Counseling Commons^™

An Exploration Of The Attitudes And Expectations Of African American Congregants Regarding A Proposed Mental Health Ministry, Faith Clarisa Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This mixed methods research project explored the attitudes and expectations of African American congregants regarding a proposed mental health ministry in a large urban church in Miami Gardens, Florida. The scale component assessed the mental health literacy levels of congregants. The semi-structured interview revealed congregant needs and ways to address them, as identified by leaders of other ministries based on their interactions with congregants. Relevant themes were stigma surrounding mental health, the desire for spirituality in counseling, and Christ’s concern for humanity’s physical, mental and spiritual well-being. This project collected digital scale surveys from 51 individuals and conducted nine semi-structured …

Black Effect: Black Students' Experiences In Cacrep Master's Programs At Hbcus, Angelia M. Lomax

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

African American students’ experiences in graduate programs at predominately White institutions (PWIs) have been explored in previous research. Said experiences were described using the following constructs: underrepresentation, invisibility, isolation, lack of support, and silence. There is minimal research that focuses on Black students’ experiences at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), where the environment was reported to be welcoming, nurturing, and supportive. This study adds to the literature by exploring the lived experiences of African American students in CACREP-accredited master’s counseling programs at HBCUs, with critical race theory (CRT) as the theoretical framework. After being identified as eligible based on …

The Comparative Differences Of Unit Level Chaplains And Family Life Chaplains (Flcs) In The United States Army Reserves, Jeremy Lynn Naugle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem presented in this project is that the senior leaders of the 108th Training Command in the Army Reserves lack an understanding of the primary differences between unit-level chaplains and the specialty of family life chaplaincy. By lacking an understanding of the differences in the roles and responsibilities of these separate entities, the FLC is often underutilized. The development of an education program was designed to provide these senior leaders with specific knowledge related to the family life chaplaincy. The 108th offered approximately 7700 potential participants, but the focus was directed at senior leaders throughout the command. Fourteen individuals …

Creative Arts Personal Growth Group (Capg), Lisa S. Sosin, Sandra Noble, John Jonathan Suroshan Harrichand

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Interior Design In The Psychotherapist's Office, Vincent Ylagan

Senior Theses

A growing body of research in environmental and design psychology indicates that our surroundings can have subtle but significant effects on how we feel and think. One setting where thoughts and feelings are at the forefront of the work done is the psychotherapist’s office, where clients go to process stressors and learn strategies to overcome emotional difficulties. The current study aimed to investigate how therapists and clients view the therapist office and identify the features associated with the “ideal” therapist office. Therapists, current or past therapy clients, and individuals who have not been to therapy completed short surveys. Surveys asked …

The Serial Mediation Of The Relationship Between Sexual Shame And Marital Relationship Satisfaction By Sexual Communication In A Parallel Relationship Of Sexual Satisfaction And Marital Relational Intimacy, Mark A. Saunders Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sexual shame is a construct that has garnered increased research and interest in recent years, with much of the research targeted towards how sexual shame is affected by pornography use, moral disapproval of certain sexual activities, and shame about one’s belief about the sexual self. There is little research on the etiology of sexual shame and the determination of whether it is domain-specific or a component of global shame. This research studied how marital satisfaction may be affected by sexual shame through the mediation of sexual communication, relational intimacy, and sexual satisfaction, based on the belief that a couple’s satisfaction …

Fostering A Renewed Sense Of Hope Among Human Trafficking Victims In The Philippines Though A Group Bible Study Initiative, Emily Garcia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Human trafficking impacts an estimated 25 million people per year. In the Philippines, human trafficking has reached an epidemic proportion as many migrant workers becomes victims of human trafficking each year. The Philippine government, aware of this growing dilemma, imposes legal sanctions and assists victims by providing medical aid, legal counsel, vocational training, and temporary safe housing. However, reintegration and trauma-focused support are rarely provided. The victims, as a result, often go back to their communities, where they remain in a state of isolation and despair. The purpose of this qualitative research is to assess if the study of biblical …

Quantitative Research On Peer-To-Peer Biblical Soul Care Through The Encourager Program, Michelle D. Dickens

