Counseling Commons^™

Theoretical Exploration: Feederism And Precarious Manhood, Schneebeck

The Bear Counseling Collective

The internet provides a peek into the lives of niche communities that one might not otherwise encounter in daily life. Stumbling into a unique subculture can intrigue, befuddle, or even disturb the outside viewer. The traditional physical barriers between sexual fetishes and the outside world are diminished with a few clicks of the keyboard. One sexual fetish gaining internet traction, even outside of the explicitly adult online spaces, is that of feederism. Feederism’s growing infamy comes from its odd and extreme departure from what is considered “normal” – an overt sexualization of force feeding a partner with intent of weight …

Breaking The Cycle: Addressing The Stigma Of Non-Offending Individuals To Reduce The Risk Of Child Sexual Abuse, Olinda Moro López

The Bear Counseling Collective

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is a significant public health issue worldwide. Estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that 25% of girls and 5% of boys have experienced sexual abuse (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024). However, the CDC’s statistics only reflect criminal convictions of CSA cases. Notably, a 2011 meta-analysis comparing official CSA data from 217 studies with approximately 10 million self-reported samples revealed that prevalence rates could be as much as 30 times higher than official statistics suggest (Beier et al., 2024; Stoltenborgh et al., 2011). This discrepancy highlights significant under-detection and …

Theoretical Review: Finding The Light In Logotherapy, Lexi Lucas Moore

The Bear Counseling Collective

As humans, we face many forms of fire: the singe of a broken relationship, the smolder of death, and even the blaze of abuse. However, we endure the burn, and eventually, our resilience illuminates into hope. Viktor E. Frankl (1946) once said, “What is to give light must endure burning.” This tumultuous journey of rising from the ashes was familiar to Viktor, as it was a matter of his survival during his experience of the Holocaust. While imprisoned in concentration camps, Viktor developed logotherapy as a theoretical lens to promote freedom. With four universal tenants, the theory is an act …

Psychological Service Clinic: An Interview With Dr. Johnson, Leah K. Skelton

The Bear Counseling Collective

With the long wait list and high demand for mental health services, many people may have trouble finding affordable mental health services in the northern Colorado area. As director of the psychological services clinic, Dr. Johnson helped shed light on a service available in the Greeley community that many may not be aware of through the University of Northern Colorado’s Psychological Services Clinic (PSC). In an effort to help highlight this service, I sat down with Dr. Johnson to talk with him about what the PSC has to offer people in the community and the process of obtaining services.

Loneliness And The Experience Of Addiction And Recovery In Older Adults, Chalan Carpenter

The Bear Counseling Collective

Physical, emotional, and cognitive age-related changes are challenging processes for an individual to manage as they age. The aging population has higher rates of social isolation and feelings of loneliness (Haroutunian, 2016). While loneliness can be seen as an emotional experience, it also can be viewed as an age-related change. As individuals age, they will typically experience a decrease in relationships and social interaction. The experience of loneliness or isolation is a negative emotional experience which can affect a person’s ability to cope with stress and age-related changes, and to achieve developmental milestones. Through interviews with participants recovering from alcohol …

Advancing Children's Mental Health In Nevada, Kelliann Beavers, Christopher Kearney

Lincy Institute Events

Nevada ranks 51st nationally in youth mental health access and services, underscoring persistent shortages and disparities across the state. Nearly one in four youths aged 12–17 (23.5%) experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, and 73% did not receive treatment. Approximately 34,000 Nevada youths have reported suicidal thoughts—an urgent call for prevention and coordinated support.

During the 2024–2025 school year, 31.3% of Clark County School District students were chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), a challenge closely linked to mental health struggles and socioeconomic barriers.

This community forum provided an opportunity to generate dialogue and …

Cv: Lisa M. Brown (School Counseling/Clinical Mental Health Counseling), Lisa M. Brown

Psychology Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

The Progression Of Deinstitutionalization And Its Effects On The American South: A Judicial Analysis Of 20th-Century United States Supreme Court Decisions, Eva-Marie V. Jones

Honors College Theses

This thesis explores the effects of four landmark Supreme Court cases on the deinstitutionalization movement in the American south. Previous literature frequently discusses the legislative implications of this era; however, no law is applicable without the interpretation and application of the judiciary, which so often contextualizes the greater public perspective. Rarely has an analysis of judicial decisions involving psychiatric care merged with regional focus, and certainly not in a format accessible to the average individual.

