Counseling Commons^™

Perceptions Of Self-Disclosure Impacting The Supervisory Relationship And Recognizing Countertransference, Melissa Alvarez Torres, Jessica Elizabeth Wilinski

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Clinical supervision is an essential component in a social work student’s education and development in the field. Social work students should feel comfortable with their clinical supervisors in order to appropriately self-disclose during supervision and gain the ability to recognize countertransference when working with clients. The significance of this is that students should be aware of their feelings and learn how to process these reactions during supervision. A mixed methods approach was utilized, surveying and interviewing students and clinical supervisors affiliated with California State University, San Bernardino. A Pearson correlation coefficient was conducted to determine the relationship between the strength …

Religiosity, Moral Disapproval, Shame And Pornography Use: Assessing The Relationship Between Shame And Sexual Behaviors, Ryan Carboneau

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many compulsive and hypersexualized behaviors, including pornography use, have been associated with negative emotional, neurological, and psychosocial problems in a subset of users. Research showed that the constructs of shame, shame-proneness, and attachment may be related to the use of pornography as well as the theory of addiction. Shame-proneness is a construct that is consistently and positively associated with a variety of internalizing symptoms including depression, social, and generalized anxiety as well as a linked to an assortment of externalizing and risky behaviors such as anger, substance use, and criminal offending. Research suggested that higher levels of religiosity have a …

Effectively Transporting A Spiritually Based Intervention For Reducing Subsyndromal Anxiety And Increasing Coping Skills In Urban Adolescents: A Multiple Baseline Design, Morais Cassell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A critical review of literature revealed a gap in the literature of spiritually based interventions, most notably the subject of a spiritually based intervention for reducing subsyndromal anxiety and increasing coping skills in urban adolescents. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between a spiritually based intervention, a triangulation approach, subsyndromal anxiety, and coping skills in urban adolescents, employing the add-on/integration of a Prayer Wheel intervention. Utilizing a multiple baseline design across subjects to demonstrate the controlling effects of spiritually based intervention/prayer wheel, research revealed a decrease in subsyndromal anxiety levels, and an increase in coping skills …

Measuring Pornography Use Identity: Validation Study Of The Modified Centrality Of Event Scale, Michael Takacs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been an increase in research focused on the influence that pornography use has on an individual. Observations of dysfunction with pornography users, in both clinical and religious settings, have driven a large part of this increase in research. Current research findings on religiosity and incongruent sexual behaviors further support the need to examine the correlation between the individual and their pornography use, especially with religious users. To date, there has been no research in the literature addressing the connection between the individual’s beliefs towards their pornography use and the effect of these beliefs on their identity or other …

Therapeutic Theatre With Adolescents At-Risk Of School Dropout, Dan Summer

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of therapeutic theatre, a method of drama therapy, on resilience among adolescents at risk of high school dropout. A mixed method approach was employed to qualitatively examine participant perspectives on resilience and quantitatively measure change in resilience. Participants engaged in weekly after-school drama therapy groups to collaborate on developing themes and a script for a performance to be witnessed by an audience of family and community members. Qualitative and quantitative findings were triangulated and embedded to examine relationships. The Behavioral Assessment System for Children Second Edition (BASC-2) and Resilience Scale …

Exploring Self-Injury: An Art-Based Approach To Cultivating Empathy And Understanding In Mental Health Professionals, Dana Wyss

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Self-injury greatly affects individuals, their families, and the mental health professionals who provide their care. This art-based research investigates the impact of clients’ self-injury on mental health professionals. It addresses four research questions and applies a methodology that integrates body art, photography, poetry, and dialogue. Six participants (including the researcher) participated in three meetings wherein they artistically responded with temporary body art to two questions, sorted through their photographs, reviewed poetry created about their work, and discussed the study experience. The researcher navigated being a witness-researcher by personally and creatively engaging in the study.