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study sought to discover what impact a church program could have on personal well-being, spiritual well-being and church engagement, well-studied constructs in a variety of other clinical type settings. Quality, long-term research has been lacking in regard to the efficacy of pure, biblical soul care, a type of pastoral care methodology, that is provided strictly in a church setting. This type of research could allow for critical conversations about the larger ministry of soul care and potentially withstand scientific criticisms as biblical soul care becomes a proven, quantitative resource to help those who are hurting. The significance of this …

Elementary School Counselors Experiences Working With Students With Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: A Qualitative Dissertation, Esther Diane Mccartney

Theses and Dissertations

Students with emotional/behavioral disorders have identified disruptive behaviors that negatively impact their academic performance. The US Department of Education and the American School Counselor Association have supported the use of school-wide Multitiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to reinforce pro-social behaviors for all students, but to also ensure the development of targeted and intensive interventions for students who need more support. As stakeholders, school counselors are often involved in the development and implementation of MTSS’s tiered interventions to provide support to all students, especially those with disabilities. Using consensual qualitative research study, the research team aimed to examine elementary school counselor’s …

Empathy And Situational Appraisal As Moderators Of The Relationship Between Shame, Social Support, And Resilience, Andras Oliser

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current study investigated the interrelated roles of trait-shame, perceived social support, empathy, and situational appraisal style in the context of their influence on psychological resilience, and provided quantitative evidence of the conditional patterns of influence exerted by these constructs on psychological resilience. The study focused on quantifying the moderating influence of empathy and situational appraisal style on the relationships between trait-shame, social support, and psychological resilience through a mediated moderation model which presented a novel approach to conceptualizing these interactions. Supporting evidence was found for the mediating role of social support on the shame-resilience interaction as well as for …

The Cost Of Compassion: Assessing The Impact Of Organizational Culture & Self-Care On Compassion Fatigue & Compassion Satisfaction In Counselors, Jennifer Leigh Owen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is the responsibility of mental health counselors to provide compassion for broken and hurting populations. For counselors, the continuous strain of empathizing with distressed clientele can often result in physical and emotional exhaustion known as compassion fatigue (Figley, 1995a). Although providing continuous compassion for others may contribute to negative experiences such as compassion fatigue, counselors can also experience positive outcomes from showing compassion towards clients, known as compassion satisfaction (Figley, 2002b). While risk factors to compassion fatigue have been widely explored among various occupations within the literature, less has been researched regarding moderating effects between compassion fatigue and compassion …

The Relationship Among Guilt And Shame, And Religion For Women Victims Of Domestic Violence, Tiera Danisha Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Domestic violence is an ongoing national issue that has tainted women across centuries and is still an ongoing issue to date. Research has shown the effects that domestic violence can have on women in regard to their mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, recognizing how it changes their livelihoods. Shame and guilt play a major role in how women respond to the abuse they have suffered and can dictate whether they receive the proper help needed to overcome abuse or leave an abusive relationship. Religion, as a major component in many people’s lives, can also play a major part in how …

Military Mothers Serving As Command/Sergeant Majors In The Army: A Heuristic Phenomenological Inquiry, Yvette Kennedy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are significant changes to women's rights to employment that create opportunities to earn higher leadership positions. The number of women entering the military in low to mid-level rank has increased over the last few years. However, the proportion of women reaching senior leadership position all the way through to the highest enlisted rank of Sergeant Major remain comparatively small. This qualitative study examines the experiences of military mothers who are Sergeants Major in the Army and the personal attributes, factors of resilience, and strategies that promote well-being—by highlighting the key factors reported that were crucial to their success supporting …

Counselor Education And The Delivery Of Telemental Health Services, Nils Juarez Palma

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Among practitioners of professional counseling, the adoption of live videoconferencing, also known as telemental health (TMH), as a means to deliver distance counseling services went mainstream in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Until then, this medium was primarily for clients who lived in remote areas or could not attend in-person sessions. A debate over the merits of TMH within the counseling profession has existed since the 1970s. In the early years of the 21st century, interest in TMH renewed as the service became affordable for most people. Yet, there is scant documentation addressing the training of professional …

Social Anxiety, Pornography Use, And Loneliness: A Mediation Analysis, Melissa J. Ostrander

