Counseling Commons^™

Reciprocity: Caring For America's Caregivers, Courtney Dunn

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

Should families be forced to choose between the health of a caregiver and patient? Through the eyes of a woman caring for her husband with Alzheimer's disease, we see that family caregivers suffer tremendous amounts of stress while caring for the patient. Despite the time and efforts required to care for someone with Alzheimer's disease, people every day choose this as an alternative to out-of-home care. This often leads to depression, anxiety, and physical stress which can result in series medical issues. Considering the increase of people with Alzheimer's disease in the United States, this article argues that support programs …

School-Based Traumatic Brain Injury And Concussion Management Program, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions, can result in a constellation of physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms that affect students’ well-being and performance at school. Despite these effects, school personnel remain underprepared identify, educate, and assist this population of students. This article describes a model of service delivery for students with TBI in a large urban school district. The district's TBI Program and Concussion Management Team addresses unique issues related to assessment, intervention, and transition planning for this population of students, as well as prevention and education efforts in the district as a whole.

This model involved designating a …

Counseling Perpetrators Of Violence: Applying The Invitational Approach To Male Professional Ice Hockey Players, Barbara Katic

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Aggression and violence are common characteristics of professional ice hockey games. While hockey players are encouraged to be aggressive on-ice, these behaviors are not welcomed off the ice. Instances of athlete aggression occurring outside the context of professional sporting events have been documented, particularly within interpersonal relationships. In order to address this issue, the process of counseling professional male ice hockey players must be considered. The invitational approach, as outlined by Alan Jenkins, can be used to take into account the contradictions of violence and aggression in professional sporting contexts. Rather than label perpetrators of abuse with psychological shortcomings, invitational …

Challenges And Supports During The Transition From High School To College For Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries, Michaela M. Kramer, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Students who have sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may experience a number of consequences, all of which can impede the transition from high school to postsecondary educational settings. This study, which relied on interviews with students who had sustained TBIs and who had persistent problems related to their traumas, helped gain an understanding of their postsecondary transition experiences. Students’ parents were also interviewed to provide a point of comparison. The reports of these students—all of whom were enrolled in college at the time of the study—revealed significant challenges with attention and focus, fatigue, short-term memory, and social situations. Comments from …

Tell Your Story: A Phenomenological Examination Of The Experiences Of Single, Latina Mothers Experiencing Poverty, Thaeda Franz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study involved an examination of the experiences, parenting practices, and utilization and perception of community supports among single Latina mothers experiencing poverty. Purposive sampling was used in requesting volunteers from local parenting education programs. Six Latina mothers living in Reading, PA, were interviewed. Participants reported experiencing neglect and abuse as children and struggling to meet their children’s needs. They also reported feeling as though they were the “black sheep” of their families of origin and having a lack of connection to their families. The mothers in the study described wanting to give their children a better experience …

The Influence Of Age, Gender, And Leisure On The Life Satisfaction Of Widowed Older Adults, Marcela Kepic

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Spousal loss can be a stressful life event for older adults and a difficult experience that affects daily life and life satisfaction of older adults. Life satisfaction is considered an important part of successful aging. The purpose of this study was to examine how participation in leisure activities, a person’s gender, and time since spousal loss influence life satisfaction of widowed older adults. A sample of 222 widowed older adults selected from the Americans Changing Lives (ACL) dataset was used in order to determine the relationship and impact of predictor variables on time since spousal loss, change in physical leisure …

Helping Students Achieve Their Goals : The Experience Of Working With Students With Mental Health Concerns In A Residence Hall, Kevin P. Schafer

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Individuals living with a mental health issue and attending college may experience significant opportunities for growth and also personal challenges in their development into young adulthood. Residence hall directors may be instrumental in assisting this population during their college years. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experience of residence hall directors working specifically with students with mental health concerns. Grounded in Relational-Cultural-Theory and Chickering’s Student Developmental Theory this study was a two phase study conducted at universities and colleges in the northeast United States. Utilizing a basic qualitative approach deductive coding was used to examine the …

