Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Commons^™

School Shootings And Preventative Strategies: An Examination Of Surviving, Learning, And Preparing For School Shootings' Impact On The Depression, Anxiety, And Behavioral Dysfunction Of Children And Adolescents., Julia Wakeham, Jamilah Andrews

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

Since the modern era began, humanity has seen a stark increase in mass shootings, where four or more people are killed. Furthermore, many of the shootings occur in vulnerable communities, like schools. With an increase in school shootings, schools have taken precautions to prepare children, using increased security, school police officers, lockdown drills, and restricting children’s clothing, which is intended to keep children safe, but reinforces the fear of shootings and associated stress responses. Our research would examine the impact of surviving and preparing for school shootings on the anxiety, depression, and general functioning of children, adolescents, and young adults.

Socioculturally Informed Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy: Impacts On Biracial Couples, Angie Lai

School of Psychology, Family, and Community Research Conference

This quantitative study aims to explore the efficacy of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) for biracial couples using a randomized controlled trial with a control group and an experimental group. Each group will consist of 15 biracial couples who will receive 20 sessions of EFCT. The experimental group’s treatment will also include the 5 Practice Guidelines of Socioculturally Attuned Family Therapy (McDowell et al., 2018). Using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DSA), the Trust Scale, and the Relationship Structures (ECR-RS) questionnaire to measure efficacy, I hypothesize that couples who receive the socioculturally informed EFCT will show greater improvement.

High Illusion Of Control Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Analyses Of The Effects Of Forms Of Counterfactual Thinking And Gender In Problem Gambling And Gaming, Larry Okechukwu Awo Dr., George Nzeadi Duru Mr.

International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking

Abstract

Three studies (Study 1, N = 322 male adolescents, Study 2, N = 401 male and female adolescents, and Study 3, longitudinal, N = 56 male and female adolescents) analyzed the effects cognitive and psychographic variables in the relationships among illusion of control (IC), problem gambling and problem gaming. Moderated mediation analyses results using PROCESS macro in the three studies confirmed: (1) the positive mediating effect of upward CFT in the association between IC and problem gambling and problem gaming; (2) the negative mediating effect of downward CFT in the association between IC and problem gambling and problem gaming; …

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss - A Life Changing Condition For Women, Denisa Oana Balalau, Fernanda-Ecaterina Augustin, Delia-Maria Bogheanu, Alin-Gabriel Negulescu, Romina-Marina Sima, Anca Silvia Dumitriu, Stana Paunica, Liana Ples

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is estimated to occur in 2.5% of women trying to conceive. Definition of RPL varies depending on used guideline. In Europe, RPL is defined as two or more lost pregnancies before 24 weeks’ gestation. Although many factors have been associated with a higher risk of recurrent miscarriage, the aetiology is unknown in about half of cases. Several factors have been related to recurrent pregnancy loss, such as: environmental, behavioral, genetic, endocrine, metabolic, autoimmune, anatomic, thrombophilia and male factor. Given the multitude of etiopathogenic factors, RPL frequently requires an interdisciplinary approach for diagnosis and treatment. By its …

Perceived Business Skills Needs Of Mfts: Implications For A Doctoral Program, Abel Arvizú Whittemore

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was twofold: a) to determine the training that MFTs should have to effectively work in organizational / business settings and with organizational / business issues in the role of clinician, administrator / manager, consultant, coach, and researcher and b) to determine what components should be included in a model curriculum in the area of organizational / management studies in an MFT doctoral program. Using the e-Delphi method, consensus from a panel of experts (in the profession of marriage and family therapy as well as in business / management / organizational issues) was obtained. Panelists identified …

In-Between Space: Latinas Sharing Their Stories Of Cultural Integration, Maria Elena Fuster

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores how an art-based narrative allows Latinas to explore their own experiences of cultural integration in a way that honors their lived experience. The women used art materials to help them explore their identities and, through this process, discovered new truths about themselves through their stories of living between, within, and outside of both cultures. The art acted as a catalyst to express feelings the women had never before questioned or recognized in themselves and, in doing so, allowed them to create meaning and discover parts of their identities they had never explored before. This further allowed the …

The Course Of Covid: How Has The Pandemic Changed The Ways Therapists Use Art In Their Therapeutic Practice?, Deborah Sharpe

