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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
"Enough About You, Let's Talk About Me : Clinicians' Use Of Self-Disclosure And (Un)Conscious Awareness Of Race, Sexuality, And Gender, Sarah R. Barnett-Parker
"Enough About You, Let's Talk About Me : Clinicians' Use Of Self-Disclosure And (Un)Conscious Awareness Of Race, Sexuality, And Gender, Sarah R. Barnett-Parker
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The purpose of this study was to answer the following question: How and why do clinicians choose to self-disclose (with particular attention paid to race, sexual orientation and gender)? In order to answer this questiono sixty-four participants were surveyed using a mixed-method, deductive, exploratory method. The majority of clinicians surveyed use self-disclosure in their practices and believe that it is a viable therapeutic technique. Not all of the clinicians were aware of their own social identities or the identities of their clients playing a role in their choices around self-disclosure, but some were. The three major motivations for identity-based disclosures …
The Smith College School For Social Work Anti-Racism Commitment : A Chronology And Reflections On The Years 1993-1998, Joanna Garcia Vaughn
The Smith College School For Social Work Anti-Racism Commitment : A Chronology And Reflections On The Years 1993-1998, Joanna Garcia Vaughn
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This research study was undertaken to examine the organizational changes involved in the establishment of the Smith College School for Social Work's commitment to anti-racism during the years 1993 – 1998 in order to establish a chronology of the changes and to collect community members' reflections on the process. The retrospective case study involved interviews with 12 community members – faculty, staff, and alumni – who were present at the School between the years 1993 – 1998 and who were involved in some aspect of the changes. The members were interviewed about their involvement in the changes, their recollections of …
"If I Told You What Was Going To Happen, You Wouldn't Do It" : The Breast Cancer Survivor's Experience Of Chemotherapy, Amy Tindall Willson
"If I Told You What Was Going To Happen, You Wouldn't Do It" : The Breast Cancer Survivor's Experience Of Chemotherapy, Amy Tindall Willson
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
Chemotherapy is a concept that strikes a chord inside many people, conjuring images of nausea, hair loss, and pain. It is synonymous with cancer. The impact of undergoing treatment for a life-threatening diagnosis like cancer can have both seen and unseen impacts on the person, their families, and their loved ones. The effects can reverberate through a person's life, affecting not only their health status, but also their relationships, careers, sense of self, worldview, and spirituality. This study looks more closely at the experiences of women who have undergone chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer and considers the full …
Physician Assisted Suicide : A Survey Of North Caroline End Of Life Care Workers, Ollie Dooling Walker
Physician Assisted Suicide : A Survey Of North Caroline End Of Life Care Workers, Ollie Dooling Walker
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The quantitative study reported here surveyed North Carolina clinicians who perform end of care about their attitudes toward physician assisted suicide (PAS). Twenty-four clinicians, representing varying disciplines from within the field of end of life care, shared their opinions via a 12-item survey. Clinicians were asked to think about PAS in terms of their stance as to when it may or may not be an appropriate practice, and how their own personal, religious, professional, and ethical beliefs influence their views on PAS. Participating clinicians were also surveyed about the recently enacted North Carolina Right to a Natural Death Act. Findings …
Determining Outcomes And Improving Effectiveness : An Outcome Study Of The East Bay Agency For Children's Therapeutic Nursery School, Elise Geltman
Determining Outcomes And Improving Effectiveness : An Outcome Study Of The East Bay Agency For Children's Therapeutic Nursery School, Elise Geltman
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study evaluated the effectiveness of the East Bay Agency for Children's Therapeutic Nursery School (TNS) in reducing problem behaviors for troubled preschoolers. Seven preschoolers between the ages of 2 ½ and 5 years old were assessed at the start of the study (or at admission date if after) and at 9 months (or at discharge if before 9 months) in a pre-post design. The Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA; commonly known as the Child Behavior Checklist or CBCL) was used as the measure of problem behaviors. Three ASEBAs were collected for each participant at pre and post …
Bread And Roses : Clinical Social Work With Clients Living In Poverty, Katherine Jane Waggoner
Bread And Roses : Clinical Social Work With Clients Living In Poverty, Katherine Jane Waggoner
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study was undertaken to explore the possible relationship between future clinical social workers' beliefs about the causes of poverty and their commitment to working with individuals living in poverty. The study was an attempt to respond to concerns that have been raised about a perceived abandonment of the poor by social workers in favor of private mental health practice with middle and upper class clients. One-hundred and two students currently enrolled in the Masters program of the Smith College School for Social Work responded to a questionnaire designed to assess their preferred practice modality, perceptions of the causes of …