The results present raw, distilled narratives, …

Art Therapy And The Person-Centered Approach: A Method For Breaking Down Creative Resistance With Dementia Patients, Kimberly Nelson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This Capstone explores the use of art therapy with a geriatric population on a psychiatric unit of a small, rural southern hospital. Most of the patients experience symptoms of dementia and are over the age of 55. Many patients presented with resistance to creative pursuits and this researcher utilized the person-centered approach to counter this “creative resistance”. In other words, the patients were met where they were at and accepted unconditionally, through empathy and congruence. The materials that were offered to this population were explored through the creative resistance as well, and a simple number two pencil produced successful results …

Movement, Laughter And Breath With Intergenerational Women: A Community Engagement Project About Connections, Lisa Hough

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This Community Engagement Project was created to explore how movement, laughter and breath can create connection for intergenerational women. A community event was facilitated at a suburban YWCA as an observational tool and for information gathering. Arts based research was conducted and evidence of non-verbal movements were recorded through observation, video recordings, and reflections from the participants in the session. In addition, published peer reviewed articles that explore these elements of expression were utilized as an alternative lens. Recent current events that are affecting women worldwide, such as the #metoo and Time's Up movements, offered the backdrop for this project. …

Mirroring, Social Learning And Dance Movement Therapy With Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Literature Review, Megan Fitzpatrick

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The literature review investigated the use of mirroring to help develop emotional understanding through social learning with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The research reviewed was used to further cognize how mirroring could give a child with ASD a better understanding of their own and others’ emotions through social learning. The findings revealed that mirroring could be an affective tool to build social awareness of emotions in children diagnosed with ASD. The mirror neuron system (MNS) is the area of the brain that assesses perception and production of movement creating an overlap. Using the idea of the mirror …

Integrating Expressive Therapies And Visual Literacy Skills In An Exceptional Children Classroom, Natalia Torres Del Valle

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The method conducted in this thesis integrated museum education, exceptional children education, and expressive arts therapy practices. Objectives for implementing the method were to learn how to effectively address the unique needs within the exceptional children classroom, as well as to collaborate with the teacher to address those needs through expressive arts therapy and visual literacy approaches. In so doing, I wanted to examine the differences and similarities between museum education and expressive arts therapy and how they can work together to meet therapeutic goals. The method took place over four sessions; each session focused on a work of art …

Examining Ritual In Dance/Movement Therapy, Jessica Michele Flores

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Ritual practices have long been a part of numerous cultures’ history as mind-body actions performed for healing. Modern day rituals can be observed in baptisms, weddings, or funerals. Rituals have also been adapted into various psychotherapy approaches as effective, time-limited transformative additions through Van Gennep’s transition phases among varying populations. Ritual and dance/movement therapy are established as effective healing processes through similar concepts including sociality, dance, non-verbal communication and being body-based approaches. This literature review revealed the inner workings of ritual performance and dance/movement therapy through neuroscience. This literature review intends to present relevant research on the unique molding qualities …

The Use Of Role Theory To Build Identity In Adolescents, Jordan Crawford

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper discusses how role theory introduced through the arts can aide adolescents in understanding the many parts of their own identity. The research focuses on the idea that through strengths based identity building, teens can increase their self-knowledge and self-esteem which will in turn decrease the chances for each individual developing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Relevant literature and research were used in order to develop evidence based expressive art therapy interventions to further explore identity using a strengths based approach. The intervention was introduced to an adolescent client who has a diagnosis of adjustment disorder with anxiety and …

Cross-Lateral Movement To Promote Motor Functioning And Executive Functioning In Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Courtney Chow

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This capstone project sought to explore the relationship between dance/movement therapy and autism spectrum disorder by designing and implementing a cross-lateral movement method. Cross-lateral movement is oppositional locomotion that activates a diagonal pattern of connectivity (ex: top left to bottom right). Participants (n = 41) consisted of students aged 18-22, in a college-based transition program, who presented with a variety of intellectual and developmental disabilities including ASD. Participants were divided into three groups; the first two groups performed the method twice and the third group performed the method once. Outcomes observed included positive changes in participants’ self-report of affect, motor …

Music As A Catalyst For Altered States Of Consciousness And Peak Experiences In The Treatment Of Depression, Anxiety, And Ptsd, Paul Battles

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract This paper investigates the therapeutic uses of altered states of consciousness (ASC) and peak experiences (PE) for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the ways in which music can be used to facilitate or enhance these experiences. ASC’s and PE’s can help uncover hidden or repressed unconscious material and potentially change the way an individual views and interacts with his or her world. In cases of people suffering from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), these emotional, cognitive, and perceptual changes have been shown to have sometimes profound and long- lasting therapeutic effects, …

