Counselor Education Commons^™

The Long-Term Psychological Effects Of Violent Crime On Victims: A Review Of Evidence And Supportive Interventions, Jayden E. Oleksyn-Lamb

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study utilizes anonymous survey data collected from 26 mental health professionals in various regions of Canada to understand which psychological disturbances are the most prevalent among victims of violent crime as well as which psychological interventions are most beneficial for treating violent crime victims. The data revealed that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), anger, guilt, self-blame, and shame are each highly prevalent. Findings also revealed that certain therapeutic methods including Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Supportive Counselling (SC), Progressive Relaxation (PR), Cognitive Reprocessing Therapy (CPT) and Cognitive Restructuring (CR) are associated with …

Assessing The Psychological Benefits Of Biophilic Design In Therapeutic Counseling Spaces, Andrew Graf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the intersection of biophilia and counseling, aiming to illustrate the potential benefits of integrating nature-based interventions into therapeutic practice. Biophilia, the innate human tendency to connect with nature, has garnered attention in various fields, yet its implications for counselors remain unexplored. This qualitative study employs a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to investigate the lived experiences of counselors who have incorporated biophilic elements into their practice and the perceptions of clients who have engaged with these interventions.

Through semi-structured interviews with licensed counselors, themes emerged regarding the impact and use of biophilic interventions on the therapeutic process. Findings suggest …

Dungeons And Dragons As A Therapeutic Intervention Training, Samuel Grove

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a role-playing game that gives players’ versatility by allowing them to dictate, customize, or create their own experience. There are many different iterations of role-playing games with varying presentations for in-person and online play; table-top role-playing games and video games (Connell, 2024) (Kowal et al, 2021). Through the 3 pillars of play (Exploration, Role-play, and Combat) player are able to customize their own experience to their preference or collective preference of the group. The balance between the 3 frames of play (Player, Game, and Character) optimizes the players role-playing experience (Connell, 2023). D&D is the …

Counseling And Mental Health Awareness In Higher Education Institutions: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Mental Health And How It Affects Degree Completion Among Black Undergraduate College Women, Shaquina D. White, Desirae N. Williams

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Black undergraduate women’s lived experiences with mental health management and pursuance of degree completion. This study used a phenomenological approach, guided by the following research questions: 1) What barriers are Black undergraduate college women facing regarding their accessibility to counseling services on their campus? and 2) How do Black undergraduate college women with mental health issues effectively manage stressful situations while pursuing and completing a college degree? The current literature that examined Black women’s utilization of counseling is limited, especially among Black women enrolled in college. This study aimed to fill …

Ethically Managing Theories Of Agency In Counseling And Psychotherapy, Jeffrey S. Reber, Jacob D. Tubbs, Jacob A. Larson

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

Informed by personal and professional cultures, clients and therapists inevitably hold various assumptions and attributions about the possibility of free will. Given that these “theories of agency” may not always align, and in light of the ethics codes for psychotherapists and counselors, it is imperative, as a matter of cultural competence and responsivity, that therapists seek training in understanding different cultures of agency. To that end, and to help therapists navigate cultural differences and mitigate the risk of personal and professional values imposition, this article provides a conceptual framework for organizing the common formal and informal theories of agency that …

Using A Three-Dimensional Theoretical Orientation Matching Model To Predict Therapeutic Outcomes, Daniel Rhodes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Matching helpers and clients in a therapeutic setting is inefficient and ineffective. So far, there are no significant and enduring variables that reliably match helpers and clients that lead to positive therapeutic outcomes. This study attempts to match helper and client using theoretical orientation. It uses a quantitative methodology to predict therapeutic outcomes given match quality in the therapeutic dyad. Participants were 30 dyadic pairs—consisting of one helper and one client—who had a pre-existing therapeutic relationship. Each was given an assessment tool, used to measure their theoretical orientation to psychotherapy. Results showed no statistically significant relationships between theoretical orientation match …

Implementation Of Equine Therapy Into Treatment Programming For Adolescents With Substance Use Disorders, Gabrielle Rayfield

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Substance use disorders affect all populations. Adolescents are at greater risk of a substance use disorder when abuse begins at a young age. Over 50% of individuals with mental health diagnoses developed a substance use disorder before the age of 14 (Nebhinani et. al., 2022). [BJA1] Due to the tremendous growth that takes place during adolescence, and the profound impact substance use can have on development, it is imperative to provide early intervention. There are several evidenced-based approaches available in the treatment of adolescent substance use. Equine therapy has growing empirical support and will be the focus of this project. …

