Counseling Psychology Commons^™

Experience Of Established Mental Health Counselors Working With Adults Who Have Intellectual Disabilities, Margarete Denk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals with disabilities make up the largest minority population in the United States. Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) make up a significant portion of this population, yet there are limited studies addressing counseling with the I/DD population. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs has addressed the need for disability competence in their upcoming 2024 standards. The purpose of the phenomenological study was to describe lived experiences of established counselors working with adult clients diagnosed with an I/DD. A descriptive phenomenological approach was used along with the social model of disability. The study involved six …

She’S Just Not That Into Me: Sexual Self-Concept Among Heterosexual Men Who Identify As Involuntary Celibates, Kyle J. Justin, Dustin K. Shepler, Joseph R. Kinel

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Emerging adult men experiencing involuntary celibacy are increasingly self-identifying as “incels.” Popular culture has painted a negative view of incel men. Nonetheless, almost no research has addressed the experiences of incels or systematically compared incels to their peers to identify whether actual differences exist in psychological functioning. In this study, we surveyed a total of 129 emerging adult men (75 incels and 54 non-incels) to determine if and how incels differ from their non-incel peers. MANOVA results indicated that incels disproportionately struggled with low self-esteem, social anxiety, difficulty approaching women, and optimism about partnered sexual experiences compared to their non-incel …

Differences In Attachment, Resilience, And Negative Affect In Non-Treatment-Seeking And Treatment-Seeking Ems Professionals, Jose Carbajal, Warren Ponder, Lauren Malthaner, Kathryn Shahan, Katelyn Jetelina, Jeanine Galusha, Donna Schuman

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Emergency medical service (EMS) professionals have a stressful vocation, inarguably worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, which affects their mental health and makes them a vulnerable population warranting further study. However, to date, no published research has compared non-treatment and treatment-seeking EMS professionals in the same greater metropolitan area. In this study, we examined differences and similarities among the non-treatment-seeking EMS professionals (n = 57) from a local EMS agency and treatment-seeking EMS personnel (n = 53) from a non-profit community treatment center on six assessment instruments that measure attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, resilience, depression, generalized anxiety, posttraumatic stress …

Counselor Experience With Outcomes Of Telehealth And Substance Use Disorder, Shamarah Thomas-Hutchins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prior to 2020, telehealth, the remote delivery of health care via digital information and communication technologies, was rarely used in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facilities. The onset of COVID-19 quickly created a shift to telehealth services for the safety and health of providers and patients. Researchers have explored many aspects of telehealth, including the client and counselor/client experience, but have not studied the counselor experience separately. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand counselors’ lived experiences pertaining to telehealth use; perceptions of how it impacts clinical performance, self-efficacy, and training; and beliefs about its effectiveness when …

Stress, Resiliency, And Burnout Among Leaders In The Counseling Profession, Adriana Bovee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders in the counseling profession face many demands. The purpose of this quantitative regression analysis study was to determine if there was a predictive relationship between the independent variables of stress and resiliency and dependent variables of burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment among leaders in the counseling profession. Transformational leadership theory and resilience theory were applied as the theoretical framework of this study. A cross-sectional data collection method was used, and data were collected through anonymous online surveys from a purposive sample of 75 counseling leaders. Data analyses methods included descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions. Results indicated …

Integrating Social Justice Advocacy In Clinical Supervision, Mary Rodgers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A research gap exists on the process for how supervisors effectively address social justice advocacy (SJA) in clinical supervision within the counseling profession. The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory (CGT) study was to increase understanding of the process by which SJA can be integrated into clinical supervision and thus generate a theory for teaching supervisors to effectively integrate SJA into clinical supervision. A constructivist grounded theory approach provided direction on the structure of this study to identify how professors who are social justice advocates and provide clinical supervision to doctoral students in Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related …

Emotional Intelligence And Self-Perceptions Of Counseling Competency In Counselors In Training, Ariel Katherine Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselor educators and regulatory boards continue to develop criteria to prepare counselors in training (CITs) for clinical practice. Despite the significant support they receive within the counseling course curriculum, some students lack the necessary counseling competency to succeed in the field experience component of their training. Emotional intelligence (EI) may be relevant in the ability of CITs to manage their emotions and relationships in personal, professional, and academic settings, but there is a lack of empirical evidence regarding the relationship between EI and counseling competence. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the relationship between EI and self-perception …

