Counseling Commons^™

How Can Art Therapy Intergenerational Groups Support Fostering Connections For Individuals With Memory Loss?, Clara Drew

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis explores the question: How can art therapy intergenerational groups support fostering connections for individuals with memory loss? In the study conducted, there were two separate groups, family-based and community volunteer-based. Both included residents of a memory care community. Through the process of this study, a total of seven groups were conducted. These groups explored art activities that focused on fostering connection through sensory and collaborative art processes. The study noted changes in the residents' moods, level of engagement, collaboration and socialization, and post-group affect throughout the day. While the focus was observing these factors for memory care residents, …

Harness The Darkness! Blackout Poetry And Drama Therapy For Systemic Existential Dread: A Proposed Methodology, Kerry Sullivan

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis explores the intersection of drama therapy and blackout poetry as a therapeutic intervention to address systemic existential dread (SED) among emerging adults. The proposed methodology is titled "Bringing Blackout Poetry to Life" and consists of five sessions designed to explore the participants’ SED and generate poetry, culminating in a public performance. By integrating elements from psychodrama and drama therapy with the therapeutic process of blackout poetry, the intervention intends to aid processing on all levels of the expressive therapies continuum (ETC), strengthen tolerance for uncertainty, and facilitate sustainable community action. This theoretical framework is supported by a wide-ranging …

Exploring Urban School Counselors' Lived Experiences Engaging As Advocacy Leaders And Change Agents To Empower And Support Black And Brown Students, Linda M. ColóN

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

To make a difference in Black and Brown students' educational experiences, school counselor advocacy is crucial. A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to explore the practices urban school counselors incorporate to engage as social justice leaders, advocates, and change agents to empower and support Black and Brown students. The goal was to identify practices urban school counselors utilized to create greater equity for Black and Brown students. Also, from school counselors’ lived experiences, the goal was to learn how they engaged key-school stakeholders in advocacy. In addition, the hope was to bring to the forefront how the intersecting cultural identities …

Understanding How Latinx Millennials Attend To Their Mental Health And Emotional Well-Being: A Phenomenological Study, Natalie A. Nieves

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Latinx millennials represent over half of the millennial population in the United States. Yet, existing research on how this population attends to their mental health and emotional well-being remains largely absent from the counseling literature. This descriptive phenomenological study asked: How do Latinx millennials attend to their mental health and emotional well-being? Twelve participants, identifying as Latinx millennials born between 1981 and 1996, residing in the United States, and actively engaging in practices supporting their mental health and emotional well-being, participated in a two-part, semi-structured interview process. Data were collected and analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological data analysis method. The findings …

Implementing Narrative Family Art Therapy To Address Trauma And Conflict Resolution, Haley Elizabeth Watson

Expressive Therapies Theses

This study explored the implementation of principles and approaches from a complementary framework of narrative therapy, art therapy and family therapy using a trauma-informed approach with clients and their families receiving in-home therapy (IHT) services. Existing research demonstrates that narrative approaches and techniques support clients to identify alternative perspectives to their reality to promote a more empowering narrative. The intention of this research was to identify themes and possible areas of exploration for future research about how trauma-informed narrative family art therapy may be a suitable and beneficial framework for addressing conflict within the family system and healing from traumatic …

Relationships Between Therapists And Diverse Children's Populations And Their Effects, Brenda Sanchez Vega

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Roughly around 13.8% of children and adolescents in the United States receive some sort of counseling or therapy; the main focus of the research is on racial/ethnic minoritized children. Because APA’s ethical codes don’t address all possible situations, positive client-therapist relationships are bound to develop, including dyads or dual relationships, improving treatment progress. With the United States continuing to grow in diversity, there’s still a big gap in the literature surrounding minority children in therapy. Speculating if therapy approaches are used effectively for all children, including minoritized children. Based on past research already conducted, developing a positive client-therapist dual relationship …

Navigating Faith And Sexuality: Christian Pastors' Experiences In Providing Pastoral Care For Lgbtq+ Youth, Keith I. Raymond

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Within the Christian context, religion and sexuality are often cultural factors that shape the identity development of LGBTQ+ youth, with congregational stance (affirming, tolerant, non–affirming) and individual religiosity/spirituality serving as protective or risk factors (Crockett et al., 2018; Raedel et al., 2020; Yarhouse & Sadusky, 2021). Christian pastors’ theology, relational ministry approach, and pastoral skills influence how they engage with and care for queer youth, yet the professional ties between pastors and LGBTQ+ youth remain underrepresented in counseling literature. Guided by queer theory, this qualitative case study examined how Christian pastors understand and navigate pastoral care for LGBTQ+ youth within …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Youth With The Juvenile Justice System, Marion D. Rogers

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This qualitative case study examined the lived experiences of African American youth in the juvenile justice system using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Intersectionality Theory as guiding frameworks. Three participants engaged in three rounds of in-depth interviews, and the data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding, with findings presented at the within-case and cross-case levels. Results revealed how family dynamics, school exclusion, community survival strategies, and systemic surveillance shaped participants’ pathways through the justice system, while experiences of resilience coexisted with mistrust, invisibility, and ambivalence toward counselors and authority figures. The study highlights the importance of culturally responsive …

Improving Fafsa Completion For High School Graduates, Haylee B. Padilla

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Too many students at Learning For Life Charter School graduate without a clear understanding of social mobility and are unprepared for the academic and practical demands of college. This project addressed the need for increased FAFSA completion and college and career readiness among 11th and 12th grade high school students graduating in the 2026 school year. The purpose of this project was to provide support to help students get federal student aid by walking them through filling out the FAFSA form and giving clear steps so they could apply without stress. Key activities included workshops, one-on-one support guiding students through …