From unmarked graves to abandoned infrastructure, the legacy of historic psychiatric care in the United States has been largely obscured – yet its consequences continue …

Three Good Things And Family Process, Julia Prouty

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

There is a need for adaptive and affordable prevention/intervention strategies to promote happiness, health, and well-being in families. Three Good Things (3GT) is a free exercise from the field of positive psychology meant to shift an individual’s focus and perceptions towards gratitude. 3GT promotes focusing on gratitude by reflecting on what an individual is grateful for from the past day/week. Persons are encouraged to write down and share their 3GT with another individual. A mindset of gratitude is closely associated with improved happiness, health, and well-being. The exercise of reflecting on 3GT is adaptive to most individuals/families. To date, most …

Development Of A Digital Career Literacy-Based Gamification Application To Improve Career Readiness Of Students With Special Needs, Agus Afriliyanto, Vesti Dwi Cahyaningrum, Ratna Wulandari, Mohamad Da'i

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

The development of digital technology has opened up new opportunities in education, including for students with special needs who often face obstacles in acquiring career skills, resulting in low career literacy and impacting their career readiness. This study aims to develop a digital career literacy-based gamification application as an innovative learning medium to improve the career readiness of students with special needs, with a scope covering design, development, and testing in accordance with their cognitive characteristics and learning needs. The study used a simplified Borg & Gall R&D model consisting of five stages, involving 30 students with special needs from …

Cognitive-Behavioral Psychoeducational Community Music Therapy For Enhancing Students’ Learning Motivation, Dominikus David Biondi Situmorang

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

Motivation is an important determinant for students’ academic achievement; however, many pupils report that their learning motivation decreases in particular prior to exams. Preventive steps, guidance and counseling teachers or school counselors reported lack of concentration, high anxiety, and low enthusiasm among high school students. This study investigated the utility of a Cognitive-Behavioral Psychoeducational Community Music Therapy Seminar/Workshop in improving students' motivation to learn before exams. A pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used with 213 senior high school students in Jakarta, Indonesia, aged between 15 to 18 years old. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was employed to assess …

Secondary Posttraumatic Stress Education Within Graudate Counseling Programs, Brandi S. Colesanti Phd

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

Secondary posttraumatic stress is a known occupational hazard for mental health counselors. Affecting approximately 49.5% of practicing counselors, it is a normal reaction to indirectly experiencing graphic stories (Lanier & Carney, 2024). Due to underdeveloped coping skills and limited experience working with traumatized individuals, counselors in training are especially vulnerable to its impact. Extant literature contains studies exploring the effects of secondary posttraumatic stress on graduate students, made and recommendations for self-care, resilience strategies, and therapeutic interventions to be integrated into graduate counseling curriculum to mitigate symptoms. Although studies demonstrated the effectiveness of these recommendations on symptom mitigation, no formal …

Tolerating Ambiguity: Counselor Educators' Perceptions Of Gatekeeping Administration, Matthew W. Bonner, Hsin-Ya Tang, Nathaniel Brown, Keenan Eldridge

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

In the counseling profession, gatekeeping is a legal, ethical, and accreditation mandate. Academic and clinical standards are straightforward about the significance of gatekeeping. However, there is a lack of clarity regarding counselor dispositions, policies, procedures, and processes for gatekeeping. This study explores the dispositional, interpersonal, and intrapersonal experiences of faculty in their engagement with the phenomenon of gatekeeping through the qualitative approach of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) with 12 (N = 12) diverse counselor educators. Findings indicate counselor educators’ significant experiences with vague dispositions, relationships, engagement of counselors-in-raining (CITs), supportive feedback, and faculty anxiety.

Reverberations Of 2020: The Role Of The U.S. Racial Reckoning On Multicultural Engagement In Counseling, Dr. Donya D. Wallace, Dr. Teceta Tormala, Dr. Shreya Vaishnav, Wen Guo

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The racial reckoning of 2020 and 2021 had profound effects on people. This study uses a retrospective design to examine differences in critical consciousness prior to 2020 and contemporarily among counseling students and professionals and whether critical consciousness predicts multicultural competence. Participants reported their current level of multicultural competence, and pre-2020 (retrospective) and current (contemporary) levels of critical reflection, critical motivation, critical action, and race-based critical consciousness. Participants reported higher levels on the contemporary critical consciousness measures than their retrospective assessments, suggesting that the high-impact events of 2020 raised their critical consciousness. There was no relationship between the critical consciousness …

9th Gsep Research Symposium - 2025

GSEP Research Symposium

The Ninth Annual GSEP Research Symposium, themed "Building Bridges to Elevate Humanity: Innovations and Insights in Education and Psychology", was hosted by the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) on June 19–20, 2025, at the historic Château d’Hauteville in Switzerland and virtually via Zoom.

