Counseling Commons^™

Counseling Experiences In Physically Disabled Individuals, Leah Schulze

Honors Projects

This pilot study covers the effects that counseling has on the physically disabled community. 5 individuals were interviewed on a mid-sized college campus about their experiences.

Autism: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Counseling Journals, 1986-2021, Danielle Weller

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Abstract

This qualitative content analysis (QCA) examined three American Counseling Association (ACA) journals and how Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is covered in them: Journal of Counseling Development (JCD), Journal of Multicultural Counseling Development (JMCD), and Counselor Education and Supervision (CES). Within the three listed journals, there were a total of 4,749 articles published from the years 1986 to 2021, with a total of 6 articles found related to ASD. Throughout the QCA process, four themes were established: Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder, Considerations for Counseling Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Treatment for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Neurofeedback in Counseling. …

Sorrow, Healing, And Hope: A Braided Narrative, Abigail Maggi

Honors Projects

This project is a creative nonfiction essay about sadness. In the form of a braided essay, I weave personal narrative with insight and guidance from therapists, psychologists, and friends. In this essay, I share my experience of sadness and how I have processed my emotions during challenging times. The essay is split into three sections – sadness, feeling a little better, and hope – to share my story, the skills I learned that helped me move through sadness, and my decision to choose hope despite and amidst the struggles.

A Constructivist Grounded Theory Of Spiritual Competencies Development In Counseling Supervision, Emmanuel Javert Nnadozie

Dissertations

Developing religious and spiritual competencies is paramount in the training of counselors to become effective in addressing clients’ religious and spiritual issues in counseling. Clinical supervision in practicum and internship courses is key to the development of these competencies, but questions as to how best they might be infused in counselor training remained. The purpose of the study was to create an explanatory theory of the process of the development of religious and spiritual competencies in clinical supervision. Utilizing grounded theory, experts in the field of supervision and spirituality were interviewed. The ways paradigm was used as a sensitizing concept …

Bisexual+ Women Of Color And Microaffirmations, Zori Paul

Dissertations

In the last decade, there has been an interest in exploring affirming identity factors for bisexual+ (bisexual, pansexual, queer, fluid, etc.) individuals that would promote positive mental wellbeing. However, there is a dearth in the current research that focuses on bisexual+ women of color and affirming factors unique to their intersecting racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender identities. By understanding what potential affirming factors, including bisexual microaffirmations, protect bisexual+ women of color from binegativity (bisexual specific discrimination), mental health professionals can provide and advocate for bisexual+ specific affirming care. This dissertation contains three studies: the first study explores how the experiences of …

Sexual Minority Thriving: Bouncing Beyond Adversity, Debra Crawford

Dissertations

Sexual minority individuals continue to face prejudice and discrimination due to their sexual minority identity. However, despite these negative experiences, many sexual minority individuals display resilience and thrive. Most of the literature on sexual minorities focuses on negative aspects of identifying as a sexual minority, rather than the positive qualities that these individuals possess that allow them to persevere. In a sample of 303 sexual minorities, this dissertation contained two studies. Study one investigated if posttraumatic growth mediated the relationship between resilience and thriving and if identity pride and existential anxiety moderated the relationship between resilience and thriving in a …

Affirmative Counseling With Lgbqqia Individuals: A Training And Resource Manual For Mental Health Counselors, Tena Prestidge

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This article is a review of literature related to issues associated with working with LGBQQIA clients. Although not an exhaustive review, the literature provides evidence of the need for additional training to improve the confidence and competence of counselors working with this population. Further, information is provided on what makes a counselor competent to work with LGBQQIA clients and evidence-based practices that have been shown to be effective in working with them. Following this review, a training and education manual is presented to help fill the need of additional training related to working with this population.

