Counseling Commons^™

Effects Of Divorce On Adolescents : Interventions, Abigail C. Buchan

Graduate Research Papers

The family environment is a major contributor to the development and well-being of children and adolescents. The traditional definition for family is ever changing, and diversity in families is becoming more acknowledged and accepted. It is well known that currently more than half of all marriages end in divorce. It is necessary to understand the significant challenges and issues that young people of divorced families are faced with in order to facilitate positive change and resiliency in the counseling process. The author provides a historical overview of the divorce epidemic, the effects of divorce on youth, as well as implications …

A Review Of Separation Anxiety Disorder With A Focus On Research Based Intervention Strategies, Lauryn C. Kittleson

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to discuss what Separation Anxiety Disorder is, what causes SAD symptoms in some children, successful assessment methods, and finally treatment and intervention options available and the efficacy of each one. The focus of this paper is on research based interventions with the intention of finding the most successful and empirically based intervention available. The most widely used and empirically based intervention available at this time is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Alternative methods of treatment include psycho-education for mild cases and CBT plus medication for severe cases.

Many areas need further research and future studies …

Family-Centered Early Intervention : Principles And Process, Jody Albertson

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review begins by discussing the background and history of family-centered early intervention. State monitoring reports from the Office of Special Education Programs are discussed as evidence that there is a need for education and clarification regarding family-centered early intervention. Various viewpoints are reviewed regarding the definition and principles of family-centered services. The process of family-centered services is then discussed with a focus on assessment service delivery, and evaluation of services. In the discussion of family-centered assessment, the concept of family-centered assessment is discussed and various tools used in completing family-centered assessment are described. In the discussion of service …

Understanding Grief And Loss With Children From Divorced Families, Angela C. Meyer

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to present information about how grief and loss affect children from divorced families. Divorce can be just as traumatic as the death of a loved one, and the divorce rate continually increases every year. Two models of grief and how they apply to children of divorce are presented, as well as an explanation the process of grief in relation to divorce. Finally, this researcher identifies prevention and intervention techniques that schools and the whole community can use to aid children through the grief process of divorce.

Are College Students Prepared For Conflict? : A Review On Conflict Resolution Among College Students, Marc J. Dalmasso

Graduate Research Papers

The following is a review of the research on the topic of conflict resolution in college age students. All of the research involved used college students as their participants. The purpose of this review was to find out if college students constructively resolve conflicts in their individual and professional lives. The research reveals that there are various factors that play a key role in how this age group comes to their resolution strategies. Nevertheless, students appear to use some nonconstructive techniques. However, constructive methods to be aware of are discovered as well as skills that may offer insight further into …

Attachment Disorders And Personality Disorders : A Possible Connection, Jen Sacora

Graduate Research Papers

Researchers now propose that attachment theory can be applied beyond childhood. They believe attachment exists in adulthood and influences adult relationships. Possible connections between personality disorders and well-known approaches to personality development such as attachment theory have been made (Brennan & Shaver, 1998).

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between parent-infant attachment which influence adult relationships and psychopathology. Theories of personality development as they relate to attachment will be explored as well as influence of early childhood experiences on personality. Finally, possible connections between attachment disorders and personality disorders will be speculated.

The Use Of Metaphor In Counseling, Helen Driscoll Kemp

Graduate Research Papers

Language is a powerful tool of which metaphorical language is one compelling feature that the therapist has at his or her disposal. Through the use of metaphor, therapeutic communication is enhanced and abstract ideas become more tangible. This paper begins with a dictionary definition of metaphor and how some of the experts in the field have defined it. Several types of metaphor will be described along with some practical examples for each type. Metaphor can be used in various counseling modalities. Four modalities will be described along with why metaphors are useful. Finally the paper will conclude with the process …

Losing Faith : The Process Of Converting To Atheism, Jennifer J. Jacobi

Graduate Research Papers

The current study examines the process of converting to atheism and the counseling issues associated with it. It is argued that conversion to atheism can be conceptualized according to the model of religious conversion that Paloutzian, Richardson, and Rambo (1999) suggested. Research on atheism is reviewed in terms of how it fits into the stages of this model, and implications for counseling are discussed.

