Counseling Commons^™

Attachment, Well-Being, And College Senior Concerns About The Transition Out Of College, Joel A. Lane

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study examined the relationships among attachment, psychological well-being (PWB), life satisfaction, and concerns about the transition out of college among a sample of college seniors. A path analysis was conducted predicting that PWB and life satisfaction would mediate the relationships between attachment and three types of graduation transition concerns: career, change and loss, and support. Significant mediation effects impacting career concerns and change and loss concerns were discovered. Implications for college counseling are discussed. Keywords: attachment, college graduation, transition.

The Mindfully Attached Therapist: Factors That Predict And Prevent The Development Of Compassion Fatigue, Stephanie E. Armes

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Characterized as a loss of empathy, compassion fatigue is experienced by many in the helping professions. Also known as secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue occurs when those in the helping professions experience trauma through interacting with the traumatic experiences of the people they are helping. Previous literature has found the development of compassion fatigue to be inevitable due to the amount of empathy those professionals must utilize on a daily basis. Mindfulness practices, such as Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) have been found to be a helpful learning tool for those in the helping …

Social And Psychological Factors Related To The Career Exploration Process Of Young Adults, Joanne N. Hellmann

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

This study examined social and psychological factors influencing the career exploration process of young adults. The predictor variables of this study were parental attachment, peer attachment, and self-efficacy; the outcome variables were environmental/occupational exploration, self-exploration, and career indecision. Data for this study were collected using various measures that were compiled into one survey hosted on Qualtrics. Results indicated that secure maternal attachment predicted secure peer attachment and high self-efficacy in young adults. Greater peer attachment was negatively correlated with environmental exploration. A higher level of self-efficacy was positively correlated with environmental exploration and negatively correlated with career indecision. These results …

A Guy Walks Into A Bar...: Exploring Clients' Preferences For Humor And Ratings Of Therapy Sessions, Courtney E. Sonntag

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Humor has been identified as an important factor in the establishment of relationships. This study explores the use of humor in mental health therapy and how clients’ preferences for humor impact an evaluation of the therapy session. Forty-eight individuals currently receiving mental health therapy were examined along with the use of three forms of humor: positive, negative, and instrumental. There was a significant relationship between a preference for negative humor and session evaluation scores in which the more negative humor preferred, the lower the session ratings. Although not significant, other trends were noted between self-enhancing humor and session depth, aggressive …

The Value And Importance Of International Service Learning Programs: A Model For Human Service Education, Laurie M. Craigen, Narketta M. Sparkman

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Given our growing globalized society, students are studying abroad at increasing rates. While different formats of study abroad programs exist, there is a surge in the number of short-term international service learning programs. This manuscript defines service learning and discusses the benefits of international service learning programs, specifically for human service students. The manuscript will conclude with a model of a successful study abroad program in San Jose, Costa Rica for undergraduate human service students led by two faculty members.

The Human Services--Board Certified Practitioner: A Review Of The Current State, Narketta M. Sparkman, Tamikia Lott

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The Human Services--Board Certified Practitioner (HS-BCP) is the only credential of its kind to govern the field of human services. There is no recent literature on its growth, impact, or status over the last six years. It is beneficial for human service practitioners to remain up-to-date on the credential in order to make decisions on becoming credentialed and achieving the benefits of being credentialed. This brief report gives an update on the current state of the credential in terms of growth and development. This information provides an update to the key components of the exam and requirements for eligibility. Growth …

The Impact Of Cultural Competence Training On Rural Human Service Professionals, Tamikia Lott, Inglish Morgan-Gardner, Hope Comer, Narketta M. Sparkman Phd

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Cultural competence among human service professionals is imperative given the rapidly changing American demographics. Current inadequacy in the delivery of culturally responsive social services is due to insufficient cultural competence training for human service professionals. This research study investigated the extent to which constructivist based cultural competence training influenced rural human service professionals’ perceived level of cultural competence. In three regions of Tennessee, rural human service professionals (n = 44) completed an electronic survey which included the adapted California Brief Multicultural Scale (CBMCS). Using a correlational descriptive design by surveying participants, the researcher discovered rural human service professionals perceive themselves …

Compassion Fatigue In Human Service Practitioners, Rebekah F. Cole, Laurie Craigen, Rebecca G. Cowan

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

Increasing rates of compassion fatigue among human service practitioners (HSPs) have wide ranging consequences for the practitioner, the client, and the field of human services. In addition to high turnover rates or the HSP's early departure from the field, compassion fatigue can also cause serious harm to the client as well as the client/helper relationship. This manuscript will address the signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue, the risk and protective factors associated with the development or prevention of compassion fatigue, and the importance of selfcare for HSPs.

The Cumulative Effect Of Hyperactivity And Peer Relationships On Reading Comprehension, Kaprea F. Johnson

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The impact of hyperactivity and peer relationships on academic achievement has long been highlighted in the professional literature. This study highlights how much variation in reading comprehension scores, an indicator of academic achievement, are accounted for by hyperactivity, conduct problems, and peer problems. The participants included 129 students in first through sixth grade in an urban school district in the Northeast. A multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the unique contributions of hyperactivity, peer relationships, and conduct problems on reading comprehension. Results indicated that increasing levels of peer problems were associated with decreasing reading comprehension scores.

2014 January Newsletter, Nancy Rockey

Human Subject Research Archive

No abstract provided.

