I’M So Satisfied: A Qualitative Approach To Understanding The Process Of Marriage Satisfaction Among African American Couples, Rashida Spence

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The current study uses a strengths-based framework to identify the process of marriage satisfaction among 1 same-sex African American married couple and 5 heterosexual African American married couples. Six themes emerged through qualitative analysis demonstrating that marriage satisfaction is a co-constructed experience created between couples through a series of interactions cultivating healthy conditions that strengthen relationship functioning and promote well-being. Based on the results the experience of marriage satisfaction is formed by the organizing concepts of connection, intentionality, purpose, sentiments of peace, authentic communication, and well-being. Results are discussed in association with existing research, as well as, Self-Determination, and Relationship …

Interpersonal Trauma And Mental Health Among Lgbq+ College Students: Examining Social Support And Trauma-Related Drinking As Mediators, Eryn Delaney

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the increased risk of childhood, adulthood, and lifetime interpersonal trauma among LGBQ+ individuals, existing research that has examined the influence of interpersonal trauma on mental health has primarily focused on LGBQ+ adolescents and samples of LGBQ+ community-based adults, and less on LGBQ+ emerging adults in college. Additionally, limited work has focused on mechanisms that might explain the relations between these variables. Thus, the current study tested the relations between interpersonal trauma (i.e., childhood sexual abuse, adulthood sexual victimization, and lifetime physical assault and IPV) and mental health outcomes (i.e., anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and PTSD symptoms), and examined social …

Expand Your Horizon: Investigating An Online Intervention For Weight Bias Internalization, Alexandria Davies

Theses and Dissertations

Weight bias internalization (WBI; i.e., self-directed weight stigma or the degree to which individuals apply negative weight-based stereotypes to themselves), is problematic because it is associated with increased stress, emotional eating, healthcare avoidance, and exercise avoidance. Thus, WBI exacerbates health disparities and there is an urgent need to create treatments that address this concern. The current study examined the preliminary effectiveness of a previously developed online body gratitude journaling intervention (i.e., Expand Your Horizon) compared to an active control writing condition in emerging adult women with WBI. Racially/ethnically diverse women (N=100; n=49) or Expand Your Horizon ( …

Medical Cannabis And Counselor Education: Examining The Relationship Between Counselor Education Curriculum And The Incorporation Of Medical Cannabis, Anne Catherine Adrian

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The focus of this study was to examine the status of medical cannabis instruction in counselor education curriculum programs. There is evidence to indicate that medical cannabis use may be beneficial in mental health care. However, there is limited research on medical cannabis in counselor education. The following research questions provided a framework of investigation for this study: What is the status of the inclusion of medical cannabis content in counselor education curriculum programs and what are the plans to incorporate this content in the future?

In this study, a non-experimental design was used to describe or examine associations between …

Navigating Integration: A Grounded Theory Of Practicing Clinicians' Experiences Integrating Neuroscience In Their Mental Health Clinical Practice, Barbara K. Skodje-Mack

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to generate a grounded theory from practicing clinicians’ experiences integrating neuroscience in their mental health clinical practice. The research consisted of interviews with eight practicing clinicians across Minnesota. The qualitative study design relied upon the Corbin and Strauss (2015) Grounded Theory and theoretical sampling. Participants in this study described taking complex neuroscience information and translating it into user-friendly concepts and applying clinical interventions that affect the mind-body symbiotic relationship, providing a holistic way to address mental and physical health. The participants integrated neuroscience knowledge alongside other psychotherapy theories and utilized psychoeducation approaches to further …

Stress, Coping, Social Support, And Marriage Satisfaction In Parents Of Children With Congenital Heart Defects, David Kropff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) are the most common type of birth defect in the United States. Children diagnosed with CHD require specialized intervention and a myriad of additional supports resulting in higher levels of stress for their parents. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of parental stress (parental distress, parent-child dysfunctional interaction, difficult child, and total parental stress), parental support (spouse/parenting partner relationship), and parental coping (maintaining social support, maintaining family integration, and understanding the healthcare situation) on marriage satisfaction among parents with children who have a CHD. Minuchin’s structural family theory was used to guide …

Counseling System Documentation And The Relationship Between Treatment Plans And Client Outcomes, Moraima N. Frangiosa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide a method for evaluating counseling services delivered to patients during treatment. The evaluation of the study required the use of methods that are repeatable and effective that would allow a clinic to continue using them over time to grow a database of valuable information about counseling and patient outcomes. The new database would allow the clinic to change counseling methods and approaches of delivery to promote organizational change. The evidence-based practice (EBP) for counseling therapy would encourage the connection between public administration and public policy in the health care system. Public …