School Age Bullying : The Victim's Point Of View, Jacquelyn L. Miller

Graduate Research Papers

Bullying is a common problem in schools across the world including in the United States. This paper focuses on the problem of bullying from the victim's point of view. Bullying can be defined in a variety of different ways and occurs in a variety of different situations. Victims of bullies suffer from a wide variety of academic, social, behavioral, and emotional problems. A comprehensive approach that includes school counselors, teachers, administrators, and parents is needed to combat bullying within the school. Bully prevention and intervention programs can help victims more effectively if they change their orientation from focusing on the …

Male Childhood Sexual Abuse : Do Not Overlook It, Elizabeth Soenen

Graduate Research Papers

Male childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is often unrecognized and under-reported; therefore, its symptoms are often left untreated. The research reveals it is more prevalent than previously thought and is accompanied by a variety of maladaptive symptoms. Clinicians' awareness of these findings, along with self-awareness of their own beliefs about male CSA, is likely to lead to identification of its presence and the opportunity to choose appropriate interventions.

Personal Growth Groups For Therapists, Vicky A. Knapp

Graduate Research Papers

Since the birth of psychotherapy, the need for therapists to attend to their own personal healing and growth has been recognized. This tradition of personal therapy has been incorporated into many current programs that train therapists/helpers in this country. Freud and a large number of subsequent practitioners have also advocated periodic or ongoing personal therapy throughout the therapist's career span. Self-exploration groups can be an excellent means to keep helpers in touch with their humanness, to further their personal and professional growth, and to reduce toxic consequences of practicing therapy.

Relational Aggression In Early Adolescent Girls, Sara M. Bucknam

Graduate Research Papers

There are differences in aggressive behavior between early adolescent boys and girls. Girls use relational aggressive methods to gain control over their peers. In general, schools do not directly address this form of aggression. School counselors are in the position to reduce relational aggression in schools. Assessment must first be performed in order to address the level of aggression in girls. This can be completed through questionnaires or focus groups. There are several prevention and intervention methods that be incorporated in schools. These methods can reduce relational aggression in early adolescent girls.

When The Wildebeest Gets Your Berries : Adolescent Anger Management, Patresa A. Hartman

Graduate Research Papers

This study presents a review of literature regarding adolescent anger management. Problematic anger is defined as externalizing or internalizing behaviors that occur frequently enough and at a high enough level of intensity to: (1) disrupt one's everyday functioning at school, home, and/or in the community; and (2) impair one's relationships with others and one's own self-concept. The causes can be traced to a myriad of possible sources: cognitive problems; developmental problems; chronic irritability, agitation, volatility, or mood instability; or environmental stressors.

This review of studies regarding adolescent anger management programs leads to the following suggestions for school psychologists: (1) understand …

Preventing Childhood Depression By Building Resiliency In Children, Sarah Carroll

Graduate Research Papers

This review of literature is a report of the success of programs designed to prevent childhood depression by building resiliency. Research results indicate that prevention programs focused on teaching children and parents coping skills, changing negative thought patterns, social problem solving, teaching the symptoms of childhood depression and how to discuss it with children, and fostering resiliency have reduced the incidence of depression in children (Comer, 1985; Gladstone & Beardslee, 2000; Seligman, 1995).

Additional research needs to address the following questions: a) How does building resilience differ for children from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds? b) . What are the …

A School Psychologist's Role In Decreasing Eating Disorder Prevalence In School-Aged Children, Natalie Muth

Graduate Research Papers

Eating disorders have dramatically increased over the last 20 years, resulting in prevalence rates exceeding other high-incidence medical conditions treated in the educational setting. Chapter 2 presents a review of literature covering eating disorder identification, history, prevalence and epidemiological data. Theoretical perspectives, risk and protective factors, symptoms, and medical complications are also reviewed. Current assessment measures used for screening and diagnosing anorexia and bulimia is additionally presented along with a summary of school-based primary prevention programs. The second chapter concludes with a brief overview of eating disorder treatment.