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research has indicated a positive correlation between pornography use and loneliness; however, with only six published studies to date, more research is required. This study used the extant literature on the relationship between internet use and loneliness to inform the current study since internet use and pornography use are similar constructs, especially in individuals’ use of both to avoid negative emotions and social interactions. Further, social anxiety has been shown in the internet use literature to be a confounder in the relationship between internet use and loneliness, making social anxiety a major variable to consider in the relationship between pornography …

The Creative Arts Personal Growth Group For Eating Disorder Recovery: An Embodiment-Focused Feminist Phenomenological Study, Sandra Dena Noble

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Eating disorders are complex mental and physical health disorders that impact every area of one’s life, and standard treatment protocols often fail to meet the multifaceted needs of eating disorder recovery. Studies indicate that relapse rates remain high following standard treatment and demonstrates that treatment often reinforces the body-centric and behavioral values of the disorder. Using the theoretical framework of feminist phenomenological lens and the hermeneutic phenomenological approach for data analysis, this study explored the use of the Creative Arts Personal Growth Group for Eating Disorder Recovery (CAPG-E), a group counseling protocol for eating disorder treatment that focuses on decreasing …

Can Telling A Shame-Evoking Story In An Online Format Reduce Shame Experienced?, Ann Michele Gregory

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Shame is a common experience for all humans. When shame is high for an individual, it can be debilitating and even paralyzing for that person. Shame can have a negative effect on how a person feels about oneself, destroy relationships, and lead to mental health disorders. In the counseling office, shame can delay or interfere with mental health care and create a barrier in the therapeutic alliance. Shame is often about being seen and tied to a distressing secret one holds. With the increase of online communication, people have become more comfortable sharing in a digital format. The purpose of …

Military Veteran's Therapy Experiences For Combat Trauma, Laurie Gramlich Parker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Military veterans frequently return from combat with a diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The debilitating disorder is often caused by experiencing trauma caused by war related distressing events. There are various clinical treatment modalities offered to help PTSD injured veterans. Despite numerous options, however, many military personnel receive little or no clinical relief after attending counseling. Moral Injury (MI) is often the underlying culprit, yet due to a lack of clinical clarity and understanding about the MI paradigm, many therapists use a catchall diagnosis of PTSD when treating combat veterans. The term Moral Injury has its inception as a …

A Work Of Heart

DePaul Magazine

This article looks at the internship opportunities that DePaul students have available to kickstart their career through such programs as DePaul WORKS and INSuRE. Alumni in the museum, education and counseling, cybersecurity, law and public relations fields are interviewed.

Initial Development Of The Escala De Fortaleza En Jóvenes Para Padres, David Moran

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

National statistics indicate substantial mental health and academic challenges experienced by a sizable proportion of Hispanic children and adolescents in American school settings. School counselors can provide culturally responsive supports to this population and would benefit from contextually grounded, ecologically valid assessments that focus on the positive development of Hispanic children and adolescents. To address this instrumentation gap, this study sought to develop initial items for the Escala de Fortaleza en Jóvenes para Padres in both English and Spanish. A qualitative approach was implemented to explore the perceptions of Hispanic parents/caregivers of their child or adolescent’s resiliency. Eight Hispanic parents …

Barriers To Post-Secondary Success, Douglas Swanson, Najeana Henderson, Maritza Sloan

Dissertations

This study reviews factors that prior studies have identified or failed to consider as barriers to post-secondary success. The three main areas include academic success for Latinx students after high school, organizational systems and their impact on African-American students’ postsecondary readiness, and what workers think of their high school education with regards to career preparedness.

Five factors are identified as major barriers for Latinx students to continue in a higher education system. A survey of former students from Saint Louis, Missouri, and Dallas, Texas, metroplex area identified 56 Latinx students that participated in an initial survey. This led to a …

The Tipping Point: A Faith Perspective, Osaro Airen, Lakia M. Scott, Gwendolyn C. Webb, Norvella P. Carter, Patricia Larke, General C. Johnson

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

The Journal of Faith Education, and Community’s (JFEC) Special Issue entitled, "The Tipping Point: A Faith Perspective," features articles written from a first-person point of view and faith perspective. The articles focus on the authors’ feelings, emotions, and/or experiences surrounding critical and impactful diversity-related events (i.e. the horrific death of George Floyd, protests for equity and the eradication of hate, etc.).

