Counseling Psychology Commons^™

African American Christian Senior Pastor's Beliefs About Mental Health Treatment, Trinaa L. Copeland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the African American community, the Black Church and its clergy have served as gatekeepers to formal mental health treatment. Little is known about the beliefs of African American Christian senior pastors about mental health treatment and their personal views influencing their counsel to congregants seeking support through the church. This transcendental phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of African American Christian senior pastors in relation to how they understand mental health treatment and provide it to their congregants. The research questions explored three areas: (a) the senior pastors' experiences in rendering mental health treatment, (b) the senior pastors' personal …

Dsm-5, Asperger's Syndrome Diagnosis, And Mothers' Experiences With Mental Health Services, Pamela G. Riley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mothers who have children with a previous Asperger's syndrome diagnosis had to go through a process to maintain or obtain services for their child when the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-5) removed the diagnosis. Prior to and since the release of the DSM-5 in 2013, there has been an expression of concern in the literature about how this diagnostic change would affect services for children with a previous Asperger's syndrome diagnosis. Current research has not sufficiently explored the experiences mothers have had with this process. The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study …

A Canonical Correlation Analysis Of Self-Compassion, Life Balance, And Burnout In Counselors, Sarah Vanessa Silva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The counseling profession seeks to support and enrich the quality of life of the general public by providing effective clinical services. Many counselors struggle with practicing self-care regularly, increasing the risk of burnout. When counselors provide services while experiencing burnout, they risk harming clients being served. The conservation of resources theory suggests that there is an increased risk of maladaptive coping and burnout when there is a decrease in resources used to protect someone from experiencing stress. A quantitative survey research study using a nonprobability convenience sampling was used to explore the relationship between counselor burnout, life balance, and self-compassion …

An Exploration Of Racial/Ethnic Differences In The Association Between Perfectionism And Disordered Eating In College Students, Neha J. Goel, C Blair Burnette, Suzanne E. Mazzeo

Graduate Research Posters

Perfectionism is a robust risk factor for eating disorders (EDs). Although individually-oriented dimensions of perfectionism are strongly related to eating pathology, less is known about the contribution of parent-oriented dimensions, specifically parental expectations (PE) and parental criticisms (PC). Further, few studies have investigated these effects within racially/ethnically diverse samples. However, PE and PC might be particularly relevant to eating pathology among certain cultural groups, such as those from collectivistic and interdependent societies. This study examined associations among PE, PC, and ED symptoms across racial/ethnic groups. Undergraduates (N=706; 74.8% Female; 48% White, 19.8% Black, 7.1% Latinx, 16% Asian, 9.1% …

Child Psychological Maltreatment, Alison Boughn

Dissertations and Theses

Child psychological maltreatment (PM) is challenging to define and difficult for a child to articulate. This study introduces the development and initial implementation of the Psychological Maltreatment Inventory (PMI) with child participants. The PMI consists of 16 items validated by subject matter experts. The pilot study sample (N = 21) and large sample (N = 166) consisted of child participants currently involved in open child maltreatment cases at a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in the Midwest. Quantitative research was used to explore the descriptive characteristics of the PMI to participant demographic information and correlational design to explore the relationship between …

Efficacy Of Cognitive Training Intervention With A Coaching Component On Attention And Response Control In Emerging Adults, Thomas Craig Foster Jr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cognitive training, a nonpharmacological intervention for attention and learning-related difficulties, is a promising treatment option for emerging adults. The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy of a cognitive training program with a coaching component on measures of attention and response control in university students. Between 2014 and 2017, 39 students with reported attention concerns engaged in a cognitive training program over ten weeks (20 sessions) at a university counseling center. Differences in participants’ attention and response control as measured by the IVA-2 Continuous Performance Test (CPT) were evaluated before and after the intervention. Demographic data, including clinician …

International Student Support Groups: Learning From Experienced Group Members And Leaders, Nathan` Page, Mark Beecher, Derek Griner, Timothy B. Smith, Aaron Jackson, Klint Hobbs

Faculty Publications

Adjustment to college can be particularly difficult for international students. A multi-site qualitative study investigated the experiences of six group leaders and 10 group members who participated in seven different university counseling center international student support groups. Analyses of interview data using hermeneutic interpretation resulted in nine major themes and ten sub-themes organized into four sections: (1) Recruitment and group design, (2) Experiences of group members, (3) Experiences of group leaders, and (4) Additional considerations. College and university counseling centers can effectively work with international students by providing outreach and support groups.

