<p> This dissertation endeavors to explore and describe the lived experience of music therapists&rsquo; relationships with their clients as it develops in individual music therapy sessions. Music therapy literature, reviewed with particular attention to its treatment of the psychodynamic conceptualization of clinical relationship, suggests a shaky marriage between music therapy and psychoanalytic thought, and the experience of the music therapist in this landscape has not been studied. As its data, this study relies on semi-structured interviews with 7 music therapist volunteers who provide individual music therapy, focusing on their experience of emotion, interpersonal connection with their patients, and utility of psychodynamic concepts in that work. Idiographic and nomothetic analysis revealed 4 common themes in music therapists&rsquo; experience of clinical relationship, which belie an underlying sense of confusion and anxiety about important aspects of the work. The discussion of findings examines these themes in the context of the powerful impact music can have on the psyche, and makes recommendations regarding the inclusion of psychodynamic concepts in music therapy training. Keywords: music therapy, relationship, psychoanalysis, transference, countertransference, projective identification, boundaries</p>

<p> Female youth are a growing population in the juvenile justice system; however, research on female justice-involved youth is lacking relative to male counterparts. As research suggests this population has experienced higher rates of trauma, the purpose of this study was threefold: first, to describe the extent of complex trauma exposure and sequelae, second, to evaluate the utility of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument&ndash;Version 2 (MAYSI-2) Trauma Experiences (TE) scale related to complex trauma, and third, to analyze the relationship between complex trauma and comorbid diagnoses of incarcerated adolescent females, using a developmental trauma framework. The present study used archival data from the records of 229 adolescent females, ages 13 to 20, who were remanded to a maximum security juvenile justice facility in Illinois. Scores from the MAYSI-2 TE scale were collected as well as Clinical Needs Assessments that provided demographic information and data regarding trauma exposure and sequelae. A developmental trauma rubric was specifically designed for this study based on the DSM-5 proposed developmental trauma disorder (DTD) diagnosis. Trauma-related data was mapped onto the rubric for the purpose of identifying youth with complex trauma reactions and comparing this data with MAYSI-2 TE scale scores. Exploratory analyses laid a foundation for understanding complex trauma exposure and sequalae among incarcerated female adolescents. As expected, over three fourths of participants were exposed to repeated interpersonal traumas with youth experiencing an average of five different types of trauma exposure. Contrary to the first hypothesis, the MAYSI-2 TE scale was significantly correlated with complex trauma exposure. The second hypothesis was supported, which was contrary to the literature on the subject, and indicated that the MAYSI-2 TE scale scores decrease upon re-assessment after re-admission to the facility. Finally, the third hypothesis revealed nearly universal comorbid diagnoses among the sample (97.4%) and a relationship was found between the proposed developmental trauma disorder diagnosis and diagnoses of personality, bipolar and related, neurodevelopmental, and trauma and stressor related disorders. These results suggest that screening for trauma should be a high priority in juvenile justice settings and that while the MAYSI-2 TE scale score is related to complex trauma exposure, added screening is warranted to identify trauma-related symptoms. Additionally, alternative screening strategies may be useful for those returning to the facility as these youth&rsquo;s TE scale scores were found to be lower than those initially incarcerated as well as lower than their previous scores. Finally, the field would benefit from the adoption of a complex trauma diagnosis to prevent inadequate and inaccurate diagnoses being given when the etiology of symptoms is trauma-based.</p>

<p> The death of a loved one is associated with feelings of grief, which is a multifaceted emotional response for individuals&rsquo; who are attempting to cope with a loss. The grieving process can have an unpredictable trajectory for each person, even though it may encompass many common and familiar features. Grief after a loss incorporates an expansive range of emotional and physical responses, which frequently consists of feelings of sadness, depression, and loneliness. Few studies have reviewed effective interventions for combating the emotional and physical symptoms of grief after the loss of a loved one. Walking is an affordable bereavement care intervention that may prove beneficial in improving grief responses and the related physical and psychological symptoms. A physical activity, such as walking, is a type of activity that is easily performed that may ultimately reduce the effects of stress, decrease depression, and improve mood in persons who have experienced the death of a loved one. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the Roy Adaptation Model. </p><p> The purpose of this study was to decrease the severity of grief related symptoms associated after the death of a loved one using an acute three-week walking regimen and comparing baseline responses to walking completion responses on the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (TRIG). A convenience sample of 62 persons in southeastern Georgia who had experienced the loss of a loved one participated in the three-week walking regimen. The results showed no statistical improvement in grief scores after a three-week walking program.</p>

