Counseling Commons^™

Dance/Movement Therapy: A Treatment Option For Postpartum Depression, Olivia Mandracchia

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Pregnancy and motherhood are associated with many expectations, guidelines and stressors. To some, these factors have no impact while to others these factors can contribute to symptoms of anxiety and depression. When discussing pregnancy, one may already have a history of depression while others may start to experience symptoms during their pregnancy journey. Unfortunately, many of these women will experience these symptoms (shortly) after delivery as well. These women will be diagnosed with Postpartum Depression (PPD).

Using these ideas, this literature review explores and addresses how Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) can be beneficial to those who suffer from depression. Unfortunately, there …

How The Expressive Therapies Continuum Informs Intermodal Transfers, Erin M.L. Little

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Expressive arts therapy (ExAT) is a therapeutic approach that incorporates visual art, music, drama, and dance/movement into the counseling environment. An essential element in ExAT practice is the intermodal transfer, an intentional shift between arts modalities to enhance clients’ understanding and realization. Currently, no theoretical guidelines for intermodal transfers exist in the field of ExAT. In search of a theoretical structure, the author of this Capstone Thesis proposed that the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) informed intermodal transfers. Predominantly presented as an art therapy approach, the ETC originally intended to include all expressive therapies. Yet, there is minimal recent literature that …

Examining The Experience Of White Privilege For Human Service Providers Using The Expressive Therapies, Melanie Carbonneau

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

There is significant need for white human services providers to have awareness of their racial identities, privilege, racism, biases and understanding impacts to client care. Yet in the United States, people who are white often demonstrate little awareness of their racial identities due to living in a white supremacist society. When confronted with issues of race, it is common for people who are white to demonstrate difficulties with topics including denial, discomfort, and defensiveness. This research examines the experience of using the expressive arts therapies to explore personal racial identity, personal biases, and issues of racism in the workplace for …

Disrupting Cis/Heteronormativity And Interrogating Whiteness: The Advancement Of Counseling Through Critical Sex Education, Carla Rosinski

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

This dissertation provides a critical analysis of how cis/heteronormativity is reproduced and/or challenged in sexuality and gender discourses. Additionally, this research aims for critical consciousness raising and serves as further evidence of the need to integrate critical human sexuality training in counselor education. The meta theoretical orientation of this research combines liberation psychology, queer and Crip theories, and critiques of settler colonialism. These theories combine to illustrate the “wheel of domination” created by colonialism, capitalism, and white supremacy. Critical discourse analysis is utilized with naturalistic occurring data in the form of Podcast episodes on the topics of ‘sex ed’ and …

Caregiver's Difficulty Paying Child's Healthcare Bills And Bullying Victimization Of Adolescents With Physical Disabilities, Jun Sung Hong, Mi-Jin Choi, Isak Kim, Carl L. Algood, Dorothy L. Espelage, Chad A. Rose

Counseling Faculty Publications

Guided by the ecological systems perspective, the objective of the study was to examine whether caregivers' difficulty paying their child's health-care bills is associated with bullying victimization directly and indirectly through the mediating mechanisms of caregivers' frustration, adolescents' internalizing problems, and social difficulty focusing on adolescents with physical disabilities. The 2019 National Survey of Children's Health dataset, which collected data on adolescents' and caregivers' demographic characteristics and health and well-being, was used. The study sample consisted of 368 caregivers of adolescents, 12–17 years of age with physical disabilities. No direct association between caregivers' difficulty paying their child's health-care bills and …

Grace, Legalism, And Life Outlook In Lds Students, Justin Brent Top

Theses and Dissertations

Intrinsic Spirituality has been linked to lower rates of depression and anxiety and higher positive mental functioning (Pargament, Exline & Jones, 2013). This may be due in part to beliefs which foster values that are important to positive outlook, such as faith, forgiveness, humility, love and community. It is also possible for strongly religious individuals to have maladaptive beliefs that may be problematic for their happiness and adjustment. Understanding how beliefs influence mental health can be helpful to therapists; particularly to those who deal with religious clients who are heavily influenced by their spiritual beliefs. This study looks at the …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Adaptations For Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders: Training For Mental Health Counselors, Zackary Hajjali

