The Dialectic Of Airless Space, Ophelia Arc

Masters Theses

The Dialectic of Airless Space is a cumulative, cross-disciplinary research project that explores ‘airless space’ as a somatic and psychological condition shaped by institutional environments. Unfolding over time through five interrelated books, the project weaves together writing, ephemera, textile sculpture, and drawing to archive the invisible architectures of bodily and mental experience.

Perceiving The Perceiver: “Viewing” Sauron Through The Gestalt Theory Of Perception, Cameron Bourquein

Journal of Tolkien Research

This paper uses Gestalt theory, the Gestalt laws of perception, and the reception theory of Wolfgang Iser to elucidate the character “Sauron” as he appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power, and Tolkien’s wider legendarium. It argues firstly that Sauron’s high degree of indeterminacy and ambiguity suggests he can be read as a gestalt entity, one the reader creates by mentally constructing a whole from (seemingly) disparate parts. Building on the semiotics work of Nagy (2013), it argues that Sauron in The Lord of the Rings can be read as gestalt across the spatial, …

The Contribution Of Catholic Compromise Principles In Global Health, Scott N. Helstad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Roman Catholic tradition has developed comprehensive ethical principles to address complex practical scenarios that encounter foundational value compromises. These are referred to as compromise principles and they have both a narrow and a broad focus. Narrowly, these compromise principles are critical for Catholic healthcare organizations in the United States with regard to the guidelines of the US Bishops in their Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. More broadly, these compromise principles are relevant in the secular realm regarding global health. This dissertation examines these varying perspectives, hence its title, “The Contribution of Catholic Compromise Principles …

Hospital Organizations’ Obligation To Promote Spiritual Well-Being Among Nurses: Development Of A Normative Ethical Argument, Michael Jordan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents an innovative strategy to promote the support of nurses' spirituality within hospital organizations. By focusing on the spiritual well-being of nurses by hospital organizations, with a natural extension into nursing schools, the approach aims to enhance nurse’s ability to protect their own spirituality, provide comprehensive spiritual care to patients, and increase nurse moral resilience. By investing in nurses' spirituality and spiritual growth, hospitals can potentially increase job satisfaction among nursing staff, improve patient care outcomes, and create a more holistic healing environment for both nurses and patients. As the nursing shortage continues and the number of nurses …

The Ethical Imperative Of The Renewal Of Virtue Within The Moral Community Of Catholic Healthcare, Amanda Altobell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Catholic healthcare is one of the largest nonprofit organizations and providers in the United States, offering medical care to many diverse communities. The fundamental mission of Catholic healthcare is to bring about Christ’s healing ministry and live out the fundamental principle of caring for the vulnerable in pursuit of the common good. However, there have been many missteps, not only due to a more polarized and secular community but also to scandals and conflict due to previous hierarchical and rules-based anthropology that often misses the person's lived experience. Therefore, this dissertation will argue that for Catholic healthcare to survive the …

The Conservative Approach To Informed Consent: The Evidentiary Model And An Antidote To The Problem Of Framing Effects In Medical Decision-Making, James D. Polk

Honors Theses

Since the latter part of the 20th century, there has been a gradual but significant shift of the doctor-patient relation from paternalism to a more patient-centric approach. As such, informed consent – the legal and moral requirement that a physician fully disclose relevant details to their patient and gain their consent – is a central doctrine to patient-centric care. Gone are the days of the doctor governing the patient: the patient is now considered a valuable and important decision-maker. Achieving informed consent is the foundation of patient centric medicine. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that philosophical consideration be …