Counseling Psychology Commons^™

Gender Transitioning In Childhood: A Hermeneutic Study Of Parental Reactions, Ashley Rosenberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The visibility of the transgender community has grown in recent years. The purpose of the hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand and provide context to the experiences of parents whose children have transitioned from their assigned birth sex to their authentic gender identity. The theoretical framework used was Kubler Ross’ “Five Stages of Grief.” Participants were interviewed by using semi structured interviews on Zoom. A total of 6 people participated in my study. Common themes emerged as a result of my study, which parallel previous research studies. These themes included shock and denial, a sense of grief and loss, feelings …

Adolescent Bereavement After Sudden Loss Of A Close Friend, Alora Elizabeth Zulliger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the prevalence of sudden death in adolescence, there is a deficiency of resources and support for adolescents who have lost a close friend to premature death. These resources are vital, as the sudden and unexpected death of a close friend is often traumatizing and can contribute to a sense of instability in young people. Although a great deal of academic research has been conducted on sibling or parental grief during adolescence, there existed a need for further research on peer loss during adolescence. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to describe the essence and meaning of the lived …

The Correlation Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Pornography Consumption In Adulthood, Branden Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past 25 years, significant research has gone into understanding how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) correlate with a variety of negative health and behavioral outcomes, while at the same time, pornography consumption has increased dramatically. However, limited research has been done to understand whether a relationship exists between ACEs and pornography consumption. Attachment theory, which was used as the theoretical framework for this study, includes the idea that childhood experiences play a major role in a person’s development of various behaviors throughout life, including coping mechanisms like pornography consumption. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational study was to …

Managers' Experiences Coordinating Peer Mediation Programs In Schools, Ingrid Jeannis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPeer mediation (PM) programs implemented in schools promote resolution of disputes and conflicts among peers. Several benefits have been associated with young children involved in these programs including reductions in physical aggression, as well as learning skills involving communication, problem solving, and decision making. While positive outcomes have been observed, less was known about manager experiences involving coordinating PM programs. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore manager thoughts and experiences regarding their roles in PM programs and how they perceived strengths and weaknesses of these programs. The social learning theory was the theoretical framework for this study. …

Relationship Experiences Of Long-Term Partners Of Individuals With Narcissistic Traits, Tamara Betty-Jean Knott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The phenomenon of narcissism is well-documented and has garnered much attention from the scientific community. However, a facet of this subject that has been largely unstudied involves the consequences that narcissistic relationships have on intimates. Typically, an individual with narcissistic traits (INT) most negatively affects the romantic partner. Still, there has been very little in the way of academic knowledge, understanding of partner experiences, or how to help from a mental health standpoint. Research has implied that partnering with an INT entails distinct forms of emotional abuse (EA), resulting in the development of unique psychological distress. This qualitative narrative study …

Childhood Experiences Of Black Americans Growing Up With A Suicidal Sibling, Barbara Maulding

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Through this retrospective interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) qualitative research project, the childhood experience of growing up with a sibling who experienced a non-fatal suicide attempt was explored. The researcher used IPA as the conceptual foundation. This qualitative phenomenological study included interviewing eight siblings to retrospectively explore the childhood experience of growing up with a suicidal sibling (who had at least one incident of nonfatal suicidal behavior). The interview with each participant consisted of one interview and one follow-up review per Seidman’s semi-structured interviewing guide for phenomenological research. The results were analyzed using hand coding to explore the thematic elements. The …

Consideration Of Mindfulness Intervention For Hispanic Adolescents In A School Setting, Kierra Mcshine Gregory

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic adolescents’ accessibility to treatment options for depression is met with limitations associated with financial barriers and cultural misalignment. This research study aimed to bring to light an alternative psychotherapy treatment through the foundations of mindfulness interventions. The goal was to understand the experience of Hispanic adolescents when engaging in mindfulness in a school setting. The purpose of this study was to gather information about the experiences of Hispanic adolescents using mindfulness to support mental health practitioners, school counselors, and behavioral interventionists to provide treatment options that are accessible and meet the needs of this culture group. This explanatory case …