Clinician Gender As A Factor Of Countertransference In The Treatment Of Clients Diagnosed With Borderline Personality Disorder, Alyssa Jayne Wyman
Clinician Gender As A Factor Of Countertransference In The Treatment Of Clients Diagnosed With Borderline Personality Disorder, Alyssa Jayne Wyman
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This qualitative study explores the interplay between clinician gender and experiences of countertransference (CT) in treatment of clients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The central hypothesis of this study is that constructions of gender will influence experiences of CT in the treatment of BPD clients, therefore having a meaningful effect on the therapeutic relationship and clinical treatment. Utilizing twelve qualitative individual interviews with clinicians who have treated clients diagnosed with BPD, this study examined clinicians' perceptions of treatment, including experiences and management of psychodynamic phenomena. The study also explored clinicians' use of different theoretical and treatment models, their views …
The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction And Program Traits For Wilderness Therapists Employed At Outdoor Behaviorial Healthcare Treatment Programs, Lisa Winn
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study was carried out in order to determine the relationship between job satisfaction and program traits for wilderness therapists employed at Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare (OBH) treatment programs. It was hypothesized that wilderness therapists who work at base camp or in both base camp and expedition type wilderness therapy programs will report higher levels of Job Satisfaction on the Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS) because their work days are more flexible. Secondly, wilderness therapists who work in expedition type wilderness therapy programs will report lower levels of Job Satisfaction on the JSS because they work under more rigorous conditions. A quantitative …
The Strength Of Muslim American Couples In The Face Of Heightened Discrimination From September 11th And The Iraq War, Brianne Goodman, Brianne Goodman Carter, Brianne Goodman Carter
The Strength Of Muslim American Couples In The Face Of Heightened Discrimination From September 11th And The Iraq War, Brianne Goodman, Brianne Goodman Carter, Brianne Goodman Carter
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This exploratory study examined how Muslim American couples are psychologically and relationally impacted by heightened discrimination in the wake of September 11th and The Iraq War. Utilizing interviews with six Muslim American couples who have been married for at least six years (through September 11th and The Iraq War), the study identified that religious discrimination against Muslim Americans is experienced as pervasive and endemic—existing at multiple levels: attitudinal, interpersonal, structural, institutional, and systemic. The study found that in response to (rather than in spite of) religious discrimination, Muslim American couples exhibit increased resiliency and strength through the tenets of their …
The Impostor Phenomenon : An Exploratory Study Of The Socializing Factors That Contribute To Feelings Of Fraudulence Among High Achieving, Diverse Female Undergraduates, Sara E. Wiener
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This two phase study explored what socializing factors contribute to feelings of fraudulence among high achieving, diverse female undergraduates aged 18-22. By means of a questionnaire and the Clance IP Scale, Phase I of the study captured demographic information of participants who self identified as feeling like a fake or fraud in academia and the degree to which their fraudulent feelings affect their lives. During Phase II, 10 participants whose scores on the Scale were 61 and above were interviewed to collect qualitative data pertaining to each participant's social and academic history and their perspectives on what factors contribute to …
Dissonance, Development And Doing The Right Thing : A Theoretical Exploration Of Altruistic Action As An Adaptive Intervention, Christopher L. Woodman
Dissonance, Development And Doing The Right Thing : A Theoretical Exploration Of Altruistic Action As An Adaptive Intervention, Christopher L. Woodman
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This theoretical exploration was undertaken to give consideration to the phenomenon of altruistic action as a potential focus for therapeutic intervention strategies. The very nature of altruism carries with it a fundamentally paradoxical and discrepant conundrum because of the opposing forces that it activates within us; inclinations to put the welfare of others ahead of self-interest are not experienced by the inner self as sound survival planning, though this has historically been a point of contention. Internal and external discrepancies cause psychological dissonance and inner conflict between self-protective strategies and core value constructs, the reconciliation of which is a driving …
Adult Support For Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer And Questioning (Lgbtqq) Youth In High School, Amanda Louise Starfield
Adult Support For Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer And Questioning (Lgbtqq) Youth In High School, Amanda Louise Starfield
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The present study explored how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQQ) youth seek and gain support from adults in high school. A convenient snowball sample of forty-four LGBTQQ youth was gathered through email. The email contained a link to a questionnaire designed based on previous research and administered through Survey Monkey. Participants were required to meet three inclusion criteria: be between the ages of 18-27, 'out' as a member of the LGBTQQ community for a minimum of 1 year in high school, sought support from an adult in high school on an issue related to sexual orientation. The …
