As pornography has become more widespread, young people are being exposed to pornography at earlier ages. Research examining the relationship between timing of exposure to pornography and outcomes in adulthood of mental health, life satisfaction, sexual behavior and attitudes, and pornography viewing patterns is limited. This study focuses on the relationship between timing of exposure to pornography and individual outcomes in adulthood. Results indicate that earlier exposure to pornography may significantly influence mental health, life satisfaction, sexual behavior and attitudes, and pornography viewing patterns in adulthood. Implications of this study include greater awareness of the risks of early exposure to pornography and unrestrained access to sexually explicit material for young people.

The purpose of this content analysis was to analyze the past 25 years of research in two major social work journals, Social Work and Research on Social Work Practice, to provide a status update on the amount of ethnic-focused research being published within the discipline. This analysis examined trends in ethnic-focused publications, the change across time in percent of focused articles, the top topics studied, per ethnic group, the top funded topics, most and least involved funding agencies, geographical groupings of focused samples, the setting of the samples, measures used, and the percentage of samples based in a clinical versus non-clinical setting. Results showed there has been continued growth and improvement in quality and quantity of minority-focused research in both journals, although there is still room for growth within the discipline towards increased multicultural competence. While the majority of focused research studied African American and Latinos, little attention was given to Asian and Native American populations. Furthermore, while almost twice as many focused articles were funded, compared to non-focused articles, the types of topics being funded are still not as representative of the needs of ethnic minority populations as they could be. While the increase in ethnic focused research over the past 25 years is promising, additional focus within the field is warranted. Suggestions are given to improve the quality and quantity of ethnic-focused research over time.

This study is focused on clients' daily experiencing of stress, and measures how this stress might affect their implementation of ideas and recommendations from therapy. Typically, clients attend therapy with the intention of making positive changes. Part of the therapeutic process involves clients completing therapeutic work in their daily lives (Conklin, Strunk, Cooper, 2017); however, stressful tasks and other elements often preclude this therapeutic work from occurring (Kazantzis & L'Abate, 2005). In this study we examine which interventions from therapy are most likely to be attempted at home, and the level of stress in making these attempts. A series of multi-level models were used, controlling for daily stress and examining partner effects. This study will be viewed from the conceptual lenses of window of tolerance (Siegel, 1999) and the Yerkes-Dodson law (Hanoch, Vitouch, 2004) on stress.

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The development of a personal theory of therapy and change is an integral part of the training and educational philosophies of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Utah State University. This personal theory attempts to identify and explain each student's beliefs regarding the specific mechanisms by which change occurs, thus providing a therapeutic backbone from which one may integrate various interventions, ideas, concepts, and approaches to therapy. As one engages in the process of integration, it becomes critical for students to evaluate their performances. A thorough self-evaluation that includes the utilization of scientific methods leads to the development of important scientist-practitioner skills that may be difficult to obtain through any means. This study was designed to elucidate and investigate a single therapist's utilization and integration of hope theory in an effort to increase his ability to find, nurture, and engender greater hope in family therapy. Three individuals who presented for therapeutic services at the Utah State University marriage and family therapy clinic participated in the study. Eight therapy sessions were conducted. Each session was videorecorded and coded with an intervention checklist. The Outcome Questionnaire 45.2, Personal and Family Information Form, case notes, teammate/supervisory observation notes, personal reflection journal, DVD reflection journal, homework assignments, and a hope scaling question were used to assess hope as well as the therapist's decision-making process. The results of this study suggest that the therapist applied and integrated interventions consistent with hope theory during the course of therapy, which appeared to be beneficial to clients. The decision-making process of the therapist and the effects of the integration and utilization of hope theory upon the therapist were revealed. Other findings, implications, and limitations are discussed.

This study was completed to better understand and treat couples wherein one partner suffers from chronic migraines. I interviewed eight couples about their experiences in dealing with migraines as a patient, as a partner, and together. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed by a team of seven researchers. We developed a theory that can be used to understand how patients and their partners adapt to chronic migraines. The theory was grounded in the experiences of the patients and partners who were interviewed. We found that patients and partners alike dealt with burdens and costs associated with chronic migraines. Coping, healthcare, couple experience, and identity were found to be the means through which patients and partners adapted to their burdens. These concepts are broken down and discussed in greater detail. A model is provided that can be used to create a visual representation of how well a couple deals with migraines. Suggestions for couples who are dealing with chronic migraines, and for medical providers and therapists who work with couples affected by chronic migraines, are provided.

