Counseling Psychology Commons^™

Associations Between Childhood Trauma And Tobacco Dependence Among Latine Adults: Testing The Protective Effects Of Compassion For Self And Others, Camila Tirado

Theses and Dissertations

Tobacco dependence has posed a significant public health challenge in the United States and disproportionately affects Latine adults' risk of developing a variety of adverse health conditions. Childhood trauma is a recognized risk factor for dependence, overall health, and mental health concerns. Still, the influence of compassion for self or compassion for others in this context remains unclear. This cross-sectional study investigated the moderating effects of self-compassion and compassion for others on the relationship between childhood trauma and cigarette dependence among Latine adults. Data was collected through questionnaires assessing childhood trauma, self-compassion, cultural values and factors, compassion for others, and …

“Black Wom(B)Anhood”: An Explorative Analysis Of Black Women's Narratives Of Healthcare Encounters During And After Pregnancy, Janae A. Baker

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the intricate dynamics of patient-provider relationships within the context of prenatal care among Black women and how these experiences may affect their perinatal mental health. The study was conducted using a methodology consisting of structured interviews with 12 participants, snowball sampling facilitated recruitment. Thematic analysis revealed six prominent themes encapsulating the multifaceted interactions between Black women and their healthcare providers during the perinatal period. The findings illuminate nuanced aspects of the patient-provider relationship, shedding light on issues such as: (a) Anticipation of Low Quality Care, (b) Lack of Communication, (c) Listening, (d) Stereotype Threat, (e) Colorism, …

Associations Among Acculturative Stress, Body Ideal Internalization, Body Dissatisfaction And Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Cisgender Heterosexual And Lgbt People Of Color, Taryn Henning

Theses and Dissertations

Research supports the relation between acculturative stress and disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) across racially and ethnically diverse groups of men and women. However, there is minimal research examining factors that further explain the relation between acculturative stress and DEBs. Also, this relation has not been evaluated in racially and ethnically diverse LGBT individuals. The current study aimed to address these gaps by examining the role of thin-, muscular-, and hourglass-ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction as mediators of the relation between acculturative stress and disordered eating behaviors among cisgender heterosexual Black, Latine, Asian American, Multiracial men and women and LGBT men …

Life After Discharge: Predicting Longitudinal Trajectories Of Community Integration And Global Functioning In Black Individual With Traumatic Brain Injury, Chimdindu Ohayagha

Theses and Dissertations

The onset of traumatic brain injury (TBI) begins a chronic health pathway that contributes to various impairments and comorbidities across the lifespan. Common consequences of TBI include mental health issues, cognitive impairments, and reduced functional independence, all of which impact how an individual integrates into their community. Community integration is a primary goal for rehabilitation after TBI. Studies show that racially/ethnically minoritized individuals have a higher incidence of TBI, higher rates of mortality, and report poorer functional and community integration outcomes. Limited studies have explored longitudinal outcomes of community integration in a Black-only sample of individuals with TBI. Additionally, no …

Role Play Or Real Play: A Quasi-Experiment In The Counseling Classroom, Elke Schmeling

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between pedagogy and self-efficacy beliefs is at the core of this dissertation. A continued demand for mental health service providers who can handle challenging caseloads requires novice professionals who are both well prepared and confident in their own skills and abilities, as self-efficacy is a positive predictor of performance. Since experiential learning opportunities are considered particularly beneficial to fostering self-efficacy beliefs, two cohorts of graduate students in a beginning psychotherapy course who engaged in different experiential learning activities were compared in terms of their counseling self-efficacy growth over the course of one semester. One cohort of students engaged …

The Relationship Of Workplace Support, Job Control, And Burnout In Nurses, Shannon A. Mccleery

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Nurses are the most likely group of healthcare workers to develop burnout. Previous research identified supervisory support, job control, and decision-making ability in the workplace as protective factors against burnout. There was a gap in the literature regarding the relationship between burnout in nurses and their experience of support, control, and decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reducing and preventing burnout in nurses is important due to the nursing shortage and concerns of attrition rates. This quantitative study examined the relationship of emotional support, instrumental support, job control, and decision-making opportunities in the workplace to burnout in hospital-based nurses. Measures used …

