Counseling Commons^™

Factors That Inhibit And Support The Work Of School-Based Mental Health Providers, David B. Naff, Jennifer Murphy, Alexandra Javna, Wyatt Aldrich, Erin Standish, Jeen Joy, Ciana Cross, Sandra Saji

MERC Publications

This research brief comes from the MERC Supporting Mental Health in Schools study. Launched in 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study explores research-based strategies for supporting mental health in PK-12 school settings, as well as the emotional and professional capacity of PK-12 faculty and staff in the MERC region to support the social and emotional wellness of their students. This brief shares takeaways from a systematic literature review that highlight the factors that inhibit and support the work of school-based mental health providers, including school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists. It outlines the roles …

Kingdom Over Culture: Dealing With Cultural Issues In Counseling, Christopher Gnanakan, Teshaunda Hannor-Walker, Deepa Michelle Emmanuel

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Same-Sex Attraction Or Gender Dysphoria, Julie Hamilton, Philip Henry

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Strategies For Integrating Aging And Older Adulthood Into Counselor Training, Matthew C. Fullen, Jordan Westcott, Kailey Bradley, Natese R. Dockery, Jungeun Lee, Rumbidzai Mushunje, Afroze N. Shaikh

Adultspan Journal

Following recent changes to Medicare mental health law, counselors will have expanded opportunities to work with older adults. Historically, there has been a dearth of counselor training dedicated to counseling older adults, necessitating greater attention to understanding and applying best practices for preparing counselors to serve older adult clients. Looking to professions that have a longer history of serving older adults, specifically gerontology, social work, and geropsychology, we describe approaches to training counselors to work with older adults that may prove helpful for the counseling profession.

The Efficacy Of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Literature Review, Erica Thiem

Counselor Education Capstones

Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is a growing form of psychotherapy that has yet to establish a solid research base. The present literature review sought to determine for which adult population(s), if any, this method is the most recommended. This author completed a literature review that involved reading twenty-one studies on a variety of adult populations. Studies were found about veterans and/or people diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder, patients with substance use disorders, survivors of interpersonal violence, psychiatric patients, college students, older adults, women with eating disorders and more. Zero incidences of harm were found by using EAP. However, the literature was …

Tell Me Yours, I’Ll Tell You Mine: Reciprocity And Self-Disclosure Among Extroverts And Introverts, Heba Muhsin, Marina Gergies, Veen Briefki, Kaniyah Newborn

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Existing research indicates that extraversion is positively correlated with high levels of self-disclosure (Tang et al., 2022; Loiacono et al., 2012), while research on extraversion in online contexts suggests that extraversion is negatively correlated with self-disclosure (D’Agata et al., 2021; Caci et al., 2019). However, introversion influences low levels of self-disclosure in offline friendships (Battle et al., 2024). Self-disclosure reciprocity refers to the process where a person shares personal information in response to another’s disclosure, matching both in depth and level of intimacy (Derlega et al., 1973). Research has yet to explore how initiation of self-disclosure influences reciprocity differently in …

Adult-Child Estrangement: Clinical Considerations For Deaf Clients, Emmett B. Kessler Ph.D.

JADARA

This paper provides an overview of specific considerations for counselors when working with DHH parents who have experienced adult-child estrangement. Estrangement is a process continuum brought about by schisms between adult-children and their parents/caregivers. Topics for consideration include early childhood attachment styles, issues surrounding emerging adulthood, psychological well-being, and resilience of DHH clients. Recommendations are offered to clinicians working with DHH clients. Specific individual, couples, and family counseling approaches are recommended as likely modalities to address the needs of clients embroiled in estrangement experiences.

Unlocking Adolescent Mental Health: Exploring Social Determinants And Depression With The Social Ecological Model, Lauren B. Robins, Danielle Rodgers, Yusuf Barburoglu, Jasmine Griffith, Cearra L. Arnold

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Employing the robust framework of the Social Ecological Model (SEM) and drawing insights from the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), this research sought to uncover the interplay between SDOH and mental health among adolescents. With a focus on depression, the study unraveled how various social determinants, both individually and collectively, shape the mental well-being of adolescents, leveraging the rich dataset provided by the National Survey of Children’s Health 2018. Utilizing advanced statistical techniques, the study revealed the predictive power of SDOH in understanding adolescent mental health. Results illuminate the significant influence of social determinants on depression, underscoring the imperative for …

Introduction To Trauma-Informed Counselor Education And Supervision (Tices) Framework, Isak Kim, Yoon Suh Moh, Charmayne R. Adams, Jaeyoung Kim

