Counseling Psychology Commons^™

Evaluating The Role Of Interoceptive Awareness In Insomnia And Across The Sleep Health Spectrum, Lara Lobrutto

Theses and Dissertations

Interoceptive awareness, characterized by a non-judgmental and trusting attitude towards body sensations, is an understudied construct that is implicated in sleep and health outcomes. Interoceptive awareness is cultivated via contemplative and mindfulness-based practices. Given that it may be utilized to reduce pre-sleep arousal, which is a key mechanism in insomnia, interoceptive awareness is posited to be a protective factor for sleep health. A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate university students (N = 420) in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States to assess the association between interoceptive awareness and sleep outcomes. Participants received a survey link and completed …

Implementing A Stepped Care Model: A Case Study Of Two College Counseling Centers, Stephanie L Johnson-Kane

Dissertations and Theses

The demand for mental health counseling services has surged, but the capacity of college counseling centers to meet this demand has not kept pace. The effects of COVID-19 have exacerbated this already fragile system of care. College students are enrolling in college with increased levels of anxiety, depression, disordered eating, suicidal ideation, and substance use. College counseling center staff are facing burnout. The waitlist to receive mental health services is at critical capacity. This multi-site case study was designed to foster an understanding of two college counseling centers' implementation of the stepped care approach as a mental health service delivery …

Frozen By Worry And Fatigue? A Mixed Methods Approach To Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Freezing Of Gait, Sarah M. Ghose

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a mixed methods emergent, phenomenological approach to (1) understanding the lived experience of freezing of gait for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and (2) determining the role of anxiety and sleep in freezing of gait outcomes. Participants included 13 adults diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (N=14 for qualitative data, N=13 for quantitative data; 23.1% female-identifying, 76.9% male-identifying) who were predominantly white (92.3%) with an average age of 69 years (SD = 6.73 years). Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews, self-report measures, actigraphic sleep data, and salivary alpha amylase biomarker collection. Results are organized into …

Associations Between Childhood Trauma And Tobacco Dependence Among Latine Adults: Testing The Protective Effects Of Compassion For Self And Others, Camila Tirado

Theses and Dissertations

Tobacco dependence has posed a significant public health challenge in the United States and disproportionately affects Latine adults' risk of developing a variety of adverse health conditions. Childhood trauma is a recognized risk factor for dependence, overall health, and mental health concerns. Still, the influence of compassion for self or compassion for others in this context remains unclear. This cross-sectional study investigated the moderating effects of self-compassion and compassion for others on the relationship between childhood trauma and cigarette dependence among Latine adults. Data was collected through questionnaires assessing childhood trauma, self-compassion, cultural values and factors, compassion for others, and …

“Black Wom(B)Anhood”: An Explorative Analysis Of Black Women's Narratives Of Healthcare Encounters During And After Pregnancy, Janae A. Baker

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the intricate dynamics of patient-provider relationships within the context of prenatal care among Black women and how these experiences may affect their perinatal mental health. The study was conducted using a methodology consisting of structured interviews with 12 participants, snowball sampling facilitated recruitment. Thematic analysis revealed six prominent themes encapsulating the multifaceted interactions between Black women and their healthcare providers during the perinatal period. The findings illuminate nuanced aspects of the patient-provider relationship, shedding light on issues such as: (a) Anticipation of Low Quality Care, (b) Lack of Communication, (c) Listening, (d) Stereotype Threat, (e) Colorism, …

Understanding Emerging Adult Mental Health And Attachment: The Roles Of Parental Factors In Childhood, Trauma, And Gender, Christiana A. Howell

Dissertations

Problem

The experience of the parental environment growing up, parental psychopathology in childhood, exposure to trauma throughout the lifespan, insecure adult attachment, and social support have been established as factors that influence mental health in adulthood. These factors have not yet been studied together as a complex model of emerging adult mental health and attachment. The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretically and empirically supported model of these factors to understand how these factors interact to influence mental health in emerging adulthood. Additionally, the purpose was to understand if these factors interact differently based on gender.