Educating Providers About Integrated Treatment For Individuals With Co-Occurring Disorders, Ihuarulam Chidiebere Okoroji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem identified by this staff education project was the providers’ lack of knowledge on integrated treatment for individuals with co-occurring disorders (CODs). Integrated treatment is the gold standard for working with individuals with CODs. Providers knowledge gap and barriers were addressed by educating them on integrated treatments. This project used the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) model in planning, implementation, and evaluation. The participants were 20 providers in a residential addiction treatment facility which include one physician, three nurse practitioners, eight counselors, one registered nurse, and seven licensed practical nurses. This project used a pretest to determine …

Experiences Of Maritally Satisfied Black American Couples Serving In Law Enforcement, Amanda Davis-Buie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of maritally satisfied Black American couples when at least one partner is serving in law enforcement. Members of law enforcement, Black American couples, and members of the counseling profession can gain knowledge from the answering of the research question. A family strengths perspective was used to provide a framework to study the phenomenon of marital satisfaction from a positive perspective. Six Black American couples, who are satisfied in their marriage and employed in law enforcement for a period of a least 6 months during their marriage, participated …

Moral Distress Experienced By Behavioral Health Clinicians Who Have Worked With Maternal, Opioid-Using Clients, Jill Lee-Hubble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Moral distress (MD) is a concept that has been well studied in nursing and other medical fields as a precursor to provider burnout. Understanding how MD impacts behavioral health (BH) clinicians provides insights for counselor educators and supervisors to identify clinical situations that often lead to MD. This qualitative phenomenological study explored how MD was experienced by five BH clinicians who have worked in residential and hospital settings providing counseling to maternal, opioid-using clients. Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) informed the research methodology and data analysis. Substance use during pregnancy is highly stigmatized in society; thus, a feminist conceptualization was integrated …

Lived Experiences Regarding Family Relations Of Latina Undocumented Immigrants, Lissette Colon-Perez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Familismo is a complex multidimensional core cultural value in Latinx culture. But there is a lack of information related to Latinas who are undocumented immigrants and their experiences of familismo and family relations after the immigration experience. In the present study, a feminist hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to examine these lived experiences. The purpose of study was to explore family relations as a core value in the lived experiences of Latina undocumented immigrants. The participants consisted of Latina immigrants over 18 years old who immigrated from Central America and who were living in a state from the Northeast without …

The Experience Of Providing Direct Care To Children Victims Of Boko Haram Insurgencies In Nigeria, Felicia Etuke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The insurgency of terrorism leaves lasting economic, social, academics, spiritual, religious, and psychological effects, but often children’s psychological welfare is neglected in the aftermath of terrorist attacks. Boko Haram’s presence in Nigeria has left many children orphaned, displaced, and impoverished. Thus, there is a need to highlight the importance of the role that care providers play in securing the psychological health of the child victims of Boko Haram insurgency. This qualitative, phenomenological study explored the experiences of care providers to the child victims of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. Compassion fatigue theory was used as a theoretical framework for the …

Mental Health Providers’ Perspectives: The Link Between Childhood Trauma, Juvenile Delinquency And Long-Term Effects, Vanay Lashon Frederick-Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Juvenile delinquency is an ongoing problem in society and is detrimental as many delinquents have mental and behavioral health issues. Delinquency is costly to society, and it was found that many delinquents have a traumatic past or adverse childhood experiences. They include child abuse and neglect, loss, separation/divorce of parents, witnessing domestic violence, parents who struggle with mental health and/or drug and substance abuse, parents who have their own trauma, death of a loved one, natural disaster, or other tragedies that are linked to an increase in the likelihood of juvenile delinquency. In this study, the relationship between juvenile delinquency …

The Sustained Effects Of Mindfulness-Based Interventions On Distress Symptoms In Female Breast Cancer Patients, Candace K. Sprouse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to illuminate the magnitude and prevalence of distress symptoms among female breast cancer patients and help identify best social work practices for treating distress symptoms in cancer patients. Using the social cognitive model of restorative well-being, the sustained effects of mindfulness-based interventions on distress symptoms female breast cancer patients experienced were examined in this study. Grounded in social cognitive theory, this model facilitated understanding of the recovery of well-being after an emotional setback. This quantitative experimental study included analysis of secondary data with pre- and post testing with multiple follow ups to measure the …

Educating Providers About Integrated Treatment For Individuals With Co-Occurring Disorders, Ihuarulam Chidiebere Okoroji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem identified by this staff education project was the providers’ lack of knowledge on integrated treatment for individuals with co-occurring disorders (CODs). Integrated treatment is the gold standard for working with individuals with CODs. Providers knowledge gap and barriers were addressed by educating them on integrated treatments. This project used the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) model in planning, implementation, and evaluation. The participants were 20 providers in a residential addiction treatment facility which include one physician, three nurse practitioners, eight counselors, one registered nurse, and seven licensed practical nurses. This project used a pretest to determine …