Born Of Our Fathers : Patrilineal Descent, Jewish Identity, And The Development Of Self, Elizabeth A. Sosland
Born Of Our Fathers : Patrilineal Descent, Jewish Identity, And The Development Of Self, Elizabeth A. Sosland
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study explores the ways in which disagreement within the American Jewish community regarding the legitimacy of patrilineal descent impacts the identity development of Jewish children born of Jewish fathers and non-Jewish mothers. Twelve participants who self-identify as Jewish, were born to Jewish fathers, and cannot trace their Jewish descent through matrilineal bloodlines were interviewed for this qualitative, exploratory study. Data was gathered about the ways in which this population is internally impacted by this community disagreement, specifically in regard to their development, understanding, and maintenance of self. Findings of this study indicate that there is a strong connection between …
Effect Of Religiosity On The Selection Of Life Long Mate In Pentecostal Adult Church Attendees, Sanya Kalle Unis
Effect Of Religiosity On The Selection Of Life Long Mate In Pentecostal Adult Church Attendees, Sanya Kalle Unis
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study was undertaken to examine whether a relationship existed between biblical teachings, religiosity, professional status, age and faith and mate selection among adult Pentecostal church attendees. A secondary finding of the study was the exploration of whether Pentecostals belief in their relationship with God and the Holy Spirit affected the kind of mate they chose as measured by the 5-point desirability scale. A modified version of the Gough's Marital Preference Questionnaire was made available through the World Wide Web, including a link that solicited participation in the study. The researcher also made the survey available on a social interest …
Swimming Upstream : Navigating The Complexities Of Erotic Transference, Stacey A. Spilly
Swimming Upstream : Navigating The Complexities Of Erotic Transference, Stacey A. Spilly
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The focus of this study is to examine therapists' subjective experience of erotic transference and determine what clinical skills and techniques are useful for managing such encounters. The purpose of the study is to answer the following questions using qualitative interviews: How do clinicians' reactions to erotic transference impact the therapeutic relationship? Also, how do clinicians formulate and symbolize aspects of the erotic transference? The participants were thirteen clinicians who practiced some form of therapy in the Bay Area of California. The sample included psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, PhD psychologists, and clinical social workers. Given this subject matter is …
Perspectives On Severe, Adult Child Molesters : A Look At Their Adult Attachment Styles, Use Of Pornograhjy, And Chaoes In Families-Of-Origin, Jennifer Lynne Trebby
Perspectives On Severe, Adult Child Molesters : A Look At Their Adult Attachment Styles, Use Of Pornograhjy, And Chaoes In Families-Of-Origin, Jennifer Lynne Trebby
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
Abstract 1: Many researchers have commented on the insecure attachment styles common to sexual offenders. Models have been created to account for the role attachment plays in an individual's movement towards sex offending behaviors, and all suggest a complex relationship that may not be stable throughout the lifespan. A few researchers have explored the current, adult attachment styles of sex offenders in order to answer questions about differences both within the group, within the larger group of criminals, and in comparison to the general population. Both the fearful-avoidant style and the preoccupied style have previously been shown to be prevalent …
Wilderness Therapy And Spirituality, Lauren Elizabeth Rothwell
Wilderness Therapy And Spirituality, Lauren Elizabeth Rothwell
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
Wilderness therapy is a therapeutic process intended for young people struggling with a variety of mental health concerns. There is limited research about this rapidly growing treatment modality, but what is known is that wilderness therapy seems to be one of the best way to positively effect young people because of the research regarding recidivism rates, symptom reduction and client/parent reports. Specifically within wilderness therapy research, this study looks at the possibility of spirituality as a factor of the wilderness therapy process. Spirituality also seems to be a concept that has crept into therapeutic work at a rate ahead of …
"Bearing The Weight Of A Mother's Mood" : Does A History Of Depression Influence A Woman's Attitudes About Having Children?, Beth Sadavoy
"Bearing The Weight Of A Mother's Mood" : Does A History Of Depression Influence A Woman's Attitudes About Having Children?, Beth Sadavoy
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study attempted to answer the question of whether there is a relationship between a woman's history of depression and her feelings and attitudes about having children. No research has been done on this precise topic; therefore this study was also intended to ascertain whether this issue was substantial enough to warrant further research and investigation. A mixed method online 16-item questionnaire was completed by 66 participants, 60 of whom met inclusion criteria and were included in the findings. Two qualitative questions were included in order to illuminate the quantitative data. Participants were asked about their experience with depression, interest …
