<p> Although recognition of the constellation of emotional and mental events that comprise trauma date back to the late 19th century, contemporary curative approaches are derived from World War II desensitization treatments for battle fatigue that appear today in exposure-based therapies. To bring trauma therapy up to date, application of a phenomenological research method to critique contemporary treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder requires a multisystemic approach to the mind&ndash;body constellation that is clinically informed by state-of-the-art neuroscientific research relating to the pathophysiology of trauma. Particularly important is understanding the necessity of cross-hemispheric integration of emotional and cognitive imprints that persist after traumatic events. Mindfulness-based therapies such as the metacognitive model, emotion-focused therapies, and breath training such as samatha meditation techniques as well as the incorporation of somatic and ecopsychological approaches such as saltwater immersion are all effective, long-term, compassionate solutions that create lasting recovery from trauma and its adverse consequences to the life and well-being of the trauma victim.</p>

<p> Generation Y is one of the most studied generational cohorts in history, and much has been written about the psychology of this generation. Generation Y has been influenced by a number of factors, including the technological revolution, the economic recession, and the self-esteem movement. These factors have hindered Generation Y's psychological and maturational development. In addition, Generation Y shares many characteristics with the psychological archetype of the puer aeternus. Using hermeneutical and heuristic methodologies, this thesis focuses on the relationship between the puer aeternus archetype and the millennial generation, as well as the main factors contributing to Generation Y&rsquo;s delay in achieving traditional developmental milestones. Both psychological and demographical literature and research, along with personal experiences of the author, are incorporated to demonstrate the connection between Generation Y and the puer aeternus archetype, as well as to examine the critical factors that have influenced Generation Y&rsquo;s psychological and maturational development.</p>

<p> This thesis, through heuristic and artistic-creative modalities, explores embodiment in the intersection of Merleau-Ponty&rsquo;s sensuous phenomenology and depth psychology&rsquo;s archetypal feminine. The research argues that illness evokes or re-members the often unconscious relationship with the body that is the legacy of Cartesian dualism. The author references her own experience with multiple sclerosis to found the premise of the work&mdash;that meaning making of self and world is done through and by way of one&rsquo;s perceiving body. As illness shifts the taken-for-granted sedimentations of the lived body, in tandem a new lived body and surrounding world must be oriented to and made meaningful. Following a scholarly inquiry of Merleau-Ponty and the archetypal feminine, three art pieces are presented. Based upon radical reflection, the art represents the author&rsquo;s embodied coinherence with her surroundings, and points to conclusions and principles to bear in mind while working clinically with the chronically ill.</p>

<p> This thesis explores whether the coach-athlete relationship can be viewed as a relationship of attachment within which one can develop self-awareness, self-regulation, response flexibility, and resilience. Using hermeneutic and heuristic methodology, the findings suggest that an attachment-based approach to coaching can help coaches and athletes update their internalized models of attachment and move toward greater attachment security and earned security. Developing and integrating the brain structures associated with secure attachment, such as the insula and the right hemisphere of the brain, can lead to resilience, mental toughness, and performance enhancement in sport. Drawing from the literature on attachment, interpersonal neuroscience, and sport psychology, this thesis proposes a new model for training athletes called Attachment Based Coaching (ABC). ABC methods focus on attunement, resonance, contingent communication, breath, meditation, and mindfulness as well as interventions based on the psychological skills training approaches of relaxation, goal setting, imagery, and self-talk.</p>

<p> This study examined the relationship between compassion fatigue, how Cognitive Behavioral oriented therapists are, self-efficacy, how positively respondents viewed their time spent in therapy, and caseload. Surveys were mailed out to 400 doctorate level clinical psychologists licensed in Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri. Respondents completed the Compassion Fatigue Self-Test for Psychotherapists, a demographics form, and a self-efficacy measure. Results indicated that the more positive therapists viewed their time spent in therapy, the lower their risk for compassion fatigue. Also, analyses found that clinicians who reported having a higher percentage of clients with a personality disorder diagnosis would be a higher risk for compassion fatigue.</p>

<p> Therapist self-awareness is widely regarded by educators and clinicians as an essential factor that allows psychotherapists to treat clients effectively (Ridley, Mollen, &amp; Kelly, 2011b). Accordingly, a central goal of therapist training is to increase self-awareness, which is believed to lead to important training outcomes, such as stronger trainee self-efficacy in clinical abilities (e.g., Barnes, 2004; Daniel, Roysircar, Abeles, &amp; Boyd, 2004). Despite this common belief, there is a scarcity of theory and research on the role of self-awareness in affecting therapist training outcomes (Pieterse, Lee, Ritmeester, &amp; Collins, 2013). Using a Social Cognitive Model of Counselor Training (SCMCT; Larson, 1998) as a guiding theoretical framework, the present study examined therapist trainees' self-awareness as a mediator in the relations of trainees' person variable (self-compassion) and training variables (clinical experience and supervisory rapport) to trainees' counseling self-efficacy (CSE). </p><p> Path analysis was conducted to analyze data from a sample of 466 graduate-level therapist trainees. Results showed that self-awareness partially mediated the relations of clinical experience and self-compassion to CSE. The mediation effect was not significant for supervisory rapport, although supervisory rapport did directly predict CSE. Post-hoc moderation analyses suggested that self-awareness might play a more significant mediational role for trainees with more clinical experience compared to trainees with less experience, and for trainees with more supervisory rapport versus trainees with less supervisory rapport. These findings provide valuable empirical support for self-awareness as a crucial factor in facilitating desirable training outcomes in therapist trainees. The importance of advancing theory and research in this area is highlighted. </p>