Exploring The Dating Experiences Of Biracial Women, Camela Callaway-Higgins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Census data highlight swiftly changing demographics in the United States with over 9 million people self-identifying as multiracial. Scholars agree that the multiracial population has been historically understudied, and that this population may have differing experiences from the majority and other minorities. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the dating experiences of women who self-identify as Latina and Caucasian. This study was grounded in literature pertaining to the unique experiences of multiracial individuals, with emphasis on biracial relationship experiences, family influence on biracial identity and experiences, and the history of biracial identity theory development. …

Counselors’ Experience Implementing The Multicultural Orientation Framework With Interpersonal Trauma Clients, Dalad Srisuppak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselors are integrating the Multicultural Orientation (MCO) framework and cultural humility practices to address limitations of cultural competency models for cross-cultural counseling. This hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study explored the lived experiences of counselors using the MCO framework with clients with interpersonal trauma. The MCO conceptual framework guided the study. Seven licensed mental health counselors from community-based agencies in South Florida shared their experience through individual videoconference semi-structured interviews. Data were collected, transcribed, and analyzed using the hermeneutic circle to identify seven themes: (a) counselors’ identity as a guide, (b) counselors’ culture and background influence whether White or minority/multicultural, (c) being …

African American Mothers’ Experience In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Lauren Magruder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black/African American (B/AA) mothers struggle disproportionately with problems related to childbirth. B/AA mothers have higher rates of premature births, infant death prior to age one, and death during childbirth. The purpose of this research was to add to present knowledge regarding B/AA mothers who have had a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Womanist theory was selected as a framework for the study because it focuses on the intersection of gender and race in relation to B/AA women. The experience of B/AA women in U.S. society is unique, in that it involves several pervasive stereotypes and controlling images. …

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder In The Classroom, Gizelle Edith Tircuit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have identified emotional disturbance (ED) as the fastest growingdiagnosed disability among school-age children. The National Institute of Mental Health estimated that of the 473,000 school-aged students who would qualify as having an ED, the school systems formally identify only 1%. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is the most recent depressive disorder added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) and the newest subcategory of ED. There have been few studies on student populations with DMDD, and a significant gap exists in the literature supporting this population in the classroom. The purpose of the study was …

Legacy Of Money: A Qualitative Analysis Of Attitudes Toward Treatment Of Intersex Individuals, Jane Truax Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractNo significant research exists that addresses mental health providers' attitudes toward the treatment of intersex individuals. The purpose and primary goal of this qualitative study was to provide insight into mental health providers’ attitudes toward an understanding of treatment of intersex individuals, including possible changes in attitudes over the past 25 years. Using the theoretical foundations of social constructivism and gender variant phenomenon, the guiding research questions sampled mental health providers’ views of attitudinal shifts in treatment of the intersex population over 25 years, their changing views toward intersex over the course of their careers, and what mental disorders they …

Qualitative Exploration Of Catholic Church Leaders’ Perspectives Regarding Counseling Parishioners With Anxiety, Amy Lynn Polster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is little research addressing the mental health literacy of Roman Catholic clergy in their job as spiritual counselors for parishioners with anxiety. Devout individuals struggling with fear- or worry-driven anxiety often call on divine assistance for help as a frontline defense. Anxiety is a leading mental health problem, disturbing about 40 million U.S. adults aged 18 to 54 years. This study explored the mental health literacy perceptions of six Catholic clergy leaders and their awareness of fear- or worry-based anxiety, drawing upon the concept of the triune brain and using evolutionary threat assessment systems theory as a theoretical foundation. …

Counselor-In-Training Self-Efficacy When Working With Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Clients, Thomas John Hegblom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers highlighted a significant void in existing literature surrounding the preparation of counselors working with the transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) population. The problem addressed is the limited understanding of self-efficacy counselors-in-training (CIT) possess while working with TGNC clients. The purpose of this quantitative study rooted in self-efficacy theory was to examine the relationship between three independent variables: (a) the cumulative time the participant spent as a CIT, (b) the amount of training the CIT received specific to transcompetent counseling practices, and (c) a CIT’s competency in delivering transcompetent counseling, and the dependent variable: a CIT’s self-efficacy in providing transcompetent …

Inside Out: Mask-Making And The Counseling Student Identity, Jil Hus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At the field experience level, current research is limited on reflective expressive arts exercises as a modality to facilitate professional identity development in counseling students, with no mention of the effectiveness of mask-making. The purpose of this art-based hermeneutic phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of master’s students’ counselor identity at the field experience level using research questions to explore participants’ lived experiences as they engaged in a mask-making expressive arts activity aimed at the enhancement of their self-awareness, insight, and reflection into their professional identity development. A qualitative design was utilized, and 5 students participated in this study …