Exploring Consciousness In Millennial African American Men: Using Video Ethnography To Convey Meaning Within The African American Male Experience, Mark L. Gumm

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this research dissertation was to investigate and explore consciousness in millennial African American men. This study defined consciousness in the form of self-concept or self-conceptualization, the image we have of ourselves (Carl, Rogers; Akbar, 1991). The research question under investigation is how do African American college men define identity, masculinity, and self-concept under the umbrella of consciousness? In addition the relation to environmental factors which include type of schooling, household dynamics, high-school mentorship, and college readiness. Investigative approaches also include asking questions regarding socio-economic status, academic achievement and success. Sub-questions included: “how do African American men explain …

Like, Comment, Subscribe, And Share: An Investigation Of Emerging Adults’ Lived Experiences Of Relationship Information On Social Media, Marquitta Fields

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study explores how emerging adults engage with relationship education content on social media platforms and the implications for promoting accessible myself in the personal lived experiences of participants while removing listener preconceptions, identifying psychological structures that explain their interactions with relationship content. The findings reveal that emerging adults use a variety of social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube, to consume relationship information. Participants prioritize content that is authentic, relatable, and derived from personal experiences over generic or impersonal advice. They value content that encourages healthy communication, self-reflection, and personal growth. The study also …

Exploring The Relationships Among Adhd, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, And Emotion Regulation, Anna S. Hall

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the relationships among Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms and common comorbid struggles for clients, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) symptoms, and executive functions, especially emotion regulation. ADHD and GAD are prevalent mental health conditions, are commonly comorbid with each other, and are both correlated with relative deficits in executive functions. Executive functions comprise higher-order cognitive processes like planning, inhibition, initiation, and monitoring, as well as emotion regulation. Prior research established connections among ADHD symptoms, GAD symptoms, and emotion regulation but did not examine which specific facets of emotion regulation were most relevant. The current study aimed to …

Mental Health Practitioners’ Trauma Knowledge And Self-Efficacy Post-Emdr Training, Christy R. Collins, Shelby L. Dean, Jose Carbajal

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This research study examines mental health practitioners’ level of trauma knowledge and trauma treatment self-efficacy pre- and post-EMDR therapy training in Texas. The purpose is to determine if practitioners' self-perception of efficacy in treating trauma and trauma knowledge will improve after completing EMDR training. The practitioner sample (N = 113) is from an EMDR trainer who conducted six EMDR trainings in Texas. Descriptive, correlational, and paired t-test statistical procedures were implemented to analyze the data for the study. The results show that practitioners’ self-perception of competence and knowledge could be attributed to their years of clinical experience treating clients with …

Describing The Experiences Of Fulfillment And Stress In Coptic Orthodox Priests, Dr. Martha Salama

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This qualitative study was conducted to understand how Coptic Orthodox priests describe their experiences of fulfillment and/or stress with their work. While many Christian leaders such as pastors, reverends, and clergy helping to serve their church members are represented in the literature, there is limited research on the roles and experiences of the Coptic Orthodox priesthood serving their communities. The Coptic church has been around for centuries, and the church has a history of religious persecution. The research question was “how do Coptic Orthodox priests describe their experiences of fulfillment and/or stress with their work?” The research methodology used in …

Understanding The Addiction Recovery Experience: The Use Of Experiential Learning In Undergraduate Human Services, Chaniece J. Winfield, Jason M. Sawyer

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Since 2020, the steady rise of overdose and substance use related deaths has created an ongoing need for a greater addiction workforce. Responding to this need, Human Service education programs are strongly encouraged to prepare competent professionals to work in recovery-oriented treatment settings. Research supports experiential learning to foster clinical competency, however its application toward SAMSHA transdisciplinary foundations in human service education is limited or unknown. The authors present an exploration of the use of experiential learning as a teaching tool to foster student competency toward the SAMSHA core transdisciplinary foundations of application to practice and professional readiness.

