Counseling Commons^™

Analysis Of Self, Kyle Sundberg

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

In this Analysis of Self, I review relevant background information and experiences and examine how they have shaped me as a person and counselor through various theory of counseling lenses. I then examine the results of the personality assessments MBTI-Strong and HEXACO. This is followed by interviews with five individuals and my impressions and major themes that resulted. I then view the information gathered from this analysis, and frame it using several counseling perspectives. I then reflect on the process of writing my self-analysis and ways that it has affected me personally and as a counselor. Lastly, I provide plans …

Effectiveness Of Tele-Mental Health In Rural Communities, Elizabeth Vebangsi

Liberty University Research Week

Doctoral

Theoretical Proposal

Bereaved Parents And Art Therapy: A Process To Help Develop Positive Adjustment Post-Loss, Dishika Iyer

2022 Student Academic Showcase

Death and bereavement are a sad part of human existence; a child’s death, however, could be incredibly isolating, debilitating, and terrifying for parents. Art therapy has proven helpful in dealing with several challenges like depression, stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (Hass-Cohen et al., 2018; Kalmanowitz & Ho, 2017; Peterson & Goldber, 2016). However, no studies to date show the impact of art therapy as an intervention with bereaved parents. The purpose of this proposal is to suggest a quantitative study to examine if art therapy could help bereaved parents in positive adjustment post-loss of their child. Positive adjustment post-loss would …

Critical Incidents In Sustaining A Behavior Management Level System With Special Education Students In A Self-Contained School, Stephanie Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Level systems provide systematic support for teachers and students who need additional behavior support. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perspectives of faculty members from a self-contained school, for special education students with severe behavior needs, which has sustained the use of a school-wide, behavior management level system for nearly 30 years. A total of 11 faculty members were interviewed using the critical incident technique, a qualitative methodology used as an exploratory tool in early stages of research. Interviews detailed the observable behaviors and specific events, critical incidents, that helped or hindered the sustainability of their school's …

School Counseling At Cedar Falls High School, Chloe Thostenson

INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference

This semester, I had the opportunity to intern with a school counselor at Cedar Falls High to gain insight into how mental health programs function and how they are applied by the team. I have learned therapy techniques, created yearly mental health reports to foresee trends, and have helped support the students’ emotional and academic needs. This poster exemplifies how sleep is strongly linked with depression and attendance in school, the various programs and plans that Cedar Falls High School offers, and how this experience has aided in creating additional future career goals for me.

The Impact Of Surviving Suicide Loss On Adolescent Psychosocial Development, Sophie Leonard

Counselor Education Capstones

There has been extensive research in the areas of the impact of suicide and human development over the past several decades. Researchers continue to examine the role that experiencing suicide loss plays in terms of the formation of a healthy identity and overall development. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of suicide loss on adolescent development. Specifically, this paper will address the potential impact of surviving a significant suicide loss on adolescent development during the identity versus role confusion stage of Erikson’s theory of development. Based on a thorough review of professional literature, the long-term effects …

Breadwinner Mothers Of School-Aged Children During Covid-19: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Rebecca D. Miller

Dissertations

Working mothers have long faced myriad challenges to optimal work-life balance, with evidence of negative consequences to their physical and mental wellbeing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, working mothers reported unprecedented difficulties, though inquiry into breadwinner mothers’ experiences remained lacking. This research focused specifically on the experiences of breadwinner mothers of elementary school-aged children who navigated remote working and remote schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. A diverse sample of 12 breadwinner mothers across the United States completed semi-structured interviews focusing on the impact of the pandemic on their daily lives, as well as how they understood their experiences in light of …

Navigating Covert Exploitation: Treatment Considerations For Counseling Human Trafficking Survivors, Lindsey Holper

