Counseling Commons^™

Can You Dig It? Excavating Sel Through The Arts, Gina H. Moore

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Join us to uncover the power of the arts as tools for tweens and teens to excavate their social-emotional skills. Be prepared to interact and connect in this hands-on session where you’ll experience creative activities designed to build a sense of community in groups discovering new skills together. You’ll leave with your own unique artwork and written instructions to facilitate the activities in your programs.

Act To Save A Life: Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention, Meghan Diamon

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Youth suicide is a preventable tragedy that can occur when children's mental health needs are unmet. Participants will discuss published research on risk factors for youth suicide, how to implement an evidence-based prevention program, and how to tackle common obstacles encountered. Participants will be prepared to mobilize school staff, parents, and community members to address the critical issues of depression awareness and suicide prevention.

No Place For Hate, Gabrielle S. Brundidge

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

No Place for Hate® is an initiative of the Anti-Defamation League offered free to schools. With public displays of hate on the rise, it is more important than ever for schools to commit to programs that clearly define expectations in behavior for all members of the community. Whether you are a student, educator, or family member, you have a role to play in combating bias and bullying as a means to stop the escalation of hate. The initiative is designed to rally the entire school around the goal of creating a welcoming community committed to stopping all forms of bias …

Less Talking, More Empathy: How To Use Emojis To Help People Feel Good, Farhana Nusrat, Yanliu Huang

AMTP Proceedings 2021

Text therapy is an affordable and convenient form of counselling that allows clients to text with a Therapist. It is quite common for therapists to use emojis while talking to their clients via texts. In this study, we examine how use of emojis in the context of text therapy impacts clients’ overall counselling experience. In two studies, we show that using emojis with concise messages (vs. long messages) lead to greater clients’ overall satisfaction, higher willingness to pay, and increased positive word of mouth.

The Rise In Use Of Emotional Support Animals By College Students: The Impact Of Parenting Styles, Misty G. Smith, Samantha Ballard, Jill Willis

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

As the generational context of higher education shifts, a rise of Emotional Support Animals (ESA) and mental health concerns are present for students on college campuses. While previous studies have aimed to address the relevancy and controversy of ESAs in higher education as well as their effectiveness in supporting individuals, less research has explored underlying factors that contribute to the use of an ESA. The purpose of this study was to explore the parenting behaviors of parents/caregivers of students with ESAs in comparison to parents/caregivers of students without ESAs. An embedded mixed methods design was used. Participants completed the Parenting …

Becoming Liberated In The Process Of Researching And Writing About Liberation: A Scholarly Reflection Of A Healing Process In A Doctoral Program, Falon N. Thacker

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

This article chronicles the process of researching and writing a dissertation about liberation and how it connects to my own experiences of liberation. Qualitative research involves a more personal connection between the researcher and the study (Hays & Singh, 2012) which allows for a more in depth understanding of the experiences of the participants and the researcher. This article provides a reflection of my journey that began in early childhood and through the doctoral process, connecting those experiences to the research process utilizing Pillow’s (2003) four reflexive strategies. Reflecting on the method, theory, and findings, the researcher makes connections with …

Act To Save A Life: Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention, Meghan Diamon

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Youth suicide is a preventable tragedy that can occur when children's mental health needs are unmet. Participants will discuss published research on risk factors for youth suicide, how to implement an evidence-based prevention program, and how to tackle common obstacles encountered. Participants will be prepared to mobilize school staff, parents, and community members to address the critical issues of depression awareness and suicide prevention.

Using Music As A Teaching Tool To Teach Social Emotional Learning (Sel), Patrick Mcmanus, Christina Jensen

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is the foundation for academic achievement. Using music to teach makes it easier for students to gain knowledge on topics such as empathy, self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making.

Fostering Emotionally Intelligent Bullying Prevention Through Youth Engagement, Jan L. Urbanski, June Jenkins

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

School staff play an important role in preventing bullying, but they can’t do it alone. Schools must meet the social-emotional needs of students for bullying to decrease and these efforts are more successful when youth are involved. This session will explore engaging youth by promoting youth voice, changing social norms, and using class meetings to teach social-emotional learning skills.

Tell Me More: A Creative, Fresh Look At Helping Children And Youth Tell Their Story, Jo Y. Crosby

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Tell Me More. This interactive workshop is designed to both refresh and expand the counseling skills necessary for helping children and youth tell their story. Participants will discuss, explore, and engage in creative, therapeutic techniques that promote the following elements: implementing engaging storytelling, increasing client self-awareness; and fostering a client's sense of being seen, heard, and understood. Stories matter, because they belong to a person.