Masters-Level Counseling Students’ Awareness Of Council Of Accreditation Of Counseling And Related Educational Programs Accreditation, V. Paige Zeiger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the counseling profession continues to evolve and change, there is a growing need for more professional counselors who are appropriately trained. Research indicated that a high percentage of prospective and current counseling graduate students lacked awareness of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation prior to and following enrollment in a counseling graduate program; therefore, these students were not making fully informed decisions when selecting an appropriate graduate program that would prove beneficial to their professional goals. In this descriptive phenomenological inquiry, 7 master’s-level counseling students provided their lived experiences of searching for and …

A Phenomenological Study Of African American Youth Aging Out Of The Foster Care System, Wandra C. Blocker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, approximately 30,000 youth “age out” of the foster care system and enter independent living each year. Statistics indicate poverty, homelessness, unmet needs, and mental illness occur at higher rates for these youth than their non-foster care peers, and little research has been conducted regarding their experience. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of African American youth who have aged out of the foster care system and factors they attribute to their transitional outcomes. The attribution and emerging adulthood theories guided this study. Data were collected via interview from a sample …

The Use Of Vocational Services By Formerly Incarcerated Citizens Who Obtained Employment, Marianne Gonta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Almost 2.3 million people are incarcerated in correctional facilities across the United States. More than 95% of this population will be released to return to society at some time. People returning from prison can be at a disadvantage as they compete for work. They might be challenged by known barriers to employment, like restrictions on work opportunities and powerful stigma, resulting in a social problem. While some correctional facilities provide vocational services, 75% or more of citizens returning to U.S. communities from prison cannot obtain sustainable wage employment. Yet, it appears there is little research illuminating the pathways used by …

The Obligation Of Law Enforcement Agencies To The Mental Health Of Their Officers, Michael Ballard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The extent of law enforcement agencies’ responsibility to address their officers’ mental health needs is unclear, despite the availability of resources and suggested guidelines. This research applied the theory of planned behavior to police officers’ willingness to seek mental health assistance from their agencies, examining the responses of 104 law enforcement officers in Utah and Idaho from four agencies. The results of this quantitative study provide evidence that law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to the mental health of their officers. Officers in general recognized the value of mental health services for others; however, they were not likely to seek …

The Rise In Use Of Emotional Support Animals By College Students: The Impact Of Parenting Styles, Misty G. Smith, Samantha Ballard, Jill Willis

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

As the generational context of higher education shifts, a rise of Emotional Support Animals (ESA) and mental health concerns are present for students on college campuses. While previous studies have aimed to address the relevancy and controversy of ESAs in higher education as well as their effectiveness in supporting individuals, less research has explored underlying factors that contribute to the use of an ESA. The purpose of this study was to explore the parenting behaviors of parents/caregivers of students with ESAs in comparison to parents/caregivers of students without ESAs. An embedded mixed methods design was used. Participants completed the Parenting …

How/Can Gestalt Therapy Promote Liberation From Anti-Black Racism?, Michelle Billies

Publications and Research

Anti-Black racism is an interruption of contact that often takes place out of awareness, and is continuously enacted through innumerable fixed gestalts at every level of human experience. Gestalt therapy as a movement does not leverage its great potential for undoing fixed gestalts of anti-Black racism, or supporting fluid gestalts of racial liberation; this article explores GT theories and practices that do so. I first discuss how concepts of the field, ground, awareness, consciousness, and contact can be informed by ideas such as intersectionality and double consciousness from Black liberation history as well as theorists such as Crenshaw, DuBois, Fanon, …

An Assessment Of Therapist Attitudes Toward Polyamorous People, Chelsea V. Randall

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Polyamorous people can encounter unique negative experiences in psychotherapy. Western culture perpetuates the ideal of romantic and sexual exclusivity between two people through monogamy as the dominant social norm, to the extent that nonmonogamous relationships are considered abnormal or othered. Polyamorous people have reported experiencing such biases from therapists, resulting in being pathologized, inaccurately labeled as infidelitous, and spending excessive treatment time providing education on polyamory. Research on the therapist’s contribution to polyamorous clients’ negative experiences is lacking, which limits suggestions for affirmative practices and the rationale from which to implement them. The current study sought to directly survey therapists’ …

Exploring Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy In Clinical Practice, Tim Rieck

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

ABSTRACT

Key Words: religion, spirituality, sacred, intervention, spiritual intervention, soul

Over the past twenty years, spirituality and religion have gained increased attention in the field of psychotherapy. In the research of psychotherapy, psychology, and social work, there is recognition that spirituality and religion can contribute to positive outcomes when people are faced with various challenges and distresses in life.

