Counseling Commons^™

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of African American Millennial Couples' Perceptions Of Dual Trauma And The Impact On Marital Satisfaction, Christopher Ray Merrell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe African American millennial married couples’ experiences with unresolved trauma in the North Texas Region, Texas. The theory guiding this study is John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory. Multiple traumatic experiences and relationship fractures that inhibit marital satisfaction among African American millennials are also examined. Trauma, viewed from a generalized perspective and conceptual form, is defined as an uncontrollable and sudden event with highly adverse outcomes that may persist. Among African Americans, trauma from interpersonal distress, historical events, racial barriers, and socioeconomic stressors often hinders the pursuit of healthy marriages. This study examines millennial …

A Phenomenological Study Of Thai Adult Christians’ Experiences Of A Secure Attachment To God, Sujirat Sirichai

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe Thai adult Christians’ experiences of developing a secure attachment to God. Many Thai children experience insecure attachments with their primary caregivers and attachment trauma. This study was guided by attachment theory to examine how attachment to primary caregivers, life crises, and relational and spiritual factors influenced the development of a secure attachment to God. This research used a transcendental phenomenological approach with a snowball sample of eight Thai adult Christians who demonstrate a secure attachment to God. Data collected through semi-structured interviews were analyzed through coding. Data analysis revealed six themes …

The Shared Experiences Of Learning Forgiveness Of Oneself Using The Reach Forgiveness Model For Those With Chronic Illnesses And Disabilities, Diane Delezene Browers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to understand the shared lived experiences of disabled persons after using self-forgiveness coping skills. The theory guiding this study is Lazarus and Folkman’s stress and coping theory, which explores the ability of a person to manage stressors when the mind is overwhelmed and the ability to cope with stress falters. Furthermore, the stress and coping model of forgiveness, which was developed lessen stress by using forgiveness as a coping strategy, and critical disability theory are foundational to this study with specific relation to chronic illness, mental health, and ableism. The principal …

A Trial Of Resilience: From A Work Of Art To A Work Of Heart, Elizabeth Marie Sundquist

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

In A Trial of Resilience: From A Work of Art to a Work of Heart, I will be exploring my growth as both an ever evolving human and as a school counselor. During my time in graduate school I have had many opportunities to reflect on my own journey through my learning through literature and my hands-on working experience with my students who I lovingly refer to as my kids. Through hope, determination, resilience, and a splash of creativity I reflect on my life journey to the present day. I chose the title to reflect on my own mental health …

A Trial Of Resilience: From A Work Of Art To A Work Of Heart, Elizabeth Marie Sundquist

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

In A Trial of Resilience: From A Work of Art to a Work of Heart, I will be exploring my growth as both an ever evolving human and as a school counselor. During my time in graduate school I have had many opportunities to reflect on my own journey through my learning through literature and my hands-on working experience with my students who I lovingly refer to as my kids. Through hope, determination, resilience, and a splash of creativity I reflect on my life journey to the present day. I chose the title to reflect on my own mental health …

Family Support And Counseling: Predicting Family Relationship Quality And Self-Management In Women With Epilepsy, Tiffany A. Winch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, can impede many aspects of daily life for individuals diagnosed with it (Beghi, 2020; Kanner & Bicchi, 2022). The problem is that women with epilepsy may struggle with family relationships and epilepsy self-management, and it is not known to what extent family support and epilepsy counseling ameliorate this detriment. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the extent to which family support and epilepsy counseling predict family relationship quality and epilepsy self-management among women who suffer from the condition. Surveys measuring the variables family support, epilepsy counseling experience, family …

Chrononutrition: A Beginner’S Guide For Mental Health Professionals, Jerrod Brown Phd, Ma, Ms, Ms, Ms, Ms, Ms, Jeremiah Schimp Phd, Ma, Lpcc, Leanne Skehan Dcn, Msacn, Mph, Mba, Shelley Mydra Dmft, Lmft, Jonathan Ward Dc, Phd(C), Ms, Dibcn, Kelly Rain Collin Ed.M.

