Counseling Commons^™

Exploring The Locker, Haley Bagley

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

This article is an effort to foster grace and to create genuine, humble community. A new sense of community, that is not conditional on our abilities to censor ourselves to be more palatable to those around us. Instead, the birth of a new way of relating that considers our deep inner selves that feel shame, remember traumas, and cower in fear of these experiences. Perhaps most of all, this article is an invitation to explore our deepest inner selves, and the cost of censoring this self. This exploration is not a leisurely dive into the corners of ourselves that lie …

An Essay Concerning The Possibility Of A Unified Theory Of Counseling, Lance Kair

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

The Object-Oriented Ontology of Graham Harman, also known as Object-Oriented Philosophy, presumes to describe an ontology of all objects, including human beings. This essay shows how the discipline of counseling can benefit from such an ontology of objects. To move into this particular case of an Object-Oriented Ontology of human beings, and to distinguish, initially, at least, between the object that we are now concerned with, or will be soon, and the universe of subjectivity, I propose that we refer to universal objects, which is to indicate objects that exist in the universe, however we might define it. In this …

The Role Of Practice-Based Evidence And Feedback Informed Treatment For Improving Therapy Outcomes, Daryl Mahon

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

Attrition rates and deterioration of counselling and psychotherapy clients are two major concerns for those delivering psychological therapies across differential modalities. While a variety of correlations are said to contribute to attrition and deterioration such as, client, therapist and clinical level, identifying and improving outcomes for this cohort of people in routine practice is difficult. Even with the addition of hundreds of empirically supported treatments added to the profession, outcomes have not improved in line with these new approaches. Methods to limit the extent of poor outcomes has been established in the extent literature, thus, practice-based evidence is put forward …

Introducing Feedback Informed Preference Accommodation (Fipa): A Case Study In Clinical Practice, Daryl Mahon

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

Psychotherapy is a successful modality for those who engage in and complete a course of treatment. However, attrition rates and negative outcomes make up a significant and under discussed proportion of clinicians’ case load in routine practice. Innovative and novel methods to address these issues have been identified within the extant literature. However, their uptake can be impacted by issues such as utility and brevity. The present paper seeks to establish a framework for integrating Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT) and the Cooper-Norcross Inventory of Preferences (C-NPI) in clinical practice. That is, using the C-NPI for initial preference accommodation and following …

Using Therapeutic Photography Techniques To Increase The Wellbeing Of College Students, Licia Tourigny, Ivelina Naydenova

Journal of Counseling and Psychology

In this study the benefits of therapeutic photography techniques were analyzed for people with varying degrees of depression and anxiety. In study 1, participants were placed in groups after taking the Beck’s Depression Inventory. After they were placed in groups, they also took Beck’s Anxiety Inventory and the Life Satisfaction Scale. For four weeks, participants were asked to take pictures of what makes them happy and share and discuss them with their groups. After four weeks, they took all three inventories a second time. We found significant results between the pretest and posttest scores of the depression and anxiety inventories; …

Promote Healing And Restore Lives: Clinicians’ Reflections On Their Experiences In Working With Survivors Of Trafficking, Brittany Burch

McNair Scholars Research

Humans are shaped by their personal beliefs, values, and individual philosophies of life. Personal ideologies of humanitarian aid can root a deep desire to provide help and assistance to the vulnerable within our community. This desire often manifests itself specifically in clinicians seeking to provide healing, hope, and restoration in the lives of women and men. (Thullesen, 2019). Human trafficking is a prominent human rights and social justice issue that is embedded within our society. This study focused on clinicians’ experiences and perspectives in working with victims of human trafficking.

The data was collected through interviews of clinicians working directly …

Exploring The Influence Of Gender, Race, And Academic Rank On Faculty Bullying In Counselor Education, Adrianne L. Johnson

Journal of Counseling and Psychology

While there is much published research into faculty incivility, there is no existing research on bullying in Counselor Education. Data from Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R; Einarsen, Hoel, & Notelaers, 2009) revealed reports of faculty bullying related to gender, race, and academic rank. Limitations and implications for the profession are discussed.

