Counseling Commons^™

Mental Health Apps: A Study Of College Students' Perceptions Of Counseling Through An App, Caroline Burns

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to gather data on the perceptions of undergraduate students regarding mental health apps. Participants will be asked to complete a survey through Qualtrics. There will be 20 questions, some with pre-determined answers and some open-ended. The survey, including a few demographic questions, should take approximately 20 minutes. Data will be collected from all undergraduate students at The University of Akron who are 18 years of age or older, with the goal of at least 100 responses. There are no preferences for major or year. The survey will be sent out to undergraduate students via …

“There Was Some Sort Of Missing Middle”: Lived Experiences Of Jewish Youth With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Aliza Lambert

Theses and Dissertations

Though religion and spirituality contribute to overall well-being (Koenig, 2012; Koenig & Cohen, 2002), social support (Biggs & Carter, 2016; Koenig & Cohen, 2002; Taub & Werner, 2016), quality of life (QOL; Myers & Sweeney, 2000), coping strategies (Krok, 2008), and lower rates of depression and anxiety (Brown et al., 2013; Young et al., 2000), religion and spirituality are seldom included in curriculum in counselor education and supervision doctoral programs (Adams et al., 2015; Henriksen et al., 2015). In the present study, the researcher uses a multiple-case study design to describe the lived experiences of Jewish youth with intellectual and …

African American English As A Predictor Of Ethnic And Ethnolinguistic Identity In Adolescence, Giahna L. Glasco

Dissertations and Theses

This study’s purposes were to provide support for the Social identity theory of African American English (Vietze & Glasco, 2022) and the meanings African American English (AAE) speakers assign to their dialect. The study was primarily based on Tajfel’s (1979) social identity theory that proposes individuals derive a sense of self from group membership. The qualitative analyses examined ethnic and language group memberships. Ethnic identity development (Phinney, 1992), and ethnolinguistic identity theories (Giles and Johnson, 1987) guided narrative and content analyses of Kiese Laymon’s memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir (Laymon, 2018). The sample included 21 African American English conversations …

Examining The Impact Of Parental Racial Socialization And Critical Consciousness On Black Adolescents’ Coping With Racism-Related Stress, Chandler Alexandra Golden

Theses and Dissertations

In addition to universal stressors, Black adolescents also experience racism-related stressors. The physical and emotional consequences of racism-related stressors can be harmful to Black youth. To mitigate racism-related stress, Black youth may engage in various forms of coping. Critical consciousness and racial socialization are culturally relevant factors that have been protective against the negative impact of racism-related stress, with coping as one mechanism that undergirds this protection. Moreover, research has also begun to theorize critical action as a type of racialized coping. Past research has largely examined the impact of critical consciousness and racial socialization on coping separately and yielded …

Children And High Conflict Divorce: Using Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy As Treatment, Ashley Berry

DSW Capstone Projects

The act of divorce has been commonplace throughout the world during the 20^th century, plateauing around the 1970s at around 50% of all marriages. While most divorces end peacefully, many contain ongoing conflict which can become detrimental to all involved, including the children. While historical treatment methods focus on changing the behavior of parents, there are instances where these methods may be ineffective, especially when the parents are unable or unwilling to change their conflictual behaviors. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP), which has been used with individuals who have suffered from trauma, may be an option to use with this population …

Good Trouble: Disrupting The Disproportionality Of Black Boys In Special Education Due To Misdiagnosed And Unaddressed Trauma, Montrell Pryor

DSW Capstone Projects

Black boys experience a myriad of trauma as they navigate through society under the gaze of white patriarchy and archetypes. Whether engaging in trauma or witnessing it, it impacts Black boys tremendously, particularly in the educational setting. What typically looks like misbehavior in the classroom can be symptoms of unaddressed and untreated trauma that have been triggered and exacerbated in the school setting. As a result, this phenomenon contributes to the disproportionality of Black boys in special education and adds to the expansion of the school-to-prison pipeline.

This capstone provides a thorough examination of the literature in the form of …

Addressing The Mental Health Disparities Among Black Children During Natural Disasters: A Clinical Perspective And Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic., Brittany Reed

DSW Capstone Projects

The experiences of Black children resulting from the events surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic present a projection to create long-term mental health effects at higher rates than their peers of other races. While the long-term effects of this pandemic are still considered ongoing, the disparities within the Black community will subsequently develop into a trickle-down effect of secondary traumatic experiences faced by Black children. Then, where does that leave Black children and their mental health? This capstone project aims to examine how the Covid-19 pandemic will affect Black children, explore the mental health challenges and disparities faced by Black children resulting …

Cultivating Wellness In A Pandemic: Virtually Engaging Higher Education Students With Experiential Activities, Chi-Sing Li, Yu-Fen Lin, Diane Smedley

Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Students in higher education experienced extreme challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and the stress of obtaining a college education during the year between 2020 and 2021. As a result, students’ mental health was impacted, and their coping skills were on trial. In addition, due to COVID-19 safety precautions, many universities have experienced the plight of shifting all classes to an online platform since March of 2020. As a result, higher education educators were faced with the conundrum of effectively teaching students in this virtual learning environment. To cultivate wellness, the authors recommended various experiential activities for higher education educators and …

