Counselor Education Commons^™

A Poetic Call For And A Reflection And Commentary On Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, And Compassion, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Finding a published poem I had written as a teenager, titled “The Heavens Weep.” this article uses that poem as the basis for a commentary that reflects on the state of the world today (2026),  As a commentary, the article uses the poetic and metaphoric words in the poem as a relevant "reality check" for what is still going on today.  In essence, the commentary is about a call for Clarity, Understanding, Hope, Courage, and Compassion, or what I call Archetypal Energies, Higher Vibrational Energies that operate deep within our individual and collective psyches to creatively urge us to "see" …

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 …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

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 …

Becoming A Beloved Community: A Restorative Reckoning For A Radical Conversion To Transform Discourse In Higher Education, Latasha Tomay Varlack-Butler

Dissertations

This dissertation critically examines the misappropriation of Restorative Justice Discourse (RJD) within three predominantly white institutions (PWIs), analyzing 59 institutional documents through Critical Discourse Analysis, Relational Critical Discourse Analysis, and Rhetorical Criticism (Fairclough, 1995; Vaandering, 2021; van Dijk, 2008). Tribal Colleges and Universities and South African institutions have emerged as exemplars of authentic RJD, countering co-optation within PWIs. The findings demonstrate that RJD as applied in PWIs is framed in ways that attenuate its transformative potential, perpetuating color-evasiveness (Bonilla-Silva, 2017) and obscuring the intersectional experiences of Black, Indigenous, and disabled communities (Crenshaw, 1991; Million, 2009).

Grounded in decolonial praxis (Smith, …

19.2 Ceus, Albright Aaron, Peighton Corley, Yusuf Barburoglu, Jeff Moe

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

[Introduction] WLCO-2024-0077.R1 Heteronormative and cisnormative language in Southern University counseling and Title IX Offices

1. This study utilized the document analysis is a five step process including all EXCEPT

a. Gaining access to the documents via the web

b. Understanding hope and why the texts are produced.

c. Utilizing previous research to validate ideas or themes in the texts.

d. Determining the accuracy of the documents

e. Linking the documents with other website observations to triangulate results

f. Deconstructing the texts using a code book.

2. One of the most commun issues the research found was that the University websites …

Female Medical Students’ Lived Experiences Of Financial Stress And Coping, Untara Shaikh, Dr. Kimberlee Bonura

Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Conference

Financial stress is a pervasive concern among medical students, with documented associations with adverse physical health, psychological morbidity, and ineffective coping. This study focuses on understanding the financial stressors female medical students face and the coping strategies they employ. While financial stress and coping mechanisms have been explored in the literature, a notable gap exists in understanding these dynamics among female students.

The study employed a phenomenological research approach to obtain data from the respondents, where data collection involved face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The Adaptation Model of Nursing, complemented by Lazarus and Folkman's Coping Theory, was a comprehensive framework for analyzing …

A Revolution In School Counselor-Administration Collaboration, Kimberly Farley-Smith, Jill Minor, Neil E. Duchac

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Forging sustainable school counseling programs is the essential foundation for school counselors leadership in creating equitable programming. Transformative school leadership and transformational school counselors' leadership is crucial in creating sustainable programming, increasing positive school culture, and propelling systemic change in the school. Through an ecological perspective, positive working relationships can be achieved between school leadership and school counselors.

Defusing Escalating Situations, Louis Lamont Fletcher Phd, David Allen Watson

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The Executive Director of Facilities and Operations and the Director of Safety and Security for a Colorado School district with 28,000 students will share tools, techniques, and experiences with conflict resolution. The presenters will outline the recognizable precursors to conflict, the importance of the individual's initial reaction, and provide tools to facilitate de-escalation. This interactive presentation provides relevant tools to de-escalate conflicts between peers, supervisors and subordinates, teachers and students, teachers and parents, school security officers and students, superintendents and board members, and school districts and community members.

