Counseling Commons^™

Overall Level Of Marital Satisfaction In Christian Individuals Based On Marital Setting And Ethnicity, Rafael Dejesus Acosta

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research on marital satisfaction has been limited to Caucasian couples in a middle and upper socioeconomic status. Because values differ throughout ethnicities, and religious commitment rather than personal satisfaction contributes to higher levels of marital satisfaction, understanding these values and differences may help developers in the field of couple relationship education programs strengthen their approach to helping Christian couples develop skills that contribute to marital satisfaction. The purpose of this research is to examine if marital setting, ethnicity and Couple Relationship Education (CRE) and Marriage Relationship Education (MRE) affect marital satisfaction in Christian couples. The participants in this study will …

The Purpose Of This Study Is: With Adult Children Of Alcoholics (Acoa); Do Psychoeducational Group Sessions Have An Impact On Relationship Satisfaction?, Paula Marie Wheaton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Objective: The research's emphasis is Adult Children of Alcoholics [ACOA] and psychoeducational group sessions. Can psychoeducational group sessions be an effective treatment to heal the psychological effects of ACOAs, with the focus on relationship satisfaction? Psychoeducation groups lead to healing for ACOAs and can be an element in facilitating ACOAs having low relationship satisfaction. There was a gap in the research regarding psychoeducational groups' use in improving relationship satisfaction in ACOAs. Method: A quantitative research study using a between and a within-group design applied with the psychoeducational group sessions. Participants will take the CAST survey and qualify with a score …

Latino Pastors And Their Spouses' Marital Satisfaction And Its Predicting Factors, Tanya Paniagua

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Latino population in the United States has been the primary driver of demographic growth in the country (Flores, 2017). With this increasing shift in America, it is important to investigate the unique strains on clergy families among Latino pastors as evidence suggests stress is a threat to marital satisfaction and its longevity (Randall & Bodenmann, 2009). Very little literature on marital dynamics has focused on Latino pastors; thus, a need exists for more research in examining how cultural values and acculturation impact marital satisfaction while considering the relationship between marital satisfaction and selected variables: affection, sexual satisfaction, communication, burnout, …

The Impact Of A Christian Accommodated Mindfulness Protocol On Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Spiritual Well-Being, And Attachment To God, Tonya Thompson Gardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Best practices require those who work in the counseling field to ensure sensitivity to cultural norms and preferences among clients. While considering appropriate therapeutic interventions and treatment protocols, it is imperative that counselors remain aware of the personal beliefs of their clients. Thus, accommodating treatments to incorporate clients’ religious preferences seeks to enhance the effectiveness and provide the greatest benefit to each client as an individual. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a Christian accommodated mindfulness (CAM) protocol in a Christian sample and provide further evidence of the impact of Christian accommodated mindfulness protocol by …

Evaluating School Counseling Site Supervisors’ Level Of Preparedness To Supervise, Amanda G. Stuckey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate school counseling site supervisors’ level of preparedness to provide adequate supervision to school counselors in training and determine if any variables could predict the level of preparedness. Professional School Counselors in the United States (N=86) were asked to complete a survey about how prepared they believed themselves to assist a supervisee in developing each ASCA (2019c) School Counselor Professional Standards and Competencies, as well as their training and experience with the supervisory process and supervision models.Results from this study indicate a clear need for continued training, as well as specialized training relevant …

Editorial, H. Luis Vargas

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

Editor-in-Chief H. Luis Vargas' editorial for the latest issue of Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review.

Social Presence In Online Counselor Education, Courtney M. Holmes, Christine Reid, Carolyn Hawley, Christopher Wagner

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Outcome research in online counselor education is lacking as is the focus on online teaching andragogy. To address this gap, the Community of Inquiry framework and social presence are discussed within the context of online learning in a counselor education program. Data were collected in a counselor education program in the mid-Atlantic comparing online and on-campus learning outcomes and perceptions of social presence in the classroom. On-campus learners had significantly higher perceptions of social presence when compared with online learners, although perceived level of social presence was not correlated with learning outcomes. Implications for counselor education are discussed.

A Phenomenological Study Of Counseling Students’ Learning About Wellness, Heather J. Fye, Eric R. Baltrinic

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The authors conducted a phenomenological qualitative study of counselor students’ experiences of learning about wellness guided by the Indivisible Self (Myers & Sweeney, 2004). Participants (N = 11 ) engaged in the experiential wellness activities during co-curricular group meetings throughout one academic year. Data were analyzed and three themes emerged: Wellness Considerations, Wellness Connections, and Wellness Applications. Limitations and directions for future research are illustrated.