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a versatile therapeutic approach that can be utilized to treat various emotional disorders. Therefore, the effectiveness of CBT is conceptualized through a thorough examination of present literature and its use in treating various emotional disorders in adolescents. Literature reviewed includes meta-analyses, journals and articles. CBT proved to be a commonly used therapeutic approach, and demonstrated adaptability when necessary. A wide array of benefits from using CBT to treat emotional disorders were displayed across multiple sources. The training presented in this project will address the use of CBT adaptations for adolescent clients with autism spectrum disorder …

Poverty In Schools: The Impact Of Poverty On School Readiness For Kindergarteners, Emily Inglett

Counselor Education Capstones

Experiencing poverty in childhood has lasting impacts on a child. Poverty can have a negative impact on a child’s development academically, cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally. The present literature review aims to explore research that has looked into what it means to live in poverty, what lasting impacts living in poverty have on children, and what that means for a child’s school readiness when entering kindergarten. It will also discuss some interventions that a school counselor could implement in schools to support a child who lives in poverty and their family.

The Use Of Animal-Assisted Interventions To Treat Child Victims Of Sexual Abuse, Stephanie Johnston

Counseling Psychology | Master's Theses

This study examines the therapeutic benefits of incorporating dogs into the mental health treatment of child victims of sexual abuse in both formal and informal settings. In 1962, Dr. Boris Levinson began incorporating his dog into therapy sessions with his child clients. He noticed that incorporation of dogs into psychotherapeutic treatment encouraged communication in withdrawn children and published his results in 1969, initiating a widespread interest in animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Other variations of AAT soon followed in the form of animal-assisted activities (AAA). The human-animal bond can be a powerful tool that effectively improves mental health and can play a …

Exploring How Interpersonal Childhood Trauma Impacts Emotional Development, Kathleen Hobbs

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Our earliest interactions in life lay the foundation of how we relate to ourselves and others throughout adulthood. When a child experiences abuse and neglect that is relational in nature, referred to as interpersonal childhood trauma, research shows that they are at a much higher risk to display emotional difficulties that have been found to contribute to extensive health consequences throughout the lifespan. Less has been documented however regarding exactly how this kind of trauma influences emotional development. The purpose of this paper is to explore the current research that exists on the relationship between interpersonal childhood trauma and emotional …

Examining A Trauma-Based Etiology For Psychosis, David Comer

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Psychosis has been traditionally viewed through a biological lens, resulting in a narrative of the disorder that does not allow room for therapy. By applying a trauma-informed lens, psychosis can now be thought of as a trauma-based developmental disorder. This impacts how we explain the symptoms of these disorders, and how we view them overall. It also has implications for future treatment, advocacy, and research. This paper examines the bio-psycho-social symptoms of psychosis and offers trauma-informed explanations of the symptoms. Implications for Counselors are examined, as are potential limitations of this current line of research.

Empowering Mothers: A Conceptual Model For Promoting Perinatal Mental Wellness Among Women In The United States, Kayla Acklin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Globally, there are certain expectations surrounding becoming a mother related to pregnancy and the birth. For many women, the birth of a child represents a natural event filled with joy. Societally, the expectation is that pregnancy, birth, and the transition into motherhood are normal, positive experiences for all women (Davis-Floyd & Cheyney, 2019). However, research shows that some women develop impairments in physical and mental health functioning and wellbeing as a result of the major physical and psychosocial changes that take place during the transition into motherhood (Austin et al., 2010; Ayers & Pickering, 2001; O’Hara et al., 2014).

This …

School Counseling In An Oppressed Society: Examining The Relationships Between Social Justice Advocacy Competence, Empowerment, And Social Justice Self-Efficacy, Michelle Tanner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current nature of oppression that exists in the United States can be seen in the structure and process of American schools, impacting students’ social/emotional, academic, and career development. The defined role of school counselors along with their educational background; strategic position within schools to make meaningful change; access to critical student, teacher, family, and community data; and their professional dispositions and experience make them the most logical choice to help remove systemic barriers and to create equitable opportunities for the marginalized students. School counselors must work as social justice advocates to lead these diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; however, …

Teacher Perception Towards The Use Of Information And Communication Technology (Ict) In Secondary Schools In Ebonyi State, Nigeria, Chinwe Enyi, Mkpoikanke Otu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examined the teacher perception towards the use of (ICT) in teaching Biology in secondary schools in Okposi education zone of Ebonyi state. Ten schools and all 15 Biology teachers in the schools were used for the study which adopted descriptive survey design. Two instruments were used. The first one was a checklist on availability of (ICT) facilities in schools while the second was a questionnaire for Biology teachers on their perception on the use of ICT and the problems militating against the integration of ICT in their work. Simple percentages and mean were used in answering the research …

Substance Use Disorders In The Farming Population: Scoping Review, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, Christine Chasek, Aaron M. Yoder, Jesse E. Bell

Counseling Faculty Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize the current knowledge base in order to make recommendations for prevention and treatment of substance use disorders among the farming populations.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed articles published between January 1989 and September 2019. The search yielded 3,426 citations and the final review was conducted on 42 articles. The full review was conducted by 4 authors to extract information about the target population, data collection methods, and main results.