The Impact Of A Christian Adaptation To Mindfulness Training On Stress, Religious Coping, And God Attachment: A Randomized Trial, Kristy Ford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Multicultural sensitivity requires consideration of a client’s personal belief system in the administration of ethical and effective mental health treatments. Religiously accommodative treatments seek to increase therapeutic effectiveness, enhancing empirically supported treatments by adapting interventions as needed to respectfully incorporate the worldview of the client. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a religiously accommodative treatment in a Christian sample. Volunteer participants (n=78) were randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions. The Christian mindfulness training (CMT) group protocol was explicitly adapted to a Christian worldview, while the conventional mindfulness training (MT) group protocol lacked explicit …

Resiliency Among Widows Who Lost Their Husbands To Suicide: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Natalie Ford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Over six million people are influenced by the suicide of someone they love yearly; survivors of suicide are at greater risk for suicide themselves. This interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) explored postvention factors that led to resiliency in widows who lost their husbands to suicide, in order to explore the needs and inform the treatment of suicide survivors, who are at greater risk, from attempting suicide themselves. A purposive, self-selected sample of six widows who lost their husbands to suicide at least two years prior and who scored a minimum of 3.8 on the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) participated in the …

2016 May Newsletter, Nancy Rockey

Human Subject Research Archive

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Three-Category Model: An Exploration Of Sexual Orientation In Women Aged 18 And Older, Julie C. Wrocklage

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This qualitative study increases our understanding of sexual orientation in women aged 18 and older whose experiences do not fit within the three-category (heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual) model of sexual orientation. Through in-depth interviewing, this study explored the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of five women who described their sexual orientation as 'unlabeled', 'mostly heterosexual', and/or reported experiencing sexual fluidity. The results suggest that gender is not always the determining factor in an individual's experience of attraction and that the three-category model is an oversimplification of the complexity inherent in sexual orientation. The lived experience of the women in this study calls …

An Exploration Of The Prevalence Of Advocacy Efforts And The Role Of The School Counselor In Lgbt Student Advocacy, Lacey Beatrice Berry

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students are at a higher risk than their heterosexual and cisgender peers for harassment, depression, suicidal ideation and attempts, and engagement in risky behaviors. In an attempt to combat the marginalization of LGBT students in schools, advocacy organizations and research have provided evidence of the value of an LGBT-inclusive organization or club, LGBT-inclusive harassment and discrimination policies, and LGBT-inclusive curricula, access to resources, and staff trainings. A gap in the literature indicates the need for examining the school counselor's role in advocating for LGBT students, as well as the barriers that may be preventing …

Development Of The Transgender Attitudes And Knowledge Scale (Trans) And Evangelical Christians' Attitudes Toward Transgender, Yasuko Kanamori

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In recent years, issues surrounding transgender have gained more media and legal attention than ever before, contributing to rapidly shifting views on gender around the world. In the U.S., views of evangelical Christians on social issues are of particular interest because of the ways in which Christian thought has impacted the setting of various norms in this nation. Yet, to date, there are no known studies that have explored evangelical Christians' attitudes toward transgender persons. To address the shortcomings in the existing literature, the first phase of this study developed and validated a contextually relevant scale. A multi-phase creation and …

Attitudes To Wards Prenatal Genetics Among Southeast And East Asian Women: A Qualitative Pilot Study, Ginger J. Tsai

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

From 2000-2010, the Asian population in the United States grew five times faster than the overall US population. As Asians become incorporated into the US health care system, it is important to recognize cultural differences that may arise between Asian patients and their health care providers. Prior studies show that cultural values influence genetic perceptions within Asian populations. The reputation of the family unit factors into decisions such as pregnancy termination and disclosure of family medical history, and the non-directive model of American genetic counseling conflicts with the historical Asian model of paternalistic health care. Previous studies also provide conflicting …

Priming And The Activation Of The God Attachment System, Kevin Conner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Attachment theorists seek to understand the development of attachment bonds in childhood and how these bonds serve as the foundation of continued close-relationship development in adulthood. These attachment bonds are established early through the development of internal working models of attachment, yet they may continue to be susceptible to change when opposing attachment information is received. Due to the potential plasticity of attachment bonds, researchers have considered priming, the introduction of cues in order to interact with attachment working models, as a means to stimulate change toward more secure attachment representations, resulting in potential health benefits. In religious individuals, one …