Crisis Intervention Model Effectiveness In South Dakota City And Rural Schools, Nicole Ann Bechen

Dissertations and Theses

Little information is known on crisis prevention and intervention plans in schools across South Dakota. A review of the existent literature revealed gaps within school-based crisis intervention models, their objectives, and their effectiveness in addressing the psychological and physical safety needs of students, staff, teachers, families, and community members. Gaps in understanding rural crisis response were noted. The purpose of this study was to assess whether crisis prevention and intervention plans in South Dakota schools adequately protected students, staff, families, and community members. To achieve this, a stratified random sample of 53 PreK-12 public schools in the state of South …

The Pursuit Of Happiness: Freedom And Well-Being In Positive Psychology, Kevin J. Mckenzie

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This project explores the relationship between freedom and well‑being. Through reviewing the literature of positive psychology and existential psychology, clearer pictures of well‑being and freedom emerge, allowing for statistical analysis. By adopting Seligman’s well‑being theory as a model that incorporates hedonic and eudaimonic elements of well‑being and self‑determination theory’s conceptualization of autonomy as a proxy for freedom in existential psychology, this study explores the relationship between these constructs and their theorized factors through correlational analysis. A potential measurement model for an overall well‑being measure incorporating freedom as a factor is proposed and tested using confirmatory factor analyses. The effects of …

"Why Does This Have To Be So Hard?": Perinatal Experiences From An Ecological Systems Approach, Caitlin Senk

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines the lived experience of the perinatal population to understand how they can be supported from the lens of different ecological systems and what counselors can do to better serve people with uteruses during their perinatal experience. Furthermore, this study aims to utilize an inclusive framework for capturing the perinatal experience of people with uteruses and to explore barriers and facilitators to care through an ecological systems framework. Fifteen participants who have experienced infertility, conception, pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, stillbirth, and postpartum were recruited through various means throughout the United States. Thematic analysis was used, with semi-structured interviews and …

Understanding The Experience Of Mothers In Higher Education During The Covid-19 Era, Shannan L. Engel

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This exploratory study aimed to understand the experience of mothers in higher education both during the COVID-19 pandemic and toward the end of restrictions. The population included academic mothers with children at home during the pandemic. Data was analyzed thematically by a team of researchers. The results generated six themes: (a) life changed suddenly, (b) remote work, school, and life, (c) unsupported, (d) sense of control, (e) support, and (f) positive aspects of COVID. These findings are important to the field of mental health counseling profession, supervision, and higher education because of the circumstances exemplified by the pandemic that highlight …

Developing Self-Evaluation Skills In Interprofessional Simulation Educators: A Multilevel Mixed-Methods Study, Dana G. Trottier

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This multilevel mixed methods investigation examines the experiences of developing self-evaluation skills for simulation fellows in an interprofessional simulation fellowship program. Interprofessional fellows (N = 12) and faculty (N = 4) engaged in a three-phase study using video-assisted learning tools to explore the differences in self-evaluation (perceived performance) and faculty evaluation (actual performance) in developing debriefing skills. For the quantitative component, fellows and faculty completed the DASH© tool to evaluate the quality of debriefing to help close the gaps between fellow self-evaluation and faculty evaluation. For the qualitative component, video-stimulated think-aloud and video-assisted debriefing the debriefer were utilized to understand …

Experiences Of Counselors Working With Adolescents, Allison Bradford Chow

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study aimed to examine the lived experience of clinical mental health counselors working with adolescents. Participants included pre-licensed (associate) or licensed counselors who predominately work with and have a strong preference for working with adolescent clients. Data was collected through individual interviews and analyzed with a descriptive-interpretative approach. Ten domains were identified as part of data analysis: (a) Understanding Adolescent Culture and Building a Therapeutic Alliance, (b) The Intersection of Counselor and Adolescent Emotions, (c) Transference and Countertransference, (d) Clinical Challenges and Barriers, (e) The Multifaceted Role of Parents, (f) Nuances of Confidentiality, (g) Adolescent Development and Strengths, …

Emdr Gaming Recovery And Insight Protocol (E-Grip): An Approach For Treating Video Game Addiction, Manjit Bath

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The prevalence of video game addiction has escalated with the advancement of digital technologies, posing significant psychological and social challenges. This dissertation introduces the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) Gaming Recovery and Insight Protocol (E-GRIP), a novel therapeutic approach designed to address the complexities of video game addiction. Grounded in the principles of EMDR therapy and incorporating insights into video game culture, E-GRIP aims to treat individuals struggling with problematic gaming behaviors by integrating their gaming experiences and preferences into the therapeutic process. The E-GRIP methodology extends the conventional EMDR framework by including an in-depth exploration of the client’s …