Get Teens Talking: A Hands-On Approach To Sel Through The Arts, Gina H. Moore, Gina H. Moore

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Explore the power of art to give tweens and teens a vehicle for healthy self-expression and life skills that can take them from risk to resilience. Interact and connect in this hands-on session that demonstrates engaging activities to create a sense of community within groups. Exercise your creativity and leave with unique artwork and a written guide to facilitate the activities in your programs.

Hard Conversations, Healthy Conversations: How To Respond When Tragedy Strikes, Elizabeth Marston, Samuel Marion

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

How do we talk to children and students about tragedy? How do we support families faced with a health crisis or unexpected death? This presentation will discuss the challenges of dealing with tragic circumstances and how we can best support children, students, and their families in a way to promote emotional health.

The Impact Of Social Climate On Self-Identity, Substance Use, And Mental Health Among Lgbtq+ College Students, Laura Agnich, Liyah C. Morgan

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Substance abuse is an unfortunate but commonly used escape for many LGBT youth as they lack resources to help address anxiety and trauma. When faced with a constant state of fear of violence and identity concealment many turn to drugs or suicide. This session will provide information on addressing LGBT youth substance abuse and creating an inclusive campus climate.

The Domino Effect: Lessons From The Prison Walls, Trent Grundmeyer, Jamie Ross

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation is designed to provide insight to those who serve at-risk populations. Participants will explore the risk factors and statistics around at-risk youth. Furthermore, participants will have the opportunity to hear first-hand from an incarcerated women who can testify to successful and unsuccessful interventions adults attempted to help her with. She is both a victim and success story that is the face of how education can indeed make a difference for kids.

After successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Build empathy for students who do not have support from parents.
2. Understand why attendance is often …

What’S In A Name? How The Language Of Mental Health Diagnoses Affects The Ability To Heal, Elizabeth Marston, Samuel Marion

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

When a person receives a mental health diagnosis, they are often started down a path of receiving help, but also of receiving stigma. This presentation will discuss how language around a diagnosis can affect a child’s sense of self as well as either help or hurt a student’s ability to manage and heal.

From Crime And Punishment To Harm And Healing, Louis L. Fletcher Phd, David Watson

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Expulsion hearings do not have to be contentious events. Using restorative practices in an accountable environment changes the expulsion hearing into an alternative placement discussion where parents, students, and school officials figure out the next step together.

Pornography: Adolescent Brain Development & Addiction, William K. Canady

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation will explain the historical development of pornography. It will highlight three segments: 1- Porn’s impact on brain development of reward pathways, ultimately increasing the appetite for more porn. 2- Porn can be a false substitute for real intimacy, resulting in decreased sexual satisfaction with a real person and increased verbal and physical aggression. 3- Porn promotes sex trafficking, promotes multiple sex partners and reduced STD prevention.

Cultural Responsiveness In Education And Counseling: Strategies And Interventions With Multiracial Individuals, Peeper Mcdonald

National Cross-Cultural Counseling & Education Conference for Research, Action & Change (2016-2024)

With the rapid growth of the Multiracial population, it is imperative that counselors and educators are equipped with culturally responsive practices, strategies, and interventions for working with this population. Suggestions on how to underscore cultural responsiveness will be given andcommon issues to consider when conceptualizing the Multiracial population will be discussed.

Courageous Conversations In Counseling About Race, M. Ann Shillingford-Butler Ph.D., Kimberly Harris

National Cross-Cultural Counseling & Education Conference for Research, Action & Change (2016-2024)

The United States (U.S.) is known as the “melting pot” and is characterized by diversity (Matthews, Barden, & Sherrell, 2018). While the U.S. is culturally diverse, it is not culturally equal. Racial tensions have escalated recently, and psychologically harmful microaggressions are experienced by minorities across a multitude of settings, daily (Davis, DeBlaere, Brubaker, Owen, Jordan, Hook & Van Tongeren, 2015). Counselors must demonstrate cultural humility to be effective counselors in relationships where worldviews and values will inevitably clash (Davis et al., 2015, Hook, Watkins, Davis, Own, Van Tongren, & Ramos, 2016). Being culturally humble is a “lifelong commitment to self-evaluation …

How To Make School-Based Mental Health Work, Jenny Wilhoite

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This session is designed to give an overview of how to create a School-Based Mental Health program that benefits students on all tiers, providing universal prevention, early intervention, and intensive services for at-risk students. Meeting the unmet needs of students with mental health challenges impacts student attendance, behavioral and academic outcomes, and discipline in a positive way.

