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open access

Effective Caregiver Consultation in Play Therapy: A Program Evaluation

Description: This study examined the effectiveness of caregiver consultations in caregiver's child's play therapy process through a program evaluation lens. Archival data was used from a counseling clinic located in the central southwestern United States. Quantitative data was collected from caregiver who filled out assessments (PSI-4 and CBCL) about their child's progression through play therapy and both groups frequency of attendance. A regression analysis was used to determine if caregivers perceived cha… more
Date: December 2022
Creator: Lowe, Paige Mathison
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Counseling Experiences of Clients Who are Polyamorous: A Phenomenological Inquiry

Description: Polyamory is an identity that describes the ability to experience romantic love with more than one romantic partner at a time. Polyamory is often perceived as being perverse, amoral, and relationally broken or deficient; however, people who identify as polyamorous are found to be as mentally healthy and happy as people who are monogamous. Clients who identify as polyamorous may experience their counselor as lacking familiarity with and knowledge of polyamory or as actively working against their… more
Date: May 2022
Creator: Stevens, Carly Rachel
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Depth in Supervision: The Role of Relational Depth and Supervisory Working Alliance in Predicting Counselor Self-Efficacy

Description: This study aimed to explore supervisee and supervisor experiences of relational depth (RD) within the supervisory relationship and its association with supervisee level of counselor self-efficacy (CSE). Participants in the study were master's level counseling students and their doctoral supervisors in a practicum course. A total of 52 supervisees (aged 22-57; 19.2% male, 80.8% female) and 18 supervisors (aged 25-46; 16.7% male, 83.3% female) participated in the study. Results demonstrated that… more
Date: May 2022
Creator: McCullough, Rachel Folsom
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Developing a Partnership for Internship Training at a Community-Based Animal Assisted Therapy Practice

Description: The effectiveness of a pre-graduation animal assisted therapy internship site was investigated through an ethnographic, phenomenological methodology with mixed-methods components. A total of 12 participants who fit into either the category of supervisor, intern, or administrator involved in the animal assisted therapy practice, were interviewed. A research team analyzed the qualitative interview data and researcher participant field notes and came to a consensus of eight major themes: ranch env… more
Date: May 2022
Creator: Bugni, Brooke R.
Partner: UNT Libraries

The Resiliency Experiences of Black, Indigenous People of Color Counselors in Training at Historically White Institutions

Description: In this phenomenological investigation, a qualitative approach to research methodology is utilized to explore the resiliency experiences of Black, Indigenous, people of color counselors in training (N = 12) at historically or predominantly White institutions. The participants represent multiple regions of the United States, spanning from the northeastern United States to the Pacific Northwest. Five themes were uncovered as a result of the interviews: (1) strategies for resiliency; (2) experienc… more
Date: December 2021
Creator: Lollar, Shannon R
Partner: UNT Libraries

Experiences of Parents of Preadolescents with Child–Parent Relationship Therapy

Description: Preadolescence is a time of emotional, physical, social, and relational changes, which can lead to mental health concerns. Parents of preadolescents also experience changes within their roles as parents, and both parents and preadolescents experienced a wide range of changes and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mental health intervention focused on enhancing the parent-child relationship among parents of preadolescents is important for overall family functioning. This phenomenological… more
Date: December 2021
Creator: Agarwal, Sarah M.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Assessing the Clinical Experiences and Attitudes of Play Therapists Working with Children of Parental Substance Use

Description: This study aimed to gain insight into the clinical practices and attitudes of currently practicing play therapists working with children with a parent with a substance use disorder. Participants in the study were play therapists credentialed by the Association for Play Therapy, either as a Registered Play Therapist™ or Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™. A total of 198 play therapists participated in the study. Results demonstrated that variables including prior education, caseload of childr… more
Date: December 2021
Creator: Yurkovich, Chelsea V
Partner: UNT Libraries

Counselors' Experiences of HIV Status Disclosure to Children Living with HIV in Uganda