Addressing Mental Health Concerns Among International Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Daniel Kimonyi

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Theoretical Proposal

Understanding Factors Associated With Clinician Confidence To Identify And Treat Ptsd And Complex Ptsd, Parad Meier

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This dissertation explores mental health clinicians’ experiences and self-identified confidence to identify and treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD. PTSD is a highly prevalent mental health condition that impacts an estimated 24.4 million individuals in the United States (PTSD United, 2019). Complex PTSD has just emerged for the first time with official diagnostic criteria in the publication of the ICD-11 in 2019 for use beginning in January 2022 (WHO, 2019). There is very little existing research that considers the experience or confidence of clinicians who work with clients who have PTSD and Complex PTSD, which is troubling …

Equine Assisted Psychoptherapies In The Threatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Combat Exposed Military Veterans And Service Members: A Literature Review, Cherry Nelson

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Theoretical Proposal

Childhood Sexual Abuse: The Impact Of A Dismissive Caregiver Response Following Child Disclosure, Denise Moore, Carl Wilson

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Theoretical Proposal

Managing Depression In The Workplace Using Ecotherapy And Psychotherapy, Benjamin Mello

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

Communication Barriers Among People With Invisible Disabilities: Impacts In Counselor Education: A Literature Review, Lisa Marie Ansell, Cornelius Anyanwu

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Theoretical Proposal

Mental Health School Cirriculum, Lucas Ramsey

Liberty University Research Week

Graduate

Theoretical Proposal

Covid-19 And Future Implications Of Counselor Education And Supervision Programs, Rhonda Gaston, Audrey King

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Theoretical Proposal

Integration Of The Multiple Self-Referent Model Into Super’S Career Development Theory And Its Implications On The Career Development Of Black Women, Tamika Lewis

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Theoretical Proposal

Transformational Learning In A Washington State Veterans Therapeutic Court: A Holistic, Multiple-Case Design Study, Thomas Lee Williams

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Applied

Compassion Fatigue- Exploratory Analysis For The Risk And Protective Factors Amongst Substance Abuse Counselors, Thomas Gogolin, Margaret Lee

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Theoretical Proposal

Coping With The Loss Of A Beloved Pet: A Different Type Of Grief, Sheri Cobarruvias

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Theoretical Proposal

Analysis Of Self, Kyle Sundberg

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

In this Analysis of Self, I review relevant background information and experiences and examine how they have shaped me as a person and counselor through various theory of counseling lenses. I then examine the results of the personality assessments MBTI-Strong and HEXACO. This is followed by interviews with five individuals and my impressions and major themes that resulted. I then view the information gathered from this analysis, and frame it using several counseling perspectives. I then reflect on the process of writing my self-analysis and ways that it has affected me personally and as a counselor. Lastly, I provide plans …

Effectiveness Of Tele-Mental Health In Rural Communities, Elizabeth Vebangsi

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Theoretical Proposal

Bereaved Parents And Art Therapy: A Process To Help Develop Positive Adjustment Post-Loss, Dishika Iyer

2022 Student Academic Showcase

Death and bereavement are a sad part of human existence; a child’s death, however, could be incredibly isolating, debilitating, and terrifying for parents. Art therapy has proven helpful in dealing with several challenges like depression, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (Hass-Cohen et al., 2018; Kalmanowitz & Ho, 2017; Peterson & Goldber, 2016). However, no studies to date show the impact of art therapy as an intervention with bereaved parents. The purpose of this proposal is to suggest a quantitative study to examine if art therapy could help bereaved parents in positive adjustment post-loss of their child. Positive adjustment post-loss would …

Critical Incidents In Sustaining A Behavior Management Level System With Special Education Students In A Self-Contained School, Stephanie Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Level systems provide systematic support for teachers and students who need additional behavior support. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perspectives of faculty members from a self-contained school, for special education students with severe behavior needs, which has sustained the use of a school-wide, behavior management level system for nearly 30 years. A total of 11 faculty members were interviewed using the critical incident technique, a qualitative methodology used as an exploratory tool in early stages of research. Interviews detailed the observable behaviors and specific events, critical incidents, that helped or hindered the sustainability of their school's …

School Counseling At Cedar Falls High School, Chloe Thostenson

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

This semester, I had the opportunity to intern with a school counselor at Cedar Falls High to gain insight into how mental health programs function and how they are applied by the team. I have learned therapy techniques, created yearly mental health reports to foresee trends, and have helped support the students’ emotional and academic needs. This poster exemplifies how sleep is strongly linked with depression and attendance in school, the various programs and plans that Cedar Falls High School offers, and how this experience has aided in creating additional future career goals for me.