Method …

Marginalized Sexual- And Gender-Identified Clients In University Counseling Centers: Best Psychotherapy Practices, Sara M. Cauley

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Young adults in college experience significant rates of mental health difficulties. The mental wellness of young adults has shown to have a substantial link to future success, health, and well-being. Individuals with marginalized sexual and gender identities (SGM) often hold additional mental health difficulties due to having identities that typically defy societyʼs assumptions and expectations, and these assumptions/expectations are presented to youth from a young age. The distress experienced by SGM individuals can often be relational in nature due to living in and relating to a heteronormative, cisgender society that stigmatizes and oppresses SGM individuals. University Counseling Centers (UCC) typically …

Cps Workers’ Perspectives On Mst-Ipv And Other Interventions For Child Maltreatment And Intimate Partner Violence: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis, Malea Lash

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Although the co-occurrence rate of intimate partner violence (IPV) and child abuse and neglect (CAN) is about 40% (Appel and Holden, 1998; Herrenkohl et al., 2008), little research currently exists on integrated treatment for these concerns. Furthermore, no known published studies investigate child protective services (CPS) workers’ perspectives on such treatment. The present study explores the perspectives of CPS workers on treatment for co-occurring IPV and CAN, specifically focusing on Multisystemic Therapy for Intimate Partner Violence (MST-IPV). A total of 18 Connecticut CPS workers participated in semi-structured interviews. Seven participants had experience working with MST-IPV treatment providers, while 11 participants …

Crisis Intervention Model Effectiveness In South Dakota City And Rural Schools, Nicole Ann Bechen

Dissertations and Theses

Little information is known on crisis prevention and intervention plans in schools across South Dakota. A review of the existent literature revealed gaps within school-based crisis intervention models, their objectives, and their effectiveness in addressing the psychological and physical safety needs of students, staff, teachers, families, and community members. Gaps in understanding rural crisis response were noted. The purpose of this study was to assess whether crisis prevention and intervention plans in South Dakota schools adequately protected students, staff, families, and community members. To achieve this, a stratified random sample of 53 PreK-12 public schools in the state of South …

The Lived Experience Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Among Mandate-Resistant Adults In Washington State, Amber N. Peterson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examined the lived experience of self-identified, mandate-resistant adults in Washington state. This study explored participants’ experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, from a retrospective framework by uncovering challenges, silver linings, decision-making, and self-reported mental health. Remote interviews were conducted with nine participants. Participants were between 23–31 years old, mostly male, and over half identified as Black. Through semi structured interviews, data was collected and analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Participants described their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted significant changes in the way they lived their lives. Most notably, participants described ways in which they defied COVID-19 …

The Pursuit Of Happiness: Freedom And Well-Being In Positive Psychology, Kevin J. Mckenzie

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This project explores the relationship between freedom and well‑being. Through reviewing the literature of positive psychology and existential psychology, clearer pictures of well‑being and freedom emerge, allowing for statistical analysis. By adopting Seligman’s well‑being theory as a model that incorporates hedonic and eudaimonic elements of well‑being and self‑determination theory’s conceptualization of autonomy as a proxy for freedom in existential psychology, this study explores the relationship between these constructs and their theorized factors through correlational analysis. A potential measurement model for an overall well‑being measure incorporating freedom as a factor is proposed and tested using confirmatory factor analyses. The effects of …

Posttraumatic Growth Following Pregnancy Loss, Megan Pinette

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is positive psychological change that can result from the struggle with trauma or other highly stressful events (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 1999; Calhoun et al., 2010). The aim of this study was to capture the rich narratives of individuals who have experienced pregnancy loss and reported PTG. The narratives of ten participants were investigated to better understand what areas of posttraumatic growth they experienced following this often-devastating loss, as well as the processes that led to this growth. Participants of this study reported experiencing growth in the domains of (a) Relating to Others, (b) Personal Strength, (c) New …

Graduate Students' Accessibility To Human Sexuality Training, Samantha B. Rotay

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Human sexuality is a basic foundation of the human experience. In graduate school for psychology, students are often taught about sexuality in terms of gender identity and sexual orientation. However, there is a lack of education around sexual functioning in terms of sexual wellbeing, arousal, and disorders. Many psychologists are licensed as general practice clinicians but only a small percentage of psychologists have training in human sexuality. However, many generalist psychologists hold a caseload of couples and individuals who are experiencing sexual concerns. Due to the limited training, therapists are less likely to assist clients in therapy around sexual concerns. …

Disability In Education From A Neurodiversity Standpoint: A Multi-Article Dissertation, Isabelle Kluge

