Counseling Commons^™

The State Of Sexuality Counseling Training In Counselor Education, Amber L. Pope, Matt B. Siroty, Stefan Vasic, Julia Lancaster

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Sexuality counseling training remains underdeveloped and lacks standardization across counselor education programs in the United States. We examined the integration of sexuality counseling in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) programs. Out of 191 CMHC programs, 45% offered a standalone course and only 15.2% required one. We also performed summative and latent content analyses on the course descriptions to review the primary content of sexuality counseling courses. Content analysIs revealed course content largely focusing on sex positivity and inclusivity, though invalidating and potentially stigmatizing language persists. We conclude with implications for counselor education and future directions for research.

A Sex-Positive, Contextual Approach To Children’S Sexual Development, Ben T. Willis, Leah G. Talarico, Amber Pope

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Sexuality is a multifaceted topic that many counselors feel under-equipped to handle with their clients. Working with sexual aspects is often avoided, especially with younger clients. The purpose of this conceptual article is to provide a framework for understanding and working with children on sexuality-related topics. A positive, contextualized approach to sexuality is offered to understand, assess, and intervene with different developmental levels. We conclude with a case study to demonstrate application of the contextualized model in family counseling.

A Time To Build And A Time To Break: Processing Grief Through Art With Older Adults, Kasriel Zlochower Linzer

Expressive Therapies Theses

Grief comes in many forms and is an expected part of living as an emotion-oriented being. Within this framework exists forms of grief most commonly understood and accepted in society and others that often go under the radar, especially for older adults. A wealth of literature exists for the exploration of grief and a sizeable subsection in grief around older adulthood, but few explore a breadth of grief-based experiences through the lens of art therapy in an assisted living environment. This thesis explores how arts-based directives can be used to process grief with older adults in an assisted living setting. …

Beyond Stigma: Role Theory And Drama Therapy In Reentry And Rehabilitation, Mackenzee Donham-Stradling

Expressive Therapies Theses

To be system-impacted often means facing stigmatization. The experience of incarceration is profoundly dehumanizing, eroding self-worth and identity. This thesis examines the application of a 3-week drama therapy method for formerly incarcerated women residing in a transitional facility with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. This project integrated a drama therapy framework with Robert Landy’s Role Theory to create a method aimed at assisting formerly incarcerated clients in expanding their role repertoire and discarding those roles that perpetuate their disempowerment. This thesis begins with a literature review of role in drama therapy, the experiences of incarcerated women in the …

Couples In The Playspace: Community Engagement With Developmental Transformations, Amanda Roberts

Expressive Therapies Theses

Couple therapy is an evolving field in the modern therapeutic landscape. With that evolution comes an opportunity to study the application of drama therapy with couples. Although there is limited evidence supporting the use of drama therapy with couples, there is no research on the use of Developmental Transformations (DvT), a play-based improvised form of drama therapy, with couples. As a first step in exploring this gap, this community engagement project invited two monogamous couples to engage in two separate brief DvT sessions. Given that this project was community-oriented rather than clinical, the focus of this capstone was self-reflective in …

Practical Jokes: A Drama Therapy Process Between Comedians, Therapists, And Those Affected By Grief/Loss On The Ongoing Development Of Therapeutic Humor, Abby T. Michel

Expressive Therapies Theses

Previous studies on humor in therapy suggest that some types of humor are more beneficial than others. This author found humor to be an essential part of coping with the loss of her mother and wondered why humor is broken down into good and bad parts, when humor can be subjective and dependent on culture and context. Using Robert Landy’s Role Theory and Dintino’s theory of Playing with the Unplayable, the author aimed to neutralize humor by exploring the roles that humor plays in therapy and hoped to find a practical definition of humor that could be appropriate in a …

How Can Art Therapy Help Veterans And Service Members With Ptsd? A Literature Review, Shira Espo

