Education Behind Bars: Overcoming Barriers To Improve Outcomes, Daniel Costello

Counseling Psychology | Master's Theses

This thesis explores the transformative potential of correctional education in reducing recidivism and improving post-release outcomes for incarcerated individuals, nearly 68% of whom lack a high school diploma. Without foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking, reintegration into society becomes daunting, perpetuating cycles of poverty and incarceration. Despite its proven effectiveness, access to correctional education remains inconsistent, particularly for marginalized populations.

To address this gap, this project develops two specialized tutoring manuals: one for inmate peer-to-peer tutors and another for external volunteer tutors. The manuals provide culturally sensitive, practical strategies for teaching foundational skills and fostering personal growth. Peer …

Early Adolescent Intervention: A Therapy Group For Girls, Madelyn A. Ohm

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

As mental health concerns are on the rise, especially among adolescents, it is important to consider promoting early intervention. Paying attention to the nuances surrounding personal identity and interpersonal relationships during adolescence is crucial. Dialectical-Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills encompass just what is needed to address said nuances, including interpersonal effectiveness skills, emotion regulation skills, distress tolerance, and mindfulness. Thus, the proposed DBT group and therapeutic manual designated for adolescent girls summarizes and explores suggestions for early intervention of mental health services. This, alongside the careful attention to the population’s specific needs and noted modules, allows for the exploration of mental …

Not All Superheroes Wear Capes: Understanding The Lives Of Asian American Student Caregivers, Angela Ji

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

There exists an invisible army of children who sacrifice their childhoods and shoulder responsibilities expected of adults; these children are called young caregivers. Young caregivers provide significant assistance for their family on a regular basis. The existing literature shows that youth caregiving is associated with negative physical and mental health impacts that vary depending on the cultural background associated with families. It is also clear that the complexities and nuances of different ethnic groups influence the lived experiences of young caregivers. Unfortunately, there is limited information exploring racial and cultural implications of caregiving for children. This study sought to address …

Mothers Supporting Mothers: A Psychotherapy Group For Postpartum Mothers Struggling With Substance Use, Brittany Hook

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

One topic that is not talked about enough is women’s health and more specifically postpartum women. This is apparent especially when it comes to postpartum care and the diverse experiences women face. The silence around postpartum women’s experiences can be frightening at times. The mental health of postpartum mothers can be overlooked and can lead to concerns of suicide ideation, increase substance use and a decrease in overall wellbeing. When substance abuse is in the picture for postpartum women, a treatment option that can be effective is group counseling. An evidence-based modality that works off the humanistic theory is motivational …

Unmasking Masculinities In Counseling: From Conformity To Connection, Kyle R. Rose

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation explored the entanglements of professional counseling and masculinities across three manuscripts, to contribute to (1) healthier forms of gender expression within and beyond the spectrum of masculinities for individuals, (2) the counseling profession’s role in transforming hegemonic masculinity within communities, and (3) larger movements to subvert the patriarchy throughout society. The first manuscript is a conceptual article that presented the Relational Cultural Privileged Identity Counseling (RCPIC) model, an integrative framework designed to help counselors address hegemonic masculinity within the therapeutic relationship. Drawing from Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) and Privileged Identity Exploration (PIE), this model provided a roadmap for compassionate …

Lgbtqia+ Competency In Counseling: Understanding Current Trends, Educational Experiences, And Counselor Identity Implications, Tyler Puryear

Dissertations, 2020-current

This dissertation presents is made up of three manuscripts. The first is a systematized review that synthesizes current literature to better understand the definition, development, and gaps in LGBTQIA+ competency. Eleven major themes were identified: competency frameworks, cultural humility over competence, competence in practice, barriers, intersectionality, subgroups, advocacy, allyship, pedagogy, language, and counselor attitudes. Findings suggest the field must move beyond static competency models toward a cultural humility framework. The qualitative study used constructivist grounded theory (CGT) to explore how recent graduates from counseling programs experienced learning about LGBTQIA+ counseling topics. Five themes emerged: faculty influence on learning, experiential learning …

Clinician Training, Support, And Self-Efficacy In Supporting Patients With Severe Persistent Mental Illness, Jaclyn Sharkey

Dissertations, 2020-current

Abstract

Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) has existed long before the contemporary definitions that prevail in the present day. However, traditional perspectives and treatment of SPMI illness have been influenced primarily by the medical model of treatment, resulting in a diagnosis that feels demoralizing and inhibitive for the individual suffering, particularly if they do not share in this belief. The expansion of community-based programs for SPMI patients has provided many opportunities for counselors to work with these clients, however, training and research on how to address population-specific needs is severely lacking within counseling programs and counselor research. As the …

