Counseling Psychology Commons^™

Intersectional Opportunities For Drama Therapy And Counseling, Erica Craig-Mann

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the intersectional possibilities between the fields of drama therapy and mental health counseling through the lens of transformative learning theory. Specifically, the research sought to understand the lived experiences of professionals trained in both disciplines to identify how these fields might mutually inform, strengthen, and enhance one another through collaboration and/or dual training. Data were collected through a qualitative online survey and analyzed using thematic analysis. Five themes emerged: (a) Theoretical and Practical Overlaps and Distinctions; (b) Drama Therapy-Informed Counseling: Embodiment, Creativity, and Experiential Practice; (c) Counseling-Informed Drama Therapy: Frameworks for Practice, …

Reimagining Care: Experiences Of Trauma-Informed Approaches And Deinstitutionalization In Caribbean Child Welfare, Sarah L. Subhan

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explored the perceptions and experiences of child welfare professionals on trauma-informed care and implications for deinstitutionalization in Trinidad and Tobago. The qualitative study utilized research interviews from 21 participants to inform findings. The participants included professionals from various agencies who work with children in care and protection. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data, yielding six overarching themes (1) the need for training and capacity building in child protection, (2) systemic and organizational challenges to trauma informed care, (3) cultural and community factors impacting child protection, (4) the need to support family units as a pathway to …

Ecological Attunement: Exploring Eco-Informed Clinical Supervision, Ari C. Bonagofski

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation examined what constitutes eco-informed clinical supervision, identified its essential components, described its practical implementation, and analyzed how it expands systemic practice. The lack of attention climate- and nature-related issues receive in the couple and family therapy field coupled with the climate crisis and disconnection from nature create a gap in training and care for those experiencing ecological distress. Clinical supervision is one method of addressing this issue by teaching and developing competence working with climate- and nature-related issues. Using a modified three-part Delphi methodology, this study included two surveys followed by an optional individual interview. Panelists agreed on …

Examining The Relationship Between Bicultural Stress And Mental Well-Being Among Second-Generation Filipino Americans Living In The United States, Krista Parker

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Research investigating the bicultural and mental health experiences of Filipino Americans, the third largest Asian American group in the United States, are consistently overlooked, with second-generation Filipino Americans (SGFAs) facing greater risk of adverse mental health outcomes. This quantitative study addresses a critical gap in research by examining the relationship between bicultural stress and mental well-being among SGFAs living in the United States. Using a cross-sectional survey design, a multivariate regression analysis examined the relationship between bicultural stress and four mental health constructs (as measured by depression, anxiety, stress, and self-esteem) among 302 SGFA participants. Results from this study strongly …

Cultivating Empathy: A Content Analysis Of Empathic Themes In Best-Selling Children's Books, Elnaz J. Afousi

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines the presence and nature of empathic content in best-selling children’s picture books, with a focus on developmental relevance for preschool-aged readers. Using a modified version of the iEPIC empathy coding system, 10 titles from the New York Times best-seller list were analyzed to assess the frequency and complexity of three empathy-related constructs: Emotion or State Description (ESD), Exploring Emotion or State (EES), and Empathic Understanding or Concern (EUC). Results indicate that while all books contained some empathy-related content, ESD3 (self-reflective emotional descriptions) and EUC2/EUC4 (understanding and helping others) were most prevalent, suggesting an emphasis on both intrapersonal …

Experiences Of Civilian Mental Health Providers Who Work With Military Clients: A Dissertation, Lydia P. Perry

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Using a qualitative survey design, this study sought to understand the experiences of fully civilian providers who had achieved self-perceived military cultural competence when working with military or veteran clients or their families. This study also sought a better understanding of what pathways fully civilian providers took in this process, as well as their perceptions of how to better equip other fully civilian providers for work with military and veteran clients and their families. The results of this study yield recommendations for changes in graduate training programs; for example, through more inclusion of the military as a culture in cross …

Humane Education And Animal Assisted Interventions To Reduce Trauma Impacts: A Scholarly Personal Narrative, Nina Wiebalk

