<p> The discontinuation of intercollegiate athletics teams at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, II, and III institutions has been tracked by the NCAA national office for decades. From 1988-89 through 2014-15, the men&rsquo;s sport with the greatest net loss of teams throughout all NCAA divisions was wrestling. While a body of research exists that examines factors cited by campus and athletic administrators as reasons that lead to the discontinuation of NCAA sports, the actual lived experience of college student-athletes in the wake of sport elimination has garnered little attention. After a sport is discontinued, the NCAA also ceases to examine the academic progress, retention, or persistence to degree of those Division I student-athletes. Retrospective interviews with twelve Division I wrestlers provide insight into their experience and changes in identity following sport elimination. </p><p> The contextual framework includes a review of the role of intercollegiate athletics in higher education, summary of current NCAA structure, discussion of the economics of Division I athletics, overview of the ancient origins of wrestling, and examination of the structure of modern intercollegiate and club wrestling programs. </p><p> First-generation college students negotiate and construct multiple identities while navigating the university experience. Since participation in athletics is commonly used as a springboard for social mobility and access to the cultural capital of higher education, this project explored the experience of both first-generation and non-first-generation NCAA Division I wrestlers. This research privileges the voices of college student-athletes who candidly shared personal insights after the elimination of a sport that provided a significant source of their identity. Research was designed to expand the literature on the experience and identity of first-generation college students, contribute to the development of a robust body of work on the specific experience of first-generation college student-athletes at NCAA Division I institutions, and provide recommendations for campus and athletic administrators considering the elimination of an intercollegiate sport. </p><p> While sport discontinuation is usually considered to be an event (the elimination of a team on a particular date), findings in this study suggest that sport discontinuation might be better viewed as a process with ripple effects that last for years. The decision to eliminate a team requires thoughtful consideration of the effect it will have on the experience and identity of individual student-athletes. To mitigate the short-term and long-term effects of sport discontinuation, it is recommended that institutions establish and maintain support services specifically for the affected student-athletes in the months prior to and years following the announcement of the elimination of the team.</p>

<p> The researcher used phenomenological psychological analysis to explore the experiences of recovery from childhood psychosocial trauma of seven adult participants through the use of Experiential Reframing (ER). ER is a psychotherapeutic modality of clinical significance because it may allow patients to overcome the amygdaloidal <i>hijacking</i> and distorted meanings incident to traumagenic triggers in a relatively short-term intervention. The recollected experiences of participants&rsquo; before, during and after interventions were collected through semi-structured interviews. Study results were then tied to neurobiological research that might correspond with the phenomenological experiences of participants. Before treatment experiences of participants were marked by phobic relationships to anxiety and other emotions. The protocol served to reveal to patients the relationship between past experiences and current dysfunction. Post treatment, participants had new experiences of trigger events, specifically an ability to stay present to current experience, theorized to be the result of successful enough reconfiguring of autonomic system responses to certain somatosensory-based cues. The phenomenology of recovery was that there was a sudden shift that opened up the ability to deploy an observing ego perspective in the aftermath of (previously) trauma triggering events, but that the process was quite effortful for the first few times. While the experience of effortful mediation of experience in the aftermath of a trauma trigger never went away entirely for participants the process did become easier. Phobic positions with respect to emotions and anxiety dissolved, latent anxiety lowered, and lives opened up.</p>

<p> Diagnosis of cancer found in a child impacts not only the child being diagnosed, but the siblings, parents, and family as a whole. The purpose of this thesis project was to write a grant in order to fund the development and implementation of a support group for parents who have children with cancer. In partnership with Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, the program would create a 6 week long support group that would provide parents with skills, resources, and interventions needed to parent a child diagnosed with cancer. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was selected as a funder because of the foundation's dedication to promote the health, happiness and well-being of children. This grant reviews the challenges parents have as well as the positive impact this program could have on the parents and their children. Submission and funding of this grant were not requirements of successful completion of this project. </p>

