Counseling Commons^™

Assessing The Impact Of Therapeutic Alliance On Client Satisfaction And Unilateral Termination Reasons, Eric Washington

Dissertations

Unilateral termination is a pervasive issue that has persisted since the inception of mental health services. The act of terminating needed services impacts not only on the client but also the provider, community, family, and stakeholders. The therapeutic alliance established during the counseling process is a well-established predictor of outcome in mental health services. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between unilateral termination reasons, satisfaction, and working alliance. A total of 390 participants responded to the online survey resulting in the descriptive results of Working Alliance Inventory-12 (M = 3.93, SD = .83), Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-4 …

Development Of A Career Awareness Board Game Based On Augmented Reality For Generation Z Students, Caraka Putra Bhakti, Difa Ardiyanti, Agus Ria Kumara, Muhammad Alfarizqi Nizamuddin Ghiffari

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

The purpose of this research is to develop an augmented reality-based career awareness board game for Generation Z students. The current development of the era demands that Generation Z have a good career. In reality, currently, there are still many Generation Z students in schools who do not have the skills, competencies, and awareness to have an optimal career. One important thing that Generation Z students need to have is career awareness. Having career awareness will help someone recognise their career needs based on their competencies, talents, and interests. Developing career awareness can be achieved through guidance and counselling services. …

The Addition Of Chinese Herbal Medicines Is Effective As A Prophylactic Treatment Against Dental Diseases For Sjögren’S Syndrome Patients: Insight From Real-World Database, Ching-Ya Juan, Wei-Jen Chen, Hanoch Livneh, Ming-Chi Lu, Tzung-Yi Tsai

Leadership, Learning and Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background and Objectives:

Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the salivary glands and increases the risk of developing dental diseases (DDs). Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) represent a promising alternative strategy for SS treatment; however, the association between CHMs and DD risk has not been confirmed. In this retrospective, cohort-based, nested case-control study, we explored whether or not combining CHMs with routine treatments for SS can reduce the chance of DDs.

Materials and Methods:

In the beginning, we recruited subjects aged 20–80 years with newly diagnosed SS who were free of DDs between 2001 and …

Music And The Journey Of Black Male Phd Graduates In Counseling, Vincent Sears

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Black male PhD graduates from CACREP- accredited counseling education programs who are now professors within the academy. It examined the integration of music as a coping mechanism to address the psychological impact of isolation, tokenism, and hypervisibility connected to attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs/ HWIs). Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and participants shared bespoke musical playlists. The results of this study revealed three overarching themes and associated sub-themes: the impact of racism and systemic barriers (structural barriers and racial inequities); navigating predominantly or historically white institutions; and music as …

The Quality Of Life Of Mothers Of Severely Autistic Children Under The Age Of 22: A Preliminary Study, Chele J. Weiglein

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of autism in the United States is 1 in 31 individuals. Out of that number, 27% are children with severe autism and potentially profound comorbidities that require 24-hour surveillance due to their severe symptomology. The primary caregivers for these children are their mothers, and research shows that mothers are subjected to multiple stressors that result from providing a high level of care for their children. These stresses include emotional, social, financial, adjusting to new roles, trauma, and changes in family dynamics, which impact multiple domains of life, including …

Understanding Of The Disclosure Of Child Sexual Abuse: A Phenomenological Research Design, Virginie Charles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the lived experience of those survivors of CSA through social media platforms. Social media platforms have become one of the best options for survivors to share their stories without revealing their identities. As a result, the researcher invited the users of social media platforms to participate in an interview to share their stories. The theory guided by this study of understanding the lived experience of this individual was the Social Ecological Model (SEM) and psychoeducational intervention through Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). SEM aimed to understand how the child’s environment affects …

Describing The Lived Experiences Of Professional School Counselors: Providing And Advocating For Services To Address Childhood Trauma, Toawondia T. Underwood

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The professional school counselor’s role is to enhance student success by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program. Professional school counselors often focus on addressing the needs of students impacted by trauma, who exhibit increased absences, behavioral challenges, and diminished academic performance. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology study was to understand the lived experiences of professional school counselors providing and advocating for services to address childhood trauma. The American School Counselor (ASCA) National Model served as the structural framework, and the theory guiding this study was Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. The research engaged 15 practicing professional school counselors from …