Bipoc Faculty Processing Of Microagressions, Gladys Lopez Guitron

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explores the lived experiences of microaggressions encountered by BIPOC faculty within Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited counseling programs, using a feminist theoretical framework. The research addresses the following question: What is the lived experience of microaggressions in academia for BIPOC faculty in CACREP-accredited programs? To ensure participant anonymity, data was collected through an online survey hosted on SurveyMonkey. The survey included demographic items and open-ended questions with clear and concise written instructions. Data was collected from eight participants. Thematic analysis revealed six key themes: (1) personal characteristics embedded in microaggressions, (2) failure …

The Pulse Of Connection: Professors' Experience Of Positive Relationships With Students–An Interpretative Phenomenology And Photovoice Study, Ileya N. Grosman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In higher education, the focus on student success often takes center stage in research and the professor-as-teacher practice. While numerous empirical studies concentrate on the growth and development of undergraduate students, this dissertation delves into professors’ relational and felt experiences in positive teaching-learning relationships. Four terminal-degreed professors from four different schools and three different disciplines–education, humanities, and leadership–engaged in photography and were then interviewed. Participants reflected on their photographs and their experiences in a teaching-learning relationship with their students. The present study aimed to illuminate the unspoken language of connection by utilizing interpretive phenomenology and photovoice to uncover professors’ relational …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Supervisor Responsiveness Scale, Ramon Garcia

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Theoretically, responsiveness to the emergent needs of supervisees and clients is the primary means by which clinical supervisors help trainees become effective psychotherapists (Friedlander, 2012). To advance understanding and research on this aspect of supervision, the Supervisory Responsiveness Scale (SRS) was developed and assessed psychometrically.

First, 35 items reflecting trainees’ perceptions of their supervisor’s responsiveness, as defined by Friedlander (2012), were developed and rated for clarity, face and content validity by a panel of 12 experienced supervisors. After the item pool was refined based on these ratings, 216 supervisees representing all training levels rated each item on a 1 ( …

"Not Trans Enough": A Qualitative Inquiry Of Non-Binary Individuals' Experiences Of Transphobia Within The Lgbtq+ Community, Alyssa Lombardi

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Transphobia has been well-documented to have detrimental impacts on the lives of transgender individuals. However, research typically has not focused on the experience of non-binary individuals, and particularly even less so on their experiences of within-group discrimination. This study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to understand both the experience and expression of transphobia toward non-binary people from within the LGBTQ+ community. Twelve interviews were conducted with six non-binary individuals ranging in age from 23 to 33. Each interview was analyzed and coded, resulting in four superordinate themes: The Experience of Enbyphobia, The Impact of Enbyphobia, The Expression of Enbyphobia, and The …

Ethnic-Racial Socialization Experiences Of Mexican American Youth, Katherine J. Bingham, Elizabeth A. Cutrer-Párraga, Timothy B. Smith

Faculty Publications

Research has shown that ethnic–racial socialization (ERS) predicts education and mental health outcomes for adolescents. However, limited research has evaluated the ERS experiences of Latinx students. The current study examined ERS experiences of Mexican American youth in four focus group interviews that were transcribed and analyzed at both the individual and group level using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Main themes included feeling like an outsider, navigating discrimination, encountering social/emotional difficulties, and achieving a positive identity. Each theme contained two to three subcategories that provide further insight into the Mexican Americans' ERS experiences. Participants reported within-group discrimination, motivation to disprove stereotypes, and …

Eating Concerns And Self-Injury Among Collegiate Populations: A Comparison Of Sexual Orientation Groups, Matthew Kasopsky

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the prevalence of eating concerns and nonsuicidal self-injurious behaviors (NSSIB) in college students seeking services at college and university counseling centers (UCCs), focusing on whether sexual minority students experience these issues at higher rates than their heterosexual peers. Eating concerns and NSSIB are understudied among sexual minority individuals. Previous research has demonstrated that through prejudice, stigma, and social stress, sexual minority individuals may be at a higher risk of developing mental health concerns and conditions than their heterosexual counterparts. The present study used a cross-sectional design to examine data from a sample of collegiate clients nationwide. Data …