<p> This study explores the psychological dynamics associated with labor and birth in order to better understand the role these experiences play in women&rsquo;s psychological development. This research study utilized interpretative phenomenological analysis as a research methodology and sought to address the following questions through the theoretical perspective of psychoanalysis and social constructionism: How does the experience of pregnancy and birth impact the subjectivity of women? How do women make sense of these experiences? What role does the body play in women&rsquo;s psychological development? Does the experience of childbirth mark a unique developmental phase in the psychological life of women? In this research study, six women were asked to describe their birth narrative in full and respond to a series of open-ended questions. The results of this study indicate that pregnancy and childbirth is a porous developmental period associated with fears about capacity and feelings of omnipotence as well as multiple losses and a new sense of self. One of the more significant findings of this study is that the experience of labor and birth is felt by many women to involve feelings associated with encountering death. This finding may lead to increased understanding of why pregnancy and childbirth results in fragmentation for some women, while it appears to be a catalyst for increased subjectivity and maternal embodiment for other women.</p>

<p>The purpose of writing Pastoral Health and Burnout: Spiritual Maturity, Emotional Health, and Physical Environment is to integrate biblical and psychological insights to test three suspected factors of burnout among senior pastors. This is accomplished through the creation of the Ream Pastoral Health Scale (RPHS), a 60-question Likert scale survey designed to assess the health of a senior pastor according to spiritual maturity, emotional health, and physical environment. The RPHS was validated using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The MBI is a nationally recognized assessment tool for measuring burnout in the secular word. Eighty-three Christian and Missionary Alliance senior pastors from various districts in the United States were surveyed with the Ream Pastoral Health Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Strong correlations were found between the RPHS and the MBI.

<p> Text messaging may offer a useful tool for shaping psychotherapy homework compliance. Patients may send text messages to report compliance and psychotherapists may respond with text messaged verbal praise. In this analog study, the effects of text message reporting and reinforcement on homework compliance behavior were examined. Ninety-four college students, who agreed to attend two lectures about stress management, were asked to complete a daily, five-minute online relaxation exercise between lectures. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. In one group, they were not asked to report on completion of the exercise. In the second group, they were asked to report their daily completion of the exercise via text message. They did not receive responses. In the third group, they were asked to send text message reports and they also received text message responses containing praise. Compliance was measured through objective monitoring of online relaxation exercise use. It was expected that receiving text messaged praise would lead to greater homework compliance. It was also anticipated that simply being asked to send text message reports would improve compliance. As predicted, homework compliance was significantly greater in the group that received text messaged praise. However, significant differences were not found between the other two groups. Rapport did not differ between the groups and there was no relationship found between rapport and compliance. Based upon these results, it was concluded that text message reporting with reinforcement may be helpful in improving psychotherapy homework compliance.</p>