The Importance Of Advocating For Lgbtq+ Youth In Schools And The Community., Stefanie N. Hassing

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation is aimed to provide professionals who work with children, including educators, administrators, counselors, and adult volunteers, information regarding the increased risks and needs for the LGBT+ population between the ages of 10-19 and how to advocate for them within community and school settings.

Importance Of Consultation, Moya A. Pope Ncc, Monica Y. Pace Ed.S

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Consultation is an essential part of a professional school counselor's job responsibilities - falling under system support and responsive services of the ASCA Model. Effective consultation can be used to support teachers and increase/influence student achievement. If a school counselor is going to develop and maintain a viable comprehensive school counseling program, consultation has to an integral part of their program. This presentation will discuss the importance of consultation and several consultation models.

I Am Because We Are, Jennifer Baker

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Youth of today are given a bad name when relating to behavior and understanding of those behaviors. Many of those who are giving those bad reps do not spend "relatable" time with youth. Relatable time is when time spent with youth is not demanding but getting to know the youth as a person. During my time with youth, the best rapport I developed was when I had conversations that were accepting and understanding. So I started performing youth groups to see if the dynamics of the youth would change. IT did!

Unveiling The Mask:Sexual Trauma's Impact On Academic Achievement, Behavior, And Self-Identity, Teshaunda Hannor-Walker, Sarah Kitchens, Lacey Ricks

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Sexual trauma is an unfortunate but a common and often masked experience for many students in America. While sexual trauma in itself is not a mental health disorder, it can become a risk factor for many academic and mental health problems. Trauma-informed schools can play an important role in helping students deal with the aftercare of a traumatic experience.

Student Wellbeing Matters! Use Positive Psychology Interventions To Help Your Students Achieve And Succeed., Andrea A. Francis

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Positive Psychology Interventions (PPI), grounded in the psychological theory of Wellbeing (Seligman, 2002) are pathways to a life of purpose and meaning. Each intervention is proved to not only reduce anxiety and increase optimism, but to create protective factors needed to cope with stress, anxiety and trauma.

Social Constructivism: Teaching Counselors From A Multicultural Lens, Shama Panjwani

National Cross-Cultural Counseling & Education Conference for Research, Action & Change (2016-2024)

The presentation explores the use of the social constructivist approach and pedagogy to teaching multicultural competency and utilizing the social justice advocacy model. The teaching strategies utilized in this approach can enhance student learning experiences and help in meeting the student learning outcomes. With this approach the educators can help students practice components of self-awareness, knowledge, and skills.

Mental Health Stigma And Help-Seeking In A College Sample: Barriers And Potential Motivators For Action, Christina H. Morris

Honors College Theses

Stigma surrounding mental health is one of many barriers impeding help-seeking behavior. This study had two aims: (1) to examine the relationships between mental wellbeing, internalized stigma, help-seeking attitudes, and demographic variables such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, and marital status, and (2) to explore what hinders students in the help-seeking process and determine what would make students more likely to seek psychological help if they perceive a need for it. It was hypothesized that the relationship between internalized stigma and help-seeking attitudes would be moderated by gender, and the relationship between mental wellbeing and help-seeking attitudes would be mediated …

Using Restorative Practices To Create A School District That Cares, Louis L. Fletcher Phd, Kim Boyd Psyd

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Zero-tolerance became the rule in many school districts due to an increase in school-based violence, which served to silence student voices and led to the overrepresentation of minority students in discipline situations. Schools could adopt restorative approaches, but change cannot be sustained without fair processes at the district level. Thus, district policies should be aligned to restorative practices to increase the probability of district-wide success.

Systemic Perspective Of Conduct Disorder In Adolescents, Charmayne Adams

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation explores the systemic nature of conduct disorder and the effect it has on individuals, educational settings, and communities. It address the systemic nature of the diagnosis through Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model and looks at interventions for each layer of the model. This presentation also acknowledges the disproportionate rate of youth-at-risk, especially male youth of color diagnosed with conduct disorder.

Healthy Transitions: Peer Leadership Among Youth With Behavioral Health Issues, Vickie Harden Dr., V. Nikki Jones Dr.

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Behavioral health issues among youth and young adults are often misunderstood by the youth, and well as adults in the youth's life. Healthy Transitions provides a model for promoting youth-driven services, and leadership opportunities. These opportunities help shape recovery practices for youth with behavioral health issues, including mental illness, addiction, and co-occurring disorders. This provides a peer voice by which practitioners can better understand the impact of mental illness and addiction on youth, and initiate practice strategies that attune to the unique cultural identity of youth. The intended audience is anyone working with youth and young adults.