Office of Health Promotion Scholarship

Many counselors in training may be susceptible to traumatization and/or retraumatization during their training process due to the elevated prevalence of their past trauma experience and the nature of their professional work involving exposure to trauma narratives in coursework and during fieldwork. Recognizing the growing need for a trauma-informed approach in training future helping professionals, including counselors-in-training, we present an overview of a framework called the Trauma-Informed Counselor Education and Supervision (TI-CES). This framework draws on assumptions and principles from trauma-informed care (TIC). Also, we address the applications of four key assumptions (i.e., Realize, Recognize, Respond, and …

Is The Virtual Therapy Experience A Sufficient Means For Person-Centered Therapy? A Systematic Review, Aaron Feibush

Social Work Theses - Archive

Background: American psychologist Carl Rogers is considered the main originator of person-centered therapy (PCT), a psychotherapeutic approach which focuses on self-actualizing abilities of the client which emerge when engaged in an environment of three core conditions established by the therapist: unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence. Over the last several decades there have been thousands of studies that demonstrate support for these three core conditions as necessary features of effective therapy. However, with the emergence of psychotherapy being conducted via telehealth in the last several years, in particular since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it remains unknown …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

Differentially Unwell: On Mimi Khúc's "Dear Elia", Seo-Young J. Chu

Publications and Research

[...] Inviting readers to reclaim the stigma of unwellness and collectively to "tend to our unwellness, together," Khúc approaches unwellness as a crucial resource for subverting the "wellness and unwellness" dichotomy entirely. After all, the opposite of "wellness" is not "unwellness"; the opposite of "wellness" does not exist. The opposition itself is an artificial framework, one that reductively harms more than it dialogically helps. We need to move away from these simplistic dualisms, Khúc suggests, and towards more generous, trauma-informed epistemologies. [...]

The Experiences Of Religious Students In Counseling Theories Courses, Brian A. Mesimer, Matthew Lyons, Candace Park

Journal of Faith Integration Counseling (JFIC)

We explored the experiences of 10 religious counseling students in their theories course. Analysis using transcendental phenomenology showed that the theory acquisition process is multifaceted, consisting of a variety of affective and cognitive experiences which further student growth.

Exploring The Relationships And Differences Of Cultural Identity Salience, Life Satisfaction, And Cultural Demographics Among Emerging Adults, Matthew L. Nice

Adultspan Journal

Quantitative research methods were used to evaluate the salience of emerging adults’ (N = 444) cultural identities of race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, spirituality, and socioeconomic status on perceived life satisfaction and cultural demographics using the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC; Ratts et al., 2016) as a guiding framework. Findings from a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated significant differences between specific cultural demographics and their cultural identity salience. Racial/ethnic and spiritual identify salience were found to be significantly related to emerging adults’ life satisfaction. A regression model considering race/ethnicity and spirituality identity saliences was significant when controlling for …

First Generation College Student Transitions: Informing Counseling Practices For Emerging Adults, Cassandra A. Storlie, Jessi Budyka, Anna A. Ellenson, Alexandra Malkani, Deanna Revels

Adultspan Journal

Using Schlossberg’s Transition Theory (STT), we used a directive content analysis to explore the high school to college career transitions of 24 emerging adults who were first generation college students (FGCS) with undeclared majors. 153 phrases aligned with STT highlighting unanticipated situations, psychological resources, and emerging adult development. Implications for professional counselors working with FGCS are provided.

The Unequal Distribution Of Social Risk For Black Men Across The Life-Span. A Novel Framework., Waleed Y. Sami

Adultspan Journal

This conceptual overview offers a comprehensive overview of systemic pathways that negatively impact the mental health of Black Men throughout their lives. Our argument highlights the importance for counselors and mental health professionals to utilize a thorough social risk assessment that considers these pathways in order to effectively address the mental health needs of Black Men while fostering positive working relationships. This overview strongly advocates for the use of context and structural determinants when evaluating mental health symptoms. Without an appropriate understanding of social risk and determinants, counselors may inadvertently perpetuate disparities by decontextualizing symptomology, and reproducing racist discourse.