The Lived Experience Of Good Therapy For Latino Clients, Rebecca Trujillo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Latino population is one of the fastest growing minority populations in the United States. While there is vastness and diversity in the countries that represent Latino heritages, Latino people hold similar values that influence their lives including familismo, respeto, personalismo, and many others (Ayón & Aisenberg, 2010; Bean et. al., 2001; Bermúdez et al., 2010; Calzada et al., 2010; Elias-Juarez & Knudson-Martin, 2016). Previous researchers identified stigma regarding mental health issues in Latino communities and the role of values like familismo in contributing to the stigma of accessing mental health support outside of Latinos’ families (McGoldrick et al., 2005). …

Counseling Experiences In Physically Disabled Individuals, Leah Schulze

Honors Projects

This pilot study covers the effects that counseling has on the physically disabled community. 5 individuals were interviewed on a mid-sized college campus about their experiences.

Clash Of Values: Workplace Bullying And Moral Injury, Jarl B. Anderson Ma, Mftc

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

Moral injury is a psychological construct developed in military context, and although it has been expanded to include specific occupational fields outside of the military, it has not yet been proposed as an outcome of workplace bullying. Employees may experience moral injury when their personal values and the legitimate values of the workplace clash with unacknowledged shadow values during incidents of workplace bullying. Workplace bullying could be considered a potentially morally injurious event (PMIE) because it is transgressive, it is asymmetric, and it involves high stakes: livelihood and identity are at risk. Regarding counseling considerations, the use of ritual has …

The Efficacy Of Art And Movement Treatment Modalities On An Individual With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tristen Valentino

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Current statistics report 1 in 54 children have been identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), many of whom have co-occurring mental health disorders. However, minimal research has been conducted on adults with autism with co-occurring mental health disorders and the efficacy of art and movement therapy techniques. This is the case study by Tristen Valentino, clinical therapist, of a client, David Smith (who was given the pseudonym to maintain confidentiality), a 35-year-old, obese, single, cisgender, heterosexual, Caucasian, male. The implications of this case study are discussed relative to the diagnosis and treatment of adults with ASD who possess comorbid clinical …

Development Of A Method For Utilizing Oriental Belly Dance Rhythms To Deepen A Client’S Understanding Of Their Emotions After Experiencing Trauma, And Move Towards Healing, Jenny Nehir Eish-Baltaoglu

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

A workshop was offered to local women in North Eastern Ohio who have experienced trauma and are facing uncomfortable emotions or unpleasant memories as a result. A guided body scan, Focusing Oriented Art directives, and improvisational movement explorations were employed to deepen awareness and understanding of the emotions and memories participants wished to have better control over. Three movement rhythms, which are central to the ancient feminine dance form popularly known as belly dance, were explored through improvisational movement both as a group and independently. These movement rhythms included staccato pops and locks, fluid figure eights, and vibratory shimmies. Participants …

#Gaslighting, Karissa Moody

Counseling and Family Therapy Scholarship Review

As the utilization of social media continues to integrate itself into domains of culture, livelihood, and worldviews, the following exposition aims to introduce how such integration may pose as a new realm of gaslighting that has yet to be discussed. The progressive conceptualization of gaslighting as a form of manipulation will aid in providing readers with an understanding of this idea through a systemic lens by first, explaining underlying reasons for manipulation as an all-inclusive concept. The value of explication will serve in identifying plausible reasons of manipulation which pertain to the concept of gaslighting within social media. Within this …

How To Make School-Based Mental Health Work, Jenny Wilhoite

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This session is designed to give an overview of how to create a School-Based Mental Health program that benefits students on all tiers, providing universal prevention, early intervention, and intensive services for at-risk students. Meeting the unmet needs of students with mental health challenges impacts student attendance, behavioral and academic outcomes, and discipline in a positive way.

Complicated Grief And Art Therapy, Rachel Brandoff

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Complicated grief (CG) has come to be a common enough occurrence in mental health treatment to warrant research, literature, and discussion of markers, causes, prevalence, symptoms, measures, and treatment protocols. Art therapy presents one possible mode of treatment for individuals suffering from CG, and yet few art therapists know about CG or have training in this area. A systematic review of art therapy programs and educational requirements showed no current standards or training requirements for grief or CG. Art therapists are master’s trained clinicians who work with people with a variety of mental health challenges, and training in CG may …

Client Experiences Of Mindfulness Meditation In The Counseling Setting: A Qualitative Study, Veronica L. O'Brien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness meditation is an emerging trend, and previous research conducted focused on benefits of mindfulness meditation as a training technique for beginning counselors, symptoms mindfulness meditation may alleviate, and specific types of mindfulness meditation (e.g., Feldman, Greeson, & Senville, 2010; Greason & Welfare, 2013; Khoury et al., 2013; Sedlmeier, et al., 2012). Little research exists on the client’s experiences when mindfulness meditation is used within the counseling session; therefore the primary goal of the present study was to explore experiences and potential benefits of mindfulness meditation and its clinical application in session. Because previous research done on mindfulness meditation used …