Differences In Phq-9 Depression Severity Between Adults Receiving Ketamine Or Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Sophie Lake Oswin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) affects roughly 2.8 million or 1.1% of the United States population. Many traditional treatments of mental disorders including various types of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy do not provide adequate symptom reduction for clients, and many clients diagnosed with TRD seek out nontraditional treatments such as ketamine and psychedelics for their antidepressant effects. Due to the dissociative nature of psychedelic medication wherein resistance is reduced, and a trance-like state is induced, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) has great potential as an adjunct to ketamine therapy. Procedures of KAP have been in development for the last 7 years and a consensus on …

Consideration Of Mindfulness Intervention For Hispanic Adolescents In A School Setting, Kierra Mcshine Gregory

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic adolescents’ accessibility to treatment options for depression is met with limitations associated with financial barriers and cultural misalignment. This research study aimed to bring to light an alternative psychotherapy treatment through the foundations of mindfulness interventions. The goal was to understand the experience of Hispanic adolescents when engaging in mindfulness in a school setting. The purpose of this study was to gather information about the experiences of Hispanic adolescents using mindfulness to support mental health practitioners, school counselors, and behavioral interventionists to provide treatment options that are accessible and meet the needs of this culture group. This explanatory case …

The Experiences Of Successful Formerly Incarcerated African American Males, Bernice Gordon-Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men are incarcerated at alarming rates and often recidivate at high rates within 3 years. Researchers have demonstrated that recidivism rates last through years 4 and beyond. There is limited qualitative data to provide strategies from formerly incarcerated African American males who have been successful at not recidivating for 10 or more years after their release. The purpose of this Afrocentric-hermeneutic phenomenological study was to bridge the gap in the literature and explore the lived experiences of African American males who were formerly incarcerated and have positively changed their lives to avoid further criminality. A purposeful and snowball …

The Correlation Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Pornography Consumption In Adulthood, Branden Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past 25 years, significant research has gone into understanding how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) correlate with a variety of negative health and behavioral outcomes, while at the same time, pornography consumption has increased dramatically. However, limited research has been done to understand whether a relationship exists between ACEs and pornography consumption. Attachment theory, which was used as the theoretical framework for this study, includes the idea that childhood experiences play a major role in a person’s development of various behaviors throughout life, including coping mechanisms like pornography consumption. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational study was to …

Relationship Experiences Of Long-Term Partners Of Individuals With Narcissistic Traits, Tamara Betty-Jean Knott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The phenomenon of narcissism is well-documented and has garnered much attention from the scientific community. However, a facet of this subject that has been largely unstudied involves the consequences that narcissistic relationships have on intimates. Typically, an individual with narcissistic traits (INT) most negatively affects the romantic partner. Still, there has been very little in the way of academic knowledge, understanding of partner experiences, or how to help from a mental health standpoint. Research has implied that partnering with an INT entails distinct forms of emotional abuse (EA), resulting in the development of unique psychological distress. This qualitative narrative study …

Professional Counselor Identity Development Relative To Professional Recognition, Brandon Shurn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This descriptive phenomenological study was conducted to explore how professional counselors described their professional identity development and if professional recognition from psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, and other professional organizations contributed to professional identity development. Phenomenology was developed by Edmund Husserl and explores insights from others based on their experiences. Licensed clinical professional counselors in Maryland formed the purposive sample that included six participants; each participated in a semi-structured interview. Thematic coding highlighted themes that emerged and included (a) the importance of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), (b) licensure as a stressful process, (c) professional …

Cultural Competence: Minoritized Student Experiences With Faculty In Counselor Education And Supervision Programs, Mariangelly Sierra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Minoritized students face additional challenges that contribute to poor experiences in higher education when compared to dominant populations. Multiculturally-competent faculty behaviors positively influence minoritized students’ lived experiences in higher education and promote culturally-responsive learning environments. This study investigated minoritized students’ experiences working with faculty teaching in Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) guided by the principles of Heidegger’s hermeneutic philosophy and Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality. The specific research question of this study was about minoritized students lived experiences with faculty teaching in CACREP-accredited CES programs. Data were …

An Examination Of The Influence Of Ethnic Identity, Spirituality, And Social Support As Predictors Of Resilience Among Black Male College Graduates Born In The United States, Sandy Belizaire

Dissertations

Problem

This study aimed to assess the influence of ethnic identity, spirituality, and social support on resilience among Black males (BM) who were born in the United States of America and are recent college graduates. The achievement gap between BM and their counterparts is among education's most infuriating problems. Educators are more likely to dissuade Black men from going to college, and those who enroll drop out before they graduate (Noguera 2003; Wilborn 2013).