Perceived Tenure Standards, Scholarly Productivity, And Workloads Of Counselor Educators At Comprehensive Universities, Gregory T. Hatchett

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This article describes the results of a survey that inquired about the tenure standards, scholarly productivity, and workloads of counselor educators (N = 168) employed at comprehensive colleges and universities. The results from this study describe the respondents’ perceptions of the tenure process and their preparation for faculty positions at comprehensive universities, along with additional data on their general workloads, teaching schedules, scholarly productivity, participation in outside professional activities, and financial remuneration. Implications for counselor education and the tenure and promotion process are discussed.

An Exploration Of Married Male Doctoral Students In Counselor Education, Anthony L. Suarez, Kristi L. Perryman, Chris L. Carver, Jessica M. Del Re

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This phenomenological study explored the effect of marriage on the lived experience of four male doctoral students in a counselor education program. Because males are a minority in the mental health professions, researchers often focus on the female perspective when studying graduate students’ experiences. Findings of the current study suggest that received support in multiple forms (e.g., emotional, financial, academic, and logistical) is the most salient benefit of marriage for the participants in this study, while time and role management pose significant challenges. Male students attempt to balance academic responsibilities with household duties, but still feel pressure to provide for …

Utility Of The Scientist-Practitioner Inventory In Counselor Education, Mei Tang, Susannah C. Coaston, Christina Pbibbs, Nzingha Dalila, Linda Milholland, Miller Kathy

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This study examined the construct validity of the Scientist-Practitioner Inventory (SPI) modified for counseling profession to determine if S-P orientation could be assessed through mSPI. The mSPI was administered to masters’ students, practicing counselors, doctoral students, and faculty members in counselor education programs. The results showed that the mSPI has adequate construct and significant differences among groups. Implications for integrating S-P model in counselor education curriculum design, training, advising, and classroom teaching are discussed.

School Counselor Self-Efficacy In Advocating For Self: How Prepared Are We?, Jennifer Perry, Sejal Parikh, Maylee Vazquez, Rachel Saunders, Stanley Bolin, Merry Leigh Dameron

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Advocacy is a central component of providing comprehensive school counseling programs. Often, counselor advocacy entails advocating for the profession and clients. Utilizing the New General Self-Efficacy scale, this quantitative study examined the effect of advocacy training type, counselor education program level, and CACREP program attendance on the self-efficacy of school counselors in advocating for self. School counselors' self-efficacy in advocating for self (as a school counselor), rather than advocacy for the profession and/or students, was assessed. Analysis revealed advocacy training was a statistically significant predictor of self-efficacy in advocating for self, while program level and CACREP attendance were not significant …

Students With Problems Of Professional Competency And Their Impact On Proficient Students In Counseling Programs, Jason S. Rose, Stephanie Persutte-Manning

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Students with problems of professional competency (PPC) issues enact a negative toll on proficient students and require increased faculty attention. While there are resources aimed at supporting students with PPC, we will explore proficient students’ experience of stress and needed supports as a result of classmates with PPC.

The Need For Collaboration: Experiences And Perceptions Of Preservice Principals And School Counselors, Jennifer Tygret, Sylvia Mendez, Adric Arndt, Desiree Lovato, Margaret Scott

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

While professional collaboration between school counselors and principals has the potential to enhance the educational environment for students, preparation programs typically do not provide collaborative opportunities to preservice candidates. In response to concerns expressed by preservice school counselors and principals regarding this lack of opportunity, researchers designed and implemented a collaboration workshop. Following the workshop, a multiple-case study research design was utilized to explore the value of collaboration from the perspectives of both groups through participant interviews grounded by the Five Elements of a Professional Community. Findings indicate educators in these preparation programs have the opportunity to institutionalize a collaboration …

Contemplative Practice: A Proposal In Reducing Novice Counselor’S Performance Anxiety And Excessive Self-Focus, Clarissa Cigrand

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This article proposes the utilization of mindfulness meditation and other contemplative practices to help mitigate the challenges experienced by novice counselors when working with clients for the first time, namely, performance anxiety and an excessive self-focus marked by self-doubt, self-criticism, and fear of making a mistake. The author specifies forms of contemplative practice that have been used in counselor preparation and highlights their demonstrated value in developing therapeutic presence, enhancing self-compassion, supporting self-awareness, strengthen active listening and attention skills, and bolstering emotion regulation. The author presents a case study that illustrates the utility and integration of contemplative practice into a …

Counselor Preparation In Crisis, Trauma, Grief, And Neurocounseling, Karlesia T. Montague, Katie Christensen, Susan Furr