Internalized Heterosexism, Outness, Athletic Identity, And Perceived Stress Among Queer Female Athletes, Olivia C. Scott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The historical presence of heterosexism in sport has been discussed in numerous publications, with unique considerations for female athletes (Anderson, Magrath, & Bullingham, 2016; Cahn, 1993; Griffin, 1998; Rankin, 1998). Unfortunately, few studies have examined the impact of this climate on female athletes with minoritized sexual identities. Most research pertaining to this population has been qualitative and largely focused on lesbian athletes (Fynes & Fisher, 2016; Stoelting, 2011). Consequently, more generalizable conclusions about queer female athlete experiences has been limited. The present study was an attempt to address this research gap, by assessing the internalized heterosexism, outness, athletic identity, and …

Trustworthiness And Stability In Same And Different Sex Relationships: Heterosexuals’ Attitudes Toward Bisexuality, Jeneice Shaw

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although bisexuals are reportedly the largest sexual orientation minority group in North America (Copen, Chandra, & Febo-Vazquez, 2016), there is scant research examining the population without also including lesbian women and gay men. However, according to the American Psychological Association’s (2012) Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients, psychologists should endeavor to understand the unique experiences of the bisexual population. Bisexual individuals face different stereotypes, conflict within the LGB community, and different life experiences related to other sexual orientations (Rust, 2000). Two unique stereotypes applied to the bisexual community are that bisexuality is an unstable sexual orientation …

Predictors Of Perceived Multicultural Competence Among Neuropsychological Trainees, Hannah K. Greenbaum

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Multicultural competence is necessary to provide psychological services to an increasingly diverse population (Sue, 2001). It is established that multicultural competence is important for training in psychology (Bodin et al., 2014; Diaz-Santos & Hill, 2016). Despite increased interest in recent years, multicultural competence in neuropsychology has not progressed in parallel with the focus of multiculturalism in psychology broadly (Rivera Mindt, Byrd, Saez, & Manly, 2010). Little is known about multicultural assessment, and it is not yet known what factors in training contribute to perceived multicultural competence in neuropsychological trainees (Elbulok-Charape, Rabin, Spadaccini, & Barr, 2014). The primary purpose of this …

Providing Counseling In A Rural Setting: A New Multicultural Perspective, Danessa Ann Carter

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Counseling research shows a lack of information regarding training counselors to work in rural communities. However, more than 80% of the United States land is considered rural. This appears to be an extremely desperate combination of lack of information and training for a large portion of the country’s population. An additional complication to this dynamic is that neither CACREP standards nor the ACA Code of Ethics mandate any specific trainings or address any specific needs of rural communities.

To improve the understanding of rural community dynamics, this qualitative study explored the phenomenological experiences of counselors working in rural communities. This …

Assessment Of “Meaning Made”: An Empirical Examination Of Factorial Structure And Measure Validity, Andrea M. Despotes

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Meaning-making theory posits that appraisal of a stressful event leads to distress if it is discrepant with one’s sense of “global meaning,” and such distress stimulates meaning-making processes aimed at eliminating the discrepancy. If meaning making leads to new meaning (i.e., “meaning made”), the stress-induced discrepancy is reduced, which generally is expected to result in positive adjustment. This study investigated the factorial structure of the meaning made construct using a sample (N = 372) of Amazon Mechanical Turk workers in the United States having “Masters” status and a minimum approval rating of 95%. Participants reported an average age of about …

Counselor Self-Efficacy Re-Examined: Components Of Racial Identity Development And Impostor Phenomenon Among Counseling Graduate Students Of Color, Erica Denise Wade

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The focus of this study was to explore the relationships among racial identity development, impostor phenomenon, and counseling self-efficacy among counseling graduate students of color. There is evidence supporting the importance of a client’s racial identity. However, there is limited research exploring the impacts of a counselor’s racial identity and the development of counseling self-efficacy (Tomlinson-Clarke, 2013; Holcomb-McCoy, Hines, & Johnston, 2008; Owens, Bodenhorn, & Bryant, 2010; Crockett & Hays, 2015). The following research questions were used to provide a frame of inquiry for this study and each research question pertained to counseling graduate students of color: (1) What are …

Death: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Counseling Journals, 1986–2016, Aaron Suomala Folkerds

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This qualitative content analysis (QCA) examined five American Counseling Association (ACA) journals and their coverage of death related issues: Journal of Counseling and Development (JCD), Journal of Humanistic Counseling (JHC), Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development (JMCD), Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) and Counseling and Values (CV). Of the 5508 journal articles published across all five journals, 59 articles covered death related topics. Eight major death related themes emerged through the QCA process: Research on Death-Related Issues, Personal Reflection and Poetry, Grief and Loss Education, Book Reviews, Responding to Campus Death, Providing Grief Counseling, DSM and Bereavement Diagnosis and Counseling …

Racial Microaggressions And Alienation Among Hmong American College Students, Bruce Yang

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Students of color continue to experience racism within institutions of higher education across the United States. These experiences often include racial microaggressions, which are evolved forms of racism that are subtle, difficult to detect, and harmful. Racial microaggressions have been found to be associated with several consequences including mental health, emotional, and physical problems (Dahlia & Lieberman, 2010; Connolly, 2011; Cheng, Tran, Miyake, & Kim, 2017). Furthermore, studies have also alluded to the potential relationship between racial microaggressions and the dimensions of alienation for student populations of color (Fissori, 2010; James, 1988; Lambert, Herman, Bynum, & Ialongo, 2009; Sauceda, 2010; …