Einstein Or Columbine: Impact Of School Environment On The Socioaffective Development Of Gifted And Talented Adolescents, Rebekah Granger-Ellis

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Why do some gifted minds thrive in life while others fail to fulfill their potential? The spotlight on violence perpetrated by bright individuals questions what went wrong, could it have been prevented, and whether schools are meeting the needs of gifted individuals. Thus, it is important to examine the impact of participation in various gifted and talented programs on the socioaffective development of gifted adolescents. The purpose of this study was to understand (1) if gifted individuals’ social and emotional development were similarly developed as their academic and creative abilities, and (2) if a particular school environment led to differences …

The Relationship Between The Hearing Distressing Voices Simulation And Changes In Empathy Among Master’S Students In Counseling, Jeffrey G. Strozier

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the hearing distressing voices simulation training, Developing Empathy for the Lived Experience of Psychiatric Disability: A Simulation of Hearing Distressing Voices (HDVS), developed by Patricia E. Deegan, Ph.D., will affect counseling students’ empathy for clients diagnosed with schizophrenia, as measured by the Jefferson Scale of Empathy – Health Professions Students version (JSE-HPS). The experimental design was a quasi-experimental, one-group, pre-test/ post-test, and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy – Health Professions Students version was used to measure empathy. A total of 55 participants were drawn from a convenience sample of …

Mind In Hand, Anna Olson

Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Papers

This thesis explores the intersection of art and psychology as it manifests in my art practice, particularly in the medium of weaving. The contemporary frameworks of memory and archive provide the basis of this discussion, as well as findings from the field of Art Therapy. Difficult emotions like loss and grief often show up in my work, and I will discuss how artists like Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Sophie Calle also utilize these concepts. In weaving, I capture my internal mental states, memories, and perceptions of the future in a variety of found and gifted objects. Guided by the precedents set …

A Qualitative Study Of Counseling Students’ Attitudes Toward The Use Of Medication Assisted Treatments With Opioid Dependent Clients, Bethany L. Ackerman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dissertation supervised by Dr. William Casile

Counseling students’ perceptions of medication assisted treatment for opioid addition was explored. This study sought to understand how the students’ attitudes and beliefs regarding the use of medication assisted treatments developed, and also how these attitudes and beliefs may affect client care and professional career choices. Specifically, this study examined how their professional counselor education experiences played a role in the formation/development of these attitudes and beliefs.

This qualitative study was conducted with six counseling students who participated in semi-structured, individual interviews. At the time of the study, all of the students were currently …

Life Satisfaction Typologies Among Roman Catholic Secular Clergy: A Q Methodological Investigation, Raju Antony

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Life satisfaction typologies among Roman Catholic secular clergy were studied using a Q methodological design. Using Q-Assessor, a web-based tool for Q methodological studies, 33 priests sorted and ranked 34 predetermined statements about their life satisfaction. By-person factor analysis and varimax rotation extracted three predominant category prototypes – pro-spirituals, professionals, and pro-relationals– representing three different views regarding the life satisfaction of clergy. The findings led to the creation of an explanatory model recognizing a multi-factorial pathway to understanding clergy life satisfaction.

Mind-Body Approach To Treating Developmental Trauma In Adolescents: A Group Therapy Manual For Residential Treatment Facilities, Kayla Prosser

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Among the most traumatized youth are those placed in residential treatment centers. This population reports exposure to abuse and neglect at an alarming rate in comparison with the general population. These youth are often described as irritable and angry and characterized by antisocial, delinquent and problematic behaviors. As such, they are assigned diagnostic labels based on checklists of surface level symptoms while trauma histories and chronic stress are ignored or minimized. As a result, treatment focuses on management of disruptive behaviors as opposed to addressing the root cause of the dysfunction, the trauma. Developmental trauma impacts an individual in a …

Social Media's Impact On Relationships, Taylor Koberinski

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This article aims to identify the impacts social media has on relationships. It is no secret social support has been shown as a predictor of positive mental health but there are negative interpersonal and personal factors as well. This article will discuss the roles social media plays and the importance couples hold on social media. The article looks at ways to address social media in family counseling using a Structural Family Therapy approach. The bridge between social media and relationships is an important area to research so that we can understand its effects on society.

Inaugural Issue Of The Scholarship Review, H. Luis Vargas , Ph.D.

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

H. Luis Vargas, Editor of the Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review, introduces the journal's editors and mission.