A summary is presented in chapter 3 along with implications for school …

The Effects Of A Mother's Incarceration On Her Children, Jane Elizabeth Mayer

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the effects of a mother's incarceration on her children. Benefits, as well as problems, associated with facilitating a mother-child visitation program were discussed. Guidelines were presented for parents, caregivers, children, and prison staff on a successful mother-child visitation program. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for the future facilitation of a mother-child visitation program.

How Does Childhood Incest Affect The Interpersonal Relationships Of Adult Females, Lyle Potter

Graduate Research Papers

Incest has been occurring in families for many years, often behind a cloak of secrecy and fear of disclosure. More recently, the taboo in talking about incest has diminished, and many survivors of incest have come forward with their experiences to seek needed help. A major portion of the research has dealt with trying to understand the family dynamics. But a growing number of studies are beginning to look at the long term effects of the abuse, and some of them focus on adult interpersonal relationships. It is in this direction that this literature review and study will focus.

School-Based Bully Prevention And Violence, Catherine T. Mclallen

Graduate Research Papers

This paper reviews the literature available on several bully prevention/violence awareness programs. Also discussed is the significance of prevention programs and the roles they can play in today's school systems. It includes a definition of bullying behavior and describes the several types of bullying prevalent in schools today that most programs attempt to address. Additionally, it includes a brief history of bully prevention programs, with a look at the zero tolerance movement, an initiative that has not been overly successful in the past with regards to aggression in schools.

The paper also explores the effects of bullying on the victim …

School-Based Prevention Of Adolescent Substance Abuse, Kristina Lorenzen

Graduate Research Papers

Because of the prevalence and serious consequences of adolescent substance abuse, it is necessary to review programming for prevention. Progress has been made in identifying effective prevention methods. However, there is a gap between what research has shown to be effective and the methods commonly used in most schools.

The purpose of this paper is to review existing literature and research on substance abuse prevention for adolescents. The following research questions were addressed: How prevalent is adolescent substance abuse? What specific factors put an adolescent at risk for substance abuse? Why are some programs considered ineffective? What components make an …

An Overview Of Bibliotherapy As An Intervention For Young Children, Lisa Ludwig

Graduate Research Papers

Young children can benefit from therapy to deal with disabilities, abuse, normal developmental issues such as famiily problems, and social-emotional issues. One approach to helping children manage psychological issues is bibliotherapy. In its simplest form, bibliotherapy can be described as the practice of using books in treatment, or helping with books (Pardeck & Pardeck, 1993; Pardeck & Pardeck, 1987). The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on bibliotherapy and to examine its possible applications, its effectiveness, and best practices in carrying out the intervention.

Facing The Death Of A Child : Effects On The Family System, Rita Kae Conger

Graduate Research Papers

The death of a child could very well be the most difficult crisis a family system can face. The uniqueness and severity of this type of crisis make it quite important for those in the counseling field to be aware of the many different aspects of a child's death which may be very significant to the child's family.

For this reason, the purpose of this paper is to describe a number of variables which affect the healing process. These variables include the cause of death, the age of the child at the time of death, family dynamics, and the relationship …

Coming Out : Implications For Counselors Working With Gay, Lesbian, And Bisexual Clients, Eric L. Rhodes

Graduate Research Papers

A considerable amount of research has stated that gays and lesbians utilize mental health counseling services at a high rate. Therefore it is very likely that counselors encounter lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients. This research focuses on how the sexual orientation of the counselor affects the counseling process when working with LGB clients. In particular, this paper will discuss how the sexual orientation of the counselor facilitates or inhibits client identity development and the coming out process.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder : Is It A Behavior Disorder Or Active Childhood Behavior?, Larry G. Scheel

Graduate Research Papers

Although attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder constitutes 33 to 50% of mental health referrals for children, an increasing number of researchers has begun to question the validity of ADHD as a legitimate diagnosis. Eberstadt in her 1999 review stated, "Society has changed since the mid-1980s to view what may be normal childhood activity as lack of behavioral compliance" (p.1). Could the prevalence of ADHD simply be an increasingly active society's response to normal, active childhood behavior? The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of ADHD and explore assessment methods. Data from current literature and personal interviews with recognized professionals …