Mapping The Historical Discourse Of A Right-To-Read Claim: A Situational Analysis, Mursalata Muhammad

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation project used an interpretivist qualitative research design to study how the right-to-read claim made by seven teenagers attending Detroit public schools in 2016 reflects, addresses, or describes contemporary discussions about educational access. Using situational analysis (SA) as a theory/method, the entirety of the claim comprises the situation of the social phenomenon being studied, not the people. This research combines critical race theory (CRT) with Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems and uses situation analysis to map historical discourses to conduct a study that examines the history of a present situation of inquiry as presented by this question: How does the 2016 …

The Pulse Of Connection: Professors' Experience Of Positive Relationships With Students–An Interpretative Phenomenology And Photovoice Study, Ileya N. Grosman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In higher education, the focus on student success often takes center stage in research and the professor-as-teacher practice. While numerous empirical studies concentrate on the growth and development of undergraduate students, this dissertation delves into professors’ relational and felt experiences in positive teaching-learning relationships. Four terminal-degreed professors from four different schools and three different disciplines–education, humanities, and leadership–engaged in photography and were then interviewed. Participants reflected on their photographs and their experiences in a teaching-learning relationship with their students. The present study aimed to illuminate the unspoken language of connection by utilizing interpretive phenomenology and photovoice to uncover professors’ relational …

Experiences Of The Supervisory Alliance And Self-Compassion In Counseling And Psychotherapy Students, Alexandre Brien, Patricia Dionne, Réginald Savard, Cynthia Bilodeau

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This qualitative research examined the relationship between supervisory working alliance, self-compassion and reflexive self-awareness with students enrolled in a graduate-level counseling or counseling and psychotherapy program (n = 48). A thematic analysis using a Critical Incident Questionnaire was performed. The themes identified in this study indicate that both supervision alliance and self-compassion seemingly contribute positively to student supervisee learning experiences and to the development of their reflexive self-awareness. Moreover, the perceived learning achieved, and the development of reflexive self-awareness, reciprocally strengthened the supervisory alliance. Furthermore, the degree of supervisees’ self-compassion as well as their perceived supervisory alliances had an …

Elucidating College Students’ Stressors: Photovoice As A Pedagogical Tool And Qualitative Methodology, Deanne Priddis, Heather L. Hundley

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Traditional research examining student stress relies on surveys using pre-determined categories. This study diverts from that approach by adopting a Communication in Conflict class assignment over seven classes (N = 115) using photovoice to determine if results fluctuate by using a different methodology. Additionally, we sought to understand if the sources of stress vary by gender and semester. The data revealed seven categories as the main stressors of student conflict: 1) time management, 2) mental health, 3) finding oneself, 4) future uncertainty, 5) other, 6) financial, and 7) past mistakes. Regardless of participants’ sex/gender or semester in which the data …

The Lived Experience Of Counseling Students In Natural Disaster, Amy M. Sirocky-Meck

Dissertations, 2020-current

After natural disaster, survivors may experience moderate to severe signs and symptoms of emotional distress which may subside or worsen as time passes (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2022). Adults pursuing higher education when natural disaster strikes experience an additional array of unique issues which may exacerbate symptoms of emotional distress (Wilkinson et al.,2013). To create and improve curricular and co-curricular structures that meet the needs of their students, educators in many health and mental health disciplines can draw from a variety of quantitative and qualitative studies, particularly those focused on how their disciplines’ students navigate the experience …

Experiences Of Post-Master's Arts Based Supervision With Art Therapists Of Color, Madoka Urhausen

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This study explored experiences of art therapists of color who underwent post-master’s arts-based supervision (ABS) to obtain an art therapy credential. ABS emphasizes creation of clinical insight and knowledge through not only reviewing and evaluating client’s art and art processes but also having supervisees to engage in their own artmaking in response to their clinical work. The sample was chosen for their intersectional identities that added a layer of complexity to their identity formation. This qualitative phenomenological study employed Culturally Responsive Focus Group (CRFG) with Arts-based Research (ABR) methodology to explore two questions: (1) What are the experiences of …

The Impact Of A Canine-Assisted Reading Program On Readers Needing Extra Practice, Amanda N. Coffman, Elana Bernstein, Susan C. Davies, Ann F. Justice

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Canines can provide emotional support, create a nonjudgmental environment, facilitate positive social interactions, and shape student behavior. This study investigated the impact of a canine-assisted reading program on four second-grade students' reading fluency and attitudes toward reading. Oral reading fluency (ORF) was measured using ORF probes, and students' attitudes toward reading were measured with the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey. Although ORF skills did not improve significantly following the program, students' attitudes toward reading did. Implications regarding innovative strategies for reading fluency programs, including canine-assisted methods, are discussed, with emphasis on the importance of maintaining reading enjoyment among readers needing extra …

Insider Tips For Applying To Graduate Programs, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

As I approach my 20th year as a school psychology faculty member (12 as a program coordinator), I have reviewed thousands of applications and interviewed hundreds of prospective students. It is truly a joy to meet people at interviews who will go on to excel as school psychologists. I also have met my fair share of applicants who were clearly unprepared. This piece provides some insider information on how prospective students can strengthen their applications and interviews.