Expressive Therapies Theses

This paper seeks to research the usefulness of art therapy with veterans and service members with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Theoretically, art therapy is thought to work by allowing access to non-verbal memories to be expressed and transformed into a trauma narrative, to be stored in memory in a way that does not interfere with daily life the way PTSD symptoms do. The method used is a literature review, which studied research articles about art therapy being used to treat veterans and service members with PTSD. Other included topics are the history of PTSD, current theories about PTSD and the …

Embedded Roots: Exploring Healing Through Digital Storytelling: Application And Training, Joselyn M. Carvalho

Expressive Therapies Theses

This review examines digital and expressive storytelling in a clinical, community-based health center, focusing on its impact and relationship with trauma. Existing research has explored how digital storytelling serves as an intervention for addressing intergenerational trauma, trauma transmission, identity development, and social systems affecting youth. This community engagement project integrates these ideas with reflections from clinicians, exploring how clinicians' involvement in digital storytelling may influence care, confidence, and cultural understanding. Theories central to this research include Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and systems-based awareness maps, which help examine the broader systems that influence youth as they develop their narratives. The transmission …

Playing With Fire: Exploring Burnout In The Mental Health Field Through Developmental Transformations Play, Abigail E. Dufresne

Expressive Therapies Theses

Although professionals from many different fields experience the phenomenon of burnout, it is especially prevalent amongst human service workers. This is concerning because it not only impacts the professionals themselves, but potentially also the clients they work with. Burnout is a complex phenomenon due to the variability of each individual and workplace; however, it is commonly characterized by exhaustion, cynicism/depersonalization, and a reduced sense of professional efficacy. This community engagement project sought to gain deeper insight into burnout by exploring the lived experience of mental health professionals using the drama therapy technique of Developmental Transformations (DvT). The research consisted of …

More Than Dress-Up: A Literature Review Of The Function Of Costume In Drama Therapy, Bretny M. Seamon

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review examined the role of costume as a therapeutic tool in drama therapy; an area that, despite its potential, remains underexplored. The studies located focused on how costume may facilitate identity exploration and emotional expression. The paper synthesized existing literature on drama therapy's core processes, particularly embodiment and dramatic projection, while expanding the definition of costume to include masks and puppets. The literature illuminated the psychological and cultural significance of dress and identity, with studies that investigated how costume influenced both self-perception and external perception. The literature addressed the evolution of costume use in virtual therapy settings, illustrating …

Exploring Dance/Movement Therapy Through An Existential-Feminist Lens For Perimenopausal Individuals In The Post-Covid Digital Age: A Literature Review, Karen Schmitz

Expressive Therapies Theses

The goal of this thesis was to understand the impact that perimenopause and the COVID-19 pandemic have on individuals and how existential theory and dance/movement therapy can be applied to enhance quality of life. The literature review first explores historical and current contexts of perimenopause. The second section covers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on caregiving individuals, particularly women. Subsequent sections introduce existential theory and dance/movement therapy frameworks, with a concentration on relevant concepts for the specified population. Research shows that during the COVID-19 pandemic, external pressures around appearance, reproductive value, and the societal expectations of women intensified. Overall, …

Therapeutic Alliance In Psychotherapy And Multidimensional Relationship In Drama Therapy: In And Out Of Dramatic Reality, Erin R. Burdete

Expressive Therapies Theses

Abstract

The therapeutic alliance is a well-studied, empirically based phenomenon with much research evidencing its importance in successful therapy. The triadic multi-dimensional relationship present in drama therapy, one of the seven core processes at work in drama therapy, has been identified as a significant agent contributing to the client’s therapeutic change. However, no data specifically compares the therapeutic alliance to the multi-dimensional relationship. As a foundational base for further exploration, this research project, qualitative and self-reflective, explored specific moments of connection between therapist and child client within two sessions. This research was presented from data recorded in journaling, thematic analysis, …

Dance/Movement Therapy As A Potential Complimentary Treatment For Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: A Literature Review, Ashley H. Marsden