The main challenges are tied into determining how to move the research beyond the fact that spirituality has importance in psychotherapy to exploring how spirituality is integrated in psychotherapy. There are numerous questions to explore regarding the application of spirituality into …

Psychotherapy Utilization And Presenting Concerns Among International Asian And Asian American Students In A University Counseling Center., Hannah Stokes, Derek Griner, Timothy B. Smith, Mark Beecher, G. E. Kawika Allen, Jon Cox, Klint Hobbs, Natalie Ann Kirtley

Faculty Publications

Limited psychological research has disaggregated the experiences of Asian American (AA) from international Asian (IA) college students seeking psychotherapy. When combined, important differences between these groups are overlooked. We examined archival data collected from AA, IA, and European American (EA) students at a large, Western, university counseling center. Results indicated no significant differences between groups related to maximum number of psychotherapy sessions attended or likelihood of treatment discontinuance. However, we found significant differences between these groups on a number of items related to presenting concerns and to severity of presenting distress, with IA students presenting with the most distress, followed …

Who Is The Stranger Really? A Reluctant Autoethnography Of The Strange Situation Procedure, Tara Yazdani

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This paper aims to review the cross-cultural application of attachment theory as a western model of thought and practice. That is, this research aimed to recognize and question how embedded attachment theory has become in programming and education within North American academic and practical arenas. In applying the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) to a limited sample of Eritrean dyads, important considerations and questions arose regarding the cross-cultural application of this protocol. The aims of this research shifted toward further exploring these considerations and questions, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the new research aim emphasized how to inform future …

Second Generation Christian Korean Canadians: Exploring Their Lived Experiences Of Mental Health Issues And Services, Kyoung Jung Kim

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

This study explores the lived experiences of second-generation Christian Korean Canadian young adults with mental health issues (MHI) and their use of health services (MHS). In addition, this study asked this cohort to discuss their beliefs about the views their parents held about MHI and MHS. All research participants were born and raised in Canada by Korean born immigrant parents. This study was descriptive, phenomenological, and qualitative in nature; it consisted of in-depth interviews with six male and six female participants. In their experience with MHI, seven participants experienced fear and sadness (depression and anxiety) and three of them …

Promoting Success For First-Generation Students Of Color: The Importance Of Academic, Transitional Adjustment, And Mental Health Supports, Sophie W. Schuyler, Jonique R. Childs, Timothy A. Poynton

Journal of College Access

Nearly 1 in 3 college students (30%) are first-generation students of color (FGSOC), possessing the intersectional identity of being both a first-generation college student and a racial minority. FGSOC face increased psychological and social difficulties in college when compared to students in other groups, resulting from cultural differences, lack of academic preparedness, stigma surrounding socioeconomic status, racial discrimination, and marginalization. This article summarizes peer-reviewed literature related to three types of supports that can improve the college experience and promote the academic success of FGSOC: academic supports, transitional adjustment supports, and mental health supports. The reviewed literature is framed by a …

Impact Of Psychoeducation Program On Turkish Students' Negative Attitudes Towards Refugee Peers, Ali Çekiç, Zeynep Hamamcı

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

About 26% of the Syrian population in Turkey is made up of school-age children. In the 2017–2018 academic year, 608,000 Syrian students enrolled in the education system, and 50% attended temporary education centers established for only Syrian students, while the other half attended public schools with their Turkish peers. One of the main factors that complicate the adaptation process of Syrian refugee students who have come to a different culture and have been placed in a foreign education system is the discriminatory attitudes from the locals’ prejudices. Thus, in this study, a five-week psychoeducation program was developed and implemented by …

Full Issue, Mississippi Counseling Association

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

No abstract provided.

Using An Idiographic Approach To Clients With Health Anxiety, Scott Peters, Christine D. Gonzalez-Wong

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

Worries about one’s health, while ubiquitous, can for some become quite distressing. Health anxiety occurs when one becomes focused on symptoms and fears they may become ill or die. This often overtakes their life due to continued worry. They often spend an inordinate amount of time and effort to seek answers. Other aspects of their life are placed in the periphery or abandoned. Traditional approaches are aimed at symptom relief. While effective for some, others continue to struggle. A more novel approach that aims to look at the client both holistically and individualistically can address much more than symptom amelioration.