Are There Acculturative Differences Between Mono & Multiethnic Families, Jose R. Rodriguez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examines the differences in acculturation experiences between multiethnic and monoethnic Latino adolescents. Using a correlational quantitative design with multiple regression analyses, data was collected online from 100 participants (minors and adults) affiliated with the Spanish Eastern District of the Assemblies of God in the U.S. Northeast Corridor. The study found that age significantly predicted ethnic identity exploration, accounting for 21% of the variance: individuals aged 16–17 and 18–21 scored higher than those aged 13–15, while gender, ethnicity, and their interactions were not significant. For identity resolution, age (13–15 group) and gender emerged as significant predictors in a model …

Therapeutic Day Treatment Counselors’ Perspective Of Parental Engagement And Involvement, Dominique Rose Lynn Woods

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was to describe Therapeutic Day Treatment Counselors' (TDTCs) lived experiences with parental engagement and involvement (PEI) for TDTCs, within their professional collaborations in Virginia. The study focused on a specific aspect of TDTC’s lived experience: their perspective of PEI. Several theories were reviewed as a foundation for research development. Bronfenbrenner's (1979) Ecological Systems Theory has been an essential component of the research, as it emphasized that a child's development involves multiple elements of their environmental and social systems. Stroul and Friedman's (1986) Systems of Care Theory provided a foundation for understanding …

Prevalence Of Work Stress On Marital Stability Of Married Lecturers In University Of Ilorin, Modupe Gbemisola Fatoye, Foluke Nike Bolu-Steve

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study investigated the prevalence of work stress and its impact on marital stability among married lecturers at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. A descriptive correlational survey design was employed, and 100 married lecturers were selected through a multistage sampling technique across five faculties. Data were gathered using a researcher-designed instrument titled “Work Stress and Marital Stability Questionnaire (WSMSQ),” which demonstrated strong reliability with a Cronbach Alpha coefficient of 0.81. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, independent samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA, were used to analyze the data at a 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed a significant …

Enhancing Students’ Self-Confidence From Disharmonious Families Through Group Guidance With Sociodrama Technique, Drajat Edy Kurniawan, Almadia Qosita Janah Saputri

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

Adolescence is a developmental phase full of challenges, particularly for students from disharmonious family backgrounds who are vulnerable to low self-confidence. This study aims to enhance students’ self-confidence through group guidance services using the sociodrama technique at a public junior high school in Yogyakarta. The research employed a quantitative approach with a one-group pretest–posttest design. The subjects consisted of six eighth-grade students identified as coming from disharmonious families and having low self-confidence. The instrument used was a self-confidence scale that included indicators of belief in one’s abilities, courage to express opinions, and ability to face challenges. Data were analyzed using …

Experiences With Social Media Social Comparison In Women Ages 18-28: A Qualitative Study, Olivia Oakley Dr.

Dissertations

This qualitative study aimed to understand young women’s experience using social media and their reported mental health connections, such as self-esteem and comparison. As inferred in recent research, a wide range of social media content is being produced and consumed, from promoting the “thin ideal” to newer campaigns advocating for body positivity (Cohen et al., 2019, Grabe et al., 2008; Groesz et al., 2002). In a time where there is so much online content to consume, it is important to continue to evaluate the lived experiences of those using social media. This phenomenological qualitative research captured the lived experiences of …

Will Anyone Play With Me? Building Resilience Through Community Play With Transgender And Gender Diverse Young Adults, Lee Lebeda

Expressive Therapies Theses

The recent increase in anti-trans legislature in the United States has negatively impacted the mental health of transgender young adults nationwide. Current research suggests that creative expression in a group setting may be uniquely suited to help transgender people combat the negative mental health effects of internalized anti-trans messaging. Based on this research, a community engagement project was designed for transgender young adult participants to explore resilience building through drama therapy-informed community play. Three play-based support groups, facilitated by a drama therapy graduate student who identified as a peer to the participants, were offered to transgender young adults in their …

Black Somatic Liberatory Practices: The Africanist Aesthetic In Psychotherapeutic Movement Observation, Ebony Nichols