An In-Depth Exploration Of Clinical Patterns Within Spiritually Integrated Therapy, Russell Neilend Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

The last 3 decades have seen a dramatic increase in the creation and effective use of spiritually integrated therapy (SIT) for a wide variety of client populations and clinical issues. The outcome research on SIT has increased and improved dramatically, yet process research on SIT has lagged somewhat. While valuable, prior process-oriented studies on SIT have used retrospective survey methods and asked about generalized usage rates of predetermined spiritual interventions. Rather than relying on retrospective reports of SIT with clients, there is great value and likely greater accuracy in examining session-by-session usage of SIT with clients and identifying correlational patterns …

Feasibility And Validity Of Asking Patients To Define Individual Levels Of Meaningful Change On Patient-Reported Outcomes, Salene M.W. Jones, Yuxian Du, Ari Bell-Brown, Kaylin Bolt, Joseph M. Unger

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are frequently used in clinical care to monitor treatment response. However, most guidelines on PRO use treat all patients the same. This study tested the feasibility and validity of a method for determining individually meaningful change in PRO measures.

Methods: Participants (n = 398) completed 12 pain and distress questions to define individually meaningful change. This mixed-methods study used both quantitative and qualitative analyses, including descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and content analysis.

Results: Two-thirds (67%) of the sample reported at least one medical condition, including depression and back pain. Most participants (70%–90%) were able to answer …

Online Civic Engagements Among College Students: Exploring Well-Being, Tanupreet Suri

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Ways in which college students use social media for civic engagements and how that usage interplays with their identity development and general well-being have been explored in this study. Civic engagement among college students is imperative to their growth and development. Additionally, social networking sites (SNS) have a great potential for fostering a sense of community and enhancing wellbeing. Thus, how college students’ online civic engagement and general wellbeing interplay was examined. This study employed an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) alongside photo elicitation to explore the experiences of college students. Key findings suggest online civic engagements interplays with college students’ …

International Student Perceptual Challenges And Coping Within Higher Education, Edmund Martelli

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Edmund Martelli on July 24, 2020.

Understudied And Underfunded: Potential Causes Of Mass Shootings And Implications For Counseling Research, Rebecca G. Cowan, Rebekah F. Cole

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Mass shootings are becoming more commonplace in our society. Despite this increase in frequency, research on mass violence has lagged behind due to halted federal research funding. Counselors and other mental health professionals find themselves at the forefront of this issue due to the contentious debate surrounding the intersection of mental health issues and mass shootings. The purpose of this article is to increase awareness of the cause of this dearth of research, examine what is currently known in the limited scholarly literature, and discuss what still needs to be explored. Implications for positive social change and advocacy efforts are …

Examining Empathy And Advocacy Competencies In Professional School Counselors, Amanda Winburn, Alex Kerwin, Amy King, Maegan Johnson Tatum

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

In this quantitative study, the relationship between levels of empathy and perceptions of advocacy competencies among a national sample of professional school counselors are examined. Results of this study indicate there is a statistically significant relationship between school counselor’s level of empathy according to the Empathy Assessment Index (EAI) and level of advocacy according to the Advocacy Competencies Self-Assessment (ACSA). Professional implications as well as implications for training future school counselors are explored.

Cross-Cultural Supervision: Racial/Ethnic Minority Supervisees' Perspectives, Hansori Jang, Na Mi Bang, Janice A. Byrd, Carol K. Smith

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

Examining the clinical supervision experiences of minority supervisees with different backgrounds than their White supervisors is essential. Weak supervisory relationships can adversely affect a supervisee’s professional competency, which in turn can negatively influence the client. This study explored the experiences of ten Racial/ethnic minority supervisees in a cross-cultural supervision setting. Using consensual qualitative research (CQR), three domains emerged: (a) cultural sensitivity, (b) cultural competency, and (c) relationship building. The outcome of this study highlights the types of training in counselor education that supervisors should consider when working with supervisees from different cultural backgrounds.

Full Issue, Mississippi Counseling Association

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

Volume 5, Issue 2 (2020)

Well-Being In Trans And Gender Diverse Individuals: An Investigation Of Chosen Family Support, Kendal Cassidy

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Trans and gender diverse (TGD) individuals experience unique minority stressors that increase their experiences of psychological distress, and prior research has suggested social support may have protective factors for these unique stressors (Başar et al., 2016; Bockting et al., 2013; Clements-Nolle et al., 2006; Hull & Ortyl, 2018; Pflum et al., 2015; Lombardi et al., 2002; Staples et al., 2018; Tebbe & Moradi, 2016); however, little is understood about chosen family for TGD populations, and how chosen family might relate to minority stressors and mental health. It is also understood that mental illness and well-being reside on separate continuum, but …