Self Psychology At Work In Trauma Therapy, Heidi Griffin Street
Self Psychology At Work In Trauma Therapy, Heidi Griffin Street
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This theoretical thesis examines self psychology and trauma theory, specifically Judith Herman's Trauma and Recovery. A brief history of the psychodynamic study of the influence of trauma on mental illness will be given to orient the present discussion in the field of psychodynamic theory. Major concepts of self psychology, such as selfobject, mirroring, idealization and twinship will be reviewed. Herman's stages of recovery for the trauma survivor, namely establishing safety, remembrance and mourning, and reconnection will be summarized. I will then present my understanding of trauma as anti-mirroring behavior, trauma's ability to corrupt the idealized, and the twinship qualities of …
How Do Clinical Social Workers Stay Enthusiastic About Their Work?, Kimberly Stasny
How Do Clinical Social Workers Stay Enthusiastic About Their Work?, Kimberly Stasny
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study was an inquiry into how clinical social workers remain enthusiastic about their work. A mixed-methods approach was used to survey 63 clinical social workers in the United States; the majority living in eastern Massachusetts. The sample was 75% female and 25% male, 90% Caucasian and 10% minority or undisclosed racial identity. Participants self reported their current enthusiasm level, what in particular fosters and interferes with that level, and what activities were frequent in their life. Additionally, the abridged form of the Job Descriptive Index and the Job In General survey was added to also assess job satisfaction. The …
The Healthy Solitary Person, Laurel Lynn Shortell
The Healthy Solitary Person, Laurel Lynn Shortell
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This thesis explored the concept of the healthy solitary person who prefers to spend time alone and pursue activities independently and whose independent way of life serves as a source of strength and pleasure. Despite the American ideal of the rugged individualist, the solitary person is often pathologized, seen as being in a transitional state, or not considered at all by much of the psychological literature and by American society at large. This paper examined the societal role played by solitude and drew from self psychology and object relations theory to answer the following question: how can a solitary lifestyle …
Shades Of Gray : Lesbian Therapists Explore The Complexities Of Self-Disclosure To Heterosexual Clients, Molly Caitlin Thomas
Shades Of Gray : Lesbian Therapists Explore The Complexities Of Self-Disclosure To Heterosexual Clients, Molly Caitlin Thomas
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the ways in which lesbian therapists negotiate self-disclosure of their sexual identity—or come out—to heterosexual clients and how such disclosures, or non-disclosures, affect the therapeutic relationship as well as the therapists' personal and professional identities. Twelve lesbian licensed clinical social workers were interviewed for this study. Participants were questioned about their self-disclosure practices of sexual identity with heterosexual clients, how factors such as their work environment and aspects of their social identity shaped their thinking and practice of self-disclosure of sexual identity, and the extent to which issues of heterosexism …
A Survey Of Clinicians' Use Of Touch And Body Awareness In Psychotherapy, Anastasia D. Mcrae
A Survey Of Clinicians' Use Of Touch And Body Awareness In Psychotherapy, Anastasia D. Mcrae
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
A national purposive expert convenience sample of approximately 164 licensed, practicing mental health professionals responded to an anonymous online survey regarding the use of touch and body awareness in their treatment with clients. This study sought to answer the question of the effects of training, whether during the course of study to become a mental health professional or in a specific formalized body-oriented modality, on the attitudes and behavior of clinicians towards their use of touch and body awareness in psychotherapy treatment. The findings showed that training in the use of touch or body awareness does influence positive attitudes toward …
How Home-Based Clinicians Assess And Assist Parent(S) Who Experience Changes In Family Dynamics Post Discharge Of Their Pre-Latency/Latency Age Child's First Psychiatric Hospitalization, Ashley Shannon Logee
How Home-Based Clinicians Assess And Assist Parent(S) Who Experience Changes In Family Dynamics Post Discharge Of Their Pre-Latency/Latency Age Child's First Psychiatric Hospitalization, Ashley Shannon Logee
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study examined clinicians' perceptions of changes in family dynamics post discharge of a psychiatrically hospitalized child. The ways in which clinicians assessed and assisted parents was also explored. Interviews were conducted with twelve home-based clinicians who presented one case involving a hospitalized child, the changes in family dynamics they observed, and what treatment interventions were used. The findings showed that eleven out of the twelve children were hospitalized due to aggressive behavior (yelling, throwing objects, pushing) and that they remained hospitalized for one week to three months. Clinicians found that the majority of parents experienced relief during the hospitalization, …
What Is Culture? What Is Compentency? What Is Latino? : An Exploratory Study Of Clinicians' Perceptions And Practice Of Cultural Competency With Latino Clients, Saralyn Marie Masselink