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Crisis, trauma, and grief are common themes in counseling while neurocounseling is a relatively new term that has increased presence in counseling. However, little is known about the current status of CACREP programs offering courses directly preparing counselors to address these concerns. This descriptive study analyzed CACREP programs (N = 392) to determine how many counselor education programs offered courses in each special topic. Results indicated that programs offered crisis courses at the highest rate (62.2%) compared to trauma (41%), grief (21.2%), and neurocounseling (5.1%). These results examined program offerings immediately following the CACREP 2016 Standards revisions and may …

Alcohol Abuse Rising Like Covid, Christine Chasek

Counseling Faculty Publications

Alcohol use is a common coping response to stress. Historically, it has increased during times of catastrophic events. The COVID-10 pandemic can be placed in both of those categories.

Social Support Following Pregnancy Loss And Its Implications For Women’S Experiences Of Posttraumatic Growth, Agata Freedle

Dissertations

The available literature suggests that social support can contribute to individuals’ positive psychological changes following a traumatic event. However, the effects of the social milieu following pregnancy loss on women’s post-loss adjustment continues to be vastly unexplored. This dissertation explores a gap in the literature surrounding the relationship of interpersonal and intrapersonal social factors on women’s posttraumatic growth (PTG) after miscarriage or stillbirth via three studies. Specifically, the following factors were investigated in relation to PTG: 1) Adult attachment and women’s experiences of dyadic coping; 2) self-disclosure, positive social reactions and deliberate rumination; 3) empathy and prosocial behaviors. Women who …

The Experience Of Being Gender Nonbinary: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Gene Crofts

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

The call for research on the growing population of persons who identify as gender nonbinary includes the need for in-depth explorations of lived experience, especially among Persons of Color. This study focuses on four individuals, 27 to 32 years of age, who identify as gender nonbinary as well as Hispanic/Latinx and reside in the unique minority-majority, conservative/progressive state of New Mexico. Interpretative phenomenological analysis, with its idiographic approach, was used to gather data through interviews and present the findings in both descriptive and interpreted terms. Results focus on three themes: realization required a unique journey, allowances are made for mothers …

A Multicultural Study Of The Experience Of Grief Following Involuntary Job Loss, Diane Lacen

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

A MULTICULTURAL STUDY OF THE EXPERIENCE OF GRIEF FOLLOWING INVOLUNTARY JOB LOSS

by DIANE BYRD LACEN

B. A., English, The University of New Mexico, 1989 M. A., Secondary Education, The University of New Mexico, 1996 M. A., Counseling and Guidance, New Mexico Highlands University, 2005 Ph.D., Counselor Education, The University of New Mexico, 2020

ABSTRACT

Unemployment affects many individuals and families in today’s world. This qualitative multiple-case study design examined how individuals from diverse backgrounds experienced grief following involuntary job loss. A purposeful sampling consisted of nine adults who represented the multicultural diversity in New Mexico. Triangulation of methods included …

Sex Differences In The Acceptability And Short-Term Outcomes Of A Web-Based Personalized Feedback Alcohol Intervention For High School Seniors, Diana M. Doumas, Susan Esp, Rob Turrisi, Laura Bond, Sherise Porchia, Brian Flay

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite the escalation of alcohol use through high school, the majority of research on school-based alcohol interventions has been conducted with junior high students or first and second year high school students. Preliminary research indicates a brief, web-based personalized feedback intervention developed for college students (eCHECKUP TO GO) may be a promising program for high school seniors. Although these studies demonstrate positive intervention effects, there is some evidence for greater program efficacy for females in this age group. The current study investigates sex differences in program acceptability of the eCHECKUP TO GO and its relationship to short-term alcohol outcomes among …

Understanding A Child’S Social-Emotional Development, Kimberly S. Duris

Psychology Department Faculty Workshops

Children encounter numerous forms of stressors in their daily living. Some of these stressors are mild, and the child can continue to function with minimal negative consequences. Other stressors are more impactful on the child's development and can result in various levels of impairment. Often children experience difficulties in their social-emotional functioning when faced with severe stressors. The ACE survey outlines the negative impact on a child's overall living when one or more stressors are present in their life. The ability of a counselor to understand what influences a child's social-emotional development is critical to helping that child adjust successfully. …

Study Abroad And School Psychologists’ Perceptions Of Intercultural Competence, Alexa M. Irwin, Nicole A. Oberhelman, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