<p> Although the association between child maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been demonstrated in the literature, additional examination is needed to investigate cognitive processes that contribute to the development of NSSI. Four early maladaptive schemas (Emotional Deprivation, Mistrust/Abuse, Social Isolation/Alienation, and Insufficient Self-Control) have been found to be related to NSSI history (Castille et al., 2007) and have also been investigated as cognitive processes associated with the development of NSSI. The aim of the current study was to test if Emotional Deprivation, Mistrust/Abuse, Social Isolation/Alienation, and Insufficient Self-Control early maladaptive schemas (EMS) statistically predict NSSI in the context of childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and also to test whether the each of the four relevant EMS mediated the association between CEA and NSSI in a community adult sample. Participants were 516 U.S. adults recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk, aged 18 and 74. Emotional Deprivation, Mistrust/Abuse, Social Isolation/Alienation, and Insufficient Self-Control EMS and CEA severity differed significantly by NSSI history status. Although Emotional Deprivation, Mistrust/Abuse EMS did not statically predict NSSI frequency, Social Isolation/Alienation and Insufficient Self-Control EMS were found to be associated with NSSI history and frequency. As CEA was not associated with NSSI frequency, models investigating Emotional Deprivation, Mistrust/Abuse, Social Isolation/Alienation, and Insufficient Self-Control EMS as mediators of the association between CEA and NSSI frequency were not testable. However, CEA was found to statistically predict NSSI history, and Social Isolation/Alienation and Insufficient Self-Control EMS were identified as mediators of this relationship, although Emotional Deprivation and Mistrust/Abuse EMS were not. These findings can guide treatment providers by identifying relevant EMS, and informing how the related cognitive distortions may be organized, and how cognitive restructuring can be used to target the EMS and related cognitions to decrease triggers and maintenance of NSSI behaviors, especially in the context of CEA.</p>

<p> This study examined whether an online adaptation of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) that consisted of two brief exercises (body scan and breathing) could reduce perceived stress and increase traits of mindfulness in a sample of civilian employees who experience high stress. There were 205 employees who volunteered for the study. Using a stratified random assignment procedure, they were assigned to an intervention group and received an 8-week, online mindfulness training program, or to a control group and received their company's standard stress management program. Stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale; mindfulness was measured using the Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire, Short Form. Measures were administered at pre- and post-test. A repeated measures ANOVA with group type as the between subjects factor indicated that the intervention (MBSR) group had significant reductions in stress, and significant increases in traits of mindfulness, compared to the control group. The results suggest that an online adaptation of the MBSR program can produce positive results that are comparable to those found in studies that used the full version of the program. The results demonstrate that a modified mindfulness training program could be used to address the mental health needs for military service members.</p>

<p> Depression is a serious condition experienced by many individuals diagnosed with coronary heart disease (CHD). Depression after CHD diagnosis has been associated with poor cardiac prognosis, cardiac mortality, and is postulated to influence adherence to physician recommendations, including attendance at cardiac rehabilitation programs. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an empirically supported secondary intervention for cardiac patients and is recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) to reduce disease progression, however many CR participants do not complete. A number of studies have investigated depression and phase II CR programs. The goal of the current systematic literature review and meta-analysis was to explore the association between depression and phase II CR completion. A literature search cross-referenced three electronic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, <i>Dissertation Abstracts International</i>) up through December 2014. Studies quantifying an association between depression and phase II CR completion were reviewed. After duplicate studies were removed and study inclusion criteria applied, 17 observational studies with 19 independent samples consisting of 30,586 cardiac patients remained for meta-analysis. A random-effects model found a moderate inverse relationship between depression and phase II CR completion (<i>g</i> = -.44, 95% CI -.59 to -.29), indicating that depressed CR patients were significantly less likely to complete their program. A minor amount of publication bias was detected with a funnel plot and trim-and-fill analysis. No significant moderator variables were detected.</p>

<p> Sexual Violence is a major problem in America, particularly on college campuses, and following an event of this kind, survivors are likely to turn to peers for support. This study examined the possibility that media-induced self-objectification may affect the ways that women perceive, and therefore react to, victims of rape.</p><p> We pilot tested media images that were grouped into those representing high-objectification, low-objectification, and control images without people in them. These differed in level of objectification, but were similar in other areas, such as visual appeal. Our main study sought to elicit differential self-objectification processes in women through the use of these images. We expected that heightened self-objectification would lead to less sympathy and support and more blame for a victim of rape. We also expected that these relationships would be moderated by rape myth acceptance and body dissatisfaction. </p><p> Our manipulation of sexually objectifying media did not elicit differential self-objectification processes in our sample. However, self-objectification, regardless of media exposure, was related to higher levels of sympathy and support for a rape victim. We also found evidence that self-objectification was related to victim-blaming attitudes, when controlling for rape myth acceptance. </p>