What Is Culture? What Is Compentency? What Is Latino? : An Exploratory Study Of Clinicians' Perceptions And Practice Of Cultural Competency With Latino Clients, Saralyn Marie Masselink
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The objective of this study was to explore how clinicians conceptualize and practice cultural competency with Latino clients. This study is qualitative and exploratory in design, and based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 12 licensed clinicians in the Los Angeles area; experience in the field while licensed ranged from 1.5 years to 27 years. The study also investigated how clinicians perceived their own cultural identities influencing clinical work, and the relationship between culturally-specific knowledge and cultural competency. The literature review outlines a social constructionist concept of culture as appropriate for culturally competent practice, and investigates the usefulness of traditional concepts …
Embodied Practice : Do Social Work Therapists Explore Client Strengths As Expressed In The Lived Experience Of The Body?, Duncan Nichols
Embodied Practice : Do Social Work Therapists Explore Client Strengths As Expressed In The Lived Experience Of The Body?, Duncan Nichols
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study was undertaken to explore how seven social work therapists attend to client strengths, with an emphasis on embodied experience and embodied strengths where competency and resourcefulness are experienced. Besides asking questions about the obvious markers of a person's physical experience (hobbies, work, etc.), questions about the psychoanalytic concept of body-self and attributes of certain popularized mind/body approaches or techniques social work therapists may use were also posed. Workers, whose practices are in community mental health, inpatient psychiatry, medical and private practice settings, provided experience-near narrative data. Major findings were workers' belief in the clinical value of using a …
Strengthening The Capacity Of Helping Professionals To Provide Psychosocial Support To Communities Affected By Armed Conflict : The Evaluation Of One Program, Arden Elise O'Donnell
Strengthening The Capacity Of Helping Professionals To Provide Psychosocial Support To Communities Affected By Armed Conflict : The Evaluation Of One Program, Arden Elise O'Donnell
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study explored the transferring of skills, knowledge, and awareness of trainees in a Training-of-Trainers program in Northern Uganda, which was aimed at strengthening the capacity of helping professionals to provide psychosocial support to communities affected by armed conflict. Through the examination of a series of questionnaires administered to the trainees, this paper assesses how the direct transfer of knowledge and skills changed to awareness for trainees over time. This study also addresses how these findings contribute to a greater understanding of the model as well as suggestions surrounding the implications of the transfer of the model across the fields …
Deconstructing White Privilege : Social Variables That May Affect White Males' Race Identity Development, Karen Christine Nelson
Deconstructing White Privilege : Social Variables That May Affect White Males' Race Identity Development, Karen Christine Nelson
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This mixed method study explored aspects of White privilege that may affect White males' White racial identity development (WRID). Janet Helm's White Racial Identity Attitudes Scale was used along with nominal demographic information and five open-ended questions. WRID has been identified as an aspect of identity that determines one's ability to dismantle racism and internalize a positive White identity. This researcher did not hypothesize that specific demographic data would yield specific results; however, the literature implies that those with the multi agent status are less likely to develop a sophisticated White racial identity. Fifty-four White adult males were surveyed to …
Forget Me Not : A Retrospective, Exploratory Study Of Daughters Caring For A Mother With Alzheimer's Disease, Pamela Sloane Rich
Forget Me Not : A Retrospective, Exploratory Study Of Daughters Caring For A Mother With Alzheimer's Disease, Pamela Sloane Rich
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of daughters who were a caregiver to a mother with Alzheimer's disease. In particular, women were surveyed about their experiences surrounding relationships, grief and loss, difficulties and role reversal. Additionally, participants were asked about possible family conflict and positive experiences that occurred as a result of caring for one's mother. 11 women were interviewed for this qualitative study. Open-ended questions were used in order for participants to provide narrative, descriptive accounts of their caregiving experiences. Additionally, participants were given the opportunity to provide thoughts on experiences not addressed in the …
Buddhist Philosophy And Practices As Applied To Unlearning Racism, Chara Joy Riegel
Buddhist Philosophy And Practices As Applied To Unlearning Racism, Chara Joy Riegel
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study was undertaken to explore the applicability of Buddhist philosophy and practices to unlearning racism and to anti-racism work. The research was a fixed method, descriptive, qualitative study with a sample of 21 individuals who professed a connection to Buddhism and interest or experience in anti-racism work. Through an e-mailed survey, participants were asked several questions exploring the relevance of Buddhist teachings and practices to anti-racism work and to their own personal journeys of unlearning racism, as well as the relevance of body-based, Buddhist practices that could be applied to unlearning the effects of racism in the body. The …