<p> This study focused on the perceptions of K-12 school counselors on learned helplessness in children and families in rural areas. There has been research on learned helplessness, children in rural areas, and studies on school counselors; however, there is a lack of research on the counselor's perceptions of learned helplessness in children and families in rural areas. Therefore, this study was different than previous studies on learned helplessness, and it fills a gap in the literature. This study used the interpretive-constructivist approach. The experiences and perceptions of participants provided answers to the central research question, by providing their subjective observations of learned helplessness in the children and families in their rural areas. Data was collected for this study through face-to-face interviews with volunteer participants privately to ensure protection and confidentiality of participants. Bracketing was used to reduce the impact of research bias in this study, along with note-taking techniques and audio tapes, transcribed by the researcher using NVIVO software. Transcripts were reviewed, patterns were identified, and themes were categorized using codes as the researcher looked for connections among the themes. Themes that emerged included parental involvement, generational cycles and patterns, grandparents raising grandkids, poverty, helping agencies, cultural and community norms and lifestyles, beliefs and value systems, and drugs and substance abuse. The theme most discussed by the eight participants was in relation to parental involvement in the child's life, both positive and negative. Parental involvement was discussed by participants 70 times during the eight hours of face-to-face interviews. According to participants of this study, both the positive and the negative involvement by the parent is the number one influence of learned helplessness in the child's life.</p><p>

There are contrasting views from Freudian, humanistic, and feminist theorists regarding whether therapist self-disclosure (TSD) affects the relationship between the therapeutic alliance (TA) and dropout of substance abuse treatment by males. However, there is a paucity of research regarding these topics yet therapists need clear empirical support for the use of TSD in enhancing the TA such that dropout can be averted. This study investigated whether or not TSD moderated the relationship between perceived TA and dropout expectancy. The research participants were 132 men attending residential substance abuse treatment. Four groups of men were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental conditions. One of 2 statements was read to the participants that described the TA as weak or strong. After reading 1 of these statements, participants watched 1 of 2 DVDs (7 minutes each). The DVDs depicted 2 males role-playing an intake session. One DVD included TSD and the TSD was edited out of the other DVD. After watching the DVD, participants responded to the question of whether or not they would continue treatment with the depicted therapist. Results from hierarchical logistic regression indicated that weak TA was a good predictor of dropout expectancy. TSD did not significantly affect research participants' opinions regarding whether or not they would continue treatment with the depicted therapist. Therefore, results from the present study do not support views that TSD should be used or avoided. This study can contribute to positive social change by reinforcing an important process (building a strong therapeutic alliance) that contributes to treatment completion. People who complete substance abuse treatment are more likely to manage or abstain from their addictions and to become fully functioning and positively contributing members of society than those that dropout.

Divorce and marital distress remain significant issues within the United States. Since the 1990s, a substantial body of literature has developed on the subject of premarital counseling. That literature provides solid evidence of the effectiveness of premarital counseling as a tool in reducing the odds of divorce. In spite of this evidence, usage of premarital counseling by prospective couples is relatively low The profession of social work is actively involved in marital and family therapy, helping to repair the effects of marital and familial conflict. Yet, social work is bypassing the role it could play in prevention with regards to divorce and marital distress. The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and practices of social workers regarding premarital counseling in an effort to assess and describe the readiness of social workers to promote the usage of premarital counseling as a tool to prevent divorce Using a web-based, self-administered survey called the Social Worker Premarital Counseling Survey (SWPCS), social workers in Louisiana responded to 34 questions. 183 subjects responded. 67% of respondents were White and 31% were Black. 86% were women and 62% possessed the highest level of licensure (LCSW). Respondents resided in either the Greater New Orleans area or the Greater Baton Rouge area Overall, subjects in this study revealed a high degree of readiness. Results showed that social workers in this sample believe divorce is a major problem, they believe premarital counseling helps couples to stay together, they are willing to be providers, they are willing to accept referrals from clergy, they feel comfortable doing premarital counseling, and they are willing to promote it within the community in several ways. Chi square tests revealed significant relationships in specific areas The findings suggest that the social work community is an untapped reservoir of assistance in our nation's struggle to prevent the ravages of divorce and marital distress and its multi-faceted effects on adults and children. Recommendations for future research and training are offered along with suggested changes to public policy relating to premarital counseling / acase@tulane.edu

