Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-02, Section: B, page: 1310. Adviser: Dorothy L. Espelage. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-87) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

<p> Clinical supervision serves as the centerpiece in clinical training in which client welfare is assured and professional development is facilitated (Falender &amp; Shafranske, 2004). While it is expected that clinical training be of high quality, some events or experiences may occur in clinical supervision that strain the supervisory alliance, hinder supervisees' growth, and contribute to a poor experience of supervision, adversely affecting its effectiveness. These events or experiences are considered to be counterproductive experiences (CEs). This study explored the beliefs of 8 experts in clinical supervision regarding CEs in supervision. The study employed Q-sort methodology and completed the first four steps necessary for the development of a preliminary scale of CEs. The results of this study suggest that each of the counterproductive experiences identified in the literature negatively impact supervision in the opinions of the experts. While specific items pertaining to ethical lapses and boundary crossings were found to have the greatest impact on supervision, events involving a mismatch between the supervisor's and supervisee's approach to learning were also believed to significantly impact the process of supervision. </p>

<p> The purpose of this inquiry was to develop an understanding of psychodynamic perspectives, which would serve as a lens for the conceptualization of clinician compassion fatigue. A Gadamerian hermeneutic methodology provided the process, which also paralleled a psychoanalytic psychological stance. A theoretical description of the psychodynamic nature of the experience of the clinician in terms of self and other in the clinical moment emerged through several themes, which referenced the expanded understanding of compassion fatigue. The results offer a new view of psychodynamic psychology with application to the phenomenon of compassion fatigue. </p><p> The intersubjective field was investigated through select depth psychological, nursing, medical, and philosophical textual analyses, which revealed implications of the therapist&rsquo;s subjectivity, empathy, the therapeutic relationship and presence, compassion, countertransference phenomena, and the analytic field. The hermeneutic nature of this qualitative study concurrently brought the lived experience into the process, which both enriched the process itself and ultimately the findings. The rationale for the inquiry included contributing to the development of psychological theory on the psychodynamic nature of compassion fatigue, in particular with clinical relevance to those treating the traumatized or otherwise suffering, and supporting the development and sustainability of a cadre of clinical providers in the field individually, in the nation, or globally. </p><p> Implications of conceptual understanding of psychodynamic processes were illustrated in clinical practice and organizational systems. Suggestions for systems policy development extended the findings to the organizational field. Recommendations for areas of further research including methodological considerations were delineated. </p><p> <i>Key words:</i> analytic field, compassion, compassion fatigue, countertransference, empathy, intersubjective, embodied presence, psychodynamic, vicarious traumatization</p>

<p> One of the many theories that have been developed to explain the cognitive and behavioral profile of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders is the Hypersystemizing theory. According to this theory, humans may present different cognitive and behavioral profiles, ranging from an extreme empathizing profile to an extreme systemizing profile. It is suggested that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), on average, present an extreme systemizing cognitive and behavioral profile when compared to neurotypical (NT) peers. Although this theory has been extensively tested through comparisons of NT males and females with males and females with Asperger's syndrome (AS), a comparison has not been performed with a clinical control group. As such, this study presents the first comparison of individuals with AS to a clinical control group composed of individuals with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on the Systemizing Quotient (SQ), a measure of systemizing. The results of the investigation indicate that individuals with AS obtain significantly higher scores than individuals with ADHD and NT individuals on the SQ. The results of the investigation lend support to the possibility that an above-average systemizing is unique to ASD and that this may be key to differentiating this disorder from other developmental disorders.</p>

<p> Homophobia in men may be, in part, due to reaction formation rooted in unacceptable same-sex attraction. Previous studies have not confirmed a covert same-sex attraction in homophobic men, which is necessary for a reaction formation theory of homophobia. This study sought to reveal possible covert same-sex attraction in homophobic men. In this study, heterosexual and homosexual male erotic images were presented in a passive S1/S2 stimulus prediction design to 48 self-identified heterosexual participants, grouped by homophobia. Three event-related potential responses related to valenced emotional processing were examined: the medial frontal negativity (MFN), the late positive potential (LPP), and the positive frontal slow wave (FSW). While homophobic men have a larger FSW in response to erotics across the board, <i>F</i>(1,46) = 3.88, <i>p</i> = .055, no significant interactions between homophobia and image content were found. As such, homophobic men may have more interest in erotic images in general, but this study does not demonstrate that homophobic men find homosexual erotics appetitive.</p>