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

In 2020, the global pandemic fundamentally changed our everyday lives personally and professionally. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the art therapy profession: the challenges of shifting to telehealth, managing work/life balance, confronting new realities around notions of privacy and confidentiality, and adapting the materials used in sessions. The necessary innovations and adjustments also revealed the unexpected benefits the pandemic and online therapy platforms provided. The researcher was interested in exploring the challenges and benefits of telehealth, the changes to the practical and essential qualities of the art therapy session, the therapeutic relationship, …

Clay Use As Mindfulness For Women In Early Substance Use Recovery, Cheryl Feldman

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) are an epidemic in the United States comprising 4.4 million women, including high rates of recidivism, and often accompanied by comorbid mental health issues. Recognizing the need for effective tools to support women in recovery, this research aligns the key tenets of present focus and personal control within Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) with various established mindfulness-based therapies, while using a Positive Psychology framework to conceptualize strategies to help enhance mindfulness in women in early recovery. Although engaging in clay work has been linked to mindfulness for its capacity to foster a state of presence and self-centering, scant …

Memes To Cope And Communicate, Priscilla (Nox) Ngo

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

The study’s objective was to observe the benefits of creating meme imagery around the participant’s stressors and how it affected the participants’ mood. This mixed-method study also looked into the meme’s ability to communicate their experience of their stressor to others to test whether it would be useful in a therapeutic setting. In order to measure affect change, the researcher utilized the PANAS (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule) before and after the meme creation process. The researcher tested communication through utilization of inter-raters to observe the created meme and respond upon what they believed the participant was going through. This …

Evoking The Art Of Nature, Tessa R. Evans Keime

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This international study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of nature-based art therapy, an innovative approach that combines artmaking with the healing power of nature. The research aimed to examine the synergistic effects of nature and artmaking, as well as the impact of the eco-art experience on adult individuals' connectedness to nature, emotional well-being, and existential understanding, while addressing gaps in literature.

Employing an arts-based research design, participants took part in a nature-art-making session, and their experiences were evaluated through pre- and post-art questionnaires, as well as an analysis of their artistic creations by trained inter-raters. The nature art-based experience …

Altered Stories, Altered Lives: An Exploration Of Post Traumatic Growth From A Narrative Perspective With A Strengths Based Focus, Andrea Jones

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Complex trauma is prevalent, underrecognized, and difficult to treat. Left untreated, the ongoing negative consequences impact individuals, families and society. Literature indicates traditional modes of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder have high attrition rates and are ineffective for approximately 30% of clients (Schouten et al., 2018). Art Therapy provides the opportunity to offer effective, well tolerated treatment for ongoing adverse consequences of trauma symptoms and recontextualization of the trauma due to the highly nonverbal nature of trauma memory (Hass-Cohen et al., 2014). A nested mixed methods design (Neubauer et al., 2019) combining arts-based research with pre and posttest survey analysis …

Exploring The Connection Between Social Media & Body-Image And The Impact Of Art Therapy Interventions On A Woman’S Self-Esteem, Courtney Engelhardt

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This current study desired to illuminate the connection between social media and body image, as well as determining if art therapy interventions may impact a woman’s self-esteem. An individual’s body-image and self-esteem are very much correlated, as both concepts directly influence one another. Fourteen participants were recruited through social media after meeting the qualifications: being eighteen years old and/or older, identifying as a woman, and being active on social media. A mixed-methods research design was utilized for this research using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitative data was obtained through semi structured interviews, participant’s artwork, and reflections on their art. …

Exploring Whether A Collage Art Intervention Enhances Levels Of Resilience In Asian Americans Who Have Experienced Emotional Suppression, Casey Galaura

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

Emerging research has shown cross-cultural differences when coping with negative emotions (Yoshie & Sauter, 2020). The Asian American population uniquely experiences both western and eastern cultures, which have different ideologies around expressing negative emotions. In Eastern Cultures, it is common to suppress negative emotions, while Western cultures find it more accepting. Suppressing emotions is a form of emotional dysregulation and can cause a negative effect on one’s psychopathology. This mix-methods study explores whether collage art-based intervention enhances levels of resilience with Asian Americans who have experienced emotional suppression. The theoretical orientation, Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), was used as a guide …

Cultural Identity Of And Implications For Later Generational Hispanic And Latino Populations In The United States, Tara Bustamante

