Counseling Commons^™

The Correlation Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Pornography Consumption Among Males, Branden Henry, Corinne W. Bridges, Sidney L. Shaw

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Since 1999, significant research has been devoted to understanding how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) correlate with a variety of negative health and behavioral outcomes. During this same time, pornography consumption had increased dramatically. Although there were studies that examined the relationship between various variables found in the ACEs questionnaire and pornography consumption, there were no studies that utilized the ACEs questionnaire to examine the relationship between ACEs and pornography consumption and age of exposure. The purpose of this cross-sectional, correlational study was to identify the relationship between ACEs, the age of exposure to pornography, and pornography consumption among adult males. …

Content Analysis Of U.S. State-Level Legislation Impacting Gender-Affirming Practice In Schools, Ashton Keys, Isabel C. Farrell, Amanda Dediego, Caroline Schreder, Kyle Neal, Whitney White

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

In recent years, there has been an increase in legislation that limits access to resources and affirming environments for LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States. This research aimed to identify trends in legislation at the state level impacting gender-affirming school counseling services in the United States. This study represents a content analysis of 225 pieces of state-level legislation from 2023 affecting LGBTQ+ youth in schools. Legislation largely created limitations on use of affirming pronouns for youth in school, availability of appropriate restrooms and changing facilities for transgender and gender expansive youth, and curriculum in schools addressing gender and sexuality.

Educating The Educators: Increased Sexuality Training For Counselor Educators, Joshua C. Taylor

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

A robust body of literature has identified the need for counselors-in-training (CITs) to receive additional training in sexuality counseling. Growing efforts to identify efficacious training strategies have also been well-documented in the literature. These suggested updates have implicitly increased the counselor educator's role in delivering strategies to promote sexual counseling competence for CITs. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of literature regarding the adequate preparation of counselor educators in providing sexuality education. This article will underscore the counselor educator’s role in facilitating competence in sexuality counseling for CITs and provide a model for infusing sexuality counseling into doctoral curriculum.

The State Of Sexuality Counseling Training In Counselor Education, Amber L. Pope, Matt B. Siroty, Stefan Vasic, Julia Lancaster

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Sexuality counseling training remains underdeveloped and lacks standardization across counselor education programs in the United States. We examined the integration of sexuality counseling in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) programs. Out of 191 CMHC programs, 45% offered a standalone course and only 15.2% required one. We also performed summative and latent content analyses on the course descriptions to review the primary content of sexuality counseling courses. Content analysIs revealed course content largely focusing on sex positivity and inclusivity, though invalidating and potentially stigmatizing language persists. We conclude with implications for counselor education and future directions for research.

A Sex-Positive, Contextual Approach To Children’S Sexual Development, Ben T. Willis, Leah G. Talarico, Amber Pope

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

Sexuality is a multifaceted topic that many counselors feel under-equipped to handle with their clients. Working with sexual aspects is often avoided, especially with younger clients. The purpose of this conceptual article is to provide a framework for understanding and working with children on sexuality-related topics. A positive, contextualized approach to sexuality is offered to understand, assess, and intervene with different developmental levels. We conclude with a case study to demonstrate application of the contextualized model in family counseling.

A Time To Build And A Time To Break: Processing Grief Through Art With Older Adults, Kasriel Zlochower Linzer

Expressive Therapies Theses

Grief comes in many forms and is an expected part of living as an emotion-oriented being. Within this framework exists forms of grief most commonly understood and accepted in society and others that often go under the radar, especially for older adults. A wealth of literature exists for the exploration of grief and a sizeable subsection in grief around older adulthood, but few explore a breadth of grief-based experiences through the lens of art therapy in an assisted living environment. This thesis explores how arts-based directives can be used to process grief with older adults in an assisted living setting. …

Beyond Stigma: Role Theory And Drama Therapy In Reentry And Rehabilitation, Mackenzee Donham-Stradling

Expressive Therapies Theses

To be system-impacted often means facing stigmatization. The experience of incarceration is profoundly dehumanizing, eroding self-worth and identity. This thesis examines the application of a 3-week drama therapy method for formerly incarcerated women residing in a transitional facility with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. This project integrated a drama therapy framework with Robert Landy’s Role Theory to create a method aimed at assisting formerly incarcerated clients in expanding their role repertoire and discarding those roles that perpetuate their disempowerment. This thesis begins with a literature review of role in drama therapy, the experiences of incarcerated women in the …

