Counseling Commons^™

How Does An Interpreter Affect The Client-Counselor Relationship With A Client Who Is Deaf?, Vanessa Ivette Rodriguez-Aviles

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Few studies have explored mental health services such as counseling that are specifically provided to those who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing (d/DHH). This qualitative study was intended as an early research effort within a young field to investigate the impact of having an interpreter present within the therapeutic context. Qualitative data were obtained from an online, open-ended survey of eight d/Deaf and/or hard of hearing counseling clients in which the counselor was hearing and an interpreter was used in the counseling process. It was found that that d/Deaf cultural competence on the part of the counselor is an …

An Exploratory Study Of Parenting Dimensions And Family Conflict Among Head Start Participants: An Examination Of Hispanic Mothers, Narketta M. Sparkman-Key, Inglish Morgan-Gardner

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Understanding the dynamics of the relationship between family conflict and parenting is important to human service practice. When assisting clients, human service practitioners must address many different systems including culture, historical era, ethnicity, gender, and other systems in which the individual operates (Martin, 2013). This study explores this phenomenon by examining the relationship between family conflict and the six dimensions of parenting; warmth, rejection, structure, chaos, autonomy support, and coercion among Hispanic mothers who access an inner city Head Start program. Findings are discussed in terms of cultural impact, human service practice and the need for further research.

Professional Counseling For Children With Sensory Processing Disorder, Emily Goodman-Scott, Simone F. Lambert

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Sensory processing disorder is a complex neurological disorder affecting approximately 5–17% of the population, yet professional counselors often misunderstand and misdiagnose this disorder. A child’s academic, emotional and social functioning can be substantially impacted by sensory processing disorder; early diagnosis and treatment is crucial. In this article, the authors describe the disorder, discuss its impact on children and their families, and provide recommendations and resources for both mental health counselors and school counselors to utilize when serving this unique population with special needs. A case study is included, in addition to suggestions for treatment collaboration and advocacy on behalf of …

Research And Leadership Development Through Participation On A Inter Professional Research Team, Kaprea F. Johnson

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

This case study details one research team and includes a conceptual tri-level leadership model for team participation and project organization. Participants included seven students and one assistant professor. Findings highlight team development, recruitment, expectations, leadership gains, and implications for the profession.

Assisting High School Students With Career Indecision Using A Shortened Form Of The Career Construction Interview, Mark C. Rehfuss, Pamela H. Sickinger

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

A shortened form of the Career Construction Interview (CCI) was used to help high school students struggling with the career decision making process. The shortened instrument is described, as well as, its use with eleventh grade high school students who had low levels of career concern and career curiosity. Students who completed the exercise reported several themes that are introduced and discussed in the article. These themes reflected that the intervention was helpful and facilitated student self understanding and career exploration. Practical applications for school counselors are discussed.

The Attitudes Of Bullies, Victims, And Averters: Understanding The Relationship Of Bullying Status And Character Strengths, Vikki Elizabeth Hennard

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Bullying in schools has been a major concern of our society with prevention and intervention focusing on the external environment. Little has been done to understand the attitudes of individuals beyond evaluating pathologies such as depression and deviance. Programs have emphasized a system of social control whereby expectations are established, rules are made, and consequences are enforced. Research shows that bullying continues to affect children in schools, and has increased with the use of electronic methods such as social media, texting, and the like. Delving deeper into internal characteristics of bullies and victims, positive psychology offers a framework to increase …

Making Career Counseling Relevant: Enhancing Experiential Learning Using A “Flipped” Course Design, Cheryl Fulton, Laura Gonzalez

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Because work is important to mental health, faculty who teach career development courses need strategies to engage master’s counseling students who may have low motivation for the topic. Findings from this exploratory study suggest that enhanced focus on experiential learning strategies, achieved by using a flipped classroom, may improve students’ attitudes toward career development counseling and generate confidence in performing career counseling tasks (N=58). The experiential class activities and assignments, and technology utilized for flipping the course are described. Student feedback regarding changes in their attitudes and values toward career development, and confidence in performing career counseling, is …

Trauma In Patients With Serious Mental Illness: The Acceptability And Impact Of A Brief Psychoeducational Intervention For Trauma In The General Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Setting, Kevin E. A. Giangrasso

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Prevalence rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) are high, with an estimated 49% to 100% being exposed to potentially traumatic events. The consequences of these disorders are serious and lasting, with PTSD being the costliest of mental health disorders. At the same time, established evidence-based treatments for PTSD are often not feasible in treatment settings utilized by individuals with SMIs, namely the general acute inpatient psychiatric hospital. Psychoeducational approaches have been incorporated as a component of evidence-based interventions for trauma and have been feasibly implemented in the general acute inpatient psychiatric hospital. The …

Implementing A Holistic Approach To Enhance Career Opportunities For Transition Students With Disabilities, Susan Stuntzner, Bryan Austin

Counseling Faculty Publications

Transition services are vitally important and an essential component of successful employment, career planning, self-determination, and independent living for students with disabilities. Public schools strive to meet the federal mandates placed upon them to help this group of students reach graduation and beyond. However, students with disabilities oftentimes fall short and do not succeed following high school. In an effort to change this trend, information pertaining to transition services and ways it can be enhanced are provided. This chapter addresses: the necessity of transition services and its relationship to federal legislation, barriers that inhibit students’ successful transition to adult life, …

Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up And Leave Insecurity Behind By: Dr. Kristen Neff (Review), Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications

In her book, Dr. Neff helps the reader understand self-compassion and its importance. She clarifies the essential components which make up compassion, as much of this is also discussed throughout her research. In addition, she explains benefits and constructive reasons to consider self-compassion and applies it to various life domains to which we all can relate due to our being human. Finally, Dr. Neff ends her book with a beautiful illustration of the ways we can emerge ‘for the better’ when we are on the other side of our difficult times and when we have incorporated self-compassion into our lives …

A Life Beyond Endurance By: Fay Grindrod (Review), Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications

The author of this book is one such individual. Ms. Grindrod witnessed the Holocaust from an early age, saw and experienced the devastating effects of it firsthand. Grindrod opens the book with a synopsis of her time and experiences as a master’s student in a guidance and counseling program. During this portion of her life, she is afforded an opportunity to explore and write about her own (a) personal and life development; (b) familial experiences growing up and those that occurred during the Holocaust; (c) testimonial witnessing to mass starvation amongst people she knew; and (d) stark observations of friends, …

Family Resilience Following Disability: Enhancing Counselors’ Skills, Susan Stuntzner, Michael Hartley

Counseling Faculty Publications

Resilience is a relatively new research concept that has yet to receive the attention it needs to be adequately applied to individuals with disabilities and their families. Resilience as an approach, solution, or set of skills has scantly been applied to families dealing with the advent of disability. The information provided is intended to change this trend. Counselors can enhance their work with families living with a disability by understanding ways disability may influence family functioning and how familial coping impacts personal coping and adaptation to disability, as well as utilizing strategies to help families become more resilient following disability.

Resilience: A Pathway To Healthier And Happier Living, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications

Resilience….What does it mean? How does a person acquire it? What is its relationship to disability, employment, and quality of life? These are some questions people may ponder when they hear it used in conjunction with disability, employment, and healthier living.

While the expectation of being resilient following a traumatic or life changing event is an embedded value within our culture, resilience is not a topic often discussed or readily understood. It is either assumed it will just materialize or it is simply expected. Such beliefs are not necessarily helpful because there are times in all peoples’ lives when situations …

Stuntzner's Forgiveness Intervention: Learning To Forgive Yourself And Others, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications

In an effort to help persons with disabilities learn to forgive and to achieve a more peaceful and serene way of life, a seven module forgiveness intervention has been developed. While the full intervention consists of seven modules, some professionals, depending on the person, group, or situation, may tailor the process to only six modules. This is because an additional but specific module (i.e., Module 2) was added for women with disabilities. While many of the experiences, feelings, beliefs, and personal hurts or offenses are similar regardless of gender, it was felt that an additional module be included for women …

Understanding Perceived Differences Between Successful And Struggling First-Year Mexican American College Students: An Exploratory Study, Javier Cavazos Vela, Michael B. Johnson, Veronica Castro, James Ikonomopoulos

Counseling Faculty Publications

In this exploratory study, we conducted in-depth interviews with university seminar instructors to discover perceived differences between successful and struggling first-year Latina/o college students. Several factors emerged from interviews to differentiate successful and struggling Latina/o college students. These factors include assimilation, motivation to pursue goals, family knowledge and resources, family social class, different preparation for postsecondary education, and different levels of support and encouragement in high school. We provide recommendations for high school counselors and researchers.

High School Counselors’ Support And Latina/O Students’ Career Development, Javier Cavazos Vela, Brandé Flamez, Ashley Clark

Counseling Faculty Publications

The current study examined the impact of high school counselors' support of Latina/o students' career development outcomes. We used a quantitative, predictive design to explore Latina/o students' vocational self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Perceptions of investment, accessibility, positive regard, appraisal, and expectations from school counselors did not impact Latina/o students' vocational self-efficacy or outcome expectations. In addition to a discussion regarding the importance of these findings, implications for school counselors and researchers are offered.

Culturally Sensitive Social Work And Mental Health Practice With The Amish, Julissa J. Coblentz Ms.

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With the growing number of Amish in the United States today, it is important for social workers and mental health practitioners serving this population to do so in a way that is sensitive to their culture. Even though the Amish live a unique, simplistic lifestyle which enables them to focus on the things which they value such as church membership and family, occasionally, they do have mental health and social service needs. This study attempts to explore specific culturally sensitive behaviors which social workers and mental health practitioners can utilize in striving to meet these needs. The researcher compiled a …

Exploring The Viability Of Establishing A Children’S Grief Camp In South Africa, Joann Borer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The death of a loved one is an inevitable and unavoidable phase of life that everyone must experience. A variety of thoughts and feelings follow the death a close friend or relative. It is crucial to address the thoughts and feelings associated with the death so that individuals can grief in a healthy manner. Those living in South Africa are most likely going to experience the death of a loved one since South Africa has such a high mortality rate. Through a qualitative study, this paper explores the death system and culture in South Africa. In addition, the organizations and …

The Psychological Benefits Of Animal Assisted Therapy On Elderly Nursing Home Patients, Sophia M. Elliott

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This literature review of the benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is centered on four scholarly articles published in major psychological journals discussing the reduction of loneliness, anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairments as well as the increase in well-being and happiness in the elderly nursing- home population. Many time these residents are abandoned by family and experience little- to- no interaction with others due to understaffing at these homes. My goal through this literature review was to bring attention to an alternative form of therapy for these patients. Often patients grow sick from depression and lose their sense of self-worth …

A Qualitative Study Of Street Smarts Among African American Male High School Dropouts: Implications For School Counselors, Charlette Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates street smart African American males who dropped out of high school. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, the researcher interviewed six participants, to explore their experiences related to street smarts in school and the influences on their decision to drop out. The framework of the study is based on Robert Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence. The role of the school counselor in dropout prevention according to the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) National Model is presented. Themes from the data include: intelligence, self-sufficient, and support. Implications for school counselors who work in direct and indirect consultation with teachers, …