Can Playwork Have A Key Working Role?, Pete King

International Journal of Playwork Practice

This study interviewed 23 people currently involved in playwork which included face-to-face playwork practitioners, playworkers who are more involved in the development and management of specific projects or settings, playwork traininers and those working more at strategic director-level. All participants were asked to consider if playwork can have a key working role and how it will operate once the lockdown from COVID-19 has been relaxed. Analysing the 23 interviews through thematic analysis, the understanding of key working fell into three groups: 1) UK Government Response to the current COVID-19 pandemic; 2) health and well-being of people; and 3) supporting individual …

Why Witnesses Of Bullying Tell: Individual And Interpersonal Factors, Hyungyung Joo, Isak Kim, So Rin Kim, Jolynn V. Carney, Seriashia J. Chatters

Counseling Faculty Publications

The reactions of those who witness bullying are important because they can stop the bullying and prevent further harm. Factors associated with telling behavior were investigated with 477 elementary school students who witnessed bullying. Approximately seventy percent of the students talked to someone about bullying incidents, most often, teachers. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses demonstrated that gender, frequency of witnessing, cognitive empathy, and social skills were found to be associated with telling behavior of witnesses, whereas affective empathy and school connectedness were not significantly related. Findings from this research are important for future practice and studies on bystander intervention.

Using The Post-Traumatic Growth Model To Explore Trauma Narratives In Group Work With African Refugee Youth, Hannah E. Acquaye, Carol M. John, Laurie A. Bloomquist, Nicole M. Milne

Faculty Publications - Graduate School of Counseling

African American youth and African refugee youth encounter systemic racism in similar yet different ways. Because of the inherent traumatic experiences encountered by refugee youth, the added discrimination during their acculturation processes elevates their trauma and stressor- related symptoms. This paper uses the Posttraumatic Growth Model to explore some steps in facilitating an 8-week group therapy for African refugee youth in the US school system. Culturally-sensitive recommendations are also provided.

Tying Wellness Into Action: A Phenomenological Study Of Graduate Counseling Fieldwork Students At A Christian University, Daniel E. Reyes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mental health professionals take more days off for illness than other health-care professionals do, and many practicing counselors perceive their colleagues as stressed, distressed, and even impaired. Hence, counselor-education programs should focus on equipping future practitioners to practice better self-care when dealing with work-related stress. There appear to be numerous gaps in the literature on encouraging wellness in counselors-in-training (CITs), and no rigorous empirical study has been conducted on CITs’ wellness at a faith-based institution. This phenomenological study focused on investigating the lived wellness experiences of seven graduate counseling students at a Christian university, in a program accredited by the …

Impact Of A Brief, Bystander Bullying Prevention Program On Depressive Symptoms And Passive Suicidal Ideation: A Program Evaluation Model For School Personnel, Aida Midgett, Diana M. Doumas, Claudia Peralta, Laura Bond, Brian Flay

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this article is to present a study that can serve as a model of program evaluation for school personnel that can be used to improve services and demonstrate program efficacy to key stakeholders. The study presented in this article evaluated the impact of a brief, bystander bullying program (“stealing the show,” “turning it over,” “accompanying others,” and “coaching compassion,” [STAC]) on depressive symptoms and passive suicidal ideation among middle school students in a rural, low-income community (N = 130). This topic was selected as there is limited research examining the efficacy of bystander programs on improving …

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 …

Parental Communication Patterns And The Impact On Young Children, Janice Ringstaff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages. Such messages may impact an individual’s overall functioning across the lifespan. Parents are usually the first source of information exchange for children. The Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP), originally published in 1976, is an education program that teaches positive parenting and effective communication strategies. STEP encourages parents to embrace concepts of mutual respect and equality while creating opportunities for parents to meet the demands of raising children. There is limited data assessing parental change in communication patterns among parents of young school-aged children following systematic training. Twelve parents with children …

Supporting Intersex People: Effective Academic And Career Counseling, Jack D. Simons, Jose-Michael Gonzales, Melissa Ramdas

Psychology Faculty Publications

This phenomenological study explored the academic and career experiences of 10 intersex people. Researchers conducted the study to share knowledge with counselors and other helping professionals about the importance of validating intersex personhood during the school-age years and in work settings. Five findings were uncovered: (a) coping as intersex, (b) range of feelings, (c) gender identity development, (d) bullying at school and work, and (e) body problems. This article reports on specific needs and recommendations of this self-identified sample and includes implications for education and counseling practice, along with limitations and recommendations for future research.