Counseling and Psychology Dissertations

This critical ethnographic qualitative study explored Black body-based healing practices and coping strategies used to resist and titrate the impact of racism and oppression. It also examined how Black individuals use their bodies to regulate their nervous systems to heal and cultivate liberatory practices. Grounded in theoretical frameworks such as Black Psychology, African Indigenous Healing Systems, Liberation Psychology, and Critical Race Theory, this research investigated the intersections of Black Aesthetics, Psychology, and the body through the lens of the Africanist Aesthetic. The study employed interaction analysis and reflexive thematic analysis to analyze non-verbal and verbal data collected from two focus …

Self-Talk Speaks Loud: A Bibliometric Dissection Of Its Rise In Counseling Practices, Sri Purwanti, Wahyu Nanda Eka Saputra

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study aims to map global trends in self-talk using a bibliometric approach. The data source was entirely drawn from the Scopus database, focusing on publications containing keywords related to self-talk, such as self-talk, talk, and relationship. The analysis was conducted on 960 selected documents published between 1975 and 2025. The results show a significant increase in publications since 2020, reflecting a growing need for self-talk approaches that support mental health and psychological well-being. Authors from various countries contributed differently, with the United States dominating in terms of both publication volume and citations, while developing countries such as Indonesia have …

How Medical Mistrust Serves As A Barrier To Mental Health Treatment In The African American Community, Nicholas Young

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Throughout history, research has depicted the notion that African Americans do not make use of mental health treatment, even when their mental health status may deem it clinically necessary. One of the most prevalent deterrents to African Americans seeking treatment is the mistrust of the medical system. In the African American community, medical mistrust has a longstanding history that stems from the discrimination, racism, lack of representation in the field, and medical mistreatment that African Americans received as test subjects by the medical community over time. Various instances, throughout history, of African Americans being unjustly treated— for the sake of …

At Stake In Each Other’S Company: A Systems View Of Compassion Fatigue In Mental Health Work, Susan S. Standen

Journal of Conscious Evolution

Traditional research on the phenomenon of compassion fatigue (CF) in mental health work tends to include recommendations for workers to build skills in psychological detachment and self-care. This puts the burden of coping with vicarious trauma on the individual caregiver, not on the systems they operate within. Alternatively, a transformative systemic perspective suggests that Western cultural assumptions about care-giving and individual resilience need to be reassessed. By broadening the exploration of CF and comparing it with human reactions to overwhelming crises across fields and disciplines, new questions can be asked, and new solutions can be proposed. This essay details how …

Awareness And Perception Of Artificial Intelligence In Counselling Practice Among Counsellors-In-Training, Margaret Kehinde Soetan, Ayorinde Emola Akinnusi

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study investigated awareness and perception of artificial intelligence in counselling practice among counsellors-in-training. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study. The population consisted of all counsellors-in-training (CITs) in Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo. Two hundred (200) counsellors-in-training were randomly selected from Degree three (3) and four (4) as sample for the study. Structured questionnaire was used as instrument to collect data for the study. It was validated by experts in Test and Measurement. Reliability of the instrument was ascertained by using Cronbach’s Alpha statistics mean which yielded a coefficient of 0.83. Data collected was analysed by …

A Preliminary Assessment Of Educational Leaders’ Knowledge About School Counseling, Russell A. Sabella, Onder Koklu, Ann L. Tilman, Krista Bixler, Maureen Ungarean

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

The roles and responsibilities of school counselors have rapidly evolved, especially over the last three decades. During this time, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has published many documents, including a program framework, standards, position statements, tools, and training materials to help school counselors fulfill their responsibilities. In particular, the ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs was developed to guide school counselors in defining, managing, delivering, and assessing a comprehensive school counseling program (CSCP) that aligns with educational goals and addresses the needs of students. Educational leaders who understand the nature of a CSCP stand to hire, …

Use Of Eagala Model–Based Psychotherapy For Youth Psychological Disorders, Kimberley D. Ryan, Tammy L.B. Mckenzie

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Global youth psychological disorder prevalence has increased exponentially. Therefore, a drastic increase in mental health care utilization is expected. Since traditional approaches to the treatment of adult psychological disorders are ineffective with youth, alternative approaches to treatment of youth psychological disorders must be considered. One such approach is equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP), a person-centered, experiential approach using horses during the treatment of psychological disorders and the basis of the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (Eagala) model–based programming. This article presents the quantitative research findings of a study investigating the effectiveness of the Eagala model–based EAP programming in the treatment …