Perspectives On Care Coordination For Youth With Tbi: Moving Forward To Provide Better Care, Jennifer P. Lundine, Erika Hagen, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Care coordination aligns services and optimizes outcomes for children with traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet numerous obstacles can impede effective care coordination following a TBI.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this work is to identify barriers and facilitators to care coordination from the perspective of individuals who care for young people impacted by TBI.

METHODS: Twenty-one care providers participated in semi-structured interviews to gather their perspectives on systems of care coordination for youth with TBI and potential areas for improvement. Using reflexive thematic analysis, researchers identified key themes across interviews.

RESULTS: Three themes were identified: 1) gaps in knowledge; 2) …

Magnetic Hallway Huddles: Attract And Retain High-Quality Professionals, David Wolff, Carissa Gober, Donna Zerr

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

This presentation was conducted for a national conference about mentoring. The authors discussed Tinto’s Model of Institutional Departure and Schlossberg’s Model for Analyzing Human Adaptation to Transition as theoretical frameworks to explain the transition and retention of university professors. The focus on the study was the three authors who transitioned to the same university during the 2022-2023 academic year. Authors discussed their experiences of the transition and found themes related to the mentoring process that that acclimated them to the institution and influenced their retention.

K-5 Elementary Alternative Program: A Case Study, William E. Scheuer Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine how the K-5 elementary alternative program All Students Can Thrive (ASCT) used student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. There is a lack of research on K-5 elementary alternative programs, such as ASCT, and specifically those that integrate student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. Literature does not contain universally accepted interventions that are effective in the elementary alternative setting to help students return to the mainstream classroom setting better prepared to display appropriate behaviors when a student is removed from a mainstream classroom setting due to disruptive behaviors. …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On School Psychology Internship Outcomes, Julie Q. Morrison, Kizzy Albritton, Elana Bernstein, Susan C. Davies, Laurice Joseph, Katherine R. Mezher, Jennifer Reynolds, Richard W. Vanvoorhis

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

The Ohio Internship Program in School Psychology was forced to adapt abruptly to the changing circumstances brought on by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic beginning in March 2020. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the school psychology internship outcomes were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of supervisors' ratings of intern competencies, the number of students served by interns, and the outcomes of academic and behavior interventions supported by interns. Findings of the annual evaluation of the Ohio Internship Program in School Psychology for the school year directly affected by the pandemic …

Trauma-Informed Practices For Test-Taking Anxiety At The Elementary Grade Level, Kate Campbell, Shalini Mathew

Journal of Research Initiatives

Test -Taking Anxiety (TTA) is a challenging experience for children of all ages. Childhood exposure to trauma and adverse experience has been increasing. Fortunately, trauma-informed practices, such as mindfulness activities have become more widespread in schools throughout the last few years. Existing school counseling literature offers limited perspectives on how school counselors can support elementary students for TTA. This conceptual article explores the effects of trauma-informed practices on elementary-age students' test anxiety and overall academic success in schools and offers implications for practice.

Examining The Effects Of A Well-Being Therapy Protocol On Sexual Minority Individuals’ Psychological Well-Being, Thomas M. Toomey

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minority individuals are at higher risk of mental health concerns than heterosexual individuals due to the impacts of minority stress. Previous counseling interventions for sexual minority individuals have focused on pathology and reducing negative symptoms. However, there is a need for more empirical counseling interventions that address these disparities from a positive psychology perspective. Utilizing a multiple baseline single case research design, the current study examined the impact of a wellbeing therapy protocol for improving the psychological well-being and decreasing depressive symptoms for three sexual minority individuals. There was no functional relationship observed for the Well-Being Therapy protocol on …