<p> As with all psychological constructs in their infancy, it is important to operationalize a definition as part of the construct validation process. As a phenomenon that continues to gain recognition amongst the psychological community, Moral Injury (MI) is no different. Although Litz et al. (2009) introduced and defined MI as the "psychological, biological, spiritual, behavioral, and social impact of perpetrating, failing to prevent, or bearing witness to acts that transgress deeply held more beliefs and expectations," Drescher et al. (2011) found that a similar working definition was "inadequate" and lacked clarity according to trauma experts' opinion. The following exploratory, qualitative study attempts to validate and enhance the current definitional understanding of MI by identifying associated thematic signs and symptoms as reported by 100 randomly selected veterans from the Combat Subsample of the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS). Major themes generated by blind coders were compared with thematic signs and symptoms of MI as developed by Drescher et al. (2011). Although MI was not identified as a theme by coders, signs and symptoms of MI were identified throughout the data. </p>

<p>The purpose of this study is to examine the degree to which licensed psychologists are aware of the impact of shame as an underlying cause for various types of psychopathology in clinical and forensic settings. As a self-conscious emotion underlying numerous psychodynamic concepts, shame has largely been disregarded in the mostly behavior-based diagnoses described in the <i>Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association</i> (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). However there is significant research supporting the importance of shame for conceptualization in both clinical interventions and forensic assessments. In order to examine the degree of awareness of the concept of shame as presented in numerous forensic and clinical studies, a survey was designed and disseminated among members of the American Psychological Association, the California Psychological Association, the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, the Forensic Mental Health Association of California, and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. Although limited by small sample size, results indicated a general lack of appreciation of the importance of shame. Neither workplace setting, nor the type of educational background, nor the number of years in practice significantly predicted the number of questions answered correctly in the survey about shame. However, participants with a Psy.D. degree, in Institutional settings tended to answer guilt a significantly greater number of times than their Ph.D. non-institutional setting peers, particularly when they had been practicing for a shorter amount of time than those peers. </p>

<p> The present study is a critical analysis of the literature about motivation in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. This dissertation provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical and empirical literature on motivation to change in the treatment of anorexia nervosa, including discussion of the support for factors hypothesized to be associated with treatment motivation as well as identification of factors that require additional study. It will also provide conceptual clarity of motivation as a construct in anorexia nervosa treatment research. Current literature reveals how differences in the way motivation is conceptualized, studied, and assessed may limit our understanding of its role in anorexia nervosa treatment. Recommendations are therefore made regarding the adoption of a more consistent and shared understanding of the construct.</p>

<p> This qualitative research project (a) studied psychotherapists' and clients' subjective and intersubjective experiences of somatic empathic resonance, and (b) made observations on the nonverbal dynamics associated with this phenomenon. The applied definition of somatic empathic resonance was the felt sense of oscillating with another individual's emotions, thoughts, sensations, or experiences. Data were collected through psychotherapy session video recordings and post-session interviews. The interviews were analyzed through Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). IPA findings yielded themes related to tension-release dynamics, sensory-energetic experiences, and body areas associated with empathic resonance. Participants' reports of sensory-energetic phenomena were variously interpreted as nervous system sensations, awareness of sensory flows, awareness of bioelectromagnetic fields, and an experience of nondual consciousness. The nonverbal dynamics present in the video recorded psychotherapy sessions were studied. The observations indicated that various postural, gestural, facial, vocal, breathing, and cross-modal dynamics may be associated with moments of mutually reported empathic resonance. The study's limitations were outlined. Recommendations for future research were offered.</p>

<p> The purpose of this descriptive non-empirical dissertation was to examine the utility of the concept of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) to conceptualize, assess, and treat veterans returning from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) who have been exposed to traumatic event(s). Many have been exposed to unique traumatic factors, such as frequent deployments of greater length, urban combat theaters, and guerilla warfare. The prevalence of mental health disorders within this veteran population is high while utilization of services remains low. This body of work explores to what extent veterans present with trauma symptoms that may be different from PTSD as historically defined in the DSM system, and that more closely resemble CPTSD symptoms. CPTSD is a subset of psychological trauma that has a unique and broad range of disturbances affecting self-regulation, systems of meaning, and self-perception. The body of work presented here synthesizes the current literature on this veteran population, traumatic stress disorders and treatments, moral injury and moral distress, and betrayal trauma theory to present an argument in favor of the utility of the CPTSD concept. This dissertation may be used in the following ways: (a) to enhance the relevance and understanding of CPTSD specific to the returning veteran population, and (b) to serve as a framework for future research and implementation of a phase-based treatment. While available PTSD treatments may be applicable for these veterans, they do not account for emotion regulation deficits and, in some cases, may be contraindicated. Following a critical review of the literature, the researcher developed phase-based and skills-focused treatment protocol as a creative solution to bridge the gap between PTSD and CPTSD treatments. The potential limitations of the protocol are assessed and opportunities for future directions are presented.</p>