Impact Of Trauma On Reoccurring Homelessness In The U. S. Virgin Islands, Elisa Amaris Niles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homelessness is a growing concern in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) especially since 2 major hurricanes in 2017 devastated the islands. The impact trauma has on reoccurring homelessness in the USVI is unknown. Failure to understand the impact trauma may pose on persons who are homeless could hinder stable housing and perpetuate reoccurring homelessness. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the predictive relationship between trauma and reoccurring homelessness in persons who are homeless living in the USVI. The theoretical framework for this study was Psychological Trauma Theory. Participants were homeless adult persons (N=73) who were surveyed …

Masculine Norms, Psychological Symptom Severity, And Intentions To Seek Formal Help In Male College Students, Zahra S. Shine

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Research has consistently found men to be less likely than women to seek help for mental health symptoms. Additionally, greater symptom severity is related to higher levels of help seeking, although this relationship is less clear among men. Greater conformity to masculine norms may help to explain the relationship between symptom severity and help seeking among men. The present study aimed to further research on men’s help-seeking by examining whether conformity to masculine norms would moderate the relationship between symptom severity and help-seeking intentions in male college students (N = 89). A multiple regression analysis was conducted with all …

Perceptions Of Fatherhood Programs From The Experiences Of Uninvolved Fathers, Rahsaan Roland Turpin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past researchers have reported that father absence and low engagement affects 24 million children in the United States. African American fathers make up the largest group with low involvement. Fatherhood programs support men in their roles, yet little is known about why this group still exhibits low engagement. Using the family systems theory as a foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of African American fathers who participated in fatherhood programs and their engagement after these programs. This study used purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews to collect information from 9 African American men aged …

Living With Autism: The Experience Of Developmentally Healthy Adolescents And Youths Who Have A Sibling Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jessica Michel

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Researchers have proposed that typically developing siblings of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or target siblings, are at increased risk of experiencing psychological distress particularly when compared to other clinical and community sibling groups. To date, evidence drawn from quantitative studies, utilising the target siblings’ mothers as the primary informants has been mixed. These studies have primarily focused on risk factors, while the role of protective factors in the experiences of target siblings remains unexplored in quantitative investigations. However, qualitative studies utilising target siblings as informants have emerged providing insights regarding the processes of coping and adaptation that …

Race, Health, And Social Support On Campus: An Exploration Of Discrimination On Health And Fraternity/Sorority Membership For African American College Students, Alexandra M. Munson

Theses and Dissertations

African American college students face a myriad of unique race related stressors on campus, yet there is a gap of knowledge on how these experiences may impact overall health as well as what may mediate these effects. The goal of the current study was threefold. First, it was to better understand the relationship between health outcomes and the experience of discrimination on college campuses for African American students. Second, it further investigated the research of Pieterse & Carter (2007), to explore if perceived discrimination influences health outcomes above and beyond general life stress in the emerging adult population. Lastly, it …

Sex Topics In Therapy: A Literature Review And Proposal For Continuing Education, Courtney Gallagher

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Sex topics should be welcome in the therapy room. Sexual identity, practices, concerns and questions should not be considered a "taboo" subject in the therapy room, yet clients remain reluctant to bring up such topics with their therapists. In order to ensure that clients feel free to bring into the room such themes that are a large part of their life, clinicians need to be trained and competent in sex topics. The following literature review examines the history of femininity and masculinity and what "facts" have continued to permeate into our profession, the history of sex expectations, language about sex …

Beneficial Mourning By Inmates Who Have Lost A Significant Person, James Bradley Shoemaker

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Incarceration is already replete with loss before someone of significance to an inmate dies. The prison environment challenges every aspect of grieving, and failing to effectively mourn pathologizes grief, reduces quality of living, and results in behaviours that cause recidivism. It is a poignant interaction between this researcher in his role as a chaplain and a particular inmate that provides the impetus for this study. This study begins with a qualitative meta-synthesis that examined 10 qualitative articles and dissertations published over the last 30 years to explore how some inmates manage to effectively grieve the loss of a significant person. …

Psychological Trauma And Resilience Of Police Officers Involved In An Ambush: An Exploratory Study, Erin A. Teaff

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Law enforcement officers are widely recognized as having one of the most dangerous and stressful occupations, which can lead to lasting physical and psychological impacts. While research has examined the psychological trauma and resilience experienced by police officers, there have been very few research studies involving ambushes. Due to the continued risk of ambushes on police officers, gaining insight into the trauma and resilience of officers during these types of situations would be beneficial in providing psychologists with information to aid in their treatment officers involved in an ambush and similar unprovoked attacks. The primary aim of this study was …