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The burgeoning fields of trauma-informed therapy and humane education are increasingly incorporating Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI). Given the growing understanding of trauma’s impact on developing brains, implementing humane education and AAI programs, such as the one I created, is crucial. This study will detail my efforts establishing and managing this program at a small non-profit within a major metropolitan city located within the Eastern United States, an agency dedicated to preventing and treating child abuse and trauma. To support this mission, I collaborated with our Executive Director to launch an AAI and humane education program, training and partnering with two …

Engendering The Trans Cft: Gender Diverse Experiences Of Couple And Family Therapy Training Programs, Coltan J. Schoenike

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Mental health literature, including in couple and family therapy (CFT), is sparse when it comes to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) topics. This is all the more the case when it is discussing instances where the provider themself is the one who is TGD. Very little literature exists that acknowledges the existence of trans clinicians and often focuses solely on whether their transness should even be disclosed. This study aimed to address this gap and explore the experiences of TGD CFTs, particularly focusing on training experiences in programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education …

Grief On The Margins: The Death Of A Family Member To Substance Use, Adair Shaw

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Despite Canada's high death rates from substance use, there is limited research on the sociopsychological impact on families, who often face stigma and disenfranchised grief. This study explores how family members make meaning of a substance-related death. Through qualitative inquiry, eleven family members were interviewed on their experience of grief from substance death. The imprint of losing a family member to mental illness and substance use is fraught with intergenerational grief, ambiguity, prolonged mental-emotional distress, and relationship challenges. Substance death was also associated with stigma, social withdrawal, and shame for many participants. However, grievers reconstructed the socially prescribed negative perceptions …

South Asian American Experiences Of Microaggressions And Wellbeing: The Moderating Role Of Social Support, Archita Birla

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Although the South Asian American community is rapidly expanding in the United States (South Asian Americans Leading Together [SAALT], 2015), there remains a dearth of psychological research regarding the impacts on mental health and wellbeing affecting this diverse community. Racial microaggressions, or verbal or behavioral actions indicating hostile or negative attitudes toward marginalized individuals (Sue et al., 2007), negatively impact People of Color (POC) mental health and wellbeing (Forrest-Bank & Jenson, 2015a; Nadal, Wong, et al., 2015). Some research exists on South Asian American communities and microaggressions (Houshmand et al., 2014; Poolokasingham et al., 2014) but there is limited research …

Investigating The Role Of Motivation In Open-Label Placebo Responses, Joshua Worthington

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Placebo effects occur when an individual receives an inactive treatment that should be unable to provide therapeutic benefits but still demonstrates meaningful improvements in health. Open-label placebos extend this phenomenon by providing full disclosure to individuals that they are receiving a placebo, as opposed to traditional placebo treatments that utilize deception. The role of expectancy as a mechanism of change in placebo has received some mixed results in open-label placebo studies. To the author’s knowledge, motivation for change has not been examined in open-label placebo. The current study examined the role of motivation as a mechanism of placebo responses. To …

The Development Of A Children’S Book Designed To Use Bibliotherapy And Mindfulness Skills To Promote Interoception In Young Children With Insecure Attachment As A Result Of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Zenaida Agramonte

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

One third of children in the United States have experienced trauma known in the literature as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The long-term outcomes of ACEs have a higher likelihood of reducing interoceptive awareness—the ability to sense internal body signals like heart rate, hunger, pain, and emotions. Research suggests that interventions, such as mindfulness and attachment therapies are useful for increasing interoceptive awareness, regulating emotions, and fostering secure attachment in adults. However, apart from attachment, interventions are lacking for young children. Bibliotherapy is one such intervention designed for young children which potentially fosters secure attachment between child and adult storytellers and …

The Psychological Impacts Of Homeland Havoc Among First-Generation Raised Americans: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Raneem Kurzum

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The current study explored the psychological experiences of first-generation raised U.S. citizens whose ancestral homelands are affected by ongoing or recent havoc. First-generation raised Americans are defined as the first-generation to be born in the U.S. or those who immigrated to the U.S. during infancy (less than two years of age). While research on trauma, resilience, and identity has previously addressed collective and intergenerational responses within culturally homogenous groups, few studies have examined the cross-cultural psychological impact of homeland turmoil among diverse diasporic populations living in the U.S.

Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this qualitative study employed semi-structured individual interviews …

Trauma-Informed Yoga As An Adjunct To Treatment As Usual Within Inpatient Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Feasibility Trial., Suzanne Vogler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Yoga interventions have been used more frequently in recent years within health and wellness settings to address both clinical and non-clinical issues. More specifically, yoga interventions and trauma-informed yoga (TIY) interventions are being explored within the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD). Initial research suggests that yoga interventions could be beneficial to the treatment of SUDs as an adjunct to treatment or a stand-alone intervention as part of continued recovery (post-clinical treatment) (Fitzgerald et al., 2021; Mallik et al., 2019). Although initial research is promising, the current quantity and quality of studies specifically exploring the feasibility and potential benefit of …

Radical Hope Amid Generational Oppression And Puerto Rican Well-Being, Natalia Gomez Giuliani

Theses and Dissertations

Oppressive systems (e.g., colonialism, racism, capitalism) create a disparate distribution of power that, through various mechanisms, negatively impacts the health and well-being of members of the oppressed group. Boricuas have experienced over 500 years of oppression, with the island currently maintaining a colonial relationship with the United States. As these adverse effects of oppression are identified, the need for protective factors (e.g., hope) has emerged. This study explored how islander Boricuas practice radical hope, understand their history of oppression and resistance, and how they perceived it to impact their overall well-being. Utilizing a phenomenological qualitative approach, I conducted 15 semi-structured …

The Effects Of Parenting Styles On Childhood Memories And Resilience Building, Nathaniel Paredes

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significant agents of shaping children early in life is their parental figures. There has been extant research into parenting styles and outcomes later in life. The current study sought to understand how parenting styles can influence the formation of positive and adverse childhood experiences (PCEs and ACEs), which in turn lead to the development of resilience later in life. It was expected that participants who reported higher levels of authoritative parenting would be significantly correlated with higher levels of positive childhood experiences, and lower levels of adverse childhood experiences. Secondly, authoritarian and permissive parenting would be …

Personality Assessment Inventory: The Treatment Rejection Scale & Treatment Variables, Ashlee Bradley

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The present study aimed to identify the role and validity of the Treatment Rejection Scale (RXR), one of the treatment consideration scales on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991), and its relationship with treatment variables in an outpatient clinical setting. The study used archival data involving 200 client files. The current study evaluated RXR scores in relation to premature, situational, and mutual terminators. Therapist-rated process variables, such as client cancellations, the number of sessions attended, client “no-shows,” and any barriers to completing treatment from the clinician’s point of view, were also considered. Additionally, the treatment outcome variable, in the …

Can Deliberate Practice For Inner Skills Enhance Therapist Trainees’ Mindfulness And Presence When Working With Clients?, Edmund W. Orlowski Iii

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

A replicated single-case design was used to assess the effectiveness of therapist trainees’ engagement in deliberate practice for inner psychotherapy skills (Rousmaniere, 2019). Deliberate practice (DP) is a structured approach to therapist skill development that involves repeatedly observing and responding to real or simulated clients (Rousmaniere, 2016). It was reasoned that by attending to their inner experience while repeatedly being exposed to challenging clinical material (e.g., a client’s suicidal ideation) outside of therapy, trainees may reduce their experiential avoidance and thus be more mindful and present in sessions with actual clients.

During the five-week baseline phase of the study, four …

Cultural Identity In Mental Health Services And Helpseeking Behaviours Among African International Students, Mark Ofosu Asirifi

Theses and Dissertations

Acculturation stress impacts international students’ psychological well-being and academic success, yet research on African students remains limited. For African international students, this stress is intensified by cultural stigma surrounding mental health services, deterring help-seeking due to fears of judgment and ostracization. This identity negotiation complicates their willingness to access support, reinforcing cultural barriers to mental health care. This study explores how cultural identity shapes the mental health perceptions and help-seeking behaviors of African international students in the United States. Grounded in the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) and the Health Belief Model (HBM), the research examines how acculturative stress, stigma, …

The Healer's Call: Helping Clients In A Secular World With Spiritual Problems, Brent Taylor

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.