Counseling Commons^™

Neuro-Cognitive Factors In Adolescent Psychotherapy, Jean F. Ndzana

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Cognitive and developmental differences between teenagers and adults must be overcome to ensure a level playing field in the process of counseling. Exploring the developmental factors involved, and discussing associated treatment interventions can help the counselor close this gap by improving client adherence to treatment and outcomes. This paper consists of a review of the current literature in neuropsychology, neuroscience, cognitive linguistics and counseling, as it relates to brain and cognitive developments in adolescence. These findings are referenced to show the many developmental changes that occur in adolescence, and how those changes can be a hindrance to successful participation in …

Constant Connection: College Students’ Smartphones Attachment And Close Relationship Attachments Across Domains, Angela M. Pezzella

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

This study aims to conceptualize the way individuals, more notably college students and emerging adults, use their smartphones, applying an attachment framework. Recently, research has shifted from using vocabulary akin to addiction, and researchers are beginning to see similarities and consistencies in how individuals relate to their phones and how attachment was originally conceptualized in the infant-mother relationship. Moreover, research is moving away from considering attachment as categorical, and is instead considering it continuous, and as varying in domains from individual to individual. This research used a new assessment tool (the YAPS) to assess college students’ attachment to phones, their …

Envisioning A Future For Professional Counseling: A Qualitative Study Of Counselor Educator Perspectives On Professional Distinction, Michael Horst

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how counselor educators in Virginia define and describe Counseling as a distinct profession in light of the ACA’s 20/20 consensus definition. This research focused on directors and core faculty members (n=8) of eight separate counseling programs in Virginia. Participants engaged one 60-minute semistructured interview with the researcher. Member checking and bracketing were used to bolster the study’s trustworthiness. A priori coding using codes from the ACA’s 20/20 project (Kaplan, Tarvydas, & Gladding, 2014) and emergent coding processes were used separately to see if the data that emerged from the interviews mirrored …

Social Work Trauma Interventions: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Kassie Baumann

Senior Honors Theses

According to Lynne Weilart (2013), in her article on the reasons why people seek out therapy, trauma is the number one reason people attend counseling. Many different trauma-informed approaches are designed specifically to address the consequences of trauma and to facilitate healing. Some of these approaches are as follows: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT);Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT); Trauma Systems Therapy (TST); Trauma Assessment Pathway (TAP); and Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) (de Arellano, Danielson, Ko, & Sprauge, 2008). The effectiveness of each trauma intervention will be examined. DBT is one of these trauma interventions that is growing …

Negotiating An Identity : Portraits Of The Sexual Identity Self-Labeling Process For Non-Heterosexual Women In Early Adulthood, Stacy A. Pinto

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The concept of sexual identity has been evolving for decades. While there has been research and theory on the development of sexual identity, researchers have paid little attention to what, specifically, influences individuals to adopt one label for their sexual identity over another. This study employed qualitative methods of research, based in portraiture, to gather and analyze data on three non-heterosexual, self-identified women in early adulthood, from a metropolitan area in the northeastern United States. Each participant’s experience, as it relates to the labeling process for their sexual identity, is presented in its own portrait, and subsequently analyzed to highlight …

African American Christians’ Decision Making To Pursue Or Not Pursue Professional Psychological Help : A Qualitative Study, Dawn Y. Norman

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The aim of this study was to explore how African American Christians’ have experienced decision making related to seeking counseling and other mental health treatment outside of the church. To this end, this study asked the following research question: What influences African American Christians’ decisions to pursue or not pursue professional psychological help? The impact of culturally related influences on the help seeking decision making of African American Christians was explored and discussed throughout this research study. The research question for this study was addressed through a qualitative interview design. This qualitative design included interviewing a total of 12 African …

How Do Culturally Responsive School Counselors Make Meaning Of The Challenges They Face In Meeting The Needs Of A Diverse Student Population And Enact Effective Practices?, Frank Andrisani