Couples In The Playspace: Community Engagement With Developmental Transformations, Amanda Roberts

Expressive Therapies Theses

Couple therapy is an evolving field in the modern therapeutic landscape. With that evolution comes an opportunity to study the application of drama therapy with couples. Although there is limited evidence supporting the use of drama therapy with couples, there is no research on the use of Developmental Transformations (DvT), a play-based improvised form of drama therapy, with couples. As a first step in exploring this gap, this community engagement project invited two monogamous couples to engage in two separate brief DvT sessions. Given that this project was community-oriented rather than clinical, the focus of this capstone was self-reflective in …

Practical Jokes: A Drama Therapy Process Between Comedians, Therapists, And Those Affected By Grief/Loss On The Ongoing Development Of Therapeutic Humor, Abby T. Michel

Expressive Therapies Theses

Previous studies on humor in therapy suggest that some types of humor are more beneficial than others. This author found humor to be an essential part of coping with the loss of her mother and wondered why humor is broken down into good and bad parts, when humor can be subjective and dependent on culture and context. Using Robert Landy’s Role Theory and Dintino’s theory of Playing with the Unplayable, the author aimed to neutralize humor by exploring the roles that humor plays in therapy and hoped to find a practical definition of humor that could be appropriate in a …

How Can Art Therapy Help Veterans And Service Members With Ptsd? A Literature Review, Shira Espo

Expressive Therapies Theses

This paper seeks to research the usefulness of art therapy with veterans and service members with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Theoretically, art therapy is thought to work by allowing access to non-verbal memories to be expressed and transformed into a trauma narrative, to be stored in memory in a way that does not interfere with daily life the way PTSD symptoms do. The method used is a literature review, which studied research articles about art therapy being used to treat veterans and service members with PTSD. Other included topics are the history of PTSD, current theories about PTSD and the …

Embedded Roots: Exploring Healing Through Digital Storytelling: Application And Training, Joselyn M. Carvalho

Expressive Therapies Theses

This review examines digital and expressive storytelling in a clinical, community-based health center, focusing on its impact and relationship with trauma. Existing research has explored how digital storytelling serves as an intervention for addressing intergenerational trauma, trauma transmission, identity development, and social systems affecting youth. This community engagement project integrates these ideas with reflections from clinicians, exploring how clinicians' involvement in digital storytelling may influence care, confidence, and cultural understanding. Theories central to this research include Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and systems-based awareness maps, which help examine the broader systems that influence youth as they develop their narratives. The transmission …

Playing With Fire: Exploring Burnout In The Mental Health Field Through Developmental Transformations Play, Abigail E. Dufresne

Expressive Therapies Theses

Although professionals from many different fields experience the phenomenon of burnout, it is especially prevalent amongst human service workers. This is concerning because it not only impacts the professionals themselves, but potentially also the clients they work with. Burnout is a complex phenomenon due to the variability of each individual and workplace; however, it is commonly characterized by exhaustion, cynicism/depersonalization, and a reduced sense of professional efficacy. This community engagement project sought to gain deeper insight into burnout by exploring the lived experience of mental health professionals using the drama therapy technique of Developmental Transformations (DvT). The research consisted of …

More Than Dress-Up: A Literature Review Of The Function Of Costume In Drama Therapy, Bretny M. Seamon

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review examined the role of costume as a therapeutic tool in drama therapy; an area that, despite its potential, remains underexplored. The studies located focused on how costume may facilitate identity exploration and emotional expression. The paper synthesized existing literature on drama therapy's core processes, particularly embodiment and dramatic projection, while expanding the definition of costume to include masks and puppets. The literature illuminated the psychological and cultural significance of dress and identity, with studies that investigated how costume influenced both self-perception and external perception. The literature addressed the evolution of costume use in virtual therapy settings, illustrating …

Exploring Dance/Movement Therapy Through An Existential-Feminist Lens For Perimenopausal Individuals In The Post-Covid Digital Age: A Literature Review, Karen Schmitz