This hybrid symposium convened a vibrant global community of students, alumni, faculty, and scholars to share research that addresses real-world challenges, advances scholarly inquiry, and builds pathways for inclusive collaboration and leadership. Spanning a wide array of topics—from artificial intelligence and mental health to trauma-informed practices, educational equity, social justice, and cross-cultural leadership—the …

Digital Learning And Healing: Impacts Of Ai In Art Therapy, Cassandra E. Buffington-Bates

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Art therapy, a creative approach to mental and emotional healing, is evolving with digital technologies to improve accessibility and care. This paper explores how artificial intelligence (AI) enhances art therapy by fostering emotional intelligence, collaboration, and personalized interventions. It highlights AI’s potential to support therapy while addressing challenges like empathy, data privacy, and training gaps. Through a literature review, the study offers insights into integrating AI with human-centered practices, providing innovative solutions for emotional and cognitive well-being.

Assessing The Impact Of Therapeutic Alliance On Client Satisfaction And Unilateral Termination Reasons, Eric Washington

Dissertations

Unilateral termination is a pervasive issue that has persisted since the inception of mental health services. The act of terminating needed services impacts not only on the client but also the provider, community, family, and stakeholders. The therapeutic alliance established during the counseling process is a well-established predictor of outcome in mental health services. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between unilateral termination reasons, satisfaction, and working alliance. A total of 390 participants responded to the online survey resulting in the descriptive results of Working Alliance Inventory-12 (M = 3.93, SD = .83), Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-4 …

Development Of A Career Awareness Board Game Based On Augmented Reality For Generation Z Students, Caraka Putra Bhakti, Difa Ardiyanti, Agus Ria Kumara, Muhammad Alfarizqi Nizamuddin Ghiffari

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

The purpose of this research is to develop an augmented reality-based career awareness board game for Generation Z students. The current development of the era demands that Generation Z have a good career. In reality, currently, there are still many Generation Z students in schools who do not have the skills, competencies, and awareness to have an optimal career. One important thing that Generation Z students need to have is career awareness. Having career awareness will help someone recognise their career needs based on their competencies, talents, and interests. Developing career awareness can be achieved through guidance and counselling services. …

The Addition Of Chinese Herbal Medicines Is Effective As A Prophylactic Treatment Against Dental Diseases For Sjögren’S Syndrome Patients: Insight From Real-World Database, Ching-Ya Juan, Wei-Jen Chen, Hanoch Livneh, Ming-Chi Lu, Tzung-Yi Tsai

Leadership, Learning and Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background and Objectives:

Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the salivary glands and increases the risk of developing dental diseases (DDs). Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) represent a promising alternative strategy for SS treatment; however, the association between CHMs and DD risk has not been confirmed. In this retrospective, cohort-based, nested case-control study, we explored whether or not combining CHMs with routine treatments for SS can reduce the chance of DDs.

Materials and Methods:

In the beginning, we recruited subjects aged 20–80 years with newly diagnosed SS who were free of DDs between 2001 and …

Music And The Journey Of Black Male Phd Graduates In Counseling, Vincent Sears

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Black male PhD graduates from CACREP- accredited counseling education programs who are now professors within the academy. It examined the integration of music as a coping mechanism to address the psychological impact of isolation, tokenism, and hypervisibility connected to attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs/ HWIs). Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and participants shared bespoke musical playlists. The results of this study revealed three overarching themes and associated sub-themes: the impact of racism and systemic barriers (structural barriers and racial inequities); navigating predominantly or historically white institutions; and music as …

Are There Acculturative Differences Between Mono & Multiethnic Families, Jose R. Rodriguez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines the differences in acculturation experiences between multiethnic and monoethnic Latino adolescents. Using a correlational quantitative design with multiple regression analyses, data was collected online from 100 participants (minors and adults) affiliated with the Spanish Eastern District of the Assemblies of God in the U.S. Northeast Corridor. The study found that age significantly predicted ethnic identity exploration, accounting for 21% of the variance: individuals aged 16–17 and 18–21 scored higher than those aged 13–15, while gender, ethnicity, and their interactions were not significant. For identity resolution, age (13–15 group) and gender emerged as significant predictors in a model …

The Quality Of Life Of Mothers Of Severely Autistic Children Under The Age Of 22: A Preliminary Study, Chele J. Weiglein

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of autism in the United States is 1 in 31 individuals. Out of that number, 27% are children with severe autism and potentially profound comorbidities that require 24-hour surveillance due to their severe symptomology. The primary caregivers for these children are their mothers, and research shows that mothers are subjected to multiple stressors that result from providing a high level of care for their children. These stresses include emotional, social, financial, adjusting to new roles, trauma, and changes in family dynamics, which impact multiple domains of life, including …

Therapeutic Day Treatment Counselors’ Perspective Of Parental Engagement And Involvement, Dominique Rose Lynn Woods