<p>Little research has been conducted examining the use of dream interpretation in brief psychotherapy. This study examined the efficacy of transpersonal dream interpretation methods taught in a brief workshop. A mixed-method, control-group design was used. Participants included male and female Americans of European, Hispanic and Asian descent. The mean age of participants was 39.5 with most having some college education. Quantitative data was collected using the Outcome Measures 30 (OQ30), the State of Hope Scale (SHS), and the Gains from Dream Session Questionnaire (GDSQ). Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interview questions and thematic analysis of participant dream journals. Repeated measures ANOVAs conducted on the OQ30 failed to demonstrate significant improvements within the dream work group compared to the control group. A paired sample t test failed to demonstrate measurable improvement within the dream work group compared to the control group. Participants noted some improvement in their responses to the GDSQ. The qualitative data collected indicated, based on subjective participant commentaries, that the dream work was considered useful by most of the workshop participants. Implications for further research are discussed. </p>

<p> Concussed adolescents face more challenges during managing their recovery than one anticipates. Concussions bring an increased susceptibility to depression and anxiety that is problematic if not detected early through empirically-based assessments that have direct implications on length of recovery. Counselors are essential in the recovery process to provide knowledge and clinical interventions to the client system, including parents. This study sheds light on this "silent injury" to better serve adolescents and their parents who are managing post-concussive symptoms through comprehensive approaches. This study is theoretical and conceptually based on the integration of four theoretical models: Self-Efficacy Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, the Social Cognitive Neuroscience Conceptual model, and the Biopsychosocial Model. This theoretical integration allowed the researcher to examine the overlapping factors to inform theoretical-based hypotheses such as: depression, anxiety, self-efficacy of the adolescent, parent self-efficacy, and premorbid diagnoses. It was hypothesized that an adolescent's self-efficacy and parent's self-efficacy would serve as mediating variables; and an adolescent's premorbid diagnoses would serve as a moderating variable. Findings indicated a statistically significant relationship between depression and length of recovery, suggesting that the more the adolescent is depressed, the longer their length of recovery. Results did not indicate a mediation or moderation effect of both mediators and moderators on anxiety or depression. There are many implications to this study's findings and lack thereof for mental health and school counselors, adolescents, parents, and neuropsychologists. Practitioners can successfully assess for anxiety and depression to decrease these symptoms and shorten length of recovery through building an adolescent's self-efficacy. This study also serves the foundation of research to start building additional studies to ultimately provide an evidence-based practice focusing on concussions and promoting self-efficacy. Currently, cognitive behavioral and behavioral therapy seem to be the prominent choices, and our field is in need of more evidence-based practices. Limitations and statistical analyses are discussed in the dissertation. This study contributes to concussion and practical counseling literature, filling a void that holds promise for future research.</p>

<p> Sexual dysfunction is a major clinical and social issue. There has been a lack of research literature exploring the treatment implications involved in conducting sex therapy with Orthodox Jewish couples. Many standard sex therapy treatment interventions are incongruent with the religious beliefs held by Orthodox Jewish individuals regarding what they consider to be sexually appropriate practices. In order to increase the probability of Orthodox clients getting the treatment they need, it is crucial for mental health clinicians to demonstrate a high-level of understanding, awareness, and sensitivity toward their clients' religious beliefs. By fostering a sense of appreciation and understanding of Orthodox Jewish sexual practices, the clinician can then gain the ability to increase their clients' level of trust, safety, comfort, and willingness to participate in the treatment process. This doctoral project explored the issues surrounding the provision of sex therapy to Orthodox Jewish couples, and aimed to bridge the gap between the research literature and clinical practice. The purpose of this project was to increase the level of awareness of mental health professionals regarding how Orthodox Jewish religious beliefs influence views about sexuality, understand the treatment implications that arise during sex therapy with Orthodox couples, and methods of effectively modifying standard sex therapy interventions by incorporating Jewish laws into the therapeutic process. The author also incorporated a summary of the clinical findings obtained from interviews conducted with four expert field consultants who have worked with Orthodox Jewish couples in their practices.</p>

<p> Play therapy is a growing form of counseling that allows children to express themselves in the most natural way possible. Virginia Axline (1969) applied Roger's person centered theory and core conditions (empathic, genuineness and honesty, unconditional positive regard) to working with children in a therapeutic setting calling it Child Centered Play Therapy. Landreth (2002) further explored and developed child-centered play therapy concepts and techniques and emphasized the art of the relationship between the child and the counselor. Extant research on the effects of CCPT with children with different diagnoses, age groups, and settings is well-documented. However, there is a dearth of information concerning using CCPT in a school setting with children of ages 3-6 who were identified by the teachers as experiencing behavioral difficulties. Thus, the purpose of the study was to see if CCPT would help change behaviors with students that were identified as having behavior difficulties in the classroom. Three teachers observed and identified 12 students in grades pre-kinder 3, 4, and Kindergarten with behavioral difficulties in the classroom. Each of the 12 students was selected to receive an intervention using CCPT. For each of the 12 students, one parent/guardian completed the Child Behavior Check List forms each week, and the respective classroom teacher completed the Caregiver-Teacher Report form each week for the 12-week duration of the study. A single case research design was used, which included three weeks of baseline observation, followed by six weeks of CCPT with treatment twice per week, and three weeks of post baseline observation. Findings revealed that play therapy was a highly effective treatment for reducing negative behaviors in most students. Parents' ratings of behaviors indicated an 88.30% improvement in behaviors, and 50% of teachers' ratings indicated improved behavior change after receiving CCPT. In summary, 71% of all scores indicated change in behavior. Under further evaluation during the post baseline stage of the study, 90% of parents and 80% of teachers rated the student's behavior as improved. The results are indicative of CCPT being a very efficacious treatment intervention for students in grades pre-kinder 3, 4, and Kindergarten.</p>