Not Even Cold In Her Grave: How Postbereavement Remarried Couples Perceive Family Acceptance, Michelle Engblom-Deglmann

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

Following the interviews of 24 participants concerning the death of their spouse and subsequent remarriage, a pattern of unsolicited responses concerning perceived acceptance of family emerged. Through grounded theory qualitative analysis, a continuum of acceptance was developed ranging from welcoming acceptance to active disapproval. Themes that influenced the perceived level of acceptance were (a) the length of time between death and courtship; (b) the length of the courtship itself; and (c) the level of family involvement in the courtship. Findings support and enhance current literature on remarital adjustment, suggesting it is critical to not only include children, but also the …

The Use Of Cohort Facebook Pages In Mft Training Programs, Alisha Abramson, Taryn Kalagian, Carissa A. Daniello-Heyda, Katherine M. Hertlein

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

The current study explores how private cohort Facebook pages impact a MFT students’ training experience. Limited research has been conducted regarding social media and clinical training programs. Students from national MFT master’s and doctoral programs will be interviewed about their experience with private cohort Facebook pages. Students will participate in focus groups lead by student-researchers in order to increase participation and anonymity. Data will be analyzed using Strauss and Corbin’ s (1990) grounded theory. This research is essential because of the increase of usage of Social Media in today’s society. Graduate programs are implementing the use of Facebook pages for …

Walking On Eggshells: The Lived Experience Of Partners Of Veterans With Ptsd, Tiffany A. Beks

The Qualitative Report

This phenomenological study examined the descriptions of lived experience among female partners of veteran men with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) via internet discussion forums. Personal, self-initiated written accounts of 30 partners were analyzed with respect to meaning, challenges, coping responses, and role in veterans’ healing and rehabilitation. Following data analysis, five descriptive themes emerged: all-consuming effect of the illness, walking on eggshells, ambiguous loss, alone, and facing PTSD as a unit. The central meaning of these themes describes the widespread priority of the veterans’ illness, and the resulting isolation, grief, and apprehension experienced by intimate partners as they assume …

Nature Connection: Theory, Evidence And Practice, Matt V. Bukowski

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

This presentation explores scholarly work at the intersection of mental health and the natural world in a variety of disciplines. My intent is to provide an overview of theoretical perspectives, research-based evidence, and clinical practices that support the idea that experiencing the natural world can improve human mental health outcomes.

Ciis Today, Spring 2016 Issue, Ciis

CIIS Today

This volume is the Spring 2016 issue of CIIS Today, the Magazine of the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Master's Level Supervision Training, Heidi Larson

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Counselor preparation is lacking appropriate supervision training for master’s level counselors. Post-graduation, many master’s level counselors assume supervisory positions. Authors propose master’s level supervision training. Five supervisors-in-training participated in this study. Results indicate significant increases in supervision self-efficacy for supervisors-in-training. Benefits of supervision training in master’s level counselor education training programs is illustrated.

An Examination Of Student Engagement And Retention In An Honors Progra, Jessica A. Kampfe, Christine Chasek, John Falconer

Counseling Faculty Publications

Honors programs at colleges and universities provide academic and developmental opportunities for high-ability students. Learning communities, defined as a group of students who live together, are connected through membership in a common organization, and take classes together, are often a component of honors programs. Learning communities provide an academic and social community that complements curricular requirements. At the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK), a higher education institution in the Midwest, ninety percent of the freshman honor students live together and ninety-five percent take an honors class in their first semester on campus. The honors program at UNK is classified …

Review: 'Living With Brain Injuries: Narrative, Community, And Women’S Renegotiation Of Identity' By J. E. Stewart, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

J. E. Stewart’s Living with Brain Injury: Narrative, Community, and Women’s Renegotiation of Identity provides an in-depth look at the experiences of ten women who sustained brain injuries at different points in their lives. Stewart’s qualitative research study highlights the unique and shared experiences of these women. Much of the current brain injury literature focuses on men, particularly combat veterans and athletes. Thus, a book focusing on personal struggles confronted by women with brain injury is both timely and needed.