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This theoretical multi-article dissertation is a broad examination of education, including trends in our school system, juvenile justice system, and cultural/media system to address the disproportionate targeted failure of students with disabilities from a neurodiversity standpoint. Research shows how our current education system is not the practice of freedom for all learners, but rather a reproductive practice that teaches forms of group-based privilege that results in the disproportionate outcome of school failure, oppression, and incarceration for students with disabilities. Creating liberatory learning spaces for neurodiverse students of all races must include challenging White supremacy, neurotypical superiority, and a standardized one-size-fits-all …

The Relationship Of Workplace Support, Job Control, And Burnout In Nurses, Shannon A. Mccleery

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Nurses are the most likely group of healthcare workers to develop burnout. Previous research identified supervisory support, job control, and decision-making ability in the workplace as protective factors against burnout. There was a gap in the literature regarding the relationship between burnout in nurses and their experience of support, control, and decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reducing and preventing burnout in nurses is important due to the nursing shortage and concerns of attrition rates. This quantitative study examined the relationship of emotional support, instrumental support, job control, and decision-making opportunities in the workplace to burnout in hospital-based nurses. Measures used …

"Why Does This Have To Be So Hard?": Perinatal Experiences From An Ecological Systems Approach, Caitlin Senk

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines the lived experience of the perinatal population to understand how they can be supported from the lens of different ecological systems and what counselors can do to better serve people with uteruses during their perinatal experience. Furthermore, this study aims to utilize an inclusive framework for capturing the perinatal experience of people with uteruses and to explore barriers and facilitators to care through an ecological systems framework. Fifteen participants who have experienced infertility, conception, pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, stillbirth, and postpartum were recruited through various means throughout the United States. Thematic analysis was used, with semi-structured interviews and …

Midas’ Children: Affluent White Families And The Effects Of Parental Bias On Child Outcomes, J. Sema Bruno

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Navigating parental biases within White affluent homes assumes family dynamics as yet unexplored within family therapy praxis. This dissertation examines parental biases directed toward domestic laborers employed in affluent White homes and how these biases might affect the parent-child relationship and the emerging values of children in these homes. Research from other fields demonstrates that domestic laborers experience social bias within the workplace; what this highlights is the likelihood that children in these settings are navigating unspoken subtleties of racism and classism in the context of developing socio-emotional maturity and family relationships. The first article within this dissertation critically reviews …

Productivity In Private Practice: Experiences And Best Practices Of Mental Health Counselors, Mark C. Pilger

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand how mental health counselors in private practice conceptualize, approach, and manage productivity, including key strategies and best practices employed through a qualitative study of lived experience. Inclusion criteria for participant eligibility included being a licensed counselor with a degree from a CACREP-accredited counseling program, working primarily in a private practice setting, and with primarily adult clients. Nineteen participants (N = 19) met these criteria and were included in the study. A thematic analysis was utilized by a team of researchers, which resulted in seven primary themes. The primary themes relate to the …

Measures To Assess The Competence Of Supervisors Of Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Jennifer S. Kennett

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Supervision is a foundational component of education and training for new counselors. Ensuring provisionally licensed supervisees receive adequate supervision is vital, given the variation in training and experience requirements from state to state. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate three measures of supervisor competence and experience, the Supervision Experience and Supervisory Competence Assessment (version 2; SE-SC), the Generic Supervision Assessment Test (GSAT), and the Brief Supervisory Working Alliance Inventory (BSWAI) for use in the counseling profession within the United States. The instruments were evaluated for reliability and face validity using a sample of 104 provisionally licensed counselors …

Exploring Consciousness In Millennial African American Men: Using Video Ethnography To Convey Meaning Within The African American Male Experience, Mark L. Gumm

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this research dissertation was to investigate and explore consciousness in millennial African American men. This study defined consciousness in the form of self-concept or self-conceptualization, the image we have of ourselves (Carl, Rogers; Akbar, 1991). The research question under investigation is how do African American college men define identity, masculinity, and self-concept under the umbrella of consciousness? In addition the relation to environmental factors which include type of schooling, household dynamics, high-school mentorship, and college readiness. Investigative approaches also include asking questions regarding socio-economic status, academic achievement and success. Sub-questions included: “how do African American men explain …