Nutritional Neurocriminology Today

Chrononutrition focuses on how nutritional timing influences biological rhythms (Castro-Mata et al., 2025; Kim et al., 2025; Raji et al., 2024). This includes examining how dietary patterns (e.g., timing, frequency, and regularity) affect the circadian system and metabolic health (Cart & Pauling, 2025; Juliana et al., 2023; Negri et al., 2025). Sleep schedule, shift work, substance use, malnutrition, and other external factors, which will be discussed in this article, can disrupt the circadian rhythm. This disruption increases the risk for serious mental health problems (Baron & Reid, 2014; Castro-Mata et al., 2025; Franzago et al., 2023). Alternatively, consistent and nutritious …

Who's Qualified? Examining Attorney Perspectives On Lpcs In The Legal System, Becca Wilson, Bernave Vega

Posters - 2026

Legal cases frequently intersect with mental health concerns, positioning Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) to contribute clinical expertise in custody disputes, trauma documentation, and psychological functioning. As mental health issues become increasingly central to both civil and criminal proceedings, the working relationship between attorneys and counselors carries real consequences for clients, yet LPCs entering legal settings often face challenges related to role clarity, courtroom preparation, and professional credibility. Existing research has focused primarily on counselors' forensic experiences, leaving attorney perspectives on LPC involvement largely unexplored. This gap is meaningful, as attorneys serve as gatekeepers to expert involvement and their perceptions of …

Heroes Of Medicine In The Rio Grande Valley: Documentary Interview With Dr. Cynthia Cavazos Gonzalez, Cynthia Cavazos Gonzalez, Raquel Elena Orellana

Heroes of Medicine in the Rio Grande Valley

Cynthia Cavazos Gonzalez PhD is an Associate Professor of Clinical Practice at UTRGV in Edinburg, Texas and she is the clinic director of the UTRGV Psychology training clinic. She completed a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology in Fresno, California. Her doctoral degree is in Clinical Psychology with a major specialization in Neuropsychology and minor specialization in Health Psychology. She completed an APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at UTMB in Galveston with a major emphasis in hospital consultation, outpatient psychotherapy, and psychological and neuropsychological evaluations with diverse populations. She completed an informal neuropsychology post-doctoral residency in Texas …

The Lived Experiences Of Master's Level Counselors In Professional Counseling Association Leadership, Catalina R. Kraft

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Leadership and advocacy are essential for all counselors (Lewis, 2022; McKibben, 2016; Paradise et al., 2010; Sweeney, 2022). However, within research and professional counseling associations, there appears to be a bias in which counselor educators are the expected, default leaders within the counseling profession (Burns, 2015; Kleist, 2018; Speciale & Goodrich, 2020). While counselor educators may have experience as counselors, they primarily work in academia, so their experiences do not authentically represent the needs of professional counselors. Counseling leaders need to represent and understand the people they serve: counselors. Therefore, this study sought to understand the lived experiences of master’s …

From Adolescence To Adulthood: The Impact Of Parental Support, Resilience, Academic Motivation, And Mental Health In Black Women & Girls: A Multi-Manuscript Dissertation, Jessica Mikaja Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

Fatherlessness in the Black community is a growing phenomenon that has been widely studied. Although this has been widely studied, there is limited literature that focuses on Black adolescent girls and Black women in early adulthood, more specifically, high school age and college aged women. The literature that has been previously published presents an overwhelmingly negative connotation when connecting Black girls and absent fathers. This multi-manuscript dissertation consists of two studies, both of which explore the impact of fatherlessness on resilience, parental support, and academic motivation, and mental health of Black girls and women. For the first study, I employed …

Careers In A Box: A Promising Career Exploration Curriculum For Rural Youth, Kristine M. Ramsay-Seaner, Amber Letcher, Elizabeth Koob, Meagan Scott Hoffman, Laura Hasselquist