Expressive Therapies Theses

The goal of this thesis was to understand the impact that perimenopause and the COVID-19 pandemic have on individuals and how existential theory and dance/movement therapy can be applied to enhance quality of life. The literature review first explores historical and current contexts of perimenopause. The second section covers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on caregiving individuals, particularly women. Subsequent sections introduce existential theory and dance/movement therapy frameworks, with a concentration on relevant concepts for the specified population. Research shows that during the COVID-19 pandemic, external pressures around appearance, reproductive value, and the societal expectations of women intensified. Overall, …

Therapeutic Alliance In Psychotherapy And Multidimensional Relationship In Drama Therapy: In And Out Of Dramatic Reality, Erin R. Burdete

Expressive Therapies Theses

Abstract

The therapeutic alliance is a well-studied, empirically based phenomenon with much research evidencing its importance in successful therapy. The triadic multi-dimensional relationship present in drama therapy, one of the seven core processes at work in drama therapy, has been identified as a significant agent contributing to the client’s therapeutic change. However, no data specifically compares the therapeutic alliance to the multi-dimensional relationship. As a foundational base for further exploration, this research project, qualitative and self-reflective, explored specific moments of connection between therapist and child client within two sessions. This research was presented from data recorded in journaling, thematic analysis, …

Dance/Movement Therapy As A Potential Complimentary Treatment For Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: A Literature Review, Ashley H. Marsden

Expressive Therapies Theses

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a debilitating condition predominantly affecting younger individuals, marked by extreme heart rate fluctuations, fatigue, and cognitive disturbances. This literature review explores the multifaceted nature of POTS, emphasizing the need for effective management strategies that incorporate both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. It highlights the promising role of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) as a complementary treatment, which fosters emotional expression and enhances physical well-being. By synthesizing current research on POTS, pharmacological options, and innovative non-pharmacological therapies like DMT, this review advocates for a holistic approach to POTS management that recognizes the complexities of the disorder and addresses …

As If We Could Get Along: Dramatic Reality’S Influence On The Prosociality Of Adolescent Boys With Problematic Sexual Behavior, Joel David Bender

Expressive Therapies Theses

There is a strong need for novel treatment approaches for adolescents with problematic sexual behavior (PSB), considering that historically, treatment approaches for adult sex offenders have been blindly applied to youth. Adolescent boys with PSB are at risk for poor treatment outcomes when they engage in anti-social behaviors and group hostility. Dramatic reality, a core process in drama therapy, may assist in transforming the experience of boys in their capacity to exhibit prosocial behavior, given that dramatic reality inherently augments reality. This community arts workshop used purposive sampling in a day treatment center for adolescent boys with PSB and explored …

Communing With Lions: A Critical Literature Review Exploring Pan-Asian Lion Dance Traditions Through The Lens Of Expressive Arts Therapy, Sarah T. Ngo

Expressive Therapies Theses

Lion dancing is a cultural art form practiced in numerous Asian and Asian diasporic cultures across the world. While the dance has been studied both in a historical and ethnographic manner, little research exists on its therapeutic benefits. This capstone thesis explores lion dancing through the lens of the expressive arts therapies to uncover the therapeutic factors underlying the practice. It applies the Chadian dance/movement therapy framework as well as various expressive arts therapy frameworks to the lion dance. The literature review indicates that lion dancing has the potential to be therapeutic in a number of ways, which include: 1) …

Collage As A Facilitator Of Connection And Belonging: An Application Of Art Therapy With Sgm Clients, Noa L. Shems

Expressive Therapies Theses

This research explored themes of connection and belonging in SGM clients in individual art therapy sessions through the medium of collage. An arts-based research method was developed utilizing the medium of collage in session with clients, followed with reflective response collages and journaling to analyze the data observed. Across 5 art therapy sessions, clients engaging in collage facilitated deeper therapeutic rapport and safety, enhanced a sense of connection with the self, and helped to process barriers and desires around clients’ close relationships.

Counseling Guided Manual: Using Cbt To Reduce Media Addiction And Depression Symptoms, Grace Halverson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This group manual is focused on media addiction, which is defined as the excessive and compulsive need to use any form of media despite negative consequences to people’s social, academic, and work life (Sherer, 2024). The focus of this group will be on people with internet and social media addiction. However, members will be able to self-report any form of media addiction. The members will self-report their depression symptoms. These symptoms will be assessed using Young’s Internet Addiction Test and Beck’s Depression Inventory-II on the first and last sessions to measure treatment effectiveness (Young, 2016) & (Beck et al., 1996). …