The Relationship Between Loneliness, Stress, And Alcohol Consumption Among College Students, I'Esha Baber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the misuse of alcohol among college students remains a public health concern in the United States, students are participating in problematic drinking for various reasons. Loneliness and stress have both been associated with the reasoning behind why some college students participate in heavy drinking. Studies show that students who perceive themselves as under a lot of stress tend to drink more and that students who feel they need to overcome structural and emotional barriers such as loneliness and shyness, use alcohol as a resource. This paper examines the relationship between alcohol consumption, loneliness, and stress. Sixteen students, who attended …

A Phenomenological Study Of Counseling Students’ Experiences With Ambiguity, Stephani A. B. Jahn, Sondra Smith-Adcock

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Six master’s-level counseling students were interviewed about their phenomenological experiences of ambiguity in counselor preparation. Analysis revealed five themes: students’ preparation for ambiguous experiences, ambiguities of counselor preparation, accompanying overwhelming feelings, coping approaches, and self-assurance gained from facing ambiguity. These findings have implications for counselor education and supervision.

Burnout In Counselor Education: The Role Of Cynicism And Fit In Predicting Turnover Intention, Susannah C. Coaston, Ellen P. Cook

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This study explored the experience of burnout in counselor education faculty, and how it relates to perceived worklife fit and turnover intention. Participants experienced a moderate level of burnout in the areas of exhaustion, cynicism, and professional inefficacy. The results of a MANOVA revealed that male and female participants differed on a composite measure of burnout, fit, and turnover intention, but there were no significant multivariate differences based on race or tenure status. Both cynicism and perceived worklife fit uniquely contributed to the prediction of turnover intention, together explaining 29% of the total variance in turnover intention. Further directions for …

Counseling The Military Population: The Factor Of Prior Military Exposure For Counselors-In-Training, Kellie E. Forziat, Nicole M. Arcuri, Chelsea Erb

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Counselors must learn to ethically work with all cultures. This article explores how both counselors-in-training with prior military culture exposure and those with none can be trained to effectively counsel individuals from this culture. Additionally, the article highlights strategies for counselor educators on how to meet both groups’ learning needs.

Clinical Supervisors' Knowledge Of Supervisees With Problems Of Professional Competency, Maribeth Jorgensen, Kathleen Brown-Rice, Seth D. Olson

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

In this exploratory study, the authors surveyed clinical supervisors (n = 138) regarding their knowledge of their supervisees’ problems of professional competency (PPC). Findings suggest the majority have observed a supervisee with PPC working towards licensure. Further, those that have supervised a supervisee with PPC have been negatively impacted by these interactions (e.g., increased their workload, increased their stress).

A Problem-Based Learning Case Study In Rehabilitation Counselor Education, Stacia Carone

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

A Problem-Based Learning (PBL) strategy utilized in Career Counseling and Selective Placement courses is described. Support for using PBL in rehabilitation counseling and counselor education courses is provided and encouragement for instructors sharing case studies and processes relevant to PBL is emphasized.

Using Fidelity Measures To Support The Training Of Graduate Students Working In School Settings, Nadia L. Ward, Lakeesha N. Woods, Patricia Simon, Jennifer Greif Green, Michael J. Strambler

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This paper presents a case example of a school-based social development program supported by counselors, yet implemented by graduate student facilitators in a mid-sized urban public school in New England. The authors describe a process for developing and validating fidelity instruments and the use of these assessments to train lay facilitators or graduate students enrolled in counseling or counselor education programs. Guidelines are presented for school counselors interested in using customized fidelity instruments to formatively assess training needs of graduate students.

The Cost Of Caring: Emergency Department Nurses, Compassion Fatigue, And The Need For Resilience Training, Amelia Walton

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Emergency Departments (EDs) are notoriously unpredictable and high stress environments. ED nurses are regularly exposed to stressful events such as sudden death, trauma, death and resuscitation of children, aggression and violence from patients, and systemic environmental stressors. For some ED nurses, prolonged exposure to these stressors leads to the development of compassion fatigue and burnout, but stigma around seeking support for mental health issues can impede a nurse’s desire to seek treatment. The counseling profession has seen an increased interest in the role that resilience-building strategies can have in negating the deleterious effects of compassion fatigue and burnout in nurses. …