Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

Recommendations For Telesupervision: Promoting Ethical, Legal, And Effective University And Clinical Supervision Using Technology, Madeleine M. Stevens, Yegan Pillay, Edisa Music, Elena Shahen

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The expansion of the use of technology in counseling has implicated counseling professionals in considering how to legally and ethically incorporate it into all facets of practice, including university and clinical supervision settings. In this article, we provide scholarship-backed recommendations for doing so as well as provide suggestions for incorporating psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral (CBT) supervision models into telesupervision.

Exploring Race In Addiction Treatment And The Need For An Anti-Racist Approach, Jackie D. Dell, Mei Tang

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Extensive literature documents that Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color (BIPOC) have been historically and systematically discriminated in addiction and substance use disorder treatment and services. This systemic oppression is the result of the creation and intersection of multiple systems that are rooted in White supremacy, which continue to fail to recognize racism as a critical factor in health disparities. The complexities of the structural factors that contribute to these racial health disparities, and opportunities to better address these disparities were reviewed to discuss their impact on BIPOC clients and the necessity for anti-racist approaches to addressing addiction …

Culturally-Affirming Service-Learning For Counselors-In-Training: Child-Parent Relationship Therapy Training With Spanish-Speaking Families, Karen M. Roller, Szu-Yu Chen, Katrina Volante

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The Spanish-speaking community is the largest underserved language group in the United States. To advance social justice advocacy and multicultural humility for this language group, the field of counselor education needs to create pedagogical scaffolding for non-Spanish-speaking counselors-in-training to work with interpreters to support Spanish-speaking families, while also enhancing language-concordant training for Spanish-English bilingual counselors-in-training. We utilized a critical race research design to explore six counselors-in-training’s experience participating in service-learning through online facilitation of Child-Parent Relationship Therapy with Spanish-speaking families. Interpretative phenomenological analysis of qualitative data yielded four major themes: (a) collaboration, (b) improved awareness, (c) growth and strength, and …

Group Therapy For Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities And Anxiety, Rayah Secrist

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The purpose of this Ed.S. project is to propose a therapy group for individuals with intellectual disabilities who are struggling with anxiety. This paper will explore the literature on social and emotional barriers, mental health access inequality, and evidence-based practices in therapy for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Drawing on the research, this paper aims to provide clinicians with a guide for leading effective therapy groups tailored to this specific demographic.

Pre-Service Teacher Self-Efficacy For Classroom Management And Evidence Based Practices For Managing Classroom And Challenging Behaviors, Mathew Benthin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study investigated the relationship between pre-service teachers' self-efficacy (TSE) and their knowledge of evidence-based practices. Teacher self-efficacy, defined as the belief in one's ability to achieve specific teaching goals, plays a pivotal role in shaping teaching behaviors and student outcomes. Evidence-based practices, grounded in scientific research, are essential for effective teaching and problem-solving in diverse classroom settings. This study highlighted the importance of the two specific resources of self-efficacy and knowledge of evidence-based practices for managing classrooms and challenging behaviors. By exploring pre-service teacher resources, this study aimed to contribute to the body of literature exploring the challenges facing …

Unmasking Masculinities In Counseling: From Conformity To Connection, Kyle R. Rose

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation explored the entanglements of professional counseling and masculinities across three manuscripts, to contribute to (1) healthier forms of gender expression within and beyond the spectrum of masculinities for individuals, (2) the counseling profession’s role in transforming hegemonic masculinity within communities, and (3) larger movements to subvert the patriarchy throughout society. The first manuscript is a conceptual article that presented the Relational Cultural Privileged Identity Counseling (RCPIC) model, an integrative framework designed to help counselors address hegemonic masculinity within the therapeutic relationship. Drawing from Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) and Privileged Identity Exploration (PIE), this model provided a roadmap for compassionate …

Burnout And Self-Efficacy: Exploring The Rewards And Challenges Faced By Crisis Counselors Working In Emergency Department Settings, Ellen Dotas

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation explores burnout and self-efficacy in counselors who work with clients in crisis in emergency department settings. Mental health and emergency departments are two areas that tend to report higher levels of burnout than are reported in other occupational fields. While much research has been done on the topics of burnout and self-efficacy, limited information is available about counselors who work in these crisis roles. This dissertation follows a three-manuscript format and includes a conceptual, qualitative, and quantitative manuscript. The conceptual manuscript explores the nature of the crisis assessment itself, focusing on the area of risk assessment. The qualitative …