Navigating The Labyrinth: Transition Planning Process For Reintegration Of Inmates With Chronic Illnesses And Disabilities, Courtney Ashley Dean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most offenders face challenges with successfully reintegrating, especially those living with chronic illness and/or disabilities. Transition interventions employed by mental health professionals are not universal and vary from facility to facility. While recidivism, community stigmatization, reoffending, and reconviction are explored in extant literature, little has been done to examine the difficulties faced by the professionals who work with this population as they get ready to plan for transitioning this disenfranchised group back into society. This study is an exploration of the role of professional counselors in facilitating successful transition planning for inmates living with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities. Guided by …

Serving Minority Women Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Consuelo Valentina Riso

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread public health concern that disproportionately affects women, particularly those belonging to minorities. In the United States, the prevalence of IPV among Latina women is influenced by intersecting factors such as immigration status, socioeconomic stressors, cultural values, and systemic barriers. Research and community initiatives addressing IPV among Latina women have included crisis hotlines, domestic violence shelters, advocacy programs, and bilingual services within community health centers. Research also highlights that culturally tailored services yield better outcomes than trauma-informed approaches alone.

Additionally, online interventions are emerging as promising tools to expand safe, accessible, and bilingual support, …

Developing Art Resources To Reduce Stress And Increase Well-Being For Healthcare Professionals, Elisabeth Ruth Baird

Theses - ALL

This study explored how art-based wellness resources can support healthcare professionals who provide direct patient care in hospital settings. A focus group of these providers shared their experiences with stress and burnout, identifying key challenges and needs. Based on their feedback, a Mini Wellness Manual was developed with practical, research-based art activities designed to help reduce stress and promote well-being. In a second focus group, participants reviewed the manual and provided feedback on its usefulness and accessibility. Findings showed that self-care interventions often place the burden on individuals rather than addressing the larger systemic issues that contribute to burnout, highlighting …

Changing The Face Of Power: Understanding Black Female Clinical Supervisors Through The Superwoman Schema, Shanelle V. Clay

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (2014), the counseling profession’s core values include honoring diversity and embracing a multicultural approach to both direct services and supervision. Despite the acknowledgement of multiculturalism in clinical supervision, there is minimal research on the impact of supervisors’ intersectionality on supervision dynamics. This qualitative research study will examine the experience of Black female clinical supervisors and the impact the Superwoman Schema has on their role in supervision. This phenomenological research is grounded in the Superwoman Schema Conceptual Framework and Black Feminist Thought. A total of five superordinate themes and 14 subordinate themes …

Cultural Self-Harm Differences, Erin E. Simmons

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study is based on the evident cultural differences in self-harm behaviors and what those behaviors look like specifically for individuals that identify as Black or African American. Previous literature suggests that cultural differences in self-harm exist but very little research centers Black experiences and their connection to self-harm. Self-harm is considered a broad term, and it encompasses a variety of behaviors, some more common than others, but these common behaviors are typically exclusively explored within only a few demographics with a low Black participant pool. This contributes to the assumed lack of self-harm among the Black community but through …

An Adaptive Paradox: Improvised Drama Therapy And Dialectical Behavior For Eating Disorders In Teens, Krystany Taylor

Expressive Therapies Theses

The complexity of treating eating disorders compels professionals to investigate collaborative and integrative approaches to address psychological rigidity and emotional aversion in affected individuals. Mindfulness within Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and improvisational theater techniques may contribute to advancing emotional flexibility. This thesis study explored spontaneity in expressive therapy and gauged budding adaptive skills related to emotion regulation in minors with eating disorders. At a behavioral health center in Southern California, I held a dual role as a group facilitator and trainee drama therapist; I therein joined DBT and improvised drama therapy methods into a group treatment setting for ages 14 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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.

The Mindful Way: A Mindfulness Psychoeducational Group For Latinx College Students, Karen A. Morales

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have extensively studied mindfulness as a promising intervention that can aid college students in managing stressors. Unfortunately, researchers have underrepresented minority populations like Latinx college students in mindfulness literature. The Mindful Way (TMW) is a culturally responsive psychoeducational group program that aims to close the gap in the literature. The pre-test and post-test of TMW program measures student’s tendency to practice mindfulness, their personal and academic resilience, degree of self-compassion, emotion regulation skills, problematic alcohol consumption, and symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, before and after participating in the program. The hypothesis of the present study is …

Comparing Online And In-Person Social Support And Its Effects On Suicidal Ideation, Alexander J. Potter

Poster Presentations

The interpersonal theory of suicide states that thwarted belonging and perceived burdensomeness are proximal causes of suicidal ideation (Van Orden et al., 2010). One of the biggest influences on these variables is a lack of social support (Sparks et al., 2023) There are two ways a person can receive social support: in-person via face-to-face experiences and online via social media or online communication Studies have shown that there is a difference in the quality of support between online and in-person interactions (Hultzman et al., 2017). The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of in-person and online support …