Raising Regulated Moms: Reducing Reactive Parenting Responses, Victoria J. Perez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Many parents and caregivers lack access to information and support that accurately relates effective parenting styles, without this knowledge caregivers and parents may unintentionally rely on reactive responses that end up escalating conflict with their child rather than resolving it. When parents respond to their child's big emotions without effective tools to first regulate themselves, they risk contributing to higher stress levels, emotional withdrawal, and behavioral dysregulation in their children. Research consistently demonstrates that when parents are given the tools to successfully incorporate self-regulation skills and evidence-based approaches to guide children through difficult emotions, both the child and the parent …

Teachers’ Role In Supporting Students Growing Up Missing A Parent, Jesus A. Gomez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This senior capstone research project examines how teachers support students who are growing up missing a parent. Through literature reviews, teacher and parent interviews, and anonymous student survey data from CSUMB students, the results revealed that parental absence and family instability can affect students academically, emotionally, and behaviorally. However, teachers can play an important role in students' lives by providing emotional safety, strong relationships, communication, and everyday support. In addition, students from single-parent or untraditional households were much more likely to remember a teacher as a role model as a second-parent figure. This capstone highlights the protective role teachers play …

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 …

Unveiling Embodied White Supremacy: Therapists’ Experiences And Its Imprint On Therapeutic Relationships In Dance/Movement Therapy, Melody E. Gamba

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

This qualitative, arts-informed research study explored how White-identifying dance/movement therapists experience and articulate their awareness of embodied White supremacy within therapeutic relationships. Grounded in critical race theory, relational-cultural theory, and embodied critical transformation theory, the study addressed a gap in dance/movement therapy literature concerning how White supremacy is not only cognitively understood, but also somatically felt, relationally enacted, and professionally navigated. The purpose of the study was to understand how White-identifying dance/movement therapists perceive, kinesthetically experience, and make meaning of embodied White supremacy in therapeutic practice, and to explore how these embodied experiences influence therapeutic presence, attunement, and the potential …

Caregiver Self-Reflection: Does It Matter? A Study Of The Relationship Between Caregiver Self-Reflection And Participation In Home Programs In Outpatient Pediatric Physical Therapy Settings, Andrea Myane

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite evidence that caregiver coaching can improve patient outcomes and caregiver participation, little information exists on the effects of its individual components. Additionally, previous research has highlighted the importance of home programs in improving pediatric physical therapy outcomes. The aim of this study is to explore the role that caregiver self-reflection, a component of caregiver coaching, plays in facilitating outcomes in the pediatric physical therapy outpatient setting. Caregivers will be asked to complete a series of self-reflection questions based on Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle, while also recording the number of minutes they spend facilitating a prescribed home program. All study participants …

The Line In The Sand: Visual Narratives Of Religious Trauma And Leaving Evangelicalism, Elizabeth Humphrey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Widespread abuse within religious institutions has challenged the assumption that religion inherently supports mental health, while rising rates of religious disaffiliation often cite trauma as a key factor. Individuals leaving harmful religious environments report a range of outcomes—from increased autonomy to emotional distress—yet research on post-disaffiliation experiences is limited. As the religious landscape of the U.S. shows decrease in religious affiliation, and stories of abuse and trauma circulate, the experience of leaving a religious community because of harm is a needed area for further inquiry. Using visual narrative inquiry, this qualitative research study explores the lived experiences of those who …

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 …

Attitudes, Behaviors, And Co-Workers Influence Of Those Who Provide Mental Health Support Services To Refugees And Immigrants., Irene Boamah

Doctor of Social Work Capstone Projects

ABSTRACT

ATTITUDES, BEHAVIORS, AND CO-WORKERS INFLUENCE OF THOSE WHO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES TO REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS

Irene A. Boamah

April 3, 2026

Refugees and immigrants face a variety of mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Despite these mental health issues, there is limited research examining the attitudes, behaviors and coworkers’ influence on those who provide mental health support services to this population. This study examines the relationships between the demographic and professional characteristics of mental health support service providers in Kentucky and the stigmas they may have toward refugees and immigrants.

A cross-sectional …

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 …

Potential Impact That Generative Artificial Intelligence Has On Adolescents' Relationship With Parents, David Jimenez Jr., Christal Pelayo, Rebecca Evans

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) into adolescents’ daily lives has introduced both opportunities and concerns regarding family dynamics and psychosocial development. Increasingly, adolescents are using AI tools for academic assistance, emotional support, and transparency on sensitive topics. This study examines adolescents’ attitudes toward discussing personal issues with parents compared to AI platforms and explores the potential relational impacts of AI use on parent–child relationships. Guided by Attachment Theory and Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory, this research focuses on adolescents ages 12–16, a developmental stage marked by identity formation and evolving autonomy. The study will include a sequence of recruitment, …

Pastors’ Children’S Stress In Evangelical Church In Java, Indonesia: A Phenomenological Study, Daniel Trihandarkha

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the pastors’ children's experience with stress in the evangelical church on the island of Java, Indonesia. The theory guiding this study is the self-determination theory developed by Richard Ryan and Edward Deci, as it explains the existence and absence of psychological needs of organisms to grow and thrive. The theory describes the struggle of the pastors’ children in environments where the relationship with the caregivers is fundamental in determining the growth of the pastors’ children and their well-being. The theory where relatedness, autonomy, and competencies, will examine the lived life of …