How And Why School Counselors Use Twitter: A Phenomenological Study, Danielle R. Schultz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School counselors are often isolated in their role because of the unique nature of their job. Lack of connection, lack of relevant professional development, role ambiguity, high stress, high student-to-school counselor ratios, and lack of professional connections are all contributors to school counselor burnout. School counselors use Twitter, a social media tool, for a variety of purposes. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of school counselors who use Twitter to illuminate how and why school counselors use Twitter. This study found that school counselors see the purpose of their Twitter use as professional advocacy, professional connection, and validation. …

Behavioral Health Workforce & Education Training At The University Of Dayton, Susan C. Davies, Elana Bernstein, Angela Kladias, Meredith Montgomery

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

The University of Dayton (UD) developed a Behavioral Health Workforce and Education Training (BHWET) program in response to a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) call for proposals. The university was awarded $1.92 million across four years to provide interprofessional education and practice (IPEP) opportunities to students in four of their graduate programs: school psychology, clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, and clinical psychology. This collaborative training initiative emphasizes interprofessional training and education for students, faculty, staff, and community partners. The BHWET program encompasses three primary goals: 1) increase access to healthcare services for underserved youth populations; 2) address sparsity …

A Scoping Review To Inform Care Coordination Strategies For Youth With Traumatic Brain Injuries: Care Coordination Personnel, Cara Palusak, Brandy Shook, Susan C. Davies, Jennifer P. Lundine

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

Introduction & Importance: Effective, patient-centered care coordination has been shown to improve outcomes for children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN), who often have complex, long-term involvement with multiple service providers. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in long-term physical, intellectual, social, and emotional disabilities that persist long after acute treatment. Yet, even though it is a chronic condition, TBI remains an area with scarce standardization and research surrounding the complex, long-term care coordination need in this population. The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize current research on outcomes in CSHCN after implementation of care coordinators, whether individual or …

An Analysis Of The Workforce Pipeline In School Psychology, Julie Q. Morrison, Susan C. Davies, Amity Noltemeyer

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

A shortage of school psychologists in the USA jeopardizes the capacity of schools to meet the needs of struggling students. The aim of the study was to evaluate the progression of school psychologists through the professional preparation—to practice pipeline for attracting, preparing, and retaining school psychologists. Descriptive research methods were used to retrospectively track three annual cohorts of graduate students from eight school psychology programs as they progressed through key milestones in their preparation and early professional practice. The results indicate that a large percentage of students completed their graduate program and continued to work in the field 1-, 3-, …

Care Coordination For Children With Special Health Care Needs: A Scoping Review To Inform Strategies For Students With Traumatic Brain Injuries, Susan C. Davies, Jennifer P. Lundine, Ann F. Justice

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Chronic and complex medical issues, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), have significant educational implications. The purpose of this study was to identify and summarize the literature on care coordination strategies among health care professionals, educators, and caregivers for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Clarifying factors that influence care coordination for CSHCN can inform future studies on care coordination for students with TBI. Improved understanding of these factors may lead to better communication, reduction of unmet needs, more efficient service access, and improved long-term outcomes for children.

METHODS A scoping review was conducted, guided by PRISMA-ScR methodology. Five …

He Needs To Be In A Learning Community – Learning Community, A Place Of Respite And Brotherhood While Persisting In College, Ngozi Taffe

Journal of College Access

Black males encounter significant microaggressions and race related challenges as students in Predominantly White Institutions. These encounters negatively impact their college learning and social experiences. In the face of these challenges, college retention rate of Black males falls behind those of other racial and gender groups (Toldson, 2012). Notwithstanding, statistics point to the success and persistence of Black male students in such oppressive environments and the role of learning communities in fostering successful outcomes for students. Using the Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005) framework, this qualitative study explores the experiences of eight Black males living in a same race same …

Role Expansion Of School Social Workers: An Educational Paradigm Shift, Sara Murrell

DSW Capstone Projects

This capstone product includes three written documents. The purpose of this work was to discover and justify the role expansion of school social workers into school leaders. The first, a systematic literature review examining the roles of school social workers. This document will review the current literature describing which school social work roles promote school social workers as school leaders, and which roles act as barriers for school social workers to become school leaders. The second document is a conceptual paper. This document identifies the need for a paradigm shift in education towards a whole child perspective. This document looks …