Counselor Education Commons^™

Navigating The Intersection Of Artificial Intelligence And Counseling: Implications For Counselor Identity, Ethics, And Counselor Education, Anabel Mifsud, Barbara Herlihy

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This article examines the ethical, professional identity, and counselor education implications of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into counseling practice. As AI use expands in mental health care, it offers opportunities to enhance accessibility and efficiency while raising complex ethical concerns regarding competence, accountability, transparency, confidentiality, equity, and preservation of the therapeutic relationship. The authors explore how AI may reshape counselor roles and professional identity, underscoring the need to safeguard core values and the relational foundation of counseling. Recommendations are offered for adapting counselor education to prepare future practitioners for AI-augmented practice. The authors call for sustained, critical dialogue to ensure …

“There Was Nothing Left To Give”: Experiences Of Compassion Fatigue Among Former In-Patient Psychiatric Clinicians, Katie Ladner

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

Compassion Fatigue (CF) is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion resulting from prolonged exposure to stressful or traumatic experiences, specifically among healthcare workers, and it negatively impacts their ability to provide care to their patients and perform their jobs effectively (Singh et al., 2020). The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the lived experiences of compassion fatigue in mental health clinicians who previously worked in in-patient psychiatric hospitals and their subsequent resignations. This phenomenological research explored participants' understanding and descriptions of their CF experiences in their roles within psychiatric hospitals and how CF contributed to their leaving …

Black Maternal Mental Health: Counseling Considerations For Prenatal Depression And Anxiety, Morgan Renee Williams

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The maternal mortality rate of Black women in the United States is four times higher than white women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). The CDC defines a maternal death as “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy… but not from accidental or incidental causes” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024, para. 1). This statistic is a consequence of the inequality within and outside of the American healthcare system (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2020). For the purposes of this research, Black women are defined as any women …

Neurodiversity In Counseling: Counseling Strategies For Supporting Neurodiverse Clients, Emily R. Plowright

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Neurodiversity recognizes the natural differences in human functioning, including the unique ways that individuals think, learn, and process information. The neurodiversity movement views these differences as valuable, challenging historical beliefs that label them as deficits. Despite growing awareness of neurodiversity, counseling research and practice have largely overlooked the unique needs of neurodiverse clients, resulting in barriers to accessing mental health care. This paper addresses the concept and models of disability to provide context for understanding neurodiversity. Neurodiverse identities, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specific learning disorders (SLDs), and tic disorder, are explored through their diagnostic criteria …

Cultivating Trauma Competency: Counselor Development Through Education And Experience, Kayla Bryant

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation explored the development of trauma competency. Considering the prevalence of trauma and the ethical demand for counselors to work within their scope of competence, it is necessary they have skills to work with trauma. The intent of this dissertation was to contribute to the literature by providing strategies for counselor educators aiming to support counselors-in-training in their trauma development. Grounded in attachment theory, these articles acknowledge the personal lived experiences of counselors and their professional needs. The first article, a conceptual manuscript, provides strategies for counselor educators to integrate trauma competencies at the master’s level. Using both experiential …

Exploring Play: Counselor Education Strategies, Online Community Fantasy Play, And Sexuality In The Counseling Space, Nattalie Wolff-Tseng

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation examines the ways that play is constructed and understood in a variety of settings. Using Relational Cultural Theory as a guiding theoretical influence, each portion examines how play influences relationships and how engagement in play and conversations about play can enhance student–teacher relationships, social connection, and the therapeutic relationship. The first section of this dissertation, the conceptual article, explores how play can support counselor education as it encourages creative engagement and discourages perfectionism, which is often noticeable in novice counselors. Play may take many forms in the classroom and offers counselor educators the opportunity to tailor activity to …

Quality Care For Neurodivergent Youth, Emily V. Bogaev

Dissertations, 2020-current

Neurodivergent youth are becoming increasingly present in counseling settings, yet many counseling approaches have historically been shaped by deficit-oriented frameworks that conceptualize neurodivergence as something to be corrected. These perspectives may overlook the lived experiences and strengths of neurodivergent individuals. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine neurodivergence in counseling through three complementary manuscripts addressing conceptual foundations, youth perspectives, and counselor preparation. The first manuscript is a conceptual article that explores neurodivergent-affirming counseling and contrasts affirming frameworks with traditional deficit-based approaches. The second manuscript utilized a qualitative narrative inquiry design to explore neurodivergent youths’ perceptions of neurodivergence and the …