Expressive Therapies Theses

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a debilitating condition predominantly affecting younger individuals, marked by extreme heart rate fluctuations, fatigue, and cognitive disturbances. This literature review explores the multifaceted nature of POTS, emphasizing the need for effective management strategies that incorporate both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. It highlights the promising role of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) as a complementary treatment, which fosters emotional expression and enhances physical well-being. By synthesizing current research on POTS, pharmacological options, and innovative non-pharmacological therapies like DMT, this review advocates for a holistic approach to POTS management that recognizes the complexities of the disorder and addresses …

As If We Could Get Along: Dramatic Reality’S Influence On The Prosociality Of Adolescent Boys With Problematic Sexual Behavior, Joel David Bender

Expressive Therapies Theses

There is a strong need for novel treatment approaches for adolescents with problematic sexual behavior (PSB), considering that historically, treatment approaches for adult sex offenders have been blindly applied to youth. Adolescent boys with PSB are at risk for poor treatment outcomes when they engage in anti-social behaviors and group hostility. Dramatic reality, a core process in drama therapy, may assist in transforming the experience of boys in their capacity to exhibit prosocial behavior, given that dramatic reality inherently augments reality. This community arts workshop used purposive sampling in a day treatment center for adolescent boys with PSB and explored …

Communing With Lions: A Critical Literature Review Exploring Pan-Asian Lion Dance Traditions Through The Lens Of Expressive Arts Therapy, Sarah T. Ngo

Expressive Therapies Theses

Lion dancing is a cultural art form practiced in numerous Asian and Asian diasporic cultures across the world. While the dance has been studied both in a historical and ethnographic manner, little research exists on its therapeutic benefits. This capstone thesis explores lion dancing through the lens of the expressive arts therapies to uncover the therapeutic factors underlying the practice. It applies the Chadian dance/movement therapy framework as well as various expressive arts therapy frameworks to the lion dance. The literature review indicates that lion dancing has the potential to be therapeutic in a number of ways, which include: 1) …

Collage As A Facilitator Of Connection And Belonging: An Application Of Art Therapy With Sgm Clients, Noa L. Shems

Expressive Therapies Theses

This research explored themes of connection and belonging in SGM clients in individual art therapy sessions through the medium of collage. An arts-based research method was developed utilizing the medium of collage in session with clients, followed with reflective response collages and journaling to analyze the data observed. Across 5 art therapy sessions, clients engaging in collage facilitated deeper therapeutic rapport and safety, enhanced a sense of connection with the self, and helped to process barriers and desires around clients’ close relationships.

Counseling Guided Manual: Using Cbt To Reduce Media Addiction And Depression Symptoms, Grace Halverson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This group manual is focused on media addiction, which is defined as the excessive and compulsive need to use any form of media despite negative consequences to people’s social, academic, and work life (Sherer, 2024). The focus of this group will be on people with internet and social media addiction. However, members will be able to self-report any form of media addiction. The members will self-report their depression symptoms. These symptoms will be assessed using Young’s Internet Addiction Test and Beck’s Depression Inventory-II on the first and last sessions to measure treatment effectiveness (Young, 2016) & (Beck et al., 1996). …

Childhood Experiences Of Care, Emotional Abuse And Self-Esteem Among University Students, Shaymaa Riyadh Harbi, Yousef Jamal

Effat Undergraduate Research Journal

Childhood abuse is a global issue with deep-rooted consequences. In addition, childhood abuse causes stress associated with early mental health interruption. Child abuse also causes children to suffer and can lead to long-term outcomes such as low self-esteem in their teenage years. Thus, this work has examined the relationship between childhood experience and self-esteem. The sample population of this work was comprised of public and private university students from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The sample size of this work was 155 students. Data collection was done using self-administered questionnaire. In addition, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) and Family Relationship in Childhood Questionnaire …

Exploring Self-Portraiture As A Means Of Centering Sessions With A Resistant Client, Brenna L. Almborough

Expressive Therapies Theses

This study intended to explore how self-portraiture could be used in a therapeutic setting as a means of processing self-identity, increasing self-confidence, and working through defenses to center the session on the participant. The findings of increased independent artistic engagement, shift in contact, and increased authenticity reflect the work done with a single client in a therapeutic setting. This methodology utilized a client-centered approach, and each directive was tailored to the participant. A variety of portraits were used, ranging from abstract to representational, as a means of continuously exploring the way the participant viewed themself.