Counselor Education Capstones

Human trafficking is a pervasive form of modern-day slavery. Despite increased resources being devoted to fighting these atrocities, human trafficking numbers are rising (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2018). Unfortunately, due to the covert, criminal nature of exploitation, research regarding human trafficking and its impact on survivors has been limited. This literature review seeks to aid mental health counselors in their treatment of human trafficking survivors by garnering an understanding of the complex mental health needs of trafficking survivors by exploring biological, genetic, and psychosocial influences that increase their susceptibility to the development of mental health concerns. This …

Addressing Racial Trauma In Counseling: Perspectives And Lessons From The Field, Claire Martin

Dissertations

Racism has permeated all aspects of American life (Bell, 1992) and many Black communities suffer racial trauma as a result. Mental health professionals have an ethical responsibility to develop strategies to serve the needs of diverse communities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of Black mental health professionals who serve individuals experiencing racial trauma. Using Critical Race Theory as a theoretical framework and qualitative Thematic Analysis as a methodology, twenty-three (23) Black mental health professionals were asked the following questions: (1) What are the experiences of Black mental health professionals working with clients who have …

Parecoxib Reduced Postsurgical Pain And Facilitated Movement More Than Patient Controlled Analgesia, Szu-Ching Chiu, Hanoch Livneh, Jin-Cheng Chen, Chia-Ming Chang, Honda Hsu, Tsay-I Chiang, Tzung-Yi Tsai

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Postoperative pain management is an imperative issue for patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Delayed pain relief is associated with poor clinical outcomes. This study compared the effects of intravenously administered patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with intravenous parecoxib, both commonly used methods for analgesic pain control after surgery.

Methods: A non-randomized study was used to recruit 68 patients who were scheduled to receive lumbar spinal fusion surgery at a hospital in Taiwan from April through December of 2020. The group treated with parecoxib received an initial perioperative dose of parecoxib 40 mg during a 30-min period and then postoperative intravenous …

The Factor Structure Of The Positive And Negative Affect Schedule In Multiethnic Adults, Allison Crowe, Patrick R. Mullen, Rachelle Redmond Barnes

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

The following research used factor analyses to test the PANAS with a diverse sample. Results revealed a 10-item, two-factor model that was verified using internal replication analysis. Positive and negative affect according to ethnic group revealed significant differences between groups. Findings from this study offer counseling researchers and practitioners a modified version of the PANAS for diverse clients.

Mental Health Professionals Serving The Military: Who Has Access?, Nicole Marie Arcuri Sanders, Kellie Forziat-Pytel

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

Licensed counselors are underrepresented as mental health professionals (MHPs) servicing military-connected clients (service member/Veterans and their families). Mixed-methods research, conducted by the authors, highlights key viewpoints of MHPs (counselor, psychologist, and social worker) interested in working with the military and on their level of confidence in working with this population. MHPs’ experiences, perspectives of their profession’s responsibilities to military clients, and their role in comparison to other MHPs is explored. Findings aid in advocacy efforts for the military population to receive counseling from qualified providers and support counseling program development to increase counselor employability among this group.

Professional Development Needs In A Predominantly Rural State, Amanda C. Dediego, Kara Hurt-Avila, Andrea Mcgrath

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

Mental health professionals working in rural states experience significant challenges in supporting the mental health needs of their community members. Thus, it is imperative for the professional organizations that serve these practitioners to understand their professional development needs. Members of professional organizations seek to ensure a competent and healthy workforce. In the present study, the researchers focused on identifying the training needs, interests, and preferences of mental health professionals, including professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, and social workers in Wyoming. A statewide needs assessment completed by 258 participants indicated a strong need for ethics, trauma, and addictions training using …

Media And Technology In Counseling: Emerging Practices And Ethical Considerations In Response To Covid-19, Vikram Surya Chiruvolu, Justin Jacques

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

COVID-19 has ushered in a new chapter of counseling in the United States and throughout the world. Counselors’ responses to the pandemic have been fundamentally reshaped by universal elements of the information age, including high-speed internet, smartphones, and computerbased technologies such as synchronous meeting software and collaboration tools. Now, clinicians can use technology to ally with clients, deliver psychoeducational media, and open new categories of intervention and engagement that alter the size, shape, and availability of the “counseling room” by extending it into a virtual space. The immediate investment in information technology demanded by the pandemic highlights an increasing need …