Counseling Young Adults Regarding Spiritual Wellness: The Need And The Practice, Ellise Nolan, Fawn Gordon, Kailey Bradley

Adultspan Journal

The authors explore literature discussing an increasing level of anxiety and depression in young adults connected to struggles with meaning and purpose. The authors present the challenges of young adulthood as a developmental stage, highlighting the role that spiritual/religious exploration can occupy in counseling. Exploring the barriers counselors report to integrating spirituality into counseling, the authors propose counselors utilize the Ways Paradigm framework to support young adults with their spiritual wellness, giving examples of ways of understanding, ways of being and ways of intervening for working with clients with diverse religious/spiritual beliefs. The authors conclude with a case study and …

Mental Health Practitioners’ Trauma Knowledge And Self-Efficacy Post-Emdr Training, Christy R. Collins, Shelby L. Dean, Jose Carbajal

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This research study examines mental health practitioners’ level of trauma knowledge and trauma treatment self-efficacy pre- and post-EMDR therapy training in Texas. The purpose is to determine if practitioners' self-perception of efficacy in treating trauma and trauma knowledge will improve after completing EMDR training. The practitioner sample (N = 113) is from an EMDR trainer who conducted six EMDR trainings in Texas. Descriptive, correlational, and paired t-test statistical procedures were implemented to analyze the data for the study. The results show that practitioners’ self-perception of competence and knowledge could be attributed to their years of clinical experience treating clients with …

Describing The Experiences Of Fulfillment And Stress In Coptic Orthodox Priests, Dr. Martha Salama

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This qualitative study was conducted to understand how Coptic Orthodox priests describe their experiences of fulfillment and/or stress with their work. While many Christian leaders such as pastors, reverends, and clergy helping to serve their church members are represented in the literature, there is limited research on the roles and experiences of the Coptic Orthodox priesthood serving their communities. The Coptic church has been around for centuries, and the church has a history of religious persecution. The research question was “how do Coptic Orthodox priests describe their experiences of fulfillment and/or stress with their work?” The research methodology used in …

Understanding The Addiction Recovery Experience: The Use Of Experiential Learning In Undergraduate Human Services, Chaniece J. Winfield, Jason M. Sawyer

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Since 2020, the steady rise of overdose and substance use related deaths has created an ongoing need for a greater addiction workforce. Responding to this need, Human Service education programs are strongly encouraged to prepare competent professionals to work in recovery-oriented treatment settings. Research supports experiential learning to foster clinical competency, however its application toward SAMSHA transdisciplinary foundations in human service education is limited or unknown. The authors present an exploration of the use of experiential learning as a teaching tool to foster student competency toward the SAMSHA core transdisciplinary foundations of application to practice and professional readiness.

Exploring The Therapeutic Relationship In Mental Health Therapy With Queer And Disabled Adults, Rachel Womack

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Queerness and disability have been shown to be intimately connected, with members of the LGBTQIA+ community significantly more likely to identify as disabled compared to the general population. Though there are roughly 3-5 million queer and disabled individuals living in the United States, this remains a multiply marginalized and understudied population. Owing partially to stigma, minority stress, and discrimination, these individuals face an increased risk of a variety of mental health problems including depression, anxiety, self-harm, PTSD, and suicidality. Additionally, several barriers to mental health treatment exist, including inaccessible services, lack of provider knowledge, and outright discrimination from providers. Though …

Nursing Care During Natural Disasters, War Zones, And Mass Casualty Incidents: Implications For An Educational And Professional Overhaul, Erin N. White

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Emergency situations around the world are inevitable. Any nurse who practices for any period of time is sure to encounter situations like these. Their hospital may be flooded with traumatic and severely life-threatening patient cases where supplies can become scarce. In these situations, a nurse and all other healthcare personnel are expected to act effectively, efficiently and in a highly organized way. Despite this need, many hospitals fail to implement effective disaster preparedness programs and plans. This leaves healthcare workers at a loss for how to treat patients, communicate within and outside of the hospital, coordinate transport, and all the …

The Lived Experiences Of School Counselors And Ell Teachers Who Support Ell Students Who Exhibit A Symptom Of Mental Illness, Trenise Duckens

Dissertations

The current literature regarding the lived experiences of ELL teachers and school counselors who support ELL students who may exhibit a symptom of mental illness in high school is very limited. Research is available discussing school counselors and their role when supporting students who may exhibit a symptom of mental illness or may have mental health concerns. This study sought to add to the literature by exploring the lived experiences of ELL teachers and school counselors who support ELL students who may exhibit a symptom of mental illness. By adding to the literature, the researcher hopes to provide a better …

Postpartum Depression: The Effects On Infant Development During The First Year Of Life, Sophie John