Considering The Impact Of Social Support And Student Perceptions Of Life Stress, Pearl Joanna Winckler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leaving the family home to attend university may be one of the rites of passage into adulthood, and independence for many high school graduates, yet the journey that ensues may be one of self-discovery, excitement, and delectation. Indeed, the college experience is as much about preparing for life event stressors mentally and emotionally as it is about intellectual attainment. The purpose of this study was to determine whether college student’s reported social support is correlated with perceived life stress. The Undergraduate Stress Questionnaire USQ, which is an 83-item checklist was used to measure perceived life stress. Many students may wrestle …

Long-Term Impact Of Child-Centered Play Therapy On Academic Achievement: A Longitudinal Examination Of Academic Success In At-Risk Elementary School Students, Brittany D. Massengale

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the long-term impact of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) implemented through Primary Project on at-risk second-grade elementary school students. The qualifying group received ten 30-minute play therapy sessions during one academic semester during their second-grade year. In a longitudinal analysis for academic growth, MAP testing was used to determine if there was a long-term impact on both the third grade and fourth-grade years for the original qualifying students. The findings reveal implications for identification of and interventions for at-risk elementary students and CCPT as an intervention for academic achievement; specifically, reading and mathematics scores. Recommendations for future research …

Analisis Kebutuhan Mode Deactivation Counseling Untuk Mengendalikan Agresivitas Seksual Siswa Sekolah Menengah Pertama Inklusi, Muya Barida, Dian Ari Widyastuti

Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling

This study seeks to analyze the description of the need for Mode Deactivation Counseling (MDC) as an effort to control adolescent sexual aggressiveness. The research method used literature study and quantitative approach through a survey of 27 inclusive secondary school counselor across several regions in Indonesia. The MDC literature study rested on Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT), while the survey results were analyzed through descriptive statistical analysis techniques by looking at the categorization of school counselors’ answers. The results show that school counselors need an effective way to control adolescent sexual aggressiveness and this can be done through the application of …

New Group Counseling Competencies Scale-Short Form To Supervise Group Counselor Candidates, Agus Taufiq, Herdi Herdi

Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling

Assessment of Group Counseling Competencies Scale (AGCCS) is one of the questionnaires important to assess group counseling competencies. The objective of this study is to adopt and test the psychometric properties of New Group Counseling Competencies Scale-Short Form (NGCCS-SF). This study used a new instrument adaptation procedure. A total of 73 candidates of group counselors from twoStudy Program of Guidance and Counseling in Indonesia were the participants of this study. The data of group counseling competencies were measured using NGCCS-SF. Operationally, data analysis used Rasch Model 3.75. The results of the study show that NGCCS-SF has satisfying psychometric properties. NGCCS-SF …

Pikiran Damai Berdasarkan Penuturan Markesot: Studi Hermeneutika Teks Markesot Bertutur Lagi, Wahyu Saputra, Agus Supriyanto, Budi Astuti, Yulia Ayriza

Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling

This study aims to interpret peace based on a text entitled Markesot Bertutur Lagi by Emha Ainun Najib. This study used a qualitative approach with hermeneutics procedure. Each interpretation was an attempt to understand the meanings that are still veiled in a text. The data collection techniques in this study were carried out through the documentation of the interpretation of texts and literature studies. The interpretation was carried out in three stages: (1) whole understanding; (2) partial understanding; and (3) understanding of underlying meaning. The data analysis techniques in this study used the formulation of Miles & Huberman which included …

Kepribadian Proaktif Sebagai Mediator Antara Dukungan Orangtua Dan Efikasi Diri Dalam Pengambilan Keputusan Karier Siswa Sekolah Menengah Pertama, Nungky Karina Karina, Rose Mini Agoes Salim

Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling

This study aims to examine the role of proactive personality as a mediator of the relationship between parental support in career and self-efficacy in career decision making in junior high school students. The research sample of 140 people obtained by accidental sampling. The instruments used were Career-Related Parent Support Scale, Career Decision Self-Efficacy Short Form, and Proactive Personality Scale which had been adapted into Indonesian. The data were analyzed by regression using PROCESS macros suggested by Hayes. The results showed that proactive personality partially mediates the relationship between parental support in career and self-efficacy in career decision making. Further analysis …