Empathy-Based Strain Among Social Workers Working With Couples Experiencing Infidelity, Jared And Rachel Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) social workers engaged in the practice of couples therapy often work with the issue of infidelity, which can be traumatizing to clients. EFT relies heavily on empathy-based interventions that allow the therapist to experience the pain of clients in the process of facilitating the repair of a couple's attachment bond. Yet the nature of EFT with infidelity can increase social workers’ risk of developing empathy-based strain (EBS), which can lead to personal and professional detriment and practice that harm clients. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe how social workers who practice EFT …

Experiences Of Counselors Who Provide Services To African American Men With Repeated Domestic Violence Abuse Reports, Miselene Kruer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Domestic violence has been a major concern in the United States. To effectively work with domestic violence offenders, counselors must have the skills and knowledge needed. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand lived experiences of counselors who provide in-home counseling services to African American men who are repeat domestic violence offenders and received a subsequent abuse report within 6 months after in-home services were discontinued. The goal was to try to develop an understanding of experiences of counselors who provide services to these men. Interviews were used to collect data. I used Otter to transcribe all …

Mental Health Counselors’ Use Of Complementary And Alternative Approaches For Treating Individuals With Anxiety Disorders, Jane Rose Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent mental health disorders worldwide. Traditional counseling approaches do not address the evolving needs of individuals with anxiety disorders, and information is scarce regarding counselors’ use of complementary and alternative approaches in treating anxiety disorders. The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to investigate whether counselors’ knowledge, perceptions, intentional practices, and openness predicted their use of complementary and alternative approaches in counseling individuals with anxiety disorders. The integrative mental health model for the conceptual framework guided this study. The research questions examined how five variables—spirituality, specialization, types of anxiety disorders treated, training, …

Rehabilitation Counselor Competency When Working With Sci And Physical Disabilities, Denise M. Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to address the gap in knowledge of the perceived competency of rehabilitation counselors when working with patients with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and/or a physical disability. The factors that influence the mental health needs of person with SCI and the understanding of how rehabilitation counselors view their competency levels with supporting this population were explored. Selection criteria included licensed or certified rehabilitation counselors actively providing care for persons with SCI and/or a physical disability applying a theoretical framework. A qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach was used to address the central research question …

Psychosocial Complexities Of American Black Women’S Experiences With Weight Loss Or Obesity, Danielle Atkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Weight loss and obesity among American Black women (including African American and Caribbean Black women) is a growing issue in the United States. However, a notable gap exists in the literature regarding research into this population’s lived experiences with weight loss or obesity, specifically regarding underlying psychosocial needs, such as cultural influences, self-care, and social networks, which are not being met to support them in making behavioral changes. A greater understanding of the impact of American Black women’s psychosocial underlying experiences may help mental health professionals support them in their efforts toward a healthier lifestyle. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teacher–Child Relationships, Student Behavior, And Classroom Management, Szu-Yu Chen, Natalya A. Lindo, Sarah Blalock, Dina Yousef, Latoya Smith, Kara Hurt-Avila

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Children’s relationships with their teachers are a potential resource for enhancing developmental and academic outcomes. The effects of positive or negative teacher–child relationships can be either beneficial or detrimental to students’ academic progress, behaviors, and emotions. In the current study, we utilized a qualitative research design to examine 18 pre-kindergarten to fourth-grade teachers’ perceptions of teacher–child relationships, student behavior, and classroom management. Analysis of in-depth interviews yielded five major themes: (a) beliefs in children, (b) teaching strategies, (c) acknowledging individual differences, (d) challenges, and (e) relationships. Findings of this study have the potential to inform in-service training regarding relationship-building skills …

Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, And Stress Among Women In Treatment For Substance Disorders, Zummuna Zonzanna Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability of an individual to perceive, use, comprehend, and regulate emotions. While relationships between EI and risk of drug abuse have been explored, possible mechanisms through which higher EI may serve as a protective factor remain undefined; there was a need to understand how EI was related to stress among women with substance use disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine resilience as a mediator between EI and stress, a risk factor, among women in treatment for chemical dependency. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Salovey and Mayer’s EI model. …

