Counseling Commons^™

Introduction To The Interpersonal Discrimination Model Applied To Clinical Supervision: A Relational Approach For Novice Counselors, Rachel J. Brejcha

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This manuscript explores the theory development of a new clinical supervision model called the Interpersonal Discrimination Model (IPDM). The IPDM combines the structure of the Discrimination Model of supervision (Bernard, 1979) with Interpersonal Theory tenets developed by Harry Sullivan (1968) to create a holistic, integrated approach to clinical supervision. The IPDM’s foundation is based on the supervisory working alliance, which has been continuously found to contribute to supervisee satisfaction, an increase in counselor self-efficacy and a positive therapeutic working alliance (Park et al., 2019). The IPDM has three main applications-interpersonal process recall, the parallel process, countertransference-that are applied in clinical …

Even In Fateful Situations A Vital Optimism Remains: Social Work “Accompaniment” With Persons With Cancer, Asta Kiaunyte, Jonas Ruskus, Roberta Telmentiene, Katherine Tyson Mccrea Professor

The Qualitative Report

To advance a social work model for working with patients with diagnoses of cancer in diverse global contexts, this paper draws from qualitative research with clients diagnosed with cancer, and their social workers, in Lithuania. As in many countries, Lithuanian social work is a new profession, finding its way to helping people through many life stressors in a unique cultural context. The threat cancer presents – of dying from a protracted and painful illness – requires social work strategies, especially because many countries lack Hospice supports. Key aspects of the findings are the life crisis that a diagnosis of cancer …

Challenges For Children And Adolescents With Autism And Their Families During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Orsolya Pachner, Gabor Aranyi

Journal of Global Awareness

The restrictions and lockdown measures implemented in response to the Covid-19 pandemic have posed a pronounced risk to the mental health of people with autism and their families. We discuss specific difficulties affecting children and adolescents with autism and their families during the pandemic, drawing on a broad range of recently published research in many countries and regions. A global perspective is adopted to provide an overview of the state of affairs and identify good practices. We consider challenges in four areas: research and practice related to autism, challenges facing children and adolescents with autism, specific difficulties in their education …

The Ripple Effect: ‘Training The Trainer’ On The Impact Of Body Image Through A Dance/Movement Therapy Technique, Marina Gearhart

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis describes the capstone project which was a psychoeducation and experiential workshop for fitness trainers. The workshop investigated the impact trainers’ work may have on the body image of their clients through a dance/movement therapy (DMT) technique. The aim was to enhance the trainers’ sensitivity around body image issues of their clients and to create a space for vulnerable movement conversation that may in turn lead to better mental health advocacy for their clients within the scope of ethical practice. The participants of the workshop were six white female identifying trainers ranging from 24 to 35 years of age. …

Advocating For Neuro-Informed Music Therapy For Ptsd In Diverse Populations, A Literature Review, Shanell A. Percy

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Research indicates that music positively affects the brain, health, and wellness and continues to be researched for its effectiveness in treating PTSD. Traumatic memories are stored in the brain structures of the limbic system. Music has been shown to affect these brain structures, giving prospect to its use through music psychotherapy interventions as an effective treatment for PTSD. This review of music therapy literature assesses the effects of music on the brain, identifies current models for treating PTSD with music therapy, and considers culturally informed approaches to treatment. A widely known gap in the research of evidenced-based studies of music …

Community Art For Rebuilding College Communities Following The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Literature Review, Amber Haney

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper is an examination of arts-based community engagement projects as a way to creatively engage, support, and endorse healing in college communities. This paper was written with consideration for potential long-term impacts on college students, individually and collectively, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this paper, college student mental health trends in the United States are addressed and existing community engagement projects that center around community, healing, and resilience are examined. This paper argues that art therapy practices that are meant to advance societal healing can occur outside of the traditional, clinical individual or group therapy session …

Using Paper Theatres As An Expressive Arts Therapy Method: Activating Imaginal Worlds In Community Arts Practice, Silvina S. Ibanez

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Paper theatres are an artistic form that became widely popular in 19th century Europe. Also known as toy theatre and model theatre, a paper theatre has a small build-your-own proscenium and pre-cut paper characters that can be manipulated. Different styles of paper theatre can be found in several cultures.