Functional Brain Connectivity Of The Salience Network In Alcohol Use And Anxiety Disorders, Dhruv M Patel, Guillermo F Poblete, Alexandra Castellanos, Ramiro Salas

Staff and Researcher Publications

The interplay between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and anxiety disorders (ANX) is well-documented, yet the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain elusive. This study aims to elucidate these mechanisms by examining the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) within the salience network and to the amygdala, both implicated in alcohol and anxiety disorders. We analyzed data from 264 inpatient participants culled from a wider group of 518 inpatients at The Menninger Clinic in Houston, TX, categorized into four groups (n = 66 each) based on DSM-IV diagnoses: AUD without ANX (AUD), ANX without AUD (ANX), concurrent AUD and ANX (BOTH), and neither (NEITHER). Our …

“Restless And Uneasy…Thin And Stretched”: The Ring, The Ringbearers, And Bodies In Psychological Crisis In Tolkien’S The Lord Of The Rings., Sara Brown

Journal of Tolkien Research

The attachment that Tolkien’s Ring-bearers have for the Ring, a twisted and perverted form of love, is sterile and barren; it leaves those affected unable to settle and form fruitful, loving relationships with others, an effect that Tolkien referred to as a “Ring-restlessness.” Gollum, Bilbo, and Frodo all suffer, to their own degree, from the psychological crisis caused by the Ring that renders them uneasy and agitated. This paper examines this crisis through a psychological lens, exploring how the Ringbearers are living in discord with their true selves, and struggling with the meaninglessness of life that the Ring leaves behind.

The Only Thriller J.R.R. Tolkien (Never) Wrote: Jungian Shapes Of Evil In “The New Shadow”, Martin Hauberg-Lund Laugesen, Bo Kampmann Walther

Journal of Tolkien Research

J.R.R. Tolkien's The New Shadow, a fragment set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, offers a rich but often overlooked exploration of the psychological and cultural implications of peace following the defeat of Sauron. Although Tolkien abandoned the project, dismissing it as a mere “thriller”, the text presents significant insights into the dynamics of generational conflict, the origins of Evil, and the moral challenges of a post-heroic world. This paper examines The New Shadow through a dual lens: first, by contextualizing Tolkien’s depiction of good and evil within Christian ethical frameworks, and second, by applying Carl Gustav Jung’s psychological …

Tolkien And Attachment Theory : A Theory To Bind Them All?, Lelie Bremont

Journal of Tolkien Research

Tolkien and Attachment theory: One Theory to Bind Them All?

Ever since the first publication of The Hobbit in 1937, Tolkien’s works have been dominating the fantasy genre, often imitated but rarely equalled. Dozens of scholars over decades have looked for the reason behind this success, the secret ingredient that made Middle-earth so compelling.

Nicole Guédeney is a French psychiatrist specializing in Attachment Theory. Attachment Theory emerged in the early 20^th century and combines psychology with anthropology and ethnology to explore the early attachments created between a baby and the adults surrounding them and how these attachments determine the …

Perceiving The Perceiver: “Viewing” Sauron Through The Gestalt Theory Of Perception, Cameron Bourquein

Journal of Tolkien Research

This paper uses Gestalt theory, the Gestalt laws of perception, and the reception theory of Wolfgang Iser to elucidate the character “Sauron” as he appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power, and Tolkien’s wider legendarium. It argues firstly that Sauron’s high degree of indeterminacy and ambiguity suggests he can be read as a gestalt entity, one the reader creates by mentally constructing a whole from (seemingly) disparate parts. Building on the semiotics work of Nagy (2013), it argues that Sauron in The Lord of the Rings can be read as gestalt across the spatial, …

Fears And Pains And Rages: The Psychology Of Gandalf's Anger, Nicholas Birns

Journal of Tolkien Research

We are used to seeing emotions in Tolkien as coded morally. Lust or possessiveness is evil whereas care and forbearance are good. There are some emotions, though, that cross these moral boundaries and one of these is anger Moreover, anger in Tolkien is very coded in terms of gender, as it is nearly always male rage. After examining the cases of Saruman and Wormtongue (angry because the world will not cooperate with their plans) and Thingol (angry because he realizes he has just postponed his doom rather than staved it off), we will examine the case of Gandalf. Gandalf is …

Advancing Remote Monitoring For Patients With Alzheimer Disease And Related Dementias: Systematic Review, Mohmmad Arif Shaik, Fahim Islam Anik, Md Mehedi Hasan, Sumit Chakravarty, Mary Dioise Ramos, Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman, Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed, Nazmus Sakib

