<p>This thesis explores relational aggression within the context of the female gender. Relational aggression is addressed from an evolutionary, depth psychological, and research-oriented perspective. The question asked in this thesis is: Why do women participate in relational aggression against other women? This thesis uses hermeneutic and heuristic methodologies to excavate the feminine shadow. The author explores why women relationally aggress and examines the place of relational aggression within Western patriarchal society. Support for this work includes current research on relational aggression, exploration of objectification of the female gender, evolutionary theories, the depth psychological perspective, and personal thoughts. </p>

<p> This dissertation will discuss the research question, "What is the experience of providing therapy to sex abusers?" based on the results of a qualitative case study. A literature review will establish the preceding research related to sex abuse treatment. By filling a gap in previous research, this researcher seeks to encourage sex abuse treatment providers by authenticating their experiences, to provide valuable information to educators, as well as to inform legislators, the judiciary, and the general public about sex abuse treatment. Based on nine transcribed and analyzed interviews with providers of sex abuse treatment to adult male sex abusers who abuse children, this researcher discovered five themes and fourteen patterns within the providers' experiences. This study augments awareness of the field of sex abuse treatment as articulated by practicing providers.</p>

<p> Unemployment has been shown to have detrimental effects on the physical, psychological, and emotional health of unemployed men and women living in the United States. The purpose of this study was study the impact of long-term unemployment on a specific population of unemployed individuals, namely middle-aged, managerial-level U.S. males who had been involuntarily terminated from their employment.</p><p> This study found four main themes and subthemes related to the phenomenon. First, it was uncovered that the men had a shared Premonition of their eventual job loss. The second theme, Effects of Separation, detailed shared emotional, psychological, and physical effects the experience of being involuntarily separated and living through long-term unemployment had on the men. The symptoms presented in this study were categorized in subthemes of Initial Distress, Long-Term Distress, Duration of Distress, the Impact of Loss of Structure/Routine, Identity Changes, and at times some of the participants Switched to a Second-Person Narration.</p><p> The third theme, Coping with Unemployment, discussed shared strategies the men utilized to cope with their long-term unemployment experience including Retrospective Coping, Talking about the Experience Helps, Helping Others, Building Hope, and Understanding the Context of Unemployment: Age Discrimination, a subtheme that includes some participants' fears of age discrimination in their job search. The fourth and final main theme, Not Ready to Retire, noted how each of these men felt that he was not ready to retire&mdash;all five participants wanted an opportunity to work again for a variety of different reasons beyond just earning an income.</p><p> Additionally, this study explores how midlife can present itself as an opportunity for one to become more generative in the world. Unemployment can signify the beginning of a midlife crisis that ultimately may result in a re-imagining of self and re-orientation in the world. Finally, the study details ways in which this research was a result of an inspiration: an imaginal figure, Pirate, who introduced this area of research and continued to guide and inform the work throughout its completion.</p>

<p> Past research has recommended that clinical mental health (CMHC) administrators employ a relational focus to their work, but little evidence exists that such a relational focus is actually being utilized. Guided by Rogers' principles of client-centered therapy, this study examined whether CMHC administrators possessed the knowledge and attitudes to utilize the recommendation of relational based therapy and whether implementation in the CMHC was feasible. A qualitative multiple case study design was utilized to collect personal interviews with 12 CMHC administrators who could discuss Norcross and Wampold's single recommendation about therapeutic relationships. Results were triangulated with the guide for CMHC financing, namely Rule 132, as provided by the administrators. Thematic content analysis of the data revealed that administrators were knowledgeable and in favor of the recommendation where funding could be provided. However, the administrators considered implementation unreasonable because of regulations, low financing of CMHC services primarily through Medicaid, burdensome paperwork requirements, and limited staff qualifications. Understanding these answers from CMHC administrators within the context and limitations of the CMHC should impress upon lawmakers the need for adequate financing of resources to implement the recommendation, which could result in promoting social change in the delivery of services for mental health.</p>

<p> Increased demands are being placed on school and mental health counselors as a result of economic pressures, reduction in resources, and changes in health care (Corey, 2012; Poey, 1985; Slocum McEneaney &amp; Gross, 2009) that have created a need for changes in the delivery of counseling services (MacKenzie, 1994). Group counseling is an effective treatment modality that enables school and mental health counselors to meet these rising demands (Burlingame, Fuhriman, &amp; Mosier, 2003; Corey, 2008; Shechtman, 2007). The Professional Standards for the Training of Group Workers developed by the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW, 2000) recommends that graduate counseling programs provide foundational knowledge of skills competencies of group work. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP, 2009) identifies group work as one of the eight essential core classes to be taught within graduate programs. Limited research has been conducted to understand how and what graduate counseling students are learning (Conyne, Wilson, Line, Morran, &amp; Ward, 1993). Reflective practice has been identified as an effective teaching method to deliver complex subject matter such as that in the helping fields. Most research has focus on the use of reflective practice in teacher education and the medical fields (Sandars, 2009). This qualitative study examined the use of reflective practice to teach graduate counseling students. Constant comparative analysis provided information about how to teach and what graduate counseling students learn in a single course about group work when reflective practice was used to deliver course material.</p>