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate how school counselors who are culturally responsive make meaning of their practices and the challenges faced in meeting the needs of a diverse population. Specifically, my study concentrated on examining real life experiences/practices that resulted in a rich explanation of the phenomenon studied. Hearing the voices of school counselors describing their practices and experiences in providing culturally responsive counseling services contributed to better understanding of the strategies, programs, and actions that define culturally response counseling. This dissertation includes an overview of the study, a review of the pertinent literature, a detailed description …

Crawling Through Life : The Counseling Experiences Of Women Who Have Placed A Child For Adoption, Elliotte Sue Harrington

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Placing a child for adoption can be a life changing experience. Some women who place their children for adoption (birth mothers) report feelings of depression, anxiety, posttrauma, and grief. At times they may feel rejected or isolated. They may view themselves in the negative way that they may be perceived by family, friends, and society in general. All of these feelings and experiences, among many other life experiences, may lead a birth mother to seek and attend counseling. The purpose of this study was to help counselors, researchers, and educators to begin to understand how birth mothers describe their experiences …

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Shared Lived Experience Of Married Male Doctoral Students In Counselor Education And Their Non-Student Spouses, Anthony Suarez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research involving married doctoral students has suggested that they face a unique set of circumstances that include benefits, challenges, and changes. Additional research has highlighted the culture within Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) programs. While there are some studies that explore the experiences of married graduate students in counseling-related fields, very little literature exists that explores married students in CES programs. No such studies focus on the experiences of married male students in CES.

The purpose of this study was to explore the shared lived experiences of married male doctoral students in Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) programs and their …

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Spirituality And Coping Responses Among Women With A Visual Impairment, Sandra Marie Bullins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine coping responses, specifically by women, and the relationship between those coping responses and a woman’s self-reported spirituality. The sample was comprised of women (n = 175) from the United States and 10 foreign countries. The results of a correlational analysis showed a strong positive relationship (r= 0.46, p<0.0001) between scores on the Spirituality Assessment Scale (SAS) and the Brief Cope (BC). There were also statistically significant correlations among subscales of the SAS and BC subscales. A multivariate analysis of variance was performed to evaluate the impact that select demographic variables might have on spirituality and coping responses. The results of the MANOVA showed no effect and were not statistically significant at alpha 0.1.

A Mental Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: The Dangers Of International Reporting For Journalists, Lydia Fielder

Journalism Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study assesses the impact of international reporting on journalists’ physical and mental health. Previous research focuses almost exclusively on the quantitative prevalence of mental health issues in professional journalists. This study advances understanding of qualitative effects of international reporting.

The project is motivated by three research questions: (1) What are the impacts on journalists while abroad? (2) How is daily life back home affected after journalistic work abroad? (3) What resources are available to journalists who are suffering from mental health impacts? To examine these questions, the research culminates in a three-part documentary film.

Using in-depth interviews with a …

What Does A Diagnosis Of Asperger’S Syndrome Mean To A School-Aged Japanese Client? A Case Study Illustrating The Use Of Positioning Theory, Hatsuho Ayashiro

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Many researchers and practitioners refer to diagnoses of mental disorders in their work. While possibly suggesting helpful perspectives, this practice has also been criticized. A previous study suggests that such references produce a deficit discourse that enfeebles clients. However, some Japanese who are diagnosed with developmental disorders state that their diagnoses help them to assert themselves. What, then, does the diagnosis mean to the client? To examine this question, I studied from a discursive perspective the case of a Japanese client diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, using Rom Harré’s positioning theory. In analyzing the data, four positions (deficit, competent, abnormal, and …

Restorative Justice And Social Justice, John M. Winslade

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This paper explains the connections between restorative justice and social justice. Specifically it argues that restorative practices in schools fit with a social justice agenda. It defines both terms and then outlines how restorative practices work to address the pipeline to prison and against retributive justice and zero tolerance policies. It also outlines the use of narrative questions designed to enhance restorative practices.