The Impact Of Academic Aspirations And Career Uncertainty On Students’ College Outcomes, Mary Edwin, Hannah Pulse, Nour Alhiyari, David Salvatierra, Claire Martin, Rachel Gaglio

Journal of College Access

Between the fall of 2009 and 2019, total postsecondary institution enrollment in the United States decreased by 5%, and for those students who do enroll in college, many who lack clear career objectives drop out, making the U.S. the nation with the highest college dropout rate in the industrialized world. Students’ academic aspirations and career certainty have been shown to impact college outcomes. However, the impact of career uncertainty and academic aspirations on students’ college outcomes has not been studied nationally. Using binomial regression analyses and a nationally representative sample (N = 23,503) of high school students, we investigated …

A National Investigation On The Effect Of College Readiness Counseling On Postsecondary Outcomes, Dana L. Brookover, Kaprea Johnson

Journal of College Access

The current study utilized the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, from the National Center for Education Statistics, to conduct a longitudinal investigation into how access to school counseling impacts postsecondary outcomes. Findings indicate that school counselor time spent college readiness counseling, in addition to lower student socioeconomic status and identifying as multiracial, were predictive of lesser odds of college attainment and persistence. The results of the current study offer practice, policy, and training implications.

The Experiences Of Religiously And Spiritually Diverse Counselors And Psychotherapists Who Work With Survivors Of Sexual Violence, John M. Waters

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of religiously and spiritually diverse counselors and psychotherapists who work with survivors of sexual violence. The researcher used a transcendental phenomenological approach to understand how the participants engaged their religious and/or spiritual identity to cope with the traumatic stress that accompanies continuous exposure to their clients’ trauma narratives over time. As the only study that has examined these phenomena qualitatively, the present study aimed to enhance counselors and counselor educators’ understanding of the ways that religiously and spiritually diverse counselors make meaning of their experiences. The researcher collected …

Dancing Between Two Worlds: Training Experiences Of Dual Credentialed Counselors, Lisa Rudduck

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Several challenges exist in the implementation of integrated care given that SUD/Addiction treatment has historically been segregated from the broader health care system (Office of the Surgeon General, 2016). One expression of the gap that persists is that for counselors who want to administer SUD/Addiction and mental health counseling, or co-occurring services, in Washington State they are required to satisfy state requirements for two separate credentials. The purpose of this study was to conduct an in-depth exploration into the training experiences of Dual Credentialed Counselors (DCCs) in Washington State where two separate credentials are required to administer co-occurring counseling. In …

Examining Face-To-Face And Online Supervisee Disclosure Within The Supervisory Alliance, Letitia D'Aria Unger Johnson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this research was to examine face-to-face and online supervisee disclosure within the supervisory alliance. Just as client care pivoted to online platforms, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, so did clinical supervision, which was uncharted territory for many, including those familiar with online counseling. The methodology used was consensual qualitative research (CSR). Eight participants were recruited as a sample of convenience, and semistructured interviews were conducted via Zoom. Results indicated domains such as important characteristics of the supervisory relationship, importance of communication, supervisor characteristics related to self-disclosure, positive aspects and negative aspects of online supervision, and …

The Impact Of Creative Arts On Meaning Reconstruction And Loss Adaptation In Widowed Adults, Dani Baker-Cole

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In counseling, helping grieving clients find meaning after significant loss is a unique, multidimensional, and lengthy process. This is particularly true in Western societies, where antithetical linear grief models, supported by hegemonic expectations to move on after loss, add exhausting pressure to speed up an individual’s natural grieving process. For that reason, this study examined how creative arts interventions such as using traditional art media and expressive writing, combined with postmodern, nonlinear, culturally sensitive bereavement models, help individuals explore their loss narrative to make meaning and adapt to loss. Specifically, this study examined the impact of a switch from traditional …

Imposter Phenomenon And Ces Doctoral Students, Michael Drane

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The aim of the study was to explore the lived experience of counselor education and supervision students who reported experiencing symptoms of imposter phenomenon (IP). The population included counselor education and supervision students in their first year of their program, with a sample of convenience (N = 4). The method used in this study was an interoperative phenomenological analysis. Data analysis revealed four major themes: (a) counselor education students express self-doubt, lack of confidence and concern about competence, (b) students rate different levels of competence in counselor education and supervision roles, (c) instructor feedback impacts student perceptions of competence, and …

Attachment And Creativity Focused Counseling Intervention For Parents And Adolescents Presenting With A Trauma History, Leah Merle Batty-Hibbs

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The central research question that informed this study asks: How do attachment and creativity focused counseling interventions encourage connection between an adolescent and their parent or caregiver? The research study centered on two mother and son dyads that participated in six weeks of a therapeutic intervention. The modality utilized an attachment and creativity focused approach created by the author. Data was collected through a post intervention semi-structured interview with the parent (adult). Data was transcribed and evaluated with an interpretive phenomenological approach. Six themes were identified by a team of researchers. The findings have implications for clinical practice with parents …