Professional Dispositions In Counselor Education: Building Consensus, Examining Lived Experience, And Advancing Relational Gatekeeping, Jina Yang

Dissertations, 2020-current

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate how Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited programs identify, implement, and assess essential professional dispositions among master’s-level counselors-in-training (CITs). The dissertation includes three components that examine conceptual, experiential, and consensus-based perspectives on professional dispositions within counselor education. The first component presents a conceptual framework for implementing gatekeeping practices that reflect the values of the counseling profession. Drawing on Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), the article proposes gatekeeping strategies that emphasize mutuality and connection while accounting for sociocultural contextual factors and fostering psychological safety within the hierarchical dynamics inherent in evaluative …

Enhancing Access Through Integrated Behavioral Healthcare: Expanding Counselor Identity And Social Determinants Of Health Competency, Tiffany N. Snow

Dissertations, 2020-current

Abstract

The counseling profession has historically differentiated its identity by emphasizing a wellness-oriented approach. However, this has often led to the exclusion of counselors from integrated behavioral healthcare (IBH). With the 2024 enactment of the Mental Health Access Improvement Act, counselors now have unprecedented opportunities to serve as behavioral health providers in federal medical settings. This three-manuscript dissertation explores the intersection of counselor professional identity, social determinants of health (SDoH) competency, and interprofessional collaboration within IBH.

Manuscript 1 presents a conceptual framework for reconciling traditional counselor identity with the "medical model" of Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH), arguing that this …

The Lived Experiences Of Clinical Mental Health Counselors Returning To Clinical Work After Becoming A New Mom: A Phenomenological Study, Kathryn Bohn

Dissertations

The experience of transitioning back to work postpartum can be an emotional rollercoaster for women. One that is often filled with identity tensions and sweeping emotions that range from guilt to relief, anxiety to confidence (Dod, 2025; Franzoi et al., 2023; Garcia-Lorenzo et al., 2023). Postpartum can be an emotionally raw and vulnerable time for new mothers as they navigate physical and emotional changes, maternal stress, and the pressures and demands of new motherhood (LeBlanc, 2023; Maylott, 2023). Professional counselors in a clinical setting, also known as clinical mental health counselors, encounter occupationally specific responsibilities that create unique experiences for …

Understanding Myself As A Helping Professional, Mia Duncan

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This paper reflects on my own personal experiences that have shaped the person I am both personally and professionally. The purpose of this paper is to showcase the emotional, mental, and physical events I have gone through as well as the work I have done to overcome these challenging events to better serve my future students and clients. I have identified pivotal relationships in my life, therapeutic approaches that have worked for my own development, as well as what I use to help my students as a school counselor, and what my plans are after I graduate to continue as …

A Moment For Pause, Jared J. Saunders

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This essay outlines the life of Jared Saunders, from his birth in 1995 to the day this was written in 2026. Born, raised, and educated in Minnesota, he grew up in a stable household with a moderate sized family. Trained to be an educator, he has recently redirected his career path towards becoming a school counselor in the hopes that he can better serve his students. Throughout the process of researching and writing for this essay, the author reflected on his life and the mechanisms that steadily sculpted him into the person he is today. After chronologically reflecting on his …

Ai-Assisted Case Conceptualization: Enhancing Ethical Decision-Making In Graduate Counseling Education, Thang S. Tran, Praveen K. Rudra, Justin Jacques

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

As artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into counselor education, a significant gap exists between the rapid adoption of technology and the development of structured pedagogical frameworks for ethical decision-making. This article introduces a multi-component framework to support ethical AI integration in graduate counseling education, comprising three key elements: (1) a case conceptualization model with AI assistance, (2) Morgan (SC), an intentionally imperfect AI school counseling thought partner trained on ethical standards and decision-making models, and (3) structured protocols for ethical decision-making aligned with American Counseling Association and National Board for Certified Counselors guidance. The framework is designed to center …

Trauma-Informed Approaches In Correctional Settings, Mahlet T. Habtemeskel

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Trauma‑informed care (TIC) has become an important framework for understanding and responding to the needs of incarcerated individuals, who experience disproportionately high rates of childhood adversity, interpersonal violence, and systemic trauma. Research has shown that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) early victimization shapes individual behavior patterns, justice system involvement, and emotional regulation (Ratcliff et al., 2025; Marotta, 2022). Traditional correctional models rooted in punishment, control, and surveillance often repeat the dynamics of past trauma, exacerbating emotional dysregulation, behavioral challenges, and recidivism (Desai, 2019; Slovinsky, 2023). This thesis examines the theoretical foundations, implementation strategies, and outcomes of trauma‑informed approaches in correctional settings …