Art Therapy | Master's Theses

This study explores the Hispanic and Latino/x/e cultures within the United States, with a particular focus on the concept of identity within these communities and its implications for third and later generations. Data were collected during the pandemic via an online survey and art directive. The student researcher used the Identity Denial Scale (Albuja et al., 2019) to measure how often the participants’ identity is denied within the United States and then used an art therapy prompt to invite participants to create their own self-portrait in conjunction with their authentic self and self-image. Qualitative data were also used in response …

Mindfulness Traps And The Entanglement Of Self: An Inquiry Into The Regime Of Mind, Richard Dixey, Ronald E. Purser

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

Mindfulness meditation can provide salutary therapeutic benefits, as well as lead advanced practitioners to states of calm and equanimity. In this paper, we argue that such forms of meditation may subtly entrap practitioners in circular, self-reflexive feedback loops. Because these meditation traps fail to clearly discern the operations of mind, they offer a temporary oasis of peace within an unaltered dualistic realm of mind that leaves the root delusion of self-identity intact. Drawing upon Tarthang Tulku’s seminal book Revelations of Mind, we present what he refers to as the “regime of mind,” the processes of cognition, identification and re-cognition in …

Does Where You Meet Your Partner Influence Relationship Satisfaction? An Investigation Of Online Dating In The Lgbtq+ Community, Brooke M. Fornetti

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

There has been a multitude of research conducted on the impact of online dating and relationship satisfaction for heterosexual couples. However, little research has been done on how utilizing online dating methods as a way to meet potential partners can impact LGBTQ+ relationships. The purpose of the current study is to explore the potential relationship between meeting a romantic partner through online methods – such as utilizing dating applications or websites – and relationship satisfaction for LGBTQ+ couples. Data from 115 participants with ages ranging from 18 to 64 years were analyzed to determine if meeting a romantic partner online …

Family-Based Support As Social Determinants Of Health Protective Factor On Depression Of Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bisola E. Duyile

Theses and Dissertations

All parents experience challenges in their caregiving roles (Barańczuk & Pisula, 2020). However, parents raising a child/children with disabilities experience different social barriers (Oliver, 1996) that may also contribute to additional stressors in their caregiving role (Tomeny, 2016). Although these parents, on average, have reported greater symptoms of depression than parents of typically developing children, research shows that parents who reported receiving social support had lower symptoms of depression and stress (Das et al., 2017; Singh et al., 2017). Through the social determinants of health (SDOH) framework (ODPHP, 2022), the present study investigated informal/family-based support and its protective impact on …

Exploring The Therapy Experiences Of Latinx Individuals Working With Non-Latinx Therapists, Edith Del Moral

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Latinos are the largest minoritized ethnic group in the United States. Despite having a population of 62.1 million Latinos in the United States, the representation of Latinx therapists remains low. Therefore, the chance for Latinx individuals and families to receive mental health services from a Latinx therapist is very low. This phenomenological study examines the experiences of six Latinx individuals who worked with non-Latinx therapists. The resulting themes included therapist client match, awareness, respect for boundaries, and genuineness. These themes informed by the personal stories of people who have gone through the therapeutic process will aid professionals in the field …

Understanding How Secular Spirituality Transforms Intergenerational Parenting Styles, Barrie Birge

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

A family is a relational system that shapes a child’s development, and it is well-established that parenting directly exasperates or reduces a child’s internal and external behaviors (Foran et al., 2020; Rikuya & Toshiki, 2018). Parents are influential figures during childhood and adolescence and play a key role in their children’s development (Baumrind, 1978; Maccoby & Martin, 1983). Therefore, it is of great concern that developmental challenges in children and adolescents in the U.S. continue to increase. The Centers for Disease Control (2019) confirms adolescent mental health and suicide variable trends in the U.S. continued to increase significantly between 2009 …

The Moderating Effects Of Clinical Videoconferencing On Therapeutic Alliance And Treatment Outcomes Among Substance Use Disorder Treatment Populations During The Covid-19, Seon W. Kim

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

This study aimed to contribute to understanding the relationship between therapeutic alliance (TA) and treatment outcome (TO) when comparing conventional (in-person treatment, IPT) with clinical videoconference-delivered treatment models in substance use disorder populations (SUD) during a global pandemic. Also, noting the importance of marital and family relationships in the treatment of substance use disorders, this study explored how marital status influenced the interaction of the therapeutic alliance and treatment outcomes. Utilizing the secondary data collected from an outpatient SUD treatment facility, this quantitative study conducted a moderated linear regression and moderated binary logistic regression to analyze the data. The results …