Findings

There were 21 articles on farmers and 21 articles on farmworkers. The majority of the articles were …

Weight And The Therapeutic Relationship: Implications For Counselors, Emily Shank

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Central to the healthcare system in the United States is the belief that weight is an accurate measure of health. This belief, which is the foundation of the Weight Centered Health Paradigm (WCHP), is linked to the proliferation of diets, weight cycling, and weight stigma. However, a growing body of research indicates that higher weight is not necessarily linked to negative health outcomes and that the impact of weight cycling and weight stigma pose far greater risks to health. Counselors and other mental health professionals function within the weight-normative healthcare system in the United States and are faced with the …

Reviewing Counseling Literature Regarding Toxic Masculinity, Jenna Clough

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

With the rates of mental health disorders increasing for men in the United States, counseling research has identified factors attributing to this concern and explore ways in which the counseling field can better serve this population. The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to present seven empirically based research articles and one literature review on toxic masculinity. Including seven qualitative articles and one quantitative article, this annotated bibliography will provide an overview of the counseling research findings on toxic masculinity. A review of literature and research methodology is included. Reflections for future research will also be included.

Canine-Assisted Therapy: Incorporating Canines Into The Therapeutic Experience, Melissa H. Kee

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Canine-Assisted Therapy (CAT) is a therapeutic practice that has been growing in popularity in recent years but unfortunately has little research to show evidence of effectiveness. This article focuses specifically on the use of canines in therapeutic environments. Use of canines in a therapy setting may be a source of confusion due to the many assistance role that canines can provide, including hearing dogs, mobility assistance dogs, and service dogs. This article provides clarity regarding CAT and includes recommendations for counselors considering the use of dogs in their therapeutic practice.

Safe To Fight: Lessons From Counseling For Grappling Coaches, Rachel Wilson

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The following is a series of articles designed to help coaches respond empathically and effectively to the emotional needs of their athletes and to safety concerns in their club. The three articles discuss students who shut down when they train; students who become overly aggressive; and students or coaches who groom and prey on others. A review of the counseling literature is offered to explain the behaviors each type of student is likely to engage in. Counseling principles and technique are offered to provide a framework for coaches to use as they teach these kinds of students and address safety …

Technology And Pleasure: A Qualitative Study On Using Mobile Applications For Online And Offline Sexual Purposes, Gabriella Locke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The internet has long been considered an accessible, anonymous, and affordable platform for sexuality and the emergence of smartphone applications has made facilitating online and offline sexual behaviors even easier for young adults. Despite the increase, there continues to be a lack of detailed research on the experiences of young adults who use these types of applications. This qualitative study explored how young adults use mobile applications to engage in online and offline sexual behaviors and the motivations and perceived benefits and risks of such behavior. This study, analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, completed eight semi-structed interviews with individuals between …

Death Anxiety, Artmaking And The Facilitation Of Death Discourse, Heather Conley

Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects

Discussion about death, known as death discourse, has been historically limited to the confines of the palliative care, elderly and hospice arenas (Bradshaw, 1996; Granek, 2013; Safrai, 2013; Zimmerman, 2012). This study examined the impact of artmaking on facilitating death discourse in college-aged students from a midwestern United States campus. A mixed methods design was implemented in which participants completed the Communication Apprehension about Death Scale (CADS; Carmack & DeGroot, 2016), an artmaking directive addressing feelings about death, followed by a Post-Artmaking Reflection about their artwork. Following a 10-day time period after the artmaking session, participants were re-administered the CADS …

Informing Consent: A Grounded Theory Study Of Parents Of Transgender And Gender Diverse Youth Seeking Gender Confirming Endocrinological Interventions, Charles F. Shepard