In contemporary art, the use of paper theatres in several modalities led to an exploration of whether such theatres also could be used as an art therapy method. Research was conducted into expressive art therapy principles, Jungian perspectives, and recent studies in neurosciences. The studies included in the literature review confirmed …

Considerations And Reflections On Being A Brazilian - Latina Expressive Arts Therapist Working In Usa, Maiara Bastos

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper focuses on the experience of being a Latina expressive arts therapist working in the United States of America (USA). Through literature review and a personal art-based research process, the definitions of identities, therapeutic relationships, and microaggression are discussed and explored. This paper is theoretically grounded in the notion of expressive arts therapy and gestalt therapy as a means to understand the author’s experiences in the field of counseling. Autoethnography and art-based inquiry are used to conceptualize microaggressions within the therapeutic relationship.

With the intent of increasing awareness about the author’s identities, the expressive arts were used to make …

“Rage Defends Against Overwhelming Loss”: A Literature Review On Women, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, And Anger, Sarah Maeder

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

A literature review examining the difference in anger as a symptom of PTSD based on gender. The focus was on how gender roles and stereotypes impact women’s, as well as providers’, interpretation, expression, acknowledgement, and suppression of anger. By researching civilian survivors of non-combat trauma, the review examined PTSD and symptom discrepancies along a gender divide. Emphasis was placed on the creation of gender as a social construct. Significant nuance was discovered when defining anger, its means of expression, and measurement tools, particularly when interacting with gender. The history of art therapy as a treatment modality for PTSD and anger …

Nothing To Lose: A Literature Review On Combating Anti-Fat Bias Through Expressive Therapies, Katlyn Tracy

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Anti-fat bias exists and is a pervasive and often overlooked form of oppression that significantly harms the mental health of fat people. Similar to other forms of oppression, anti-fat bias remains perpetuated through ideology, enforced institutionally through discriminatory practices, and enacted through interpersonal harassment. There is growing interest in exploring not only the mental health impacts of anti-fat bias, but also the development of effective therapeutic interventions to support fat people impacted by it. However, research on therapeutic strategies for combating this issue remains scarce. The field of Expressive Therapies, with its range of creative modalities and focus on engaging …

Making Room: Addressing The Counter-Therapeutic Nature Of Psychiatric Hospitalization Through Containment- Based Group Expressive Therapy, Max Sandor Copans

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The process of hospitalization and the environment of a typical psychiatric hospital is often counter-therapeutic. To challenge this problem, clinicians may introduce the concept of psychological containment. To elaborate, being hospitalized anywhere can be disorienting, frightening and even traumatic. This problem is only further exacerbated in psychiatric hospitals where patients may be disorganized, manic, or struggling with psychosis. Furthermore, psychological containment is essentially the ability for psychiatric patients to prevent their intense emotions from effecting others negatively, and to act with resiliency when other patients are unable to contain their own disruptive behaviors. This paper utilizes both an initial literature …

Body Image And The Causes Of Dissatisfactions: Re-Shaping Negative Thinking Through Symbolic Powers Of Collage, Susie Thom

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Understanding why so many individuals struggle with their body image becomes easier by analyzing how society promotes a “thin ideal” through the media, the way women talk to one another about their bodies (a term known as fat talk), social comparisons, and how families advocate for a slender build. Body image refers to our perception, feelings, and actions in regard to our body (Kaslow & Eicher, 1988; Seijo, 2016). Negative thoughts and feelings about one’s body as a result of viewing the media’s unattainable thin ideals, engaging in harmful and negative dialogue about one’s body, comparing one’s body or appearance …

Studio Expressive Arts Therapy: Towards A Classroom Method That Incorporates Art And Music, Michael Greenberg

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explored the ways in which expressive arts therapy (ExAT) could be incorporated into a small therapeutic high school’s visual arts program. Through the development and implementation of a method, intermodal exchange between visual art and music was integrated into both the school’s art program and its group counseling offerings. Informed by a literature review of studio art therapy (SAT) as related to ExAT, three different interventions were used to fit within the frameworks of the high school’s offerings. The first intervention focused on making music with a few students within art classes while the rest of the class …

Exploring The Usefulness Of Mindfulness Practices Through Zoom Meetings In Reducing Anxiety And/Or Stress Of Adults With Learning And Developmental Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Thatiane Abra