Counselor Education And Supervision Students’ Stage Of Program And Intimate Relationship Investment, Rachel Dell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The doctoral counselor education and supervision (CES) program has three stages (entry, integration, or candidacy), each involving specific challenges resulting in varying time requirements, workloads, and stress levels. Personal struggles may have consequences that influence the completion of students’ doctoral program and the outcomes of students’ research. Interdependence theory is the theoretical framework for this study. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine CES doctoral students’ intimate romantic relationship investment as measured by the Investment Model Scale (IMS) and to investigate the relationship between CES doctoral students’ stage in the program and students’ intimate romantic relationship investment. The …

Helping In The Home: Counselors’ Experiences Providing Clients With In-Home Services, Melissa Jane Franzen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counseling is an essential service that helps individuals work through struggles and live their best lives. Such service now includes providing counseling in clients’ homes. Counselors may require specific training or education to prepare for counseling in a home environment. This need for training and education is due to a lack of knowledge of the lived experiences of counselors providing services in the home. Transcendental phenomenology was used to guide a qualitative exploration into the lived experiences of counselors providing services in clients’ homes. Participants were 7 professional counselors, 5 female and 2 male, having met minimum state licensure requirements …

Understanding The Role That The Internet And Social Media Plays In Suicide Survivor Bereavement, Catherine Merle Perusse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year more than 47,000 individuals die by suicide in the United States, leaving behind numerous family and friends who become suicide survivors. While there are prodigious amounts of research on suicidal behavior, little research has focused on what the surviving family members, friends, and community members need after the loss. Many suicide survivors use social media to address their grief and pain in a very public manner. A constructionist social theory of grief and existential phenomenology provided the framework for this qualitative study to examine the use of the Internet and social media as a forum for those grieving …

Attitudes Toward Seeking Counseling Of Women Residing In Public Housing, Belinda M. Newkirk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women living in public housing projects experience adverse outcomes because they do not seek treatment for mental illness. It is unclear whether such women have attitudes toward voluntarily accessing mental healthcare services affected by their optimism, experienced stigma, self-efficacy, and resilience. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether the individual determinants of resilience, self-efficacy, experienced stigma, and optimism predicted attitudes toward seeking professional mental health services of women living in public housing based on the self-efficacy, resilience, stigma, optimism, and help-seeking behavior theories. The first research question focused on bivariate correlations among resilience, self-efficacy, experienced stigma, and …

Stress, Coping, And Adjustment Of Young Adults Who Have Transitioned Out Of Foster Care, Helen S. Hogin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current research lacked information on the stress, coping, and adjustment of individuals transitioning to adulthood from foster care. Transitioning out of foster care when adulthood is reached can be challenging, resulting in mental and physical health problems, decline in overall wellbeing, and poor outcomes. Elevated stress can make coping and adjusting to social life more difficult. The purpose of this study was to explore former foster youths’ perspectives and experiences of stress and what coping strategies were effective as they adjusted to society. The transactional model of stress and coping served as the study’s framework. The research questions focused on …

Factors Predicting Counselor Education And Supervision Doctoral Student Career Choices, Lisa Corbin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the increased need for counselor educators, less than half of graduates of counselor education and supervision (CES) programs enter into faculty positions after graduation. There is also a significant lack of diversity among counselor educators. Some researchers found that the quality of a mentoring relationship influences the mentee’s self-efficacy and career choice. The purpose of this quantitative survey research study was to explore the perceived quality of the participant’s mentoring relationship as measured by the Mentorship in Clinical Training Scale (MiCTS) and whether that score predicted the participant’s career choice or a change in career choice, investigate whether students’ …

Continuing Education And Predictors Of Self-Reported Professional Competency Among Trauma Counselors, Desiree Lynn Grin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractContinuing Education and Predictors of Self-Reported Professional Competency Among Trauma Counselors by Desiree Lynn Grin

MS, Walden University, 2019MA, Capella University, 2009 BS, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 2003

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Counseling Psychology

Walden University November 2021 Abstract Currently, there is limited research about outcomes for therapists who choose to engage in professional trainings for ongoing education. Although other professions track this kind of information, there is a dearth of information for mental health counselors. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of counselors’ motivations, …

Emotional And Spiritual Intelligence, Psychological Ownership, Burnout, And Well-Being’S Effect On College Counselor Self-Efficacy, Lola Nixon Johnston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

College counselors provide individual and group counseling, consultation and educational outreach services, and supervision for counseling interns as well as serving on committees. As a result, college counselors are at risk of burnout, which could affect self-efficacy. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the roles of emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence, psychological ownership, burnout, and well-being in predicting counseling self-efficacy of college counselors, as emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence, and psychological ownership have been shown to reduce burnout by enhancing well-being. Using Neuman’s system model as a theoretical guide, this study used a quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey …