Counseling Psychology Commons^™

Asian American Men's Experiences Of Gendered Racism In Online Competitive Gaming, Calvin Weiting Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the U.S., Asian Americans men make up a large portion of active players in online competitive video games. In these settings, harassment, racism, and hate speech are prevalent and often normalized. The purpose of this study was to explore Asian American men’s experiences of gendered racism in online competitive gaming spaces. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2022) and applying the Intersectionality Framework (Crenshaw, 1989; Collins, 2000), six Asian American men were interviewed about their experiences of gendered racism while playing online competitive games. Two Group Experiential Themes emerged from their accounts: 1) Gendered racism …

Cultural Humility, A Salve For Romantic Relationship Conflict, Lena Blum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conflict communication and having a relationship consisting of differing sociocultural backgrounds (DISC Couples) have been viewed as obstacles or at best hindrances of relationship satisfaction in earlier couples’ psychology literature. More recent literature makes an argument that it is not merely conflict communication or the differences of culture within a couple, but rather how couples navigate both conflict and differences that impact relationship satisfaction. The present work aims to investigate the role of cultural humility in the association between cultural conflict communication and relationship satisfaction, as well as its relationship with the frequency of cultural conflict communication among DISC couples. …

Pushing Forward: The Dialectical Experiences Of Apida Psychologists In Predominantly White Counseling Settings, Shaun A. Fossett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans (APIDAs) are the fastest growing racial group in the United States, yet they remain significantly underrepresented in the field of psychology and notably absent from research examining the professional experiences of racial and ethnic minority clinicians. Existing scholarship has documented the prevalence of racialized organizational structures, microaggressions, and the enduring “model minority” stereotype that both obscures and exacerbates APIDA challenges in professional environments. However, no known published studies have investigated the non–client-facing experiences of APIDA psychologists working in predominantly White counseling settings. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was to explore how …

Disrupted Family Ecosystems: Intergenerational Estrangement, Nonnormative Events, And Perceptions Of Established Adults – A Case Study, Seth Wyncott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The issue of intergenerational family estrangement has gained increased exposure in research and popular literature; however, significant gaps remain in understanding the lived experience of adult-children who maintain separation from their parents. Complicating matters, the family is not a solitary unit but is intertangled within a macrolevel sociocultural ecosystem. This ecosystem includes normative and nonnormative stressors which are subject to diverse interpretations depending on the historic and evolving character of the family and its members. As such, it is important to examine the dynamic character of estrangement in familial and sociocultural context.

Utilizing a case study method with semi-structured phenomenological …

Well-Being Beyond The Binary In Perinatal Healthcare: An Application Of Reproductive Justice, Orphea D. Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gender diverse birthing individuals face several systemic barriers to accessing affirming and empowering perinatal healthcare. The present study utilizes the term gender diverse and the abbreviation TGE to describe those who self-identify as broadly non-cisgender, an umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. Gender identities that may be included in this definition include transgender/trans, gender expansive, non-binary, gender fluid, gender nonconforming, gender variant, gender queer/queer, and/or agender. Gender diverse individuals face unique barriers in perinatal healthcare due to the pervasiveness of cisnormativity in perinatal healthcare spaces. Research has documented the harm caused to …

The Resilient Mother: Exploring Factors That Buffer The Influence Of Early Childhood Trauma On Maternal Self-Efficacy, Brigid Magdamo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Childhood maltreatment and toxic stress pose significant risks to both individuals and communities, yielding negative outcomes that can perpetuate across generations— a phenomenon known as intergenerational trauma. Early intervention is imperative to disrupt this cycle of adversity and promote positive outcomes. One promising approach involves leveraging protective and promotive factors that cultivate resilience. Individuals with higher levels of benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) and greater social support tend to exhibit enhanced self-efficacy, thereby potentially buffering the detrimental effects of childhood trauma. Furthermore, the perinatal period presents a critical juncture where maternal well-being significantly impacts both mother and child. The current study …

Accessing Campus Mental Health Services In A Nigerian Southwestern University: Barriers To Academic Success, Caroline Dada

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health disorders are a significant health concern among higher education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. A substantial treatment gap exists in the Nigerian healthcare system, and this gap is further worsened by cultural and religious barriers, which reinforce stigma that discourages students from seeking professional help. This qualitative narrative inquiry explored the barriers students encountered when accessing mental health services at a university in Southwestern Nigeria, to increase service access. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with seven professional mental health providers at a university counseling center between March and April 2025. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify …

Trainee Countertransference And Competency In Bereavement Therapy: Strengths And Limitations Of The Wounded Healers, Meghan Paynter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Countertransference is a common experience in therapy, happening among clinicians of all stages of their career and the outcomes of this experience hinge largely on how countertransference is managed. Challenging topics, such as grief, only make countertransference harder to manage effectively and the management of this experience improves with practice and time—something trainees have not yet ascertained. Given the pervasiveness of grief as a human experience, also indiscriminate in nature, the experiences of trainees experiencing countertransference are important to understand, including what is experienced, how they experience it, and how it impacts their process and self-perception of confidence and competence …

Better Serving Those Who Serve: Supporting Psychological Wellness Of Lgb Military Personnel In The Post “Don’T Ask Don’T Tell” Era, Anne Neuweiler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Few studies have been able to explore lesbian, gay, and bisexual military personnel’s experiences in military mental healthcare settings. This study examined the experience of LGB servicemembers in military counseling environments, as well as how to support these servicemembers in military mental health and military communities. Six participants volunteered for the study and six semi-structured interviews were completed with LGB servicemembers who had contact with mental health. Three research questions guided the present study and a transcendental phenomenological frame was used to analyze the data and themes emerged. Research question one yielded three themes: 1) “I'm Definitely not Gay”: The …

The Multicultural Orientation Framework In Couple Therapy, Jasmine R. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Couples’ cultural values and beliefs are important to their relational connection. Cultural values and beliefs can be sources of strength in relationships, but they can also lead to impasses. As such, clinicians and researchers could benefit from a cultural framework to inform conceptualization and treatment when working with couples. The Multicultural Orientation (MCO) framework has three pillars: cultural humility, cultural comfort, and cultural opportunities. The MCO framework is empirically supported for use in individual and group psychotherapy but has not been applied to couple therapy. This dissertation includes two parts. First, we outline a conceptual framework for the application of …

A Phenomenological Study Of Caregivers For Sexual Minority Hospice Patients, Catherine H. Bianchi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals face disproportionate barriers in healthcare across the lifespan that persist and often intensify at the end of life. Despite hospice’s mission to provide comfort, dignity, and patient-centered support, it remains unclear whether these services equitably meet the needs of sexual minority patients. Seeking hospice care presents a unique conundrum for many LGB individuals: it necessitates inviting representatives of a historically exclusionary healthcare system into the privacy of their homes - spaces that often serve as sanctuaries of identity, safety, and autonomy. The already vulnerable experience of seeking care in one’s final days can be …

Supervisee Barriers To Disclosure And The Supervisory Working Alliance, Rachel G. Hughitt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated barriers influencing supervisees’ willingness to disclose clinical errors in mental health training contexts, with a focus on the supervisory working alliance (SWA) as a potential moderating factor. Participants read two vignettes – one describing a clinical error and the other a client concern – and were asked to indicate which case they would discuss with their supervisor. They also completed the Brief Supervisory Working Alliance Inventory–Trainee Form (BSWAI-T) and the Supervisee Disclosure in Supervision Scale (SDSS), which assessed the quality of the supervisory alliance and perceived barriers to disclosure, including fear of negative evaluation, lack of confidence, …

Transgender Individuals’ Experiences Of Ruptures And Repairs In Group Psychotherapy, Gabrielle W. Kaufman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the political climate across the United States worsens for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals (Harmon, 2025), it has become increasingly important to attend to the mental health needs of this population (James et al., 2016). Group therapy is a widely used treatment modality that is often more accessible than individual therapy (Burlingame & Strauss, 2021) and provides unique interpersonal opportunities (Burlingame et al., 2016). While it is expected that TGD individuals face unique challenges in group therapy due to their gender identities (Chen et al., 2020), very little is actually known about the experiences of TGD individuals participating …

Do Resiliency And Coping Skills Moderate The Relationship Between Mood Disorders And Parenting Styles Due To Parental Relationship Distress?, Tiffany Burks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parental relationship dynamics such as intimate partner violence (IPV), interpersonal distress (IPD), and parental alienation (PA) can significantly affect both mental health and parenting practices. This study examined whether personal strengths, specifically resilience and problem-focused coping, could help buffer these negative outcomes. Correlational analyses showed that IPV, IPD, and PA were positively associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. IPV and PA were also negatively associated with the use of an authoritative parenting style. In contrast, resilience and problem-focused coping were linked to fewer mood-related symptoms and greater use of authoritative parenting. Multiple regression analyses revealed that IPV significantly predicted …

Changing The Face Of Power: Understanding Black Female Clinical Supervisors Through The Superwoman Schema, Shanelle V. Clay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (2014), the counseling profession’s core values include honoring diversity and embracing a multicultural approach to both direct services and supervision. Despite the acknowledgement of multiculturalism in clinical supervision, there is minimal research on the impact of supervisors’ intersectionality on supervision dynamics. This qualitative research study will examine the experience of Black female clinical supervisors and the impact the Superwoman Schema has on their role in supervision. This phenomenological research is grounded in the Superwoman Schema Conceptual Framework and Black Feminist Thought. A total of five superordinate themes and 14 subordinate themes …

The Effects Of Loving-Kindness Meditation (Lkm) On Relationship Satisfaction In Couple Therapy, Ruimeng Gao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the integration of loving-kindness meditation (LKM) into couple therapy sessions and its impact on relationship satisfaction. Meditation, historically rooted in religious practices, has increasingly been adopted in Western therapeutic contexts due to its demonstrated benefits for mental health and interpersonal well-being. Although mindfulness-based interventions have gained popularity in psychotherapy, research specifically examining the use of LKM in couple therapy remains limited. This study investigates whether incorporating LKM into therapy sessions enhances relationship satisfaction compared to standard therapy alone. Couples were randomly assigned to either a control group, which received standard therapy, or an experimental group, which practiced …

The Mediation Effect Of White Racial Affect On Color-Blind Racial Attitudes And Multicultural Counseling Competence, Noah Schieffer Scanlon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Racial bias is something that can impact many fields, including the field of psychology. There is growing research in examining the relationship between multicultural counseling competence and color-blind racial attitudes as well as other factors like White racial affect Few studies have examined the potential mediating relationship White racial affect may have on color-blind racial attitudes and multicultural counseling competence. To address this gap, this study provides insight into how White racial affect mediates the relationship between color-blind racial attitudes and multicultural counseling competence among white psychology trainees. This study also further examined the extent to which color-blind racial attitudes …

Rural Cervical Cancer Survivors’ Experiences Of Gender Roles: An Application Of Social Constructionism, Olivia K. Pointer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rural cervical cancer survivors, or individuals with a form of cancer that originated in the cervix of the reproductive system, may be uniquely impacted by socially constructed gender roles. The present study utilized the term “females” to describe those who self-identify as having a cervix, which may include cisgender, transgender, intersex, and non-binary gender identities. Rural females have been indicated to hold salience in traditional gender expectations as partners, mothers, community members, and more, which may add survivorship complexity for cervical cancer survivors within this population by to attempting to fulfill gender roles to the pre-cancer level. Moreover, rural cervical …

A Force To Be Reckoned With: Testimonios From Latina/E Senior Leaders Across Psychology Contexts, Sandra Bertram Grant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Latinas currently make up 76% of overall Latino/a/e participation in psychology (American Psychological Association, 2022); however, the numbers of Latinas in top echelon leadership positions are low (National Center for Education Statistics, 2021, 2022). Notedly, the information on the current state of Latine representation in the field of psychology is even more limited. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the testimonios of eight Latina/es regarding their professional development, decision making process, pursuit, and persistence in leadership positions, particularly within the field of psychology. This study is guided by Testimonio (Huber, 2009) as the methodological approach and analysis, …

A Phenomenological Examination Of The Perception Of Psychopathological Misdiagnosis In Gifted Men, Tina Glass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the exact prevalence of psychopathological misdiagnosis in gifted children is unknown, it is an occurrence within the gifted population (Amend & Beljan, 2009; Batstra et al., 2012; Bishop & Rinn, 2019; Bishop & Rinn, 2020; Coon, 2014; Webb et al., 2016). However, there is a gap in the literature related to psychopathological misdiagnosis specific to gifted males. (Desmet & Pereira, 2021; Ecklund et al., 2014; Eren et al., 2018; Neu & Weinfeld, 2007; OECD, 2015; Preckel et al., 2015; Watts, 2022). This transcendental phenomenological study leveraged Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model for Human Development (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) as a theoretical …

Latinx Sleep Health Disparities In Primary Care: The Role Of Patient-Provider Communication, Amy L. Fraire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Poor sleep is linked to various adverse health outcomes, and Latinx often experience shorter and poorer sleep relative to non-Hispanic whites (NHWs). Despite growing attention to racial/ethnic sleep health disparities, there is a notable dearth in the literature on patient-provider communication about sleep (Sleep Communication) during primary care visits, particularly among Latinx patients. To address this gap, this study provides initial insights into the incidence of Sleep Communication among Latinx and NHW primary care patients (N = 210), as well as if patient race/ethnicity and Sleep Communication collectively relate to patient satisfaction with their PCP or perceptions of culturally sensitive …

Just Say Gay: An Exploration Of Authenticity And Connection; Queer Identified Therapists’ Lived Experiences Of Identity-Based Self-Disclosure, Courtney Dunne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current sociopolitical climate in the United States continues to reinforce the complexities and nuances that mental health providers face when facilitating therapy. Over the past few years, anti-DEI legislation has aimed to control the narrative in educational and therapeutic settings regarding what therapists and educators are permitted to teach and share about themselves (Flannery, 2024). At the same time, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric continues to dominate the media and further marginalizes individuals whom are in the queer community. In turn, LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face an increased risk for homelessness, substance use disorders, and suicide, which particularly has impacted LGBTQ+ youth …

Relations Between Discrimination, Negative Attribution Style, Cortisol, And Depressive Symptoms In Adolescents., Hannah Widmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The aim of our study was to integrate the chronic stressor of Perceived Everyday Discrimination (PED) into the Hopelessness Theory of Depression with a focus on the comorbidity between physical and mental health by way of depressive symptoms and cortisol in adolescents. Research has shown that cognitive diatheses mediate the relation between stress and depressive symptoms and cortisol predicts depression. We hypothesized that Negative Attribution Style (NAS) and cortisol would mediate the relation between PED and depressive symptoms. Altogether, 99 adolescents (mean age: 14.10 years, 36.4% female; 63.6% male; ethnicity: 2% Latinx; 98.2 % non-Latinx; race: 41.4% Black, 34.8% White, …

Examining The Role Of Presence Of Meaning In Life On Wellbeing In Emerging Adulthood., Hannah K. Heitz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adults face numerous challenges and stressors, such as financial stress, which often accompanies the experience of educational and occupational transitions. As such, it is important to identify personal resources, or protective factors, to help emerging adults buffer the experience of financial stress. Presence of meaning in life has been identified as a resource that can buffer the negative effects of stressors on wellbeing among adults and adolescents, yet there is little empirical evidence for its moderating effect among emerging adults. There is some evidence in the literature that suggests that emerging adults experience presence of meaning in life differently …

Racial Identity & Psychological Distress: The Mediating Role Of Sense Of Community And Spiritual Struggles Among Black Christians., Adebayo Ajibade

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Religious practice and church membership have historically been protective and critical in Black communities in the United States and across the African diaspora. Demographic studies have shown a consistent decline in religious adherence and practice across racial and ethnic groups in the United States. However, the decline in religious practice and participation in religious communities has been less pronounced among individuals of African descent. Participation in one’s religious community is often a source of positive social engagement and can foster positive intrapersonal outcomes (e.g., wellbeing). However, religious communities and religious practice can also be the source of conflict and emotional …

Examination Of Model Minority Myth, Mentorship, University Environment, And Sense Of Belonging On The Well-Being Of Asian American Undergraduate And Graduate Students., Stephanie Chin, Stephanie Chin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Even though Asian Americans continue to demonstrate academic excellence and have the highest rates of completion in higher education, their psychological well-being and the factors impacting it are often overlooked due to the model minority myth (Poon et al., 2016; Mahalingham, 2013). Higher education research mainly focuses on academic outcomes (e.g., persistence and retention) and less so on psychological outcomes. This study explored and examined psychosociocultural factors, specifically internalization of the model minority myth stereotype, mentorship, university environment, and sense of belonging on psychological (eudaimonic) well-being, in order to provide a more holistic and contextualized perspective of Asian American students’ …

Emotionality Stigma Scale: Measurement Development, Reliability, And Validity., Hayley D. Seely

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emotions are biological responses to stimuli that allow individuals to derive meaning, appraise experiences, and prepare to respond. However, individuals perceive emotions differently based on emotion socialization which not only dictates the way emotions are viewed and managed but also has been directly linked with mental health outcomes. Furthermore, research shows emotion socialization is informed by demographic variables such as gender such that the expectations of emotionality differ; where women are taught to express emotions, men are taught to conceal. Given the societal rules regarding emotionality, it is possible that emotionality stigma – the stigma around the experience and expression …

Relation Between The Negative Cognitive Triad, Perceived Everyday Discrimination, Depressive Symptoms, And Tnf-A In Adolescents., Ashley Ann Marshall Dondanville

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is based on Beck's cognitive stress-vulnerability model of depression and previous research on (a) the increased risk for severe illnesses associated with TNF-⍺ (i.e., an inflammatory cytokine), (b) the effect of perceived everyday discrimination (PED) on depressive symptoms and TNF-⍺, (c) the association between depressive symptoms and TNF-⍺, (d) and findings that the negative cognitive triad (i.e., negative views of the self, world, and future) serves as a partial mediator between PED and depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study is to integrate Beck’s model and these different research lines by inspecting the associations between the stressor PED …

The Effects Of Covid-19 On Asian American Perception Of Mental Health, Emily Tseung

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study describes a qualitative study using a grounded theory, constructivist approach, which sampled (N = 6) Asian American college students who lived in the United States during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research shows that COVID significantly impacted the Asian American perception of mental health, including mental health help- seeking behaviors and discrimination experienced. The long-term effects of this are still largely unknown. In depth, semi-structured interviews were used to explore the lived experiences of these Asian Americans. Qualitative analysis revealed thematic differences for the following themes: (a) experience with mental illness, (b) mental health help- seeking …

On The Cultivation Of Relational Leadership Mindsets Among Graduate Supervisees In The Mental Health Professions: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis, Cristina Bucur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In counseling supervision, leadership is often associated with supervisors’ skills, role, position, and responsibilities. However, supervisees need to learn and practice how to lead also: for example, how to promote others’ well-being, how to support, and advocate for others and self. Graduate supervisee relational leadership in the mental health professions is an intrinsic part of the purposive aspect of counseling supervision. Relational leadership in graduate counseling supervision is a purposive, interpersonal, facilitative, growth oriented, and process-based service in which leaders -expert facilitators and mentors- seek to cultivate leaders, not followers. Relational leadership is mutuality-affirming and mutuality-promoting (e.g., open dialogue, mutual …