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Using remote monitoring technology in the context of Alzheimer disease (AD) care presents exciting new opportunities to lessen caregiver stress and improve patient care quality. The application of wearables, environmental sensors, and smart home systems designed specifically for patients with AD represents a promising interdisciplinary approach that integrates advanced technology with health care to enhance patient safety, monitor health parameters in real time, and provide comprehensive support to caregivers. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study included evaluating the effectiveness of various remote sensing technologies in enhancing patient outcomes and identifying strategies to alleviate the burden on health care professionals …

Investigating Undergraduate Conditioned Place Preference Utilizing Virtual Alcohol Stimuli, Nikole A. Rodriguez Torres, Robert Astur, Jeffrey Divino

Honors Scholar Theses

Alcohol use remains a major concern among college students, with binge drinking linked to serious physical and mental health problems. But how much does the environment influence these addictive behaviors? The relationship between environmental cues and alcohol related behaviors is a critical area of study, particularly understanding reward and motivation mechanisms. Binge drinking, common among college students, is associated with a range of negative outcomes such as physical harm, legal issues, poorer overall health, sleep problems, depression, anxiety, and severe thoughts of suicide. In our study, college undergraduates were exposed to two VR rooms: one with alcohol-related stimuli and one …

Genetic, Transcriptomic, And Epigenomic Insights Into Sjögren's Disease: An Integrative Network Investigation And Immune Diseases Comparison, Nitesh Enduru, Astrid M Manuel, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sjögren's disease (SjD) is a systemic autoimmune disorder primarily causing dry eyes and mouth. It frequently overlaps with other autoimmune diseases (AIDs), including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the genetic basis of SjD remains underexplored, limiting our understanding of its connections to other immune-mediated conditions. In this study, we aimed to identify gene networks associated with SjD through the integration of genetic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic data. We further compared the genetic factors of SjD with other immune-mediated diseases. We analyzed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary statistics, DNA methylation, and transcriptomic data using our in-house network-based methods, …

The Impact Of The Mediterranean Diet On Depression: A Narrative Review, Emma Kate Schaaf

Honors Theses

Background. The Western diet has extensive negative ramifications on physical health and emotional well-being. The Mediterranean diet, widely regarded as one of the healthiest eating patterns in the world, may have the ability to improve psychological conditions. This study aims to examine existing research from randomized control trials (RCTs) on the association between depression prevalence and the Mediterranean diet.

Methods. The following review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines and the Google Scholar and PsycInfo databases. The criteria for inclusion were that studies: 1) were randomized control trials (RCTs) examining the Mediterranean diet; 2) included samples of adults (i.e., > 18 years …

The Endocannabinoid System's Influence And Modulation Of Nociception, Doreen M. Flannery

Honors Thesis

The anatomy and physiology of pain is a well-defined pathway where noxious stimuli is processed by different systems in the brain. The central research question of this review is how can we better understand the neurobiological effects pain has, and assess if there is therapeutic potential in using endocannabinoids to modulate these effects. Endocannabinoids are signaling molecules that play a key role at both the cellular and molecular level in modulating both acute and chronic pain by influencing different processes within each level that affect how the body responds to both internal and external stimuli. The endocannabinoid system is a …

Effects Of Acute Exercise On Cognition: Consideration Of Potential Moderators, Mary G. Jackson, Lucy Wilson, Mara Liston, Elizabeth Gaines, Mckenzie Cotten, Reese Carwile

Honors Theses

The present thesis aims to determine the effects, if any, of six potential moderators on the effects of acute moderate-intensity exercise on cognitive functioning. The modes of exercise undertaken by the participants included treadmill (Experiment 1) and stationary bike (Experiment 2) exercise. Participants in each experiment either exercised or rested for twenty minutes and then participated in either a memory recall task or cognitive functioning (“Stroop”) task. The bouts of either exercise or rest on the stationary bike were followed by a rest period during which the participant would be exposed to either standard air oxygen levels (normoxia) or hypoxic …

Integrating Positive Psychology And Spirituality To Foster Meaning And Well-Being In Older Adults, Crystal Morris

Adultspan Journal

This perspective article explores the integration of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) and spirituality in therapy to foster meaning and well-being in older adults. It highlights exercises such as the positive introduction, positive legacy, character strengths, mindfulness, mindful-based yoga, and a manifestation prayer journaling. The interventions presented are tools to support older adults that may experience depression, difficult life transitions, and the search for renewed meaning. Therapists who integrate PPIs and spirituality into therapy can promote a holistic, non-pathological approach to treatment.