Dying Young, Brianne L. Overton

Dissertations

Death, often perceived as a disruption to daily life, is an inevitable part of the human experience. While older adults may develop familiarity with mortality through the collective experience of personal and familial losses, young adults generally have limited exposure to death. Despite this, young adults, defined as individuals aged 20 to 34, represent approximately 20% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020), and the mortality rate within this age group has been rising over the past decade (Woolf & Schoomaker, 2019). Death among young adults is often overlooked in societal narratives and medical research, which primarily focus on …

A Tobacco Treatment Training Program Expands The Number Of Healthcare Providers Trained To Use Evidence-Based Practices And Methods, Alex Hurst, Maher Karam-Hage, Jennifer Cofer, Mehwish Javaid, Diane Beneventi, Janice Blalock, Tiffany Winter, Paul M. Cinciripini, Ernest Hawk

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Tobacco-use disorder remains a global health challenge, despite declining rates, and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, especially among special populations that disproportionally do not have access to comprehensive treatment services. The lack of trained providers and slow dissemination of new tobacco treatment knowledge are obstacles to accessing comprehensive evidence-based treatments. Less is known about the impact of specialized training programs on healthcare professionals' ability to effectively treat tobacco use. This paper reports on the evaluation of the tobacco treatment training program, training methodology, and the demographics of the specialists trained.

MD Anderson’s Tobacco Treatment Training Program (TTTP) …

The Mindful Way: A Mindfulness Psychoeducational Group For Latinx College Students, Karen A. Morales

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have extensively studied mindfulness as a promising intervention that can aid college students in managing stressors. Unfortunately, researchers have underrepresented minority populations like Latinx college students in mindfulness literature. The Mindful Way (TMW) is a culturally responsive psychoeducational group program that aims to close the gap in the literature. The pre-test and post-test of TMW program measures student’s tendency to practice mindfulness, their personal and academic resilience, degree of self-compassion, emotion regulation skills, problematic alcohol consumption, and symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, before and after participating in the program. The hypothesis of the present study is …

Differentiated Instruction For Students With Special Needs: “How Can We Better Equip Students, School Systems, And Society For Differentiated Instruction For Students With Special Needs In Career And Technical Educational Environments?”, Mikala A. Highsmith

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Career and Technical Education (CTE) plays a vital role in preparing students for the demands of the modern workforce by providing essential knowledge, technical skills, and industry-recognized certifications. As the number of students with disabilities, including neurodivergent learners, continues to rise, CTE programs face increasing pressure to adopt innovative, inclusive educational practices. Integrating creative teaching strategies and leveraging technology are now critical tools in addressing diverse learning needs that promote effective classroom management and enhance student engagement. Moreover, CTE programs emphasize the development of professional competencies, workforce protocols, and transferable skills that strengthen students’ employability across industries. This paper examines …

Development Of The Integrated-Cultural Well-Being Index (Icwi): A Content Validity & Inter-Rater Reliability Study With Experts In Clinical Mental-Health Counseling, Brandon L. Selby

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This dissertation study developed and validated the Integrated-Cultural Well-Being Index (ICWI), a psychological measurement that assessed well-being across both Individualist-Cultural (IC) and Collectivist-Cultural (CC) dimensions. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) model, the ICWI was conceptualized to reflect the multidimensional nature of well-being in modern integrated societies, where cultural boundaries are increasingly fluid. The ICWI consists of ten latent dimensions of well-being: self-determination, social relationships, self-enhancement, self-contentment, cultural identity, cultural coping skills, communalism, cultural spirituality, life satisfaction, and mental health.