Women In Online Science Fiction Fandoms: Psychological Well-Being, Chrisha Anderson, Kathryn Watkins Van Asselt, Bradley Willis

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

A qualitative research design was used to listen to the experiences of women who engaged in science fiction fandom activities through online social media and how these experiences impacted their psychological well-being. The study targeted a specific population of science fiction fandom users who engaged in social media activities for at least one hour per week and had done so for at least one year. The sample consisted of 12 participants. Thematic analysis was used with the qualitative software program ATLAS.ti to analyze, code, and categorize data obtained via the transcripts. Five themes appeared from the data: nonjudgmental fandom culture, …

We Set The Climate: Implications For Rural School Counselors In Creating Lgbtqia-Affirming Schools, Valerie Couture, Erin O. Shaw, Bonni Behrend

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

This phenomenological qualitative study examined a Southern regional sample (N=9) of rural school counselors’ perspectives of the procedures and processes that contributed to their ability to create safe zones in an effort to make their schools more LGBTQIA-affirming. The researchers identified five key themes and twelve subthemes. The key themes were: (a) organized support system, (b) collaborations with school leadership, (c) addressing challenges, (d) utilization of professional development resources, and (e) adherence to professional ethics.

Does Adherence To The Asca National Model Predict Job Satisfaction Among School Counselors?, Annette C. Riddle, Mary Bess W. Pannel

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the services regularly offered by school counselors and their level of job satisfaction. The School Activity Rating Scale, the Job in General Scale, and a demographic questionnaire were implemented. Descriptive statistics described participant's demographic data and determine how school counselors rate their level of job satisfaction. Results indicated that school counselors reported an overall high level of career satisfaction. Inferential statistics determined whether adherence to the ASCA National Model predicts job satisfaction. Results showed a statistically significant difference existed between school counseling activities and job satisfaction.

Experiences Of School Counselor Trainees In Group Supervision During Practicum: A Phenomenological Study, Jill Minor, Neil Duchac

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

In this phenomenological study, we explored experience of students (N=6) in group supervision within a practicum field experience course. Using a narrative-focused approach for data analysis and interpretation of journal entries, were created a thematic structure of the participants’ lived experiences using the Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ). Discussion and implications of this journal writing activity are offered to help reveal and understand the instructional effectiveness of a field practicum counseling course.

An Analysis Of School Counselors Time Spent On Asca Aligned Activities, Jacob Olsen, Sejal Parikh Foxx, Claudia Flowers, Kaeleigh Hayakawa

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

The high prevalence of youth aging out of the foster care system and the numerous poor outcomes they experience during the transition to emerging adulthood has been well documented. Although addressing the complex needs and concerns of this distinct population can be difficult, mental health counselors maintain the philosophical tenants and training strengths necessary to successfully serve youth aging out of foster care. This article aims to provide counselors with the historical context, developmental framework, and specific challenges needed to better understand this population, as well as suggested counseling implications to address their unique needs by reviewing relevant literature.

Dual-Enrollment, Peer Relationships, And Internalized. Variables: A Comparative Analysis Among Adolescents, Mary Bess W. Pannel, Christine D. Lewis Pugh, Valarie A. Morgan

Journal of Counseling Research and Practice

While the importance of dual enrollment programs has been demonstrated, the potential impact of completing college level courses during high school has on the emotional and mental wellbeing of adolescents has not been explored. This study used a nonexperimental, comparative, research design to explore the impact of completing college level courses during high school and the relationship to emotional and behavioral well-being of adolescents. Findings indicated self-esteem levels were statistically significant, specifically, dual enrolled students reported lower levels of self-esteem. School counselors are in a unique position to foster a successful, academic environment that also enhances emotional and mental wellness.