The Work Is Within: My Buddhist Faith As I Reckon With Police Shootings & Racial Unrest, Vicki Mokuria

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Based on the author’s life story in which her husband was shot and killed by police officers in front of her and their two young children, she provides a first-person narrative of her experience, linking the ways her Buddhist faith and practice have sustained her over the years. She recounts snippets of her privileged childhood growing up Jewish in the South before meeting and marrying her Ethiopian husband and beginning a family with him, along with beginning their Buddhist practice. Specific aspects of Buddhist philosophy are incorporated in this piece to provide insights into a Buddhist lens on our current …

Close Encounters: Mass Incarceration Tactics, Kevin L. Jones

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

As a Black man living in America, my Christian faith walk began at an early age. Growing up in a suburban environment, I had several encounters with law enforcement that shaped my belief system. These encounters were and still are a stark reminder that Black boys and men are under attack. Policing negatively impacts Black boys and men when compared to other races of people. I realized that I was in their cross hairs and I was almost consumed by the criminal justice system on many occasions. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory, this work focused on the centrality …

An Open Letter To My White Christian Friend, Norvella Carter

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Abstract

As human beings, our world revolves around relationships. As Christians, we are charged to have positive relationships that can grow into friendships. The importance of friendships is infused throughout scripture, because they allow us to bring others to Christ, encourage and uplift the soul and bear each other’s burdens. Without deep discussions, relationships cannot grow. As an African American, when I consider my friendships, I am finding an emotional need to share my feelings more deeply with White friends, who sincerely want to know the truth about my views on important social ills, particularly racism. Given the state of …

Treating Suicidal Ideation On College Campuses: An Evidence-Based Practice Guide For Counselors On Campus, Lexi Sherwood

Evidence-Based Social Work Practice Guide Series

The suicide rate on college campuses is rising. These 5 evidence-based practices can help therapists and counselors address suicidal ideation and treat the causes.

Moth To A Flame: An Investigation Of The Personality Traits And Early-Life Trauma Histories Of Women Who Have Survived Adult Relationships With Men With Pathological Narcissism, Michelle D. Roberts

Dissertations

Although emotional and psychological abuse, in addition to physical assault, are now commonly accepted as aspects of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), narcissistic abuse as a subset of IPV is not widely recognized or understood. Due to the extremely debilitating, chronic mental health effects of narcissistic abuse (Bremner, 2008; Campbell, 2002; Yoon et al., 2009), this study sought to explore the experiences, personalities, early-life (childhood) trauma histories and mental health outcomes of heterosexual women who self-identify as having been in an adult romantic relationship with a man with pathological narcissism. Specifically, this study aimed to identify the nature and frequency of …

Mindfulness Based Therapy Used In Treatment For Secondary And College Students Who Identify As Lgbtq, Ross Beattie

Counselor Education Capstones

High schools, colleges and universities across the United States have thousands of students enrolling in a range of programs. These students vary in the following ways: different cultural affiliations, religions, racial identity, and sexual orientation. This paper will specifically look at students who identify as LGBTQ and the issues they face on college campuses. The author will describe different forms of mindfulness-based therapies, and the effectiveness in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) student populations. Finally, the discussion will include the outcomes of using these therapeutic techniques and interventions as well as the next steps to consider for clinical mental …

The Power Of Connection: A Therapeutic Approach To Utilizing Technology And Social Media To Build Attachment, Tiffany Monk, Shalandra Whaley

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This session will explore how technology has become enmeshed in many aspects of daily life and elaborate on how to use technology and social media to foster healthy attachment in the classroom setting.

Educators and helping professionals will also learn safety implications and self-care that must be applied to lessen negative effects of technology use.

Pornography: Social, Emotional And Mental Implications Among Adolescents, William Kelly Canady

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation will explain the historical development of pornography. It will highlight four segments: 1- Porn’s impact on brain development of reward pathways, ultimately increasing the appetite for more porn. 2- Porn can be a false substitute for real intimacy, resulting in decreased sexual satisfaction with a real person and increased verbal and physical aggression. 3- Porn promotes sex trafficking, promotes multiple sex partners and reduced STD prevention. 4- A review of interventions available to assist clients in navigating a lifestyle away from pornography.