Religious Change Experiences Of The Participants Of The Inner Healing Retreat At The English-Speaking Site Of The Divine Retreat Centre, Kerala, India, Joe Cardoso

Theses

The Divine Retreat Centre, Muringoor, Kerala, India is internationally known for the changes it effects in the lives of its retreat participants. To date, over ten million participants have attended the retreats over a decade. However there is a dearth of empirical research on the change processes involved in this retreat experience. This study was formulated to investigate the following research question: how do the participants at the Divine Retreat Centre come to be what they come to be as a result of each day‟s experience of the six day Inner Healing Retreat? This study is a qualitative investigation and …

A Heart-Based Sufi Mindfulness Spiritual Practice Employing Self-Journeying, Faruk Arslan

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Spiritual Psychology is the study and practice of the art and science of the human evolution of consciousness. The heart occupies an important place in Sufism and is considered to contain the divine spark that leads to spiritual realization. Fethullah Gülen’s action-oriented Sufi methods described in his book series “The Emerald Hills of the Heart” provides the basis for a heart-based therapeutic intervention through self-journeying, which is the objective of this thesis. These self-purification and mindfulness-related transpersonal methods generate a form of treatment that is culturally sensitive. Through my reflections in this research, I transformed my personal experiences into …

2014 January Newsletter, Nancy Rockey

Life Renewal Archive

No abstract provided.

The Resilient Appalachian Woman: Lessons From Life And Fiction, Jamie Branam Kridler, Linda M. Daughtery, Terry L. Holley

ETSU Faculty Works

Introduction Excerpt:Appalachian women face barriers to self-sufficiency in many aspects of their lives. A review of the relevant literature provides evidence of both barriers to self-sufficiency and examples of personal resiliency...

Reflections From The Past: Life Lessons For Better Living., Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications

The sections and skills presented in this book are a compilation of areas sometimes discussed throughout the disability literature as factors thought to be associated with adjustment, coping, and resiliency combined with my personal experience of learning how to deal with and overcome various situations. This book is broken down into 10 areas that are often discussed in relation to adjustment, coping, and resiliency. Within each section are the various “skills” I have used or further refined out of necessity when living with a visible condition. Most of these skills I have learned to use and incorporate as a regular …

Disability And The Counseling Relationship: What Counselors Need To Know, Susan Stuntzner, Michael Hartley

Counseling Faculty Publications

Disability is often misunderstood by counseling professionals and society. More often than not, persons without disability perceive it as a negative event and as something undesired, although this is not necessarily the experience or belief of many persons with a disability. Counselors that work with persons with disabilities and their families need to understand the experience and process of disability. Unfortunately, many counseling and psychology programs do not offer extensive training in this area. In an effort to enhance counselors’ understanding and effectiveness when counseling persons with disabilities, the authors provide pertinent and relevant information to help individuals respond successfully …

Self-Compassion And Sexuality: A New Model For Women With Disabilities, Susan Stuntzner

Counseling Faculty Publications

Sexuality and self-compassion are two concepts which have not been previously considered or combined when discussing the needs of women with disabilities. Sexuality, by itself, is a challenging topic for many counselors to address, let alone in combination with the needs of women with disabilities. Additionally, self-compassion is an emerging area which has rarely been applied to the needs of women with disabilities. In an effort to bridge this gap and to improve the sexual adjustment counseling services offered to women with disabilities, barriers which affect sexual adjustment, sexual concerns, and an illustration of ways to infuse sexuality into the …

The Effects Of Barriers, Acculturation, And Academic Goals On Latina/O Students’ Academic Performance, Javier Cavazos Vela, Michael B. Johnson, Leticia Cavazos, James Ikonomopoulos, Stacey Lee Gonzalez

Counseling Faculty Publications

The current study explored 112 Latina/o college students’ perceptions of barriers, acculturation, academic goals, and academic performance. Acculturation to the Anglo culture and academic goals were positively related to college performance. Perceptions of career barriers also had a positive relationship with college performance. A discussion regarding the importance of these findings is provided and implications for counselors are offered.

Sex And Gender Identity: A New Perspective For College Student Development, Steven Ray Wise

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

One of the goals of college student development professionals is to help undergraduate students develop a meaningful sense of personal identity. Early in the history of the profession, practitioners borrowed freely from related fields such as sociology and psychology to guide their practice, but beginning around the 1960s, scholars began in earnest to develop their own unique body of literature. In this work I examine the development of that scholarly work as it relates to identity development—specifically the evolution of understanding around the issues of sex and gender identity development.

Beginning with William Perry, whose work has impacted so many …

Teacher Support Mediates Concurrent And Longitudinal Associations Between Temperament And Mild Depressive Symptoms In Sixth Grade, Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Patrick Pössel, Stephanie Winkeljohn Black, Kate Niehaus

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The combination of changes occurring at the transition to middle school may be a catalyst for the onset of depressive symptoms, yet teacher support at this transition is protective. Research points to certain temperamental traits as risk factors for developing depressive symptoms. This study examines student reports of teacher support and teacher reports of student–teacher relationship (STR) quality as mediators of associations between child temperament (i.e. negative emotionality at age 4½ : and emotional reactivity in elementary grades) and depressive symptoms in sixth grade. Results indicate (a) negative emotionality predicted emotional reactivity and depressive symptoms; (b) emotional reactivity predicted depressive …