Multiracial Experiences Within Counselor Education: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Cleopatra Bertelsen

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of the study was the examine the experiences of Multiracial individuals who, while attending CACREP accredited counseling programs. The participants were self- identified Multiracial Counselors who graduated from between 2012–2022.Data collection included an anonymous qualitative survey examining the Multiracial experiences with race, racism, and antiracism while attending counseling programs. Data was analyzed by a team of Multiracial and Multiethnic People of Color. Results identified four themes. The first theme highlighted outdated aspects of the counseling curriculum regarding race, racism, and antiracism. The second theme recognized some ways universities are moving forward in addressing race, racism, and antiracism. The …

Social And Cultural Considerations In Accessing Mental Health Treatment In The Gambia, West Africa, Safiya Njai

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines the social and cultural considerations in accessing mental health treatment in The Gambia, West Africa. Participants were recruited from The Gambia for a qualitative study that included semistructured interviews (N = 17). A team of analysts identified five themes. The results highlighted social and cultural conceptualizations of mental health and mental illness, sociocultural determinants of health, interventions, barriers to care, and the legal framework to support mental health change. These findings are important for counselors to understand different perceptions of mental health and mental illness and the associated stigma. Furthermore, several opportunities for advocacy in The Gambia …

Premarital Counseling And Christianity: A Composition Of Couples Intuition And Understanding As It Relates To Marital Satisfaction, Sheila Delores Salley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Increasing divorce rates in the United States of America have resulted in Premarital Counseling (PMC) gaining grave popularity over the last couple of decades. There has been a proliferation of premarital counseling programs in the United States of America since the 1930s with a thrust toward building and sustaining satisfying marriages. Traditional premarital counseling programs focus on ensuring satisfaction once the couple is married; however, there is a significant gap in researching the impact of incorporating Christian values as a means of therapeutic intervention. This study involved eight Christian, African American, heterosexual couples who received Christian-based PMC (CPMC) and have …

An Examination Of The Social Emotional Skills Necessary To Promote College And Career Readiness For A Rural California High School, Anna Austin Whitesides

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics suggest that as academic standards continue to rise, students' mental health continues to decline (Carr, 2022). Public schools today have a unique opportunity to support the ongoing learning of students, while also encouraging the development of social and emotional skills that will benefit students’ academic performance, as well as their general wellbeing. While schools today follow rigorous state standards and support academic learning, many students attending rural high schools are graduating without the skills necessary to be successful in college or career (Farrington et al., 2012).

This mixed-methods case study examines the …

"Woman In The Mirror; Precious Child Of God Or Just A Rib?", Bonnie M. Orth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis entitled, “Woman in the Mirror: Precious Child of God, or Just a Rib?” is based on a request from colleagues to create a curriculum as a companion piece to the Rev. Dr. Kevin Frederick’s curriculum, “Men in the Mirror: Orienting Our Lives Toward a Christ-Centered Masculinity.” The curriculum will be used by pastors and pastoral counselors working with women who struggle with self-esteem and/or are victims of domestic violence. This thesis explores the problem that some women seem to lack a clear understanding of their position in the kingdom of God. Looking at how women understood God, their …

The Moderating Effect Of Internet Pornography Use Within The Past Month On The Relationship Between Experiences Of Shame To Perceived Addiction To Pornography, Catherine Ann Peters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Shame and guilt have been the topic of numerous research studies, particularly in differentiating the emotional outcomes of these two constructs. Shame experiences have been more associated with depression, overwhelming negative affect, aggression, anger, withdrawal, avoidance and blaming others. Guilt tends to produce healthy responses such as reparations for poor behavior or choices. Research abounds on the concept of self-perceived addiction to pornography, particularly with individuals who have firm religious or moral beliefs regarding pornography (moral incongruence). However, research addressing the direct effect of experiences of shame (shame feelings in the moment) on its relationship to perceived addiction to pornography …

Master Of Arts In Clinical Mental Health Counseling Annual Assessment Report, Isabelle Farrington College Of Education & Human Development

News, Magazines and Reports

Fall 2020 through Summer 2022.

The core faculty of the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program (MA-CMHC) has put together its first, annual data report. It will be a routine and on-going effort to demonstrate the programs accomplishments. It will also be utilized to demonstrate student and program needs.

A Grounded Theory Of White Counselors’ Antiracist Counseling Identity Development, Renee M. Shand-Lubbers

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Research related to the professional counselor’s development of an antiracist counseling identity is scarce. The goal of this dissertation study was to explore White mental health counselors’ unique personal and professional experiences that facilitate the development of an antiracist counseling identity and the impact of an antiracist counseling identity on practice. Using Critical Race Theory (Crenshaw et al., 1995; Haskins & Singh, 2015) and multicultural and social justice theory (Ratts, 2011; Ratts et al. 2015; Sue & Sue, 1999), this constructivist grounded theory study sought to answer the following questions: (a) How do White counselors develop an antiracist counseling identity?, …