A three-phase expert validation process was conducted, employing both content validity and inter-rater reliability methodologies. Content validity was assessed using …

Who Cares For The Caregivers? How Dance And Movement Can Benefit Caregiving Parents Of Children With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities: A Literature Review, Haley E. Gilbert

Expressive Therapies Theses

Caregiver parents of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) are not able to care for themselves as often as they should be able to for their own mental and physical wellness due to their caregiving responsibilities that often carry into adulthood. These can lead to anxiety, depression, grief, and dysregulation for the parent. Dance and movement practices have been found to relieve the symptoms of these experiences while helping the child with IDD and the parent connect more, building stronger relationships. This thesis will include a comprehensive literature review of body-based theories such as the Polyvagal Theory (Polyvagal Institute, 2025), Bowlby’s …

Navigating Eating Disorders Through Counseling, Alyssa M. Pelella

Senior Honors Theses

Many different characteristics are involved in eating disorders, each of which helps show that counseling is important to the recovery process. An eating disorder that goes untreated can lead to a higher degree of symptoms over time, like the use of waist trainers, laxatives, and calorie counting. These factors can cause guilt in an individual and can hinder relationships. Males are often overlooked in eating disorder instances, as is the Napoleon complex. Athletes are typically at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder as they are constantly working out, and many times are focused on a goal to fit …

A Qualitative Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Individuals Whose Parents Or Grandparents Had/Have Substance Abuse Issues In The Midwest, Brandie Lee Gaudet

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study focused on the lived experiences of individuals being raised by individuals who had/have substance abuse issues in the Midwest region of the United States of America. A closer look at this topic offered new insight into treatment and resources for adult children raised by parents/grandparents (collectively “parents”) with substance abuse issues (“SAI”) and how the parents’ substance abuse issues compromised the behavioral health outcomes of the adult children and affected the parents’ parenting outcomes. Understanding the role of family systems theory in adaptive and maladaptive behaviors is essential when formulating a plan to help individuals’ negatively impacted by …

The Church’S Response Post Grey Divorce: A Phenomenological Study Of Evangelical Men Experiencing Grey Divorce And The Implications For Faith And Post-Divorce Adjustment, Randall Rush

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In 1990 one out of every ten divorces involved an individual over the age of fifty. By 2010, that number had climbed to one out of every four divorces. As of 2019, one in three people getting divorced in the United States was aged fifty or older. Termed by researchers as “grey divorce,” this phenomenon is expected to grow as demographic shifts reveal an increasing older adult population with longer life expectancies. These later-life divorces have psychosocial and economic negative consequences on the individual. Divorcing later-life men and women share a number of these negative consequences, but there is gender-based …

Understand The Power Of Resilient Adult Survivors Of Childhood Neglect, Sheena Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of adults from New York (NY) and New Jersey (NJ) who have overcome adverse childhood experiences and describe their experiences in becoming resilient. Adverse childhood experiences have been linked to various health disparities, including depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and physical health concerns. However, limited research focuses specifically on resilience among survivors of childhood neglect and adversity. The study investigated the subjective experiences of adults residing in New York and New Jersey who have experienced high levels of ACEs, including neglect and abandonment. The study answered the following …

The Ties That Bind: Co-Twin Influences On Psychopathology In A Sample Of Twins, Anjoli E. R. Cero

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research has begun to better describe twinship and twin identity development, the potential advantages and disadvantages of twinship, and factors related to twins’ shared psychological symptomatology. Research also supports the concept of emotional contagion, in which one person’s emotional state can be transmitted to another person. This phenomenon may be more common among twins due to factors such as closeness, dependence, and general similarity. The current study proposed a series of regression models to investigate how predictive pathways toward anxiety among a sample of twins could be impacted by the psychological traits and functioning of their co-twins. The current sample …