Dialogue is a conversation situated in a view of existence as relational (Bakhtin, 1981; Buber, 1970). As a result, it evokes love—love as the constant companion to human experience that allows for collaboration, co-existence, and evolution (Maturana & Verden-Zöller, 2008). Dialogue, and its potential to generate love, offers persons the ability to understand how love can be activated within relationships and in daily encounters as a result of dialogical engagement. It also holds implications for the field of family therapy, including the nature and purpose of therapy, as well as training and practice. In order to understand how love and dialogue evoke one another, each was explored as a concept. Dialogism, the foundational philosophy of dialogue as articulated by its principle contributors, Mikhail Bakhtin (1981) and Martin Buber (1970), provides a relational, ontological context for dialogue as a conversation. Love, as an experience of shared humanity—as a “bumping into” humanity’s “collective consciousness” (Gumbrecht, Maturana, & Poerksen, 2006), initiates, fuels, and emerges within dialogue. Love and dialogue are foundational to human existence and therefore cannot be separated. This recognition results in an acceptance of love-as-dialogue. Love-as- dialogue presents individuals with a way of living that orients them toward engagement. It also invites family therapists into a conversation about therapy as a meeting of human beings and therefore as being situated in love.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, and household dysfunction. Much has been reported about the detrimental outcomes associated with these experiences. The associated negative outcomes of ACEs can include addiction, suicide, disability, teenage pregnancy, and early death. However, it is well known that many people experience ACEs and do very well. Rather than viewing negative outcomes only as symptoms of trauma and positive outcomes only as signs of resilience, it is possible to consider adaptations. This study focused on how adults adapted to their adverse childhood experiences. Data were collected based on semistructured interviews with nine members of the ACEs Connection Social Network, an online support group. The data were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. A grounded theory then emerged from data, supporting the adaptation construct.

Human trafficking is prevalent globally, nationally and locally. In the state of Florida, there are many victims of domestic and international human trafficking. Therapists work in settings where they come in contact with victims of human trafficking while they are still in captivity. However, many therapists lack the training and resources to identify victims of human trafficking in the therapeutic setting, and so many of these victims go unidentified. While there are several human trafficking identification tools, none are designed exclusively for therapists to identify both international and domestic victims of sex trafficking. To address this need, I developed the Roberts Human Trafficking Tool (RHTT). This assessment used a collaborative approach for therapists to identify youths who are domestic and international victims of sex trafficking. This project utilized one action research cycle to obtain therapists’ feedback and suggestions for the improvement of the tool. To do this, I trained four stakeholders who were human trafficking therapists in South Florida on the assessment who utilized it among themselves and provided feedback for its advancement. This feedback was used to make changes to improve the tool. The findings indicate that the Roberts Human Trafficking Tool is a unique and interactive tool that helps break barriers in working with the human trafficking population. An important prerequisite for the effective utilization of the RHTT assessment is training therapists on human trafficking and on utilizing the tool.

Although research has been conducted on journaling, spirituality and art making separately, few studies investigate the potential for these modalities when combined together in a therapeutic context. This investigation explored the way that combining art making and journaling can contribute to spiritual growth and development during times of transformation. Specifically, by using self study and archival research approaches to conduct a systematic analysis of 5 of my previous journals and 5 of my previous art pieces which were created during times of transformation. Components illustrating spiritual growth such as contemplation, awareness, meaning making, connection, externalization, values and beliefs (Aten, 2011; Bryne & McKinlay, 2012; Hieb, 2005; Wiggins, 2011) were indicated. During this investigation, spirituality was examined through transpersonal and existential perspectives. The findings of this study suggest that examining a person’s core values, beliefs and how they seek meaning and connection with others is beneficial because it may be the source of unproductive thoughts, behaviors and feelings which motivate an individual to seek psychotherapeutic treatment. This study also illuminates the potential for spiritual development and maturation in spaces of disconnection.