Stewart’s work acknowledges the lost art of listening that is evident in current research and practice. The result is a …

Til Death Do Us Part: A 10-Case Study Of Widow Grief Following An Ambivalent Marriage, Rachel Schmitz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Using a case study method, the researcher analyzed the coping skills of 10 recently bereaved widows who experienced ambivalent marriages and how they used those learned adaptive coping skills to process loss. The multicase study provided the methodological framework for qualitative inquiry using interpretive phenomenological analysis based on journal entries and brief interviews recorded prior to the death of the spouse and semistructured interviews that took place 4-18 weeks following the spouse’s death. The subject of the inquiry was the grief experience of 10 widows, and the object of the study was coping theory. Participants demonstrated cognitive adaptation, problem-focused coping, …

2016 April Newsletter, Nancy Rockey

Human Subject Research Archive

No abstract provided.

Psychological Attitudes Of Saudi Arabian International Students Toward Mental Health Counseling, Ruba Alajlan

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the psychological attitudes of Saudi Arabian international students toward mental health services. One of the problems that prompted this research is the scarcity of scientific literature on this issue. This research used a mixed-method study convergent design with a convenience sampling of 162 for quantitative section and 35 for the qualitative. The main validated instrument used was the Beliefs About Psychological Services Scale (BAPS) along with a demography survey and some qualitative open-ended questions. The researcher found that licensed psychologists and professional counselors had the highest statistical representation of relationship with intent. …

Counselors’ Perceived Preparedness For Technology-Mediated Distance Counseling: A Phenomenological Examination, Daniel C. Holland

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined counselors’ perceptions of their formal preparation for engaging in technology-mediated distance counseling with the intent of gaining an understanding of their lived experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven seasoned counselors who regularly engage in technology-mediated distance counseling. The results highlighted two categories emerging: the counselor and training/education. Themes related to motivation and counselor attributes emerged from the first category and themes of availability, inadequacy, and modality emerged from the second. The implications from this study suggest a lack of availability of effective training on technology-mediated distance counseling. The implications also suggest areas of potential future …

No More Secrets: Talking With Children And Young Adults About Pornography, Brad Hinman

Faculty Publications

This article provides an overview of the patterns, risk factors, and consequences of Internet pornography addiction and discusses appropriate personal and institutional responses, including discussing pornography with children at a young age in combination with other sexual and health topic. Christians are at higher risk for Internet pornography addictions than other groups, so addressing these issues with our children is particularly important. The article provides resources for ensuring student safety online, preventing online victimization, and learning more about Internet pornography addiction.

Deaf Seniors: Experiencing Oppression, Audrey K. Frank Ph.D.

JADARA

The article was written because of the huge need to collect data on oppression experienced by deaf seniors. Open-ended responses were collected from 91 participants aged 50 years and older from five states in the areas of health care, lack of communication with family members, neighborhood, workplace, and hearing children taking over their deaf parents’ role. In the health care field and workplace, deaf seniors had experienced oppression when they did not have the full communication accessibility. There was a lack of awareness of understanding how to make it fully communication-accessible through interpreters and technology and also, the implications of …

Efektivitas Teknik Relaksasi Dalam Konseling Kelompok Behavioral Untuk Menurunkan Stres Belajar Siswa Sma, Istiana Nurcahyani, Lutfi Fauzan

Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling

This research purpose to know the effectiveness of relaxation technique in behavioral group counseling to reducing academic stress at senior high school students. Research use one-group pretest-posttest design. The subject are selected 5 students based on high scores academic stress scale. Instruments used the scale academic stress was developed from various theories stress by Hans Selye (1976), Lazarus and Folkman (1984) with reliability is 0.898 and item validity > 0.3. Data were analyzed using wilcoxon signed ranks test. The analysis showed the Z count value is -2.032 with significance level of 0.042 <0.05 which can be concluded that relaxation techniques effective for reducing academic stress of senior high school students.