This study investigated perceived influence of study abroad experiences on intercultural competence in school psychologists and school psychologists-in-training. This exploratory descriptive qualitative analysis involved semi-structured interviews with a purposively sampled group (n = 20) of school psychologists (n = 10) and school psychology graduate students (n = 10) who studied abroad during their undergraduate or graduate programs. Participants responded to questions about their study abroad experience, how it affected them, what they learned about other cultures, and how it affected their career or career preparation. Four themes were identified: (1) awareness of cultural similarities and differences; (2) recognition of privilege; …

A Mother's Trauma In The Face Of Child Removal, Candace Deborah Berry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The crisis of the involuntary removal of a child from their parent can be traumatic for both child and parent. A child’s biological mother who is undergoing the process of removal experiences a traumatic event as she feels a range of emotions. Those emotions cause depression, loss, and emotional shock that can dissociate the mother from her goal and priority of reunification with her child. Research has been limited concerning parent’s perceptions and experiences of removal with most studies being conducted emphasizing trauma for the child. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study is to understand the impact of trauma …

The Lived Experiences Of Female Veterans Who Utilized Religiosity And Spirituality During Reintegration To Civilian Life, Tara D. Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to describe the lived experience of female veterans who utilized religiosity/spirituality as a coping strategy to deal with challenges faced while reintegrating back to civilian life. Currently most research that looks at the reintegration process of veterans focus on male veterans and are quantitative in nature. This study sought to take a closer look at female veterans and their reintegration experiences, and how their use of religiosity or spirituality impacted challenges faced. The research question to frame this study was: What is the impact of religiosity/spirituality on the civilian reintegration of female …

African American Pastoral Counseling: The Dynamics On Self-Worth, Personal Efficacy, Motivation, And Responsible Discipleship, Charles T. Walker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study evaluated the counseling practices of African American pastors in the Southeastern region of the United States. The study examined their perceptions and relevant themes when counseling their parishioners on self-worth, personal efficacy, and motivation. Relevant themes were: Cultural Context counseling; impaired self-worth and self-love in rural young females; and whether the rural male is dominated by loss of hope. The exploratory study collected data from 19 digital surveys, 10 selected pastoral counselors’ semi-structured interviews, and 10 collected member focus interview questionnaires. The findings from the data collected show that members felt comfortable receiving counseling from their pastor …

Biblical Warrior Integration Connecting Veterans And Civilians In Oakland Baptist Church, Alva Ray Bennett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As a small, less than a 150-member church, located close to Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, Oakland Baptist Church struggles to fully integrate veterans and civilians within the congregational setting. The author studied biblical postwar rituals and used them to design the Biblical Warrior Integration model to enhance the relational connectivity between veterans and civilians. It was congregation-based and relationship-focused. It helped to heal misunderstandings and neglect between veterans and civilians. Also, it was biblically based and reflected a modern application of biblical postwar rituals identified within the biblical text. Thirty of the 150 members of Oakland Baptist Church …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Resilience And Success Of African-American Pastors Serving In The Church Of God In Christ, Terence O. Hayes Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The content of this manuscript is research investigated for the resilience and success of pastors in the Church of God in Christ, a Pentecostal denomination that has over six million members, to include over three-thousand pastors. The research is a phenomenological study designed to provide a narrative, interview of the participants to share their background, role, and day-to-day practices of the work of ministry as a senior pastor in this organization. The research will consist of seven to ten pastors selected from across the country, all African-American males, age groups ranging from 42 years to 72 years of age. The …

The Decline Of Ministry Participation And Leadership Amid Black Males In The Worthington Missionary Baptist Church In Houston, Texas, Joseph Ray Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This DMin thesis project sought to address the decline of male participation in ministry leadership at the Worthington Missionary Baptist Church (WMBC) in Houston, Texas. Not only are males absent from many church congregations, but those that do attend church services tend to be seemingly content with the female populace leading an abundance of church ministries. This research study accessed rationales prompting male withdrawal and then ascertained how to restore balance to the initial design of God at WMBC. Assessment tools of questionnaires, surveys, and one-on-one interviews were utilized to gain insights from 10 WMBC males between the ages of …

Effectiveness Of Treatment Modalities For Those With Diagnosed Opioid Use Disorder And Co-Occurring Disorders, Amy Parousis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Substance abuse has always been an issue in society. As time has passed, the adverse consequences of substance abuse have become more evident. These consequences include physical and mental addiction, disruption of purposeful and productive everyday life, disruption of the family unit, spread of diseases, and death. Recently, the rate of overdose has rapidly increased due to the potency and accessibility of illicit opiates. Fentanyl and carfentanyl have been added to many opioid and non-opioid substances to provide a more euphoric experience, to intensify the addiction of the client, and for economic reasons because they are much more potent than …