The Rural Educator

This article highlights a career exploration curriculum that was developed to support the vocational guidance needs of school counselors working in six rural, high-need communities in North Dakota and South Dakota. Based on social cognitive career theory, Careers in a Box was created to bridge existing gaps in career exploration curricula for rural middle school youth. This grab-and-go curriculum introduces participants to specific careers across the spectrum of food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences and provides them with hands-on activities associated with these careers. While program evaluation is ongoing, preliminary results indicate an associated increase in personal resilience in …

The Intersection Of Social Desirability And Cultural Competence In Counselors: Broaching Sexual Topics With Sexually Minoritized (Lgb) Clients, Jareb Kinney

Dissertations

Mental health counselors increasingly work with sexually minoritized clients, yet limited understanding exists regarding how social desirability shapes counselors' perceived cultural competence and their willingness to broach sensitive sexual topics in therapeutic settings. This gap can obscure the subtle ways personal conditioning and professional performance pressures influence clinical practice. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore how social desirability influences mental health counselors' experiences and perceived cultural competence when discussing sex-related topics with sexually minoritized clients. Guided by symbolic interactionism, the study employed a purposive and snowball sampling strategy to recruit ten mental health counselors with direct clinical experience serving …

“We're Human. We Are Just Human”: Experiences Of Trans And Two-Spirit Individuals In The Midwest, Gwen Avery Donner

Honors Thesis

In the United States today, gender can be a hot button topic, seemingly controversial and assigned as political, and within conservative regions the topic of gender becomes more taboo. Unfortunately, this view can lead to the stigmatization and discrimination of individuals who fall outside of the socially constructed gender binary. In order to explore how living in the conservative landscape of the Midwest impacts individuals who reside outside of the gender binary, 11 semi-structured, qualitative interviews with Trans and/or Two-Spirit individuals were conducted in which they were asked about their lived experiences. The findings of the interviews revolved around two …

Clinicians’ Perceived Preparedness To Support Clients Who Have Co-Occurring Disorders, Jessica A. Love Jordan, Joseph Day

Journal of Applied Disciplines

Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders are prevalent, yet many clinicians feel underprepared to provide integrated care for this population. This study explores the factors influencing clinicians' perceived preparedness and objective knowledge in treating clients with co-occurring disorders. Data were collected from 131 clinicians using the CODECAT EZ 2.0 and TIP ZIP assessments to evaluate their competence in co-occurring disorders treatment. Results indicate that while participants held positive attitudes toward integrated care, their practical knowledge and skills were often rated as average or below. Education, clinical experience, and continuing education were found to significantly influence both perceived preparedness and …

Professional Growth Through Reflective Practice: An Analysis Of Self, Emmalee H. Groff/Traurig

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This project is a comprehensive analysis of self, conducted throughout my graduate school studies in school counseling. The examination consisted of an extensive reflection of my background, experiences, values, and personal growth. Completed through assessments, interviews, analysis of interests, passion, theoretical exploration, and intentional reflection of what shapes me as a person and my professional identity as a school counselor. Noting consistent themes across the assessments and interviews included empathy, faith, compassion, and a deep desire to help others. Simultaneously, I identified areas for continued future growth, including finding balance in harmony with honesty, redefining productivity within the helping profession, …

Beyond The Tour: Designing Graduate Library Orientations That Build Research Confidence And Belonging, Megan York

Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students

Graduate student orientations often lean heavily on logistics: where to find resources, how to log in, and which services the library offers. While this information is important, it rarely addresses the deeper needs of graduate learners. Many of the students I work with arrive on campus already balancing careers, families, and demanding academic programs. At the University of Arkansas, graduate orientations in the College of Education and Health Professions frequently take place on weekends, serving students who travel from out of state and receive an overwhelming amount of information in a short time. For them, orientation is not simply a …

Nursing Interventions To Reduce Anxiety And Psychological Distress In Breast Cancer Patients In The Us, Alexis Abboud, Al Araydeh Mifleh

The Cardinal Edge

Background Breast cancer patients frequently experience psychological challenges, such as anxiety, distress, and diminished quality of life (QoL). Nursing interventions show promise in addressing these issues; however, a comprehensive synthesis of their impact is lacking. This review evaluates the effectiveness of nursing interventions in reducing anxiety and psychological distress while improving QoL.