Patient Attitudes To Ward Genetic Testing For Inherited Predispositions To Hematologic Malignancies, Taylor Beecroft

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Although inherited predispositions to hematologic malignancies have previously been considered extremely rare, approximately 12 causative genes have been implicated in the last decade. Since individuals diagnosed with leukemia have not historically been considered for evaluation of inherited predispositions, genetic testing is underperformed in this population. This study used focus group discussions to explore the attitudes, motivations, and barriers to genetic testing for 23 patients with leukemia. Participants generally exhibited a positive regard for the utility of genetic testing, and were primarily motivated by concern for their family and a sense of altruism toward all leukemia patients. While drawbacks and barriers …

Higher Education Savings And Planning: Tax And Nontax Considerations, F. Philip Manns Jr., Timothy M. Todd

Texas A&M Law Review

Funding higher education is among the critical financial decisions made by individuals and families. There are myriad options. Yet, the conventional wisdom—namely using Section 529 Plans—may not be the optimal vehicle to effectuate this goal. Therefore, this Article discusses various strategies to plan, save, and pay for higher education. It compares various savings methods including gifts, UTMA accounts, Section 529 Plans, trusts, and other vehicles. The analysis explores both tax and non-tax considerations, including the effect of different strategies on financial aid, transaction costs, investor control, income taxes, gift and estate taxes, flexibility, and creditor protection. This Article concludes that …

Current Genetic Counseling Practice Following Positive Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing For Sex Chromosome Abnormalities, Lauren Fleddermann

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The purpose of this study was to describe current prenatal and pediatric genetic counseling practice following a non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) result positive for a sex chromosome abnormality (SCA). The positive predictive value for SCA with NIPT is lower than seen for Trisomy 21 due to natural loss of the X chromosome from maternal cells during aging, confined placental mosaicism, and undiagnosed maternal sex chromosome abnormality. Except for 45,X, individuals with SCA usually have no ultrasound or postnatal findings. This makes follow-up for unresolved positive NIPT necessary; however, there are currently no clinical guidelines. This study used a prospective anonymous …

Examining The Relationship Between Genetic Counselors’ Implicit Attitudes To Ward Disability And Their Practice Methods, Helen W. Gould

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Genetic counselors serve as a link between the medical community and the disability community as they are regularly the first exposure families have following a new diagnosis in a pregnancy, infant or child. This role requires genetic counselors to be responsible and compassionate when approaching conversations about disability. With a lack of research on how the specific attitudes of genetic counselors toward disability impact clinical practice, we aimed to understand these attitudes, what factors affect implicit attitudes toward disability, and how these attitudes affect counseling. Case scenarios involving disability were used to examine different counseling content preferences within a genetic …

Outcomes Of Genetic Testing In A Genitourinary Genetics Clinic, Annelise Pace

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Several known hereditary cancer syndromes confer an increased risk for genitourinary (GU)related malignancies. Various guidelines indicate when to refer patients to genetic counseling for GU-related hereditary cancer syndromes but there is limited research on the clinical picture of these patients, including their cancerous and non-cancerous features, the genetic testing strategy for this population, and the probability of having a positive germline mutation if testing is performed. The purpose of this study is to determine the most common indications for ordering genetic testing in a GU Genetics Clinic and evaluate whether there is a relationship between the indication for genetic testing …

An Overview Of Suicide And The Impact Of Interacting Factors On Current Suicide Trends, Shawna Burrow

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Approximately 44,965 people committed suicide in 2016 in the United States, and the rate has been rising for a decade and a half. Suicide has far-reaching consequences which affect not only the victim, but those close to the person as well. For every suicide, an estimated six people are futher traumatized, bringing the current loss survivor estimate to over 5 million. Additionally, suicide costs tax payers about 70 billion dollars annually. Despite outranking homicide as a leading cause of death, the long-standing stigma associated with suicide creates a barrier for open and effective communication about the issue. This paper investigates …

Fear Of Missing Out, Social Media Abuse, And Parenting Styles, Kylie Richter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing rise in technology use, particularly engagement in social media, it is important for researchers to gain a better understanding of the usage patterns along with the antecedents and consequences of heavy social media usage. In addition to the rise in social media usage, a new anxiety driven phenomenon is storming the research world, FoMO (Fear of Missing Out). To date, there has been little empirical research on the relationship between social media usage and psychological adjustment. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between FoMO, social media abuse, and parenting styles. It is theorized that because FoMO …