Client outcome research focuses primarily on three specific aspects of therapy: therapist technique, client behaviors and therapeutic interaction. The term "therapeutic interaction" focuses on the relationship between the counselor and the client, and is often ignored in client outcome research. Counselor specific contributions to the therapeutic process are called therapist characteristics may be an innovative way to assess how counselors' impact clients' outcomes in counseling. For the purposes of this study administering the Five Factor Wellness Evaluation of Lifestyle and the Outcome Questionnaire to master's level student counselors assessed therapist characteristics. The Outcome Questionnaire was administered to clients at a community-counseling clinic at two points and a delta score was calculated to create the variable "client outcome." In order to test the research hypotheses, 70 master's level counseling students completed both the Five Factor Wellness Evaluation of Lifestyle and the Outcome Questionnaire. These scores were then matched with master's level counseling students' client delta scores, which created the dependent variable. The results of the multiple regression analysis indicated no statistically significant relationship; therefore the null hypotheses were accepted as the constructs student counselor wellness and client outcomes were not related. Results of the study were summarized and discussed, limitations of the study were explored and recommendations for future research were proposed.

The breadth of interpersonal violence is continuously expanding. According to Broman-Fulks et al. (2006), current epidemiological studies estimate that between 50% and 70% of individuals in the United States have experienced some form of interpersonal violence during their lifetime. The occurrence of "traumatic incidents may create powerful affective responses in those who rescue, care for, and counsel the individuals directly affected" (Wilson & Lindy, 1994, p. 333). This emotional reactivity is especially prevalent among those that work with survivors of violent traumatic events (McCann & Pearlman, 1990). The variety of issues that mental health professionals encounter are multidimensional and include their work context, characteristics of their clients, and therapist variables. Due to such complexity, it is critical to consider the broad ramifications and scope of professional quality of life when addressing the outcomes of trauma work on mental health professionals. The purpose of this study was to analyze, through qualitative methodology, the professional quality of life of mental health professionals directly involved in the recovery efforts after the campus shootings that occurred at Virginia Tech on April 16th, 2007. A phenomenological research design was used to gather information regarding the experiences and perceptions of various mental health professionals. Two in-depth interviews were conducted to examine therapists' experiences regarding the vicarious exposure and growth potential involved in this work. Analysis from the data revealed two primary themes; changed perception due to shared traumatic exposure and the costs and benefits derived from trauma work. These themes depicted the professional consequences for mental health workers who have been directly affected by traumatic events and serve clients exposed to the same event. Findings indicate that self-awareness is a critical component to enhancing therapeutic lenses and professional and personal wellness. Further research considering the influence of shared exposure to trauma on mental health professionals could further our understanding of the professional and personal consequences of such work. This research could provide a guide for preparing current and future counselors and supervisors when working during times of crisis. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this dissertation study was to increase understanding of licensed mental health professionals' experiences as they have encountered and navigated through compassion fatigue (CF). CF is a complex construct with an attendant constellation of secondary stress responses. In order to examine the complex and varying factors associated with experiencing CF, the research was conducted using a grounded theory, qualitative approach and methodology. Nine licensed mental health professionals across the disciplines of marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, professional counseling, psychology, and social work were individually interviewed three times, for a total of at least 180 minutes. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed. As a result of the analyses, four main categories emerged, experiencing internal dissonance, recognizing and processing the effects, becoming intentional, and creating ongoing changes. Becoming intentional is the central category because of its central and pivotal relationship to the whole process of participants' experience of encountering and navigating through CF. This fulcrum punctuates participants' experiences leading up to becoming intentional and those which came after as delineated in the other three categories of the theory. Prior to becoming intentional, participants experienced internal dissonance, which escalated to distress or crisis. When this distress or crisis reached a point where it became untenable, participants recognized and processed the effects. One of the effects which participants came to recognize was a loss of internal locus of control. Becoming intentional served as a catalyst for participants to take action and recapture their locus of control. The process of becoming intentional is reflected in three practices, transforming perceptions, developing support, and making professional changes. These findings are applicable to a variety of models of counseling, supervision, counselor education, and clinical practice in either a single or interdisciplinary setting. / Graduation date: 2013

According to the American School Counseling Association (ASCA, 2010), school counselors are charged with meeting the academic, social/emotional and career needs of all students (2010). In addition, school counselors serve as the front line in dealing with trauma and crisis in their schools. Those counselors who understand the importance of their own wellness and practice healthy lifestyle behaviors are better equipped to meet these demands. Unfortunately, not all school counselors are practicing what they advocate for their students relative to promoting wellness in their own lives (O'Halloran & Linton, 2000). This lack of congruence, where school counselors are not modeling the positive lifestyle and self-care behaviors they expect of their students, may take a toll on counselors’ emotional health. Research has been conducted exploring counselor wellness through the lens of compassion fatigue and burnout, but there has been limited research from a strength-based perspective specifically with school counselors. This study aims to add to the literature and explore the experiences of individual school counselors who can prioritize and integrate wellness principles and self-compassion behaviors and have been able to persist in the profession for 10 years or more. Seven school counselors participated in semi-structured interviews that explored their experiences regarding wellness behaviors and the practice of self-compassion. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. Results indicated school counselors do integrate self-compassion and positive wellness behaviors. All participants shared several wellness practices such as, scheduling and modeling self-care, seeking out opportunities to increase their knowledge in the area of wellness as well as the practice of self-compassionate behavior.

The purpose of this manuscript style dissertation was to increase understanding of the experiences of counselor's with compassion fatigue as they participated in a yoga intervention. Compassion fatigue is a condition that creates both physical and psychological impairment as a result of working in the helping role. Yoga is an ancient body and mind practice that is thought to reduce various negative physical and psychological effects. In order to address how and why counselors with compassion fatigue were affected by a yoga intervention, research using an exploratory case study method was conducted. Four counselors were first interviewed for 45 minutes; next they participated in four 60 minute yoga classes, kept journals on their experience before and after each class, and finally participated in 60 minute focus groups. Five major themes emerged from the analysis of the qualitative data in response to the research question of how and why yoga impacted counselors with compassion fatigue: participating in both the intervention and the study, experiencing a change in how the counselors internally processed compassion fatigue, experiencing a reduction in compassion fatigue, experiencing a change in the counseling relationship, and experiencing a change in how they practice yoga. Counselor post-intervention scoring on the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) suggests lower secondary traumatic stress and burnout, and increased compassion satisfaction. In-depth qualitative interviews with participants further substantiated these findings. Both the literature review and case study provide implications for future research in the areas of compassion fatigue, counselor wellness, yoga interventions, and self-care. / Graduation date: 2013

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