Research Question What nursing interventions effectively reduce anxiety and psychological distress and improve QoL among breast cancer patients in the United States?

Methods A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Searches of CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, and Medline identified studies published in the last five years in …

Counseling Satisfaction In Lgbtq Clients: The Roles Of Perceived Counselor Religiosity And Perceived Discrimination, Karen Cain Culbertson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

LGBTQ individuals experience mental health issues more frequently than the heterosexual population (Benz et al., 2019; Hinton et al., 2024; Nakamura & Logie, 2020). It appears that they often face unique challenges when seeking mental health care (Makadon et al., 2015). These may become complex when working with Christian counselors when there are conflicting beliefs between their religious views and their counseling standards (Lane, 2021). Although previous research has identified barriers to care for the LGBTQ community and the psychological impact of non-affirming religious settings, there is little research on how these dynamics unfold specifically within a Christian counseling relationship …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Unfaithful Partners: Perceptions Of Forgiveness And Commitment To Rebuilding Trust After Infidelity, Ana De La Cruz Arciniega

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Infidelity has significant emotional and relational consequences; however, limited research has examined the lived experiences of unfaithful partners, particularly their perceptions of forgiveness and commitment to rebuilding trust. This phenomenological study described the lived experiences of unfaithful partners and explored how they understood forgiveness and engaged in trust-rebuilding efforts following infidelity. Thirteen participants (seven males and six females), aged 30 to 65, who had engaged in emotional, physical, virtual, or paid sexual affairs were recruited through social media, private therapeutic practices, affair recovery programs, and church networks. Participants completed individual 45-minute semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom. Interviews were transcribed, member-checked, …

The Schizophrenia Effect: Families Facing Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders, Ginger A. Christmas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Schizophrenia is primarily known for its bizarre psychosis, as the brain struggles to distinguish between what is real and what is not. This qualitative study employed constructive, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the idea that families with a family member diagnosed with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder (SSD) in the United States have specific needs, which may include social and spiritual support and integration into treatment. While the needs of families facing SSD have been studied in non-Western countries, the schizophrenia effect on families in the U.S. remains less understood. A purposive sample of 11 individuals, representing 15 family members with …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring How African American Adult Sons Describe Caring For A Parent With Dementia, Donald Eric German

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the coping strategies of African American adult sons who are the primary caregivers to a parent with dementia. The participants were only African American adult sons who are the primary caregivers to an aging parent. This researcher conducted semi-structured interviews and followed a systematical data collection process during the interview process; close attention was paid to analyzing and uncovering significant themes that emerged from the participants’ experiences. The findings show that African American adult sons feel a strong sense of duty that grows from obligation into a Christ-centered commitment to honor …

The Benefits Of A Holistic Biblical Approach To Adolescent Substance Use Treatment And Prevention, Amberlin D. Salas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adolescent addiction is increasingly problematic in the United States, including substance use and other addictive behaviors that carry a risk of continued adult addiction if not resolved effectively. Current treatment models are primarily limited to meeting the mental, emotional, and physical needs, but have gaps in treating areas such as spirituality and healthy parental relationships. From a biblical standpoint, Christian principles are relevant to all areas of need in the addicted individual, and considering a holistic biblical approach to address all areas of life could fill the gaps left by conventional addiction interventions. To understand the possible implications of a …

The Shared Experiences Of High Functioning Autistic Adults Receiving Mental Health Care In The Texas Metroplex: A Phenomenological Study, Katherine Ivey Marie Vaughan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the study is to describe the lived experiences of high functioning autistic adults who have engaged in mental health services in mental health services in Texas. Individuals with autism often face unique challenges, such as heightened sensory intake and cognitive inflexibility, which may complicate traditional therapeutic interventions. The theories that guided the study were the biopsychosocial model, social cognitive theory, the neurodiversity paradigm, and cognitive-behavioral theory, all exploring how cognitive processes influence emotions and behaviors in neurodiverse populations. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, semi-structured interviews were done with adults with high functioning autistic adults. Analysis of the …