Description: Reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate tremendous advancement in the fight against HIV/AIDS infection through prevention, provision of high-quality treatment options, and psychosocial services to infected and affected individuals and communities. However, there is still a considerable number of new infections occurring among children, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Researchers highlight the benefits of HIV status disclosure to children. Yet, there is limited research conce… more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Opondo, Harriet
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Impact of Child-Centered Play Therapy on the Mindful Expressions and Social-Emotional Competencies of Head Start Preschoolers

Description: In this study, I examined the impact of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on the social and emotional functioning and mindful expressions of preschoolers in Head Start preschool programs. Participants were 23 children from two Head Start preschool programs in the southwestern U.S. who qualified for free or reduced lunch and were referred by school personnel for behavioral or academic concerns (18 males, 5 females; ages 3-5, mean age = 3.74). The sample consisted of 1 (4.3%) African American, 5… more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Robinson, Hannah Beth
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Exploring Experiences of Emotionally Focused Therapists Serving Interabled Couples: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Description: In the U.S., an estimated 61 million people identify as having a disability, making up 26% of all adults. The occurrence of a disability for one person within a couple impacts the physical, social, psychological, and emotional state of the person who acquired a disability, forcing changes to quality of life. Interabled couples, defined as one partner having a physical disability and the other partner identifying as nondisabled, navigate various systems of care as they respond to the needs of th… more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Tapia-Fuselier, Jose Luis, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries

A Combined Mindfulness and Social Emotional Learning School Counselor Consultation Approach with Teachers

Description: The demands on teachers have been further amplified both personal and professional in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of stress teachers face is unsustainable. Stress can have negative outcomes for the teacher student relationship. Increasing teachers' social-emotional competence can lead to a more supportive classroom environment and improved teacher and student outcomes. Researchers have determined mindfulness-based interventions are conducive to increasing teachers' social-emoti… more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Molina, Citlali E
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Outdoor Child-Centered Play Therapy with Attention and Social-Emotional Competencies in Children

Description: Children experience a multitude of benefits in response to interactions with nature. Despite documented effects, children have increasingly spent less time outdoors over the last century and experienced higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses. Although child-centered play therapy (CCPT) is a culturally and developmentally responsive mental health treatment for children, researchers have limited study of environmental structure and materials employed in the therapeutic process of CCPT. … more
Date: May 2021
Creator: Walker, Kimberly L. A.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Relational and Social-Cognitive Predictors of PTSD in U.S. Combat Veterans: A Path Analysis

Description: The purpose of the present study was to explore a theoretically based social-cognitive model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by investigating attachment-related and social-cognitive predictors of PTSD in a sample of 125 post-9/11 U.S. combat veterans. Subjects completed an online survey assessing PTSD symptomology, attachment-related internal working models, perceived social support, and mentalizing capacity. Path analysis provided empirical support for a respecified version of the mode… more
Date: May 2021
Creator: Smith, Julia E.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Involving Children in the Assessment Process: Experiences of a Developmentally Appropriate Feedback Model

Description: Assessment is a foundational part of counseling practice, which includes the process of providing assessment feedback to those tested. Millions of children are assessed across the United States through the public-school system, hospital, agency, and private practice settings. Though millions of children are assessed yearly, there has been little research surrounding providing assessment feedback with children. In this study, the author qualitatively explored children's experiences with a develo… more
Date: May 2021
Creator: Weeks, Sara Eaton
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Factors Impacting Multicultural Teaching Competence among Counselor Educators: Ethnic/Racial Identity Development and Social Justice Orientation

Description: Multicultural (MC) counseling and social justice (SJ) are foundational parts of counselors' professional identity, and they are fostered through a developmental process that counselor educators facilitate. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between counselor educators' ethnic/racial identity development (ERI), their social justice orientation (SJO) and their multicultural teaching competence (MCTC). MCTC was examined using the constructs of knowledge and sensitivity. Data… more
Date: May 2021
Creator: Laird, Amber N
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A Consensual Qualitative Analysis of Counselor Educators' Experiences Incorporating Neuroscience

Description: Neuroscience is a relevant topic for counseling and counselor education, and it is a required area of competency for accredited counseling education programs. Despite this required competency, current counseling literature scarcely addresses neuroscience in counselor education. I have designed the present study to address this scarcity by exploring counselor educators' experiences of incorporating neuroscience into the counselor education curriculum using a consensual qualitative research (CQR)… more
Date: December 2020
Creator: Beijan, Lisa Lee
Partner: UNT Libraries