<p> Lack of common vocabulary has been an obstacle to the psychotherapy integration movement. This deficit has been particularly significant in the research on the psychotherapy relationship. The concept of meaningful involvement is central to the practice of reality therapy, a practice model developed by William Glasser, MD, which has not been studied extensively. The purpose of the present study was to contribute to a common vocabulary for psychotherapy integration and to clarify the definition of <i>meaningful involvement</i>. The selected research methodology was the framework method of narrative analysis coupled with the use of AnSWR, a computer-assisted data management and analysis tool. This methodology was applied to a written text, <i>Counseling with Choice Theory: The New Reality Therapy</i>. Results from the current study indicated that patterns of communication were most consistent with an instructional stance. These results were consistent with the instructional nature of reality therapy of psychotherapy, yet were not consistent with Glasser&rsquo;s focus on the therapeutic relationship as the central element of this school of psychotherapy. Further study is recommended on meaningful involvement within reality therapy in future research with data that allows for observation of nuances of communication, such as body language and tone of voice, is recommended to address this inconsistency.</p>

<p> Gowan and Gatewood's (1997) theory of coping with job loss provided a framework for studying how individuals cope with the stress of unemployment. Previous empirical evidence identified social support and financial resources as predictors of unemployed adults' coping outcomes. McKee-Ryan, Song, Wanberg, and Kinicki (2005), however, noted the need for further research to better understand the environmental and psychological coping resources used by unemployed adults. Savickas (2005) hypothesized that individuals who endorse greater amounts of adaptable thinking about their careers will also report a greater sense of well-being during career transitions. Thus, the present study examined how environmental and psychological coping resources are related to unemployed adults' well-being. In particular, this study tested whether career adaptability mediated the relationships between environmental coping resources (i.e., social support and financial resources) and well-being. Using a sample of 207 unemployed adults, it was hypothesized that career adaptability would mediate the relationship between social support and well-being and between financial resources and well-being. The SEM analyses indicated problems with the fit of the hypothesized measurement model, and thus the hypotheses were unable to be tested. Limitations of the current study's findings are discussed to inform future research and theory building. In particular, characteristics of the current sample, measurement problems, and the possible mismatch between this study's sample and Gowan and Gatewood's (1997) coping with job loss theory are discussed.</p>

<p> How do envisioning dreams like fairy tales inform the therapist&rsquo;s ability to talk with their clients about dreams? Using the research methodologies of heuristics and hermeneutics, the author tended to a dream while enrolled in a graduate program in psychology. He explains his dream as an imaginative story that reflects many of the ideas and concepts of depth psychology. The mythopoetic function of the unconscious is explored in relation to archetypal, historical, and fairy tale figures appearing in the dream, such as Bilbo Baggins, Trickster, Cleopatra, the Dalai Lama, and Frederick Douglass. Threads of depth and applied psychology are woven into the discussion, creating a link between the author&rsquo;s dream and fairy tales. The research suggests that dreams, when envisioned as imaginary tales, are less frightening and more palatable, inviting selfdiscovery and transformation in the process of psychotherapy. </p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to demonstrate the need for a state-wide peer officer support model. Although support services were available, there were inconsistencies in how they were made available throughout the state. A survey was carried out to identify these discrepancies and advise on best practices and recommendations. One major obstacle was the issue of stigma attached to seeking assistance that prevents most officers from seeking services. The survey identified that peer officer support programs have higher rates of utilization over EAPs and mental health professionals. The vast majority of supervisors and officers were supportive of an option for peer officer training and supportive training programs. Smaller departments had fewer services available than larger departments showing a need for a state-wide peer support program. By utilizing the brotherhood of law enforcement personnel, administrators can help to build the foundation of a strong peer support model.</p>

<p> Pregnancy is a short but extremely impactful time in a woman's life. When trauma occurs during the course of pregnancy the negative emotional consequences can be long-lasting. They can also be complex both for the client to understand and for the therapist to treat. This thesis explores the hypothesis that because drama therapy allows the client such tools as the safety of distancing, full use of the body, embracing of paradox, role investigation, and a way to express the emotional responses to both met and unmet societal expectations it is therefore uniquely suited to helping women who have been through traumatic pregnancies reclaim feelings of emotional well-being. A comprehensive literature review is presented which looks at the reasons why a traumatic pregnancy is such a complicated event to achieve emotional closure with, the appropriateness of drama therapy methodologies for use with this population, and the difficulties inherent in therapeutically approaching situations of ambiguous loss and difficult to define traumas. Finally, this author presents data from the writing and performing of a script exploring her personal experience as a survivor of two extremely physically traumatic pregnancies (script included herein) and documenting how drama therapy advanced her process towards healing.</p>