Dissertations, 2020-current

Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) identity during the Twenty-first Century in the United States has been associated with pervasive patterns of mistreatment and discrimination across social, educational, occupational, legal, and healthcare experiences (Drescher, 2010; James et al., 2016; Stryker, 2008). Despite these trends, affirming stances toward TGD identity has been developing almost simultaneously tracing its roots to Christine Jorgensen’s transition in the 1950s. About a decade later, endocrinological interventions were pioneered that aimed to medically support TGD patients who wished to feminize or masculinize their bodies to be more congruent with their gender identity without surgery. These gender-confirming endocrinological interventions (GCEI) …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Self-Reported Emotional Well-Being For Well-Functioning Young Adults: The Case Of Burundian College Students, Peace N. Ningabire

Dissertations, 2020-current

As the body of research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has grown over the last few decades, a gap between how individuals and families experience and cope with such adversities in Western societies versus in non-Western communities has also widened. Moreover, many studies conducted in low/middle-income countries on ACEs have looked at marginalized populations, such as children-soldiers, homeless children, refugee camps, etc. The present study, on the other hand, sought to explore childhood adversities, as well as current emotional well-being and coping strategies for Burundian well-educated, high-functioning young adults. A survey of 100 Burundian college students documented many adverse childhood …

Equipping Preservice Teachers With Trauma Informed Care For The Classroom, Tamarine Foreman, Perianne Bates

Northwest Journal of Teacher Education

In an effort to prepare preservice teachers to enter the classroom where students may have experienced or been exposed to trauma, the authors designed and facilitated instruction around trauma’s influence on the learning process. The intent of the instruction was to improve the preservice teacher’s ability to realize, recognize, and respond to students without re-traumatizing the students. The authors compared pre and post scores on the ARTIC-35 Education version (Baker et al., 2016) and found the instruction significantly improved the preservice teachers’ knowledge, awareness, and self-efficacy in working with students who have experienced or been exposed to trauma.

Facing A New Normal: Uncovering The Psychological Effects Of Loneliness On Student Mental Health, Courtney Thoreson

Counselor Education Capstones

In anticipation of the burden loneliness will have in combination with distressing psychological and emotional burdens carried over from the COVID-19 prevention strategies i.e., social distancing, quarantine measures, and lockdowns, colleges and universities are facing a broad spectrum of challenges as they shift to adapt to a new normal. Besides the physical health impact of COVID-19, this global pandemic has unleashed a psychological toll on society that has yet to be fully realized for its potential long-lasting effects. As campuses navigate the broader impacts of COVID-19, understanding the psychological effects of loneliness will be a primary focus in understanding it’s …

Ce 555 Syllabus: Addictions Counseling - Psychopharmacology, Mitch Moore

Counselor Education Syllabi

This course introduces students to the pharmacology of substance abuse disorders and the dynamics of addiction, including medication-assisted therapy. Students will learn about the effects of licit and illicit drugs on the brain and body, basic drug classifications, and indications and contraindications of drugs to make appropriate referrals for medical intervention and medication evaluations and to provide basic client education.

Exploring Online Mental Health Services: A Qualitative Study For First-Year College Students, Leandrian J. Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

American first-year college students are faced with mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, which can have a negative impact on their academic performance. Research shows that students who suffer from mental illness, such as anxiety and depression, fear their condition will be perceived negatively by their peers and professors. The literature also suggests that U.S. colleges and universities can be more proactive in offering students resources for their mental health concerns to decrease anxiety and depression. It appears that absent or limited mental health resources have failed to address rising cases of student mental illness, and more specifically, …

Ce 432 Syllabus: Stress Management, Anquinetta V. Calhoun

Counselor Education Syllabi

This course will provide an introduction to important concepts, issues, skills, and interventions related to the identification and management of personal stress.

Ce 565 Syllabus: Addictions Counseling - Theory And Practice, Mitch Moore

Counselor Education Syllabi

This course provides students with an overview of various theoretical orientations, models, and methods for delivering client education and treatment from both and individual and group perspectives. Students will be introduced to evidenced-based treatment approaches, including motivational interviewing/ enhancement therapy, cognitive-behavioral approaches, and 12-Step facilitation, and others. Working with clients in crisis and with co-occurring disorders will be emphasized.

Ce 611 Syllabus: Development Over The Lifespan, Anquinetta V. Calhoun

Counselor Education Syllabi

The purpose of this course is to promote students’ thinking and learning about human growth, adaptation, and change throughout the lifespan. Major theories, issues, eras, and trends in human development will be addressed.