A Phenomenology Of Sexual Assaults On College Campuses, Karon R. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The rate of sexual assaults for women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals on college campuses is reported at a higher rate compared to males and is continuing to rise at a staggering rate, causing this to become a national issue. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the subjective experience, campus culture, psychological disorders, and changes in students' religious beliefs after a sexual assault. Victims’ perceptions and campus norms reporting sexual violence and assault incidents help to explain institutional support systems, the afterlife, and long-term outcomes of victims, prevention programs, and services. The frameworks for this …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Women Caregivers Of The Sandwich Generation, Keri L. Burns

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe female members of the sandwich generation’s experiences as care providers during and post-COVID-19 in Central Florida. At this research stage, female members of the sandwich generation are understood as women in midlife who occupy dual caregiving roles for dependent children and aging parents, and whose lived experiences offer insight into caregiving experiences during a global pandemic. (Steiner & Fletcher, 2017). As life expectancy has increased and financial insecurity has been a concern for all generations, the sandwich generation caregivers, specifically women, have become more focused on providing varying levels of care …

Exploring The Relationships Between Differentiation Of Self, Family Unit Functioning, And Posttraumatic Growth In Adult Female Survivors Of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Samantha Stokesberry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the relationships between differentiation of self (DoS), family unit functioning (FUF), and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in adult female domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) survivors in the United States. A Bowen Family Systems Theory framework was used for the theoretical foundation of this study and the research was explored from a Christian worldview. A sample of 30 adult female DMST survivors between the ages of 25-55 completed an anonymous online survey that included four measures: a demographics form, The Differentiation of Self Inventory – Revised (DSI-R), the Family Unit Functioning Questionnaire (FUF-Q), and …

The Influence Of Epistemological Beliefs, Research Self-Efficacy, And Affective States On Doctoral Students’ Research Methodological Selections, Caroline Suzanne Vaile

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational study examines the extent to which epistemological beliefs predict research methodology choice and whether this relationship is mediated by mentorship experiences or research self-efficacy and moderated by statistics anxiety. The study is grounded in Hofer and Pintrich’s Epistemological Beliefs Theory, Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, and Kram’s Mentor Role Theory. Data were collected using self-report measures via an online survey hosted by Qualtrics. Participants included current CES doctoral students and graduates within the past five years (N=47). The study utilized binary logistic regression and PROCESS mediation and moderated mediation analyses, indicating that epistemological beliefs did not significantly influence …

Training The Church To Support Sufferers Of Mental Illness Through Comfort Clinics, Jonathan D. Blankenship

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem at Laurel Baptist Church (LBC) is the lack of trained members who are equipped to support those suffering from mental illness. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to create Comfort Clinics, a structured program to train members to support sufferers of mental illness. Normative-sized churches are often uninformed on the topic of mental illness. Subsequently, in those environments, stigmas are nurtured, sufferers feel unseen, and church members lack the necessary training to provide the comfort and support that mental sufferers need. Building on the ecclesiastical call to “comfort those who are in any affliction” (2 …

The Effectiveness Of Mode Deactivation Model Group Counseling In Improving The Emotional Wellness Of Junior High School Students, Ananda Dwi Rahmadanti, Muya Barida, Sri Hartini, Aprilia Setyowati

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study was motivated by the low level of emotional wellness among some junior high school students, characterized by difficulties in recognizing, understanding, and managing emotions adaptively, thereby impacting social behavior and learning processes at school. Previous studies have shown that emotion regulation-based interventions are effective in improving adolescents' emotional well-being. However, counseling interventions in schools that specifically target emotional regulation patterns to improve students' emotional wellness are still relatively limited in guidance and counseling services. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effectiveness of group counseling using the Mode Deactivation Counseling (MDC) model in improving the emotional wellness of …