From Innovation To Interaction: Processes Shaping Animal Assisted Therapy Implementation In Outpatient Settings In The United States, Rachel Rachlinski

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Animal assisted therapy (AAT) is an emerging mental health specialty marked by rapid growth, inconsistent training pathways, and the absence of regulatory oversight. Although professional organizations have published competencies and guidelines, no regulatory body ensures that educational programs or licensed practitioners adhere to these standards, leading to wide variability in practice and potential risks to clients and animals. This constructivist grounded theory study examined the processes shaping how licensed mental health providers understand and implement AAT in outpatient settings across the United States, with attention to the influence of training, supervision, and prior clinical experience.

Guided by the Consolidated Framework …

Dialectical Behavior Therapy In Managing Emotional Dysregulation And Self-Injurious Behaviors: Assessment, Intervention, And Clinical Applicability, Farhana Sabri, Andika Ari Saputra

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an empirically supported intervention initially designed for individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) who present with self-injurious behaviors. The present article aims to evaluate the utility of DBT in addressing emotional dysregulation and maladaptive behavioral patterns across a range of clinical populations. The analysis encompasses assessment and case conceptualization, intervention strategies, evaluation of therapeutic outcomes, and termination protocols. Consideration is also given to the implementation of DBT in group settings and the influence of cultural factors on its effectiveness. Evidence from previous studies demonstrates that DBT contributes to significant reductions in self-harm, emotional distress, …

Starting With Story, Not Symptom: Narrative Collapse And Cultural Repair In Appalachia, Wayne Coombs Ph.D.

Journal of Appalachian Health

Appalachia’s opioid crisis reflects uneven burdens, especially in distressed coalfield counties, and it cannot be solved by symptom tracking alone. This commentary argues for a narrative shift, starting with story and cultural repair alongside clinical care. Narrative collapse is defined here as the loss of shared, dependable public meaning across groups, not the absence of storytelling in families, churches, and recovery circles. Trauma science suggests that chronic threat reshapes nervous systems across generations, making safety a prerequisite for renewed trust. Drawing on narrative identity research, the piece proposes peer story work as infrastructure that can reduce shame, support treatment engagement, …

Our Stories: Black Parents’ Experiences At K-12 Predominantly White Institutions, Jason Thompson

Dissertations

Black parents of Black children attending K–12 predominantly White institutions (PWIs) often experience stress as they navigate school environments where they may be perceived as uninterested, combative, or “token” members of the school community. These deficit-based perceptions can cause Black parents to limit school interactions, question whether their perspectives will be valued, and develop distrust toward school personnel. Although research has examined Black students’ experiences in PWIs, fewer qualitative studies have centered on Black parents’ stories. Capturing these experiences in parents’ own words helps challenge harmful stereotypes and offers schools, especially school counselors, deeper insight into strengthening relationships with Black …

Growing Up Muslim In America: Discrimination And Religious Identity In Emerging Adulthood, Samira Saleh

Dissertations

This study examined the impact of depression and discrimination on religious identity development among emerging adult Muslims (ages 18–29) in the United States, with attention to religious visibility and gender. Using a cross-sectional survey design, participants completed validated measures including the Perceived Islamophobia Scale, Everyday Discrimination Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Centrality of Religiosity Scale. Grounded in Arnett’s Theory of Emerging Adulthood and Social Identity Theory, the study addresses gaps in research on Muslim mental health and identity within Western sociopolitical contexts. Participants were recruited via university listservs, Muslim Student Associations, social media, and community organizations, and completed a brief …

Designing Eco-Islamic Memory Palace Media To Reduce Math Anxiety And Enhance Academic Resilience, Annas Solihin, Neni Mariana, Budi Purwoko

Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling

Math anxiety continues to hinder students' performance and emotional well-being in elementary mathematics education. This study aimed to develop and test the effectiveness of Eco-Islamic Memory Palace Media in reducing math anxiety and strengthening academic resilience. Employing the Plomp development model, the study involved three phases: preliminary research to identify psychological needs, prototyping of the media design, and a formative evaluation with expert validation and empirical testing on students (N = 24). The media integrated environmental imagery and Islamic values into visual-spatial mnemonic structures to create meaningful, calm, and emotionally safe learning experiences. Quantitative data analysis showed a significant decrease …