Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Mu Chi Alpha Winter 2019 Newsletter, Mu Chi Alpha, Counseling Program

Counseling Student Scholarship

Messiah University’s Mu Chi Alpha CSI newsletter.

Highlights include: current staff, students, or alumni for each track. Also offering pertinent information that will benefit professional counselors, students, or CSI members.

More updates available on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/muchialpha/

A Brief Report: Interpersonal Violence Exposure And Violence Myth Acceptance In The Ohio Deaf Community, Stefanie J. Day, Kelsey A. Cappetta, Melissa L. Anderson

JADARA

Interpersonal violence is a leading cause of death and pervasive public health issue in the US. Although some research suggests that Deaf people experience disparities in interpersonal violence exposure compared to the general population, most prior research has been conducted using written English survey measures or in areas where exceptionally high levels of educational attainment failed to mirror the characteristics of the Deaf community at large. To address these limitations, the current secondary analysis leveraged data collected via an American Sign Language survey instrument to compare rates of interpersonal violence exposure and violence myth acceptance between Deaf (n = …

An Exploration Of The Experiences Of Equine Therapy Specialists, Jaime Lyn Battestella-Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Horses have been an integral part of human history and progress for centuries. Horses and humans have united in diverse ways, including farming, war, construction, racing, and other areas of sports. Researchers have indicated that the use of horses for mental health and wellness is a growing trend that continues to lack strong, empirical evidence. Currently, there is limited research available on the experiences of certified equine specialists incorporating horses into mental health and wellness. It is essential to gain further insight into the incorporation of horses into psychology and counseling for therapists, as well as potential clients, interested in …

Mental Health Counselors’ Experiences In Personal Counseling, Torrie Gilden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In various aspects of the counseling profession, instructors, supervisors, and colleagues often recommended that their fellow counselors engage in personal counseling for professional development and personal wellness. However, the existing literature has yet to explore the lived experiences of mental health counselors in personal counseling. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of mental health counselors in personal counseling. Purposeful sampling was used to select 7 licensed mental health counselors in a Northwestern state. Data collection methods included semistructured interviews in person and via Zoom, an online video conferencing format. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was …

School Counselors' Lived Experiences Supporting Students With Mental Health Concerns, Linda F. Peterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health in schools is a growing concern for many school counselors, educators and communities. School counselors are in key roles in the school setting to support students with mental health concerns. This research was done to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences, beliefs, and attitudes of school counselors supporting students with mental health diagnoses. This hermeneutic phenomenology research used n=4 participants school counselors and each has worked in their field for over 6 years. Additionally, each participant worked in the same school building for a minimum of 3 years or more. Semi structured interviews were used to collect …

Experiences Of High School Noncompleters With Emotional And Psychological Challenges, Christine M. Park

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High school noncompleters are those who did not earn a high school diploma. Before their early departure from high school, noncompleters often struggled with challenges (poverty, mental health, addiction, and emotional and physical abuse). Some enter remedial education to earn their equivalency credential. However, in this setting, they experience additional challenges, such as increased responsibility, stress, and anxiety. The problem surrounding the experiences of noncompleters has implications for counseling due to the limited use of and access to counseling as well as the disproportionate amount of mental health concerns and adversity among noncompleters. Current literature informs of the challenges noncompleters …

Lived Experiences Of Women Receiving Substance Abuse Treatment From Male Counselors, Robert C. Bennett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The cost of the misuse of drugs is significant. The impact is felt across multiple systems across America and is covered mostly by federal, state, and local governments. Women comprise a significant portion of the persons using illicit drugs. Treatment is an effective way of reducing substance misuse. However, research into the efficacy of treatment for women lag that of men. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that women receiving substance abuse treatment from a man had shorter stays in treatment and poorer outcomes than those who had a female counselor while in treatment. Phenomenological and relational-cultural …

The Lived Experiences Of Lesbian And Gay Clients Who Terminated Counseling Prematurely, Jaymie Vanmeter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to a lack of understanding lesbian and gay lived experiences in counseling, the counseling field is also lacking understanding of the lesbian and gay experiences in counseling that lead to premature termination. Without the knowledge of personal understanding of these experiences, it is difficult to also understand how to retain lesbian and gay clients, provide appropriate counselor training, and even explore cultural humility. The term cultural humility represents the implicit and explicit impact that culture has on the counselor and challenges assumptions made by the practitioner as well as assumptions about client culture (Fisher-Borne et al., 2015). The experiences …

Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Persons' Experiences With Counseling Assessments, Macie Stead

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselors sometimes use counseling assessments with transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) persons without understanding the experiences individuals have with those assessments. The American Counseling Association and the World Professional Association of Transgender Health identified that attention is needed with the practice of counseling assessments to ensure that helpful, ethical, and culturally sensitive services are available. The purpose of this study was to explore TGNC adults' experiences with counseling assessments. Gadamer's hermeneutics provided a framework to examine qualitative data as truth and validate the individuals' experiences with counseling assessments. Participants included 12 TGNC persons 18 years or older who had a …

Psychological Trauma And Resilience Of Police Officers Involved In An Ambush: An Exploratory Study, Erin A. Teaff

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Law enforcement officers are widely recognized as having one of the most dangerous and stressful occupations, which can lead to lasting physical and psychological impacts. While research has examined the psychological trauma and resilience experienced by police officers, there have been very few research studies involving ambushes. Due to the continued risk of ambushes on police officers, gaining insight into the trauma and resilience of officers during these types of situations would be beneficial in providing psychologists with information to aid in their treatment officers involved in an ambush and similar unprovoked attacks. The primary aim of this study was …

Stigma, Attitudes, And Intentions To Seek Mental Health Services In College Student-Athletes, Robert C. Hilliard M.S.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Previous researchers have found several factors that act as barriers to college student-athletes seeking mental health services (López & Levy, 2013; Moore, 2017). One common factor throughout these studies is stigma, which is known to be associated with less favorable attitudes toward seeking help (Moreland et al., 2018). However, researchers have not explored how stigma and attitudes might influence intentions to seek counseling and actual help-seeking behaviors in student-athletes. Additionally, there is a dearth of research identifying the topics for which student-athletes are most willing to seek help. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to investigate predictors of mental …

Book Review: Akhtar, S. & Bertoglia, M. (2015). The Latino American: Psychodynamic Perspectives On Culture And Mental Health Issues. Rowman And Littlefield. Contemporary Research In Disability And Rehabilitation, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding and working with culturally diverse populations is an important component of counseling and allied helping professions. Many professionals receive some training as a part of their graduate programs on multiculturalism, but this is only the beginning and typically scratches the surface. From this point, professionals are expected to continue their awareness and learning about the needs and issues of the people they serve; for some this includes expanding their understanding of ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse individuals. Professionals wanting to better understand the experience, perspectives, and mental health concerns of Latino Americans may find this edited book informative and …

Examining How Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Christian Clients' Perceptions Of Therapists' Cultural Humility Contribute To Psychotherapy Outcomes, Kelsey Anne Kangos

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Understanding the intersection between sexual and religious identity has important implications for mental health. The lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) community is at high risk for major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, eating disorders, substance abuse issues, and poor self-esteem. Religious culture can further these risks when they create homophobic environments, resulting in LGB individuals‘ struggle to integrate religious and sexual identities (Sherry, Adelman, Whilde, & Quick, 2010).