Faculty of Color Mentorship Experiences in Counselor Education

Description: Professional counseling associations and ethical accrediting bodies mandate that counseling programs, counselor educators, and leaders in the counseling field uphold a commitment to the recruitment, employment, and retention of ethnically and culturally diverse faculty. Despite written standards and growth in the profession, faculty of color in counselor education programs continue to be significantly underrepresented at the assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor ranks. Ad… more
Date: August 2020
Creator: Oller, Marianna L.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Development and Exploration of the Crucial Cs Self Report Instrument

Description: This study aimed to explore the ability to capture the theoretical constructs of Adlerian crucial Cs (capable, connect, count, and courage) through creation of a self-report instrument for children. After following a four-phase process to develop the Crucial Cs Self Report (CCSR), including use of an expert panel, field reviews, preliminary testing, and final administration, the researcher utilized a series of exploratory factor analyses to explore the internal factor structure and relationship… more
Date: August 2020
Creator: Angus, Emily
Partner: UNT Libraries

The Experiences of Black Transracially Adoptive Parents

Description: The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological inquiry was to explore the experiences of adoptive parents who have Black transracially adopted children. More specifically, I sought to understand how the parents perceived their child's cultural and racial identity development and how they perceived the child-parent relationship. Therefore, I used the cultural-racial identity model created for transracial adoptees as a theoretical framework to answer the following questions: What are Black t… more
Date: August 2020
Creator: Conner, Charmaine Lanae
Partner: UNT Libraries

Centralizing the Voices and Experiences of Microaggressions of Queer Womxn of Color in Therapy

Description: The purpose of this participatory action research study was to explore queer womxn of color's experiences of microaggressions in therapy. Due to the multifaceted and complex experiences of queer womxn of color, this study was informed by intersectionality theory and utilized photovoice methodology to answer the following question: How do queer womxn of color experience microaggressions in therapy? The seven queer womxn of color who participated in this study provided vivid, honest, and courag… more
Date: August 2020
Creator: Reyes, Ana Guadalupe
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Every Body Matters: College-Aged Women's Experiences of Body Positivity and Self-Acceptance

Description: The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological inquiry was to explore college-aged women's experiences of body positivity and self-acceptance. I applied a conceptual framework that blended feminist identity development model (FIDM) and relational cultural theory (RCT) to answer the following questions: (a) what are the lived experiences of college-aged women who identify as having a positive and accepting body image? and (b) how do college-aged women's intersecting identities contribute to… more
Date: May 2020
Creator: Rogers, Jordan N.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Effectiveness of Child-Centered Play Therapy on Childhood Depression

Description: Depression in childhood is a significant mental health concern, impacting cognitive, affective, social, behavioral, and physical domains. Children who experience depressive symptoms are at an increased risk for physical and mental health, social, and behavioral problems throughout adulthood. Children who are marginalized due to their socioeconomic status, racial and ethnic identities are at an increased risk to experience depression and limited access to mental health care. Further, previous re… more
Date: May 2020
Creator: Burgin, Elizabeth
Partner: UNT Libraries

An Historical Biography of Virginia Axline

Description: Virginia Axline developed a new field of child psychotherapy by applying a nondirective approach to the burgeoning experimentation of utilizing play in therapeutic work with children. While much biographical information is available regarding other leaders in the fields of counseling and psychology, historical research into Axline and her development of child-centered play therapy represent a gap in the literature. The purpose of the current study was to: 1) examine the professional contributio… more
Date: May 2020
Creator: Turley Stich, Erin
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

The Impact of Child-Centered Play Therapy on Academic Achievement of Children in Poverty

Description: Childhood poverty is a prevalent concern in the United States and is associated with poor psychological and academic outcomes. Psychosocial stressors associated with life in poverty may interrupt the development of a positive self-concept, ultimately hampering the academic achievement of children in poverty. As the therapeutic objectives of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) support the development of an increasingly positive self-concept, I explored the impact of CCPT on the academic achieveme… more
Date: May 2020
Creator: Tucker, Sarah K
Partner: UNT Libraries
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