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis explored which mindfulness meditations or mindfulness practices could be beneficial in the online sessions, the extent to which adults with learning and developmental disabilities could learn the practices remotely, and how stress and anxiety disorders could be reduced through online mindfulness interventions. Furthermore, it was also necessary to address the online sessions as the only mental health treatment possibility during the Coronavirus pandemic for the clients observed and the benefits and limitations of these interventions. Additionally, the importance of structure and routine for this population, the multi-modal structure of the interventions, and how attunement plays an important role …

Exploring Art Therapy Techniques In Parent-Child Dyads With Children Who Have Experienced Trauma, Yuval Minz

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Exposure to trauma during childhood has been shown to have severe long-term consequences. It has been shown that art therapy promotes the reduction of trauma symptoms in children, as it allows them to easily engage in the process of therapy through non-verbal treatment. Involving the caregiver in the treatment process of children was shown to hold significant benefits for children, especially in a setting of parent-child art therapy interventions. In this capstone thesis, I present a case study in which I explored the impact of art therapy interventions performed in a parent-child dyad on the well-being of a child who …

Exploring Tactile Art-Making With Deafblind Students And Their Families: An Opportunity For Creative Play, Alice Rodgers

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The impact of a deafblind diagnosis on an individual’s mental health and the well-being of the family involved can be profound. However, current research and available literature for the mental health treatment and therapy practices of deafblind persons and their families is limited (Kyzar et al., 2016; “WFDB Global Report 2018,” n.d.). This thesis used the Leeds Family Psychology and Therapy Service principles (Leeds FPTS) and the Expressive Therapies Continuum with established deafblind teaching strategies to facilitate an original arts-based community project entitled: “Things We Like.” This project provided an opportunity for deafblind students (ages three to 22) and their …

Dance/Movement Therapy: A Treatment Option For Postpartum Depression, Olivia Mandracchia

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Pregnancy and motherhood are associated with many expectations, guidelines and stressors. To some, these factors have no impact while to others these factors can contribute to symptoms of anxiety and depression. When discussing pregnancy, one may already have a history of depression while others may start to experience symptoms during their pregnancy journey. Unfortunately, many of these women will experience these symptoms (shortly) after delivery as well. These women will be diagnosed with Postpartum Depression (PPD).

Using these ideas, this literature review explores and addresses how Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) can be beneficial to those who suffer from depression. Unfortunately, there …

How The Expressive Therapies Continuum Informs Intermodal Transfers, Erin M.L. Little

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Expressive arts therapy (ExAT) is a therapeutic approach that incorporates visual art, music, drama, and dance/movement into the counseling environment. An essential element in ExAT practice is the intermodal transfer, an intentional shift between arts modalities to enhance clients’ understanding and realization. Currently, no theoretical guidelines for intermodal transfers exist in the field of ExAT. In search of a theoretical structure, the author of this Capstone Thesis proposed that the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) informed intermodal transfers. Predominantly presented as an art therapy approach, the ETC originally intended to include all expressive therapies. Yet, there is minimal recent literature that …

Examining The Experience Of White Privilege For Human Service Providers Using The Expressive Therapies, Melanie Carbonneau

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

There is significant need for white human services providers to have awareness of their racial identities, privilege, racism, biases and understanding impacts to client care. Yet in the United States, people who are white often demonstrate little awareness of their racial identities due to living in a white supremacist society. When confronted with issues of race, it is common for people who are white to demonstrate difficulties with topics including denial, discomfort, and defensiveness. This research examines the experience of using the expressive arts therapies to explore personal racial identity, personal biases, and issues of racism in the workplace for …

Disrupting Cis/Heteronormativity And Interrogating Whiteness: The Advancement Of Counseling Through Critical Sex Education, Carla Rosinski

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

This dissertation provides a critical analysis of how cis/heteronormativity is reproduced and/or challenged in sexuality and gender discourses. Additionally, this research aims for critical consciousness raising and serves as further evidence of the need to integrate critical human sexuality training in counselor education. The meta theoretical orientation of this research combines liberation psychology, queer and Crip theories, and critiques of settler colonialism. These theories combine to illustrate the “wheel of domination” created by colonialism, capitalism, and white supremacy. Critical discourse analysis is utilized with naturalistic occurring data in the form of Podcast episodes on the topics of ‘sex ed’ and …