Method

This study employed a non-experimental, quantitative correlation research design using self-report questionnaires. The target population for this study was American-born Black males who were graduates …

Religiosity, Family Sexual Communication & Gender As Predictors Of Attitudes Toward Oral Sex Among College/University Students In The United States, Antoinette Napier

Dissertations

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether religiosity, family sexual communication and gender were predictors of attitudes toward oral sex among college/university students in the United States.

Method

Participants completed several surveys, which measured participants' personal religiosity, family sexual communication, and attitudes toward oral sex. A path analysis model was used to analyze the relationship between the proposed variables.

Results

The path analysis hypothesized model resulted in a poor fit for the data. The model was respecified by removing three items which showed weak beta weights. The respecified model produced a good fit for the data. The …

A Constructivist Grounded Theory Analysis Of Seven Medical Provider Perspectives On Major Barriers To Prescribing Buprenorphine To Youth With Opiold Use Disorder In Outpatient Medical Settings: "We Should Be Providing Them With What We Know To Be The Gold Standard Of Care"., Maeve O'Leary Sloan

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study utilized Primary Care Provider (PCP) perspectives to unveil major barriers to prescribing buprenorphine to youth (ages 16-25) with opioid use disorder (OUD). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven PCPs recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Interviews were conducted and recorded via Zoom video conferencing. Transcripts were generated and analyzed for themes using a Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) approach. The CGT of the present study describes four major barriers that limit PCP prescription of buprenorphine to youth: 1) PCPs Feel Overwhelmed, 2) PCPs Feel Ill Equipped to Treat Youth Patients with OUD, 3) PCPs Hold and Observe Stigma toward …

"The Power To Heal And Cure": Adaptations Of Western Therapy By American Indian And Alaska Native Therapists, Calleaghn B. Kinnamon

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The legacy of colonialism has created a modern-day reality where Indigenous populations of the United States (US) experience mental, physical, and emotional distress at disproportionately higher rates than other cultural groups in the country. Increased distress translates to an increased need for supportive services. Because the field of Western Psychology is based in colonialistic EuroWestern worldviews which positions that worldview as superior, Indigenous clients and communities have often experienced further harm in their encounters with mental health services. In recent decades, there has been increasing attention to adapting research, training, academic and clinical work in ways that are culturally appropriate …

How Racial Trauma Manifests In Black Women From Direct And Indirect Encounters With Police Brutality, Ashley Turner

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This phenomenological study explored Black women’s lived experiences with racial trauma stemming from direct and indirect encounters with police brutality. A total of nine participants living in Washington state participated in this study. They identified as Black, ciswomen, fluent in English, and at least 21-years-old. In-depth, semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted to explore participants’ experiences with police. Transcripts were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The results consisted of the following five themes: (a) forms of police encounters, (b) influence of identity, (c) perceived reason for police brutality, (d) emotions stemming from police brutality, and (e) tactics to survive police interactions. …

Black Mental Health Clinicians' Experiences And Lessons From The Intersecting Crises Of Black Mental Health, Covid-19, And Racial Trauma: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Chanté Meadows

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explored the experiences of African American mental health clinicians’ during the intersecting crises of the Black mental health crisis, the highly publicized racial tension tied to extrajudicial violence and over-policing of Black Americans, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic started a global crisis that affected millions of people’s physical and mental health and overall well-being. Shared trauma explores the duality of mental health clinicians’ personal and professional experiences. Grounded in critical race theory and models of trauma, this study explores Black mental health clinicians’ lived experiences and lessons. This is an interpretive phenomenological study with narrative interviews of …