Scapegoating, Lori L. Ellison

Counseling Faculty Research

The term scapegoating comes from the Hebraic tradition of the Day of Atonement. The patriarch Moses would take a goat and curse it with the sins of the people of Israel. This would then be followed by sending the goat, laden with the sins of the people, into the wilderness alone to die for them. The goat’s symbolic sacrifice was a way of removing the year’s evil thoughts and behavior from the people and transferring them to the innocent goat so that the people could move forward in a new way.

From Victim To Healer: How Surviving Sex Trafficking Informs Therapeutic Practice, Emily M. Waters

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Sexual Attraction In The Therapy Room: An Exploration Of Licensed Marriage And Family Therapists’ Experiences And Training, Rafiah Prince

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The client-therapist relationship is an essential part of therapy and is central in helping clients achieve therapeutic goals as the joining process facilitates the change process. However, in an effort to create a space for change, there is a possibility that professional boundaries may become blurred wherein a client may express a sexual attraction toward their therapist. To explore this phenomenon, the researcher employed convergent parallel mixed method design to explore the experiences of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) who have experienced sexual attraction from their clients. The study was conducted online through a secure forum. Implications for clients, …

Unsilencing The Voice Within: Expressive Writing As A Therapeutic Tool, Karla L. Sapp

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Written words are a very powerful tool that is used to facilitate self-healing, awareness, and growth through the communication of one’s deepest thoughts, emotions, and desires. The purpose of this poster session is to provide mental health providers (community, school, criminal justice) with an overview of expressive writing, forms of expressive writing that can be utilized, and implications for professional practice with At-Risk Youth.

The Quality Of Presence: An Essential Component Of Therapeutic Work, Melissa R. Haley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The concept of therapeutic presence has only recently been addressed in the literature. However the literature regarding this topic indicates that therapeutic presence is an important aspect of effective therapy (Boudette, 2011; Bradford, 2007; Greason & Cashwell, 2009; Hall-Renn, 2006; Nanda, 2009). As much of the literature is comprised of conceptual pieces, empirical data needs to be expanded on regarding therapeutic presence. One of the areas that is not addressed in the literature is how practicing counselors perceive or utilize presence The objective of this qualitative study was to gather information from a sample of expert counseling practitioners concerning therapeutic …

A Guy Walks Into A Bar...: Exploring Clients' Preferences For Humor And Ratings Of Therapy Sessions, Courtney E. Sonntag

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Humor has been identified as an important factor in the establishment of relationships. This study explores the use of humor in mental health therapy and how clients’ preferences for humor impact an evaluation of the therapy session. Forty-eight individuals currently receiving mental health therapy were examined along with the use of three forms of humor: positive, negative, and instrumental. There was a significant relationship between a preference for negative humor and session evaluation scores in which the more negative humor preferred, the lower the session ratings. Although not significant, other trends were noted between self-enhancing humor and session depth, aggressive …

Building Cultural Competency In Therapy, Naveen Jonathan

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Presentations

Discusses how to build better cultural competency in order to help clients of diverse ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds.

The Foundations Of Hope In Therapy, John M. Winslade

Special Education, Rehabilitation & Counseling Faculty Publications

Hope is a necessary construct in narrative therapy but we need to be careful how we think about it. It does not lie in the essence of persons. There are not categories of people who are hopeful or hopeless. Rather, hope lies in the stories that we use to make sense of our lives but dominant stories from the world around us sometimes interfere with our access to hopeful stories. Therapy can help us reconnect with these stories, leading to the exercise of personal agency in our own lives. This presentation will explore how to help people do this through …

Trauma And The Use Of Formal And Informal Resources In The Deaf Population: Perspectives From Mental Health Service Providers, Stephanie W. Cawthon, Bentley W. Fink, Paige Johnson, Sarah Schoffstall, Erica Wendel

JADARA

Using grounded theory analysis, the current study identifies the perspectives of therapists and counselors regarding the nature of informal and formal resources supporting the treatment of deaf individuals with trauma. Nineteen counselors and therapists were interviewed, and accessibility, formal support, informal networks, and gaps in resources were identified as salient themes. Subsequent analysis identified concerns with confidentiality as a strong theme. This study emphasizes the need for counselors and therapists to become mindful of utilizing resources to support the treatment of trauma while being concerned with confidentiality.