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Childbirth is considered one of the most pivotal events in a woman’s life, bringing along profound changes. While often seen as joyful, the experience can be extremely challenging or stressful. This might trigger a wide range of emotions that can hinder a mother’s ability to care for herself as well as her newborn. Unlike temporary “baby blues,” postpartum depression (PPD) is similar to major depressive disorder, with symptoms like guilt, anxiety, hopelessness, and even suicidal thoughts. Though typically diagnosed within 4-6 weeks after birth, it often goes untreated or underdiagnosed due to inadequate screening. Untreated PPD can pose a risk …

Clinical Practice Guideline For The Management Of Depression In Primary Care, Estrella Catherine Villarreal

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: The prevalence of depression poses a significant challenge in primary care, emphasizing the urgent need to address this issue during patient visits. Primary care providers are at the forefront of managing depression, yet they encounter difficulties in screening, diagnosing, assessing, and treating this complex condition. Clinical guidelines serve as valuable tools for primary care providers and practices, offering support in identifying and addressing depression effectively. An evidence-based approach to treating depression in primary care, with a focus on collaborative interventions with behavioral health to enhance depression management for American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) communities.

Methods: The descriptive analysis was conducted …

What’S Harm Reduction Got To Do With It? A Study Of The Implementation Of Substance Use Management Practices Among A Sample Of U.S. Domestic Violence Programs, Stephanie H. Ratliff

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Domestic violence programs are essential resources for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Programs offer services that go beyond providing safety and shelter. To improve outcomes, program staff have expanded services to meet the needs of survivors. One population of survivors that has gained attention in the peer-reviewed literature is survivors who use substances (SWUS). These survivors have unique needs and are at increased risk of IPV due to substance misuse. Research about the support available to SWUS after they access shelter is scarce. Using cross-sectional data from a national sample of 97 U.S. domestic violence programs, this study describes …

Maternal-Adolescent Communication About Sex And Risky Sexual Behaviors: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Of Czech, Spanish, And Taiwanese Youth, Mckinley Hall

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

This present study aimed to test the relationship between perceived maternal-adolescent communication about sex and risky sexual behaviors, while also considering the links between perceived maternal-adolescent closeness and maternal-adolescent conflict with risky sexual behaviors, across three culturally distinct countries, namely the Czech Republic (N=878, mean age of 17.93), Spain (N =1024, mean age of 18.79), and Taiwan (N =1443, mean age of 16.48). Samples of adolescents from each country were used and statistical analyses were conducted to test the hypothesized relationships. Based on path analysis carried out on each sample, the results revealed that Czech adolescents reported the highest levels …

Links Between Perceived Mother-Adolescent And Father-Adolescent Conflict And Low Self-Control: A Cross-National Comparative Study, Tory Thomas

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

The influence of parent-adolescent relationships and adolescent adjustment have been well-documented. Self-control has emerged as a key probabilistic construct in understanding adjustment, well-being, and life success. The present study tests the links between adolescent perceptions of maternal and paternal conflict and self-control. In addition, to understand the extent to which cultural developmental context impacts these associations, the study will employ a cross-cultural comparative lens to test whether cultural context moderates these links. Self-report data were collected from N = 4,924 adolescents (Mage = 16.97 years, 54.08% female) across four countries (China, Czech Republic, Turkey, and the United States). In by …

Testing The Psychometric Properties Of The Turkish Vesion Of The Lgbt Community Connectedness Scale, Yusuf Barburoğlu, S. Burcu Özgülük Üçok, Eda Çürükvelioğlu Köksal, Yuvamathi Gandhi, Pamela J. Lannutti

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The feeling of belonging to a community that adopts a protective stance for the well-being of its members is an essential human need. It is well known that LGBTQ+ people experience more stress than other social groups because of discrimination, stigmatization, and self-stigmatization. Therefore, their connectedness to the LGBTQ+ community functions crucially in receiving social support. However, no study in Türkiye has yet comprehensively investigated the community connectedness of people identifying as LGBTQ+. Thus, the current study adapted Frost and Meyer’s (2012) LGBT Community Connectedness Scale to Turkish. This scale was designed to measure the connectedness of LGBT individuals to …

Career Counselors Addressing Social Determinants Of Mental Health In Rural Communities, Kaprea F. Johnson, Alexandra Gant-Howrey, Bisola E. Duyile, Lauren B. Robins, Natese Dockery

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Career counselors practicing in rural communities must understand and address social determinants of mental health (SDOMH). This conceptual article details the relationships between SDOMH domains and employment and provides evidence-based recommendations for integrating SDOMH into practice through a rural community health and well-being framework. Description of the adaptation of the framework for career counselors in rural communities, SDOMH assessment strategies and tools, and workflow adjustments are included. Conclusions suggest next steps for practice and research.