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was to describe Therapeutic Day Treatment Counselors' (TDTCs) lived experiences with parental engagement and involvement (PEI) for TDTCs, within their professional collaborations in Virginia. The study focused on a specific aspect of TDTC’s lived experience: their perspective of PEI. Several theories were reviewed as a foundation for research development. Bronfenbrenner's (1979) Ecological Systems Theory has been an essential component of the research, as it emphasized that a child's development involves multiple elements of their environmental and social systems. Stroul and Friedman's (1986) Systems of Care Theory provided a foundation for understanding …

Understanding Of The Disclosure Of Child Sexual Abuse: A Phenomenological Research Design, Virginie Charles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the lived experience of those survivors of CSA through social media platforms. Social media platforms have become one of the best options for survivors to share their stories without revealing their identities. As a result, the researcher invited the users of social media platforms to participate in an interview to share their stories. The theory guided by this study of understanding the lived experience of this individual was the Social Ecological Model (SEM) and psychoeducational intervention through Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). SEM aimed to understand how the child’s environment affects …

Describing The Lived Experiences Of Professional School Counselors: Providing And Advocating For Services To Address Childhood Trauma, Toawondia T. Underwood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The professional school counselor’s role is to enhance student success by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program. Professional school counselors often focus on addressing the needs of students impacted by trauma, who exhibit increased absences, behavioral challenges, and diminished academic performance. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology study was to understand the lived experiences of professional school counselors providing and advocating for services to address childhood trauma. The American School Counselor (ASCA) National Model served as the structural framework, and the theory guiding this study was Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. The research engaged 15 practicing professional school counselors from …

Prevalence Of Work Stress On Marital Stability Of Married Lecturers In University Of Ilorin, Modupe Gbemisola Fatoye, Foluke Nike Bolu-Steve

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study investigated the prevalence of work stress and its impact on marital stability among married lecturers at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. A descriptive correlational survey design was employed, and 100 married lecturers were selected through a multistage sampling technique across five faculties. Data were gathered using a researcher-designed instrument titled “Work Stress and Marital Stability Questionnaire (WSMSQ),” which demonstrated strong reliability with a Cronbach Alpha coefficient of 0.81. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, independent samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA, were used to analyze the data at a 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed a significant …

Enhancing Students’ Self-Confidence From Disharmonious Families Through Group Guidance With Sociodrama Technique, Drajat Edy Kurniawan, Almadia Qosita Janah Saputri

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

Adolescence is a developmental phase full of challenges, particularly for students from disharmonious family backgrounds who are vulnerable to low self-confidence. This study aims to enhance students’ self-confidence through group guidance services using the sociodrama technique at a public junior high school in Yogyakarta. The research employed a quantitative approach with a one-group pretest–posttest design. The subjects consisted of six eighth-grade students identified as coming from disharmonious families and having low self-confidence. The instrument used was a self-confidence scale that included indicators of belief in one’s abilities, courage to express opinions, and ability to face challenges. Data were analyzed using …

Experiences With Social Media Social Comparison In Women Ages 18-28: A Qualitative Study, Olivia Oakley Dr.

Dissertations

This qualitative study aimed to understand young women’s experience using social media and their reported mental health connections, such as self-esteem and comparison. As inferred in recent research, a wide range of social media content is being produced and consumed, from promoting the “thin ideal” to newer campaigns advocating for body positivity (Cohen et al., 2019, Grabe et al., 2008; Groesz et al., 2002). In a time where there is so much online content to consume, it is important to continue to evaluate the lived experiences of those using social media. This phenomenological qualitative research captured the lived experiences of …

Will Anyone Play With Me? Building Resilience Through Community Play With Transgender And Gender Diverse Young Adults, Lee Lebeda

Expressive Therapies Theses

The recent increase in anti-trans legislature in the United States has negatively impacted the mental health of transgender young adults nationwide. Current research suggests that creative expression in a group setting may be uniquely suited to help transgender people combat the negative mental health effects of internalized anti-trans messaging. Based on this research, a community engagement project was designed for transgender young adult participants to explore resilience building through drama therapy-informed community play. Three play-based support groups, facilitated by a drama therapy graduate student who identified as a peer to the participants, were offered to transgender young adults in their …

Black Somatic Liberatory Practices: The Africanist Aesthetic In Psychotherapeutic Movement Observation, Ebony Nichols

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

This critical ethnographic qualitative study explored Black body-based healing practices and coping strategies used to resist and titrate the impact of racism and oppression. It also examined how Black individuals use their bodies to regulate their nervous systems to heal and cultivate liberatory practices. Grounded in theoretical frameworks such as Black Psychology, African Indigenous Healing Systems, Liberation Psychology, and Critical Race Theory, this research investigated the intersections of Black Aesthetics, Psychology, and the body through the lens of the Africanist Aesthetic. The study employed interaction analysis and reflexive thematic analysis to analyze non-verbal and verbal data collected from two focus …