The Impact Of Surviving Suicide Loss On Adolescent Psychosocial Development, Sophie Leonard

Counselor Education Capstones

There has been extensive research in the areas of the impact of suicide and human development over the past several decades. Researchers continue to examine the role that experiencing suicide loss plays in terms of the formation of a healthy identity and overall development. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of suicide loss on adolescent development. Specifically, this paper will address the potential impact of surviving a significant suicide loss on adolescent development during the identity versus role confusion stage of Erikson’s theory of development. Based on a thorough review of professional literature, the long-term effects …

Breadwinner Mothers Of School-Aged Children During Covid-19: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Rebecca D. Miller

Dissertations

Working mothers have long faced myriad challenges to optimal work-life balance, with evidence of negative consequences to their physical and mental wellbeing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, working mothers reported unprecedented difficulties, though inquiry into breadwinner mothers’ experiences remained lacking. This research focused specifically on the experiences of breadwinner mothers of elementary school-aged children who navigated remote working and remote schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. A diverse sample of 12 breadwinner mothers across the United States completed semi-structured interviews focusing on the impact of the pandemic on their daily lives, as well as how they understood their experiences in light of …

Navigating Covert Exploitation: Treatment Considerations For Counseling Human Trafficking Survivors, Lindsey Holper

Counselor Education Capstones

Human trafficking is a pervasive form of modern-day slavery. Despite increased resources being devoted to fighting these atrocities, human trafficking numbers are rising (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2018). Unfortunately, due to the covert, criminal nature of exploitation, research regarding human trafficking and its impact on survivors has been limited. This literature review seeks to aid mental health counselors in their treatment of human trafficking survivors by garnering an understanding of the complex mental health needs of trafficking survivors by exploring biological, genetic, and psychosocial influences that increase their susceptibility to the development of mental health concerns. This …

Addressing Racial Trauma In Counseling: Perspectives And Lessons From The Field, Claire Martin

Dissertations

Racism has permeated all aspects of American life (Bell, 1992) and many Black communities suffer racial trauma as a result. Mental health professionals have an ethical responsibility to develop strategies to serve the needs of diverse communities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of Black mental health professionals who serve individuals experiencing racial trauma. Using Critical Race Theory as a theoretical framework and qualitative Thematic Analysis as a methodology, twenty-three (23) Black mental health professionals were asked the following questions: (1) What are the experiences of Black mental health professionals working with clients who have …

Parecoxib Reduced Postsurgical Pain And Facilitated Movement More Than Patient Controlled Analgesia, Szu-Ching Chiu, Hanoch Livneh, Jin-Cheng Chen, Chia-Ming Chang, Honda Hsu, Tsay-I Chiang, Tzung-Yi Tsai

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Postoperative pain management is an imperative issue for patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Delayed pain relief is associated with poor clinical outcomes. This study compared the effects of intravenously administered patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with intravenous parecoxib, both commonly used methods for analgesic pain control after surgery.

Methods: A non-randomized study was used to recruit 68 patients who were scheduled to receive lumbar spinal fusion surgery at a hospital in Taiwan from April through December of 2020. The group treated with parecoxib received an initial perioperative dose of parecoxib 40 mg during a 30-min period and then postoperative intravenous …

The Factor Structure Of The Positive And Negative Affect Schedule In Multiethnic Adults, Allison Crowe, Patrick R. Mullen, Rachelle Redmond Barnes

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

The following research used factor analyses to test the PANAS with a diverse sample. Results revealed a 10-item, two-factor model that was verified using internal replication analysis. Positive and negative affect according to ethnic group revealed significant differences between groups. Findings from this study offer counseling researchers and practitioners a modified version of the PANAS for diverse clients.