<p> There has been a rash of divorce among Nigerian Igbo immigrants. This was unheard of several years ago in a community whose culture frowned upon divorce. While some have examined factors affecting divorce, this study investigates those couples who remained married in the whirlwind of the divorce around them. </p><p> This phenomenological study reports the lived experience of nine Nigerian Igbo immigrant couples who live in the Houston area metropolis and who have been married for 20 years or more. Data from two clergymen who also live in the Houston metropolitan area and who have ministerial duties for the Nigerian Igbo community were utilized. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. Giorgi&rsquo;s psychological phenomenological method (1985) was used to analyze data. </p><p> The analysis of the data from participating couples yielded the following 15 essential structures: successful navigation of problems related to extended family, understanding that every marriage is unique with no comparison, mutual trust and understanding, appreciation of the marriage experience, communication, living within ones means, ability to be flexible and dynamic, team work, eliminating interference from others, infidelity, involvement in spiritual and religious activities, seeing marriage as a learning process, finances, raising of children , and acculturation issues. Participating clergy identified these six structures: ability to forgive and to tolerate, preference to go to the priest or religious leader, awareness of unacceptability of divorce, effective management of issues surrounding sex, being constantly aware of the love element in marriage, and managing the over inflated image of a cozy life in the US. </p><p> This study&rsquo;s finding did not differ greatly from other studies on long-term marriages. The results support the conclusion that there may be cross cultural similarity in structural factors fostering marriage longevity. The results did, however, indicate some uniqueness germane to the acculturation of this immigrant population in the areas of extended family, upbringing of children, gender roles, and male patriarchal hegemony. This underscores the need for counselors to consider cultural context when looking at marriage longevity. The Nigerian couples in this study also acknowledged that the above listed structures may have either a positive or negative impact on marriage stability.</p>

<p> Emerging adulthood is recognized as a growing developmental stage that varies within and across cultures. Existing research generally characterizes this period as one of identity exploration, instability, self-reflection, and optimism. For many in this cohort, life events that were once organized into a stable sequence such as entering the workforce, marriage, and having children are increasingly a highly individualized and somewhat unstructured trajectory. This lack of structure provides opportunities and potential challenges to those transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. To this end, experiential acceptance may be an important target skill for intervention in guiding emerging adults through this tumultuous period. </p><p> Experiential acceptance is multiply defined in the literature, but is generally understood to be a present-focused approach that encourages a willingness to engage with one&rsquo;s moment-to-moment experience, nonjudgment of moment-to-moment experiencing, and nonattachment to thoughts or feelings. This focus may be useful for both therapists to use as an intervention tool in helping clients to form an integrated sense of self; a developmental task that is predictive of mental health in young adults. Despite the apparent fit between experiential acceptance and the emerging adult age range, no studies to date have explored experiential acceptance as an intervention with this population. </p><p> Accordingly, the purpose of the current study was to qualitatively explore how therapists facilitate experiential acceptance with emerging adult clients. A sample of 5 client-therapist pairs from community counseling centers was selected, and two videotaped therapy sessions for each participant pair were analyzed. Inductive content analysis was employed, using open coding and abstraction methodology to create a hierarchy of themes. Results indicated that experiential acceptance, overall, was rarely employed by trainee therapists in psychotherapy sessions with emerging adults. The one parent theme that emerged across participants was termed Increasing Awareness. Comments aimed at increasing flexibility in thinking were also observed, but not across participants. It is hoped that this study will provide foundational information on experiential acceptance use in psychotherapy with emerging adults, which could be used to promote more attention to skill and theory integration in clinical training and spur future research on experiential acceptance use in therapy-as-usual.</p>

<p> The abstract is not available from PDF copy and paste.</p>

<p> This thesis examines how the current psychological collective conceptualizes, addresses, and makes clinical use of the wounded healer archetype as it occurs in and influences the vocation of psychotherapy. The universal, historic significance of the wounded healer archetype is explored as well as its manifestation in the psychotherapist, the degree to which the therapist&rsquo;s wounds define countertransference, and the effect on client therapy outcome. Research on the psychological community&rsquo;s recognition and encouragement of exploration of the psychotherapist&rsquo;s woundedness is included. A heuristic approach applied to unraveling the mythological wounded healer archetype finds that it may dwell in the psyche of any human. The author concludes that wounded healers who&mdash;for myriad unpredictable reasons&mdash;follow the vocation of psychotherapy may benefit the psychological community by understanding the clinical and neuroscientific evidence suggesting that their own wounds underwrite countertransference and can be accessed and used as a potent tool in their practice.</p>