Religion And Spirituality In Counseling : A Multicultural Perspective, Linda G. Culbertson

Graduate Research Papers

As the counseling profession moves into the 21st Century a greater emphasis is being placed on multicultural and spiritual issues. It is difficult to see how the two entities can be separated. When counselors ignore that a client is Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or Christian with the unspoken assumption that religion is irrelevant .to their issues, this may jeopardize the forming of an effective therapeutic relationship (Burke, et al., 1999). Knowledge of religion and spiritual beliefs of ethnic groups can help professionals provide care that is culturally specific and sensitive to the beliefs of the individual (Bibbins, 2000).

Youth Violence : A Comprehensive Literature Review, Amy L. Licht

Graduate Research Papers

Over the last decade a great deal of literature has been focused on the subject of youth violence. For this paper, youth violence is defined as elementary and adolescent-aged boys and girls who commit violent acts. These include: the use of physical force to produce injury or death to others, gang fighting, hate crimes, sexual and/or physical assault, bringing and/or using weapons at school, and aggressive behavior used as a means to gain a certain outcome.

Many studies have been conducted focusing on several dynamics involved in this complicated issue. The focus of the present work was primarily to: review …

Burnout : Implications For Counselors, Rhonda L. Corell

Graduate Research Papers

The phenomenon of burnout has received wide attention during the last fifteen years, especially in human service organizations. Burnout may affect individuals in a number of ways within the work setting. Its consequences may be physical, emotional, or intellectual (Whitaker, 1995). The key characteristics are an overwhelming exhaustion; feelings of frustration, anger, and cynicism; and a sense of ineffectiveness and failure (Maslach & Goldberg, 1998). Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment are symptoms of a cognitive and emotional state that mental health workers experience and observe among their colleagues (Leiter & Harvie, 1996). Although some people may quit the …

Holistic Approaches In Counseling, Rachel Denhart

Graduate Research Papers

The concept of holism has several meanings according to this review of the literature; the origination and evolution is complex. The definitions and context of holism in counseling are specified. Moreover, the elements and models based in holism are examined. Finally, the areas in which holistic based counseling occurs are outlined and investigated.

Conflict Resolution : A Counseling Skill, Carol Jean Friedmann

Graduate Research Papers

Conflict resolution is a counseling skill (Ivy, 1994; Haley, 1976; Pearce, 1996). Counselors are in a unique place to both promote conflict resolution skills and use counseling skills while practicing conflict resolution for longer lasting and therapeutic resolutions. Two environments in which counselors have been especially active regarding conflict resolution have been in the schools and in the family (Moore, 1996).

To take a closer look at conflict resolution, this paper will do the following: define conflict resolution; look at common attitudes and ways of handling conflict; examine the effects of destructive conflict resolution and the effects of teaching constructive …

Adolescent School Refusal In Japan : Implications For School Counselors, Noriko Ido

Graduate Research Papers

Since its emergence in the late 1950s, school refusal has been identified as a severe problem related to schooling in Japan. Its etiology is complex; changes in social environment in Japan after World War II which affect everyone, familial factors such as parenting style, and school environmental factors are considered as critical factors which cause school refusal.

School counselors need to not only understand the background information of school refusal, but also identify early symptoms and intervene before students develop it. Coordination and consultation roles are especially important in dealing with this problem. Consultation with parents of school refusers is …

Effectively Addressing The Needs Of Bereaved Children, Nichole J. Flint

Graduate Research Papers

Any professional counselor who works with children will eventually be presented with children who have lost a loved one due to death. It is important, therefore, for counselors to acquire basic knowledge about how children understand death, how children are affected when shielded from the facts about death, what the grieving process looks like for children, and whether a child's reactions to death is typical or whether it is a sign of more serious mental health problems.

A brief overview summarizing these factors is included in the first section of this paper. In the second section, the author will explore …