This thesis examined 228 college students' reported use of relational maintenance behaviors and strategies and their reported perception of the degree of relational satisfaction and solidarity with the relational partners they chose to identify. The study gathered extensive data with the intention of primarily investigating the validity and reliability of measurement of relational maintenance behaviors across cultures with some attention to correlations between relationship maintenance behaviors, relationship satisfaction, and interpersonal solidarity. The study focused on refining previous measures of relationship maintenance behaviors in order to develop a comprehensive global measure. The study found that a linear combination of factors or relationship maintenance behaviors are related to relational satisfaction and interpersonal solidarity.

When a romantic relationship ends in dissolution, the ex-partners may experience distress similar to post-traumatic stress or complex grief (i.e., dysphoric mood, feelings of loss, intrusive memories, negative rumination regarding the relationship, and a loss of self-esteem). Interventions designed to reduce post-breakup distress have historically attempted to foster integration of the breakup into the self-narrative through techniques such as expressive writing. Recent research indicates centrality, or heightened integration of an event or concept into an individual’s identity, predicts heightened levels of distress in the case of negative life events, including romantic relationship dissolution. Given the role romantic relationships themselves play in identity formation, exploration is warranted of the potential distress resulting from over-identification with a romantic relationship itself, or relationship centrality, after a breakup has occurred. Furthermore, if an individual has overly-integrated a relationship into their identity, the effectiveness of interventions focusing on further integration of the breakup is called into question. This study explored the centrality of participants’ previous romantic relationships, the distress resulting from the dissolution of those relationships, and the role of expressive writing as a distress reduction tool when centrality is taken into account.

This study explored whether depression was related to the way college students interact with their parents. A second purpose was to explore whether the emotional states of depression, anxiety, and hostility were associated with different types of adolescent dependence (Functional, Attitudinal, Conflictual, and Emotional) on each parent. A total of 108 undergraduate students from intact families completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, hostility and psychological separation. A non-significant relationship was found between the way students relate to their parents and level of depression. However, subjects reporting angry or guilty feelings toward parents had significantly greater depression and hostility scores. Subjects reporting attitudes, values and beliefs that are not distinct from their parents also displayed significantly greater hostility scores. Furthermore, anxiety in the sample was significantly related to subjects' reports of dependence on approval, closeness and emotional support from parents.

Project (Ed.S.)--James Madison University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

The aim of the research study was to explore resilience in refugee children, using a Gestalt approach to play therapy. The hypothesis, was that a Gestalt approach to play therapy could promote resilience in Refugee children. A literature review was conducted. This revealed that unaccompanied refugee children were unique because they need to deal with trauma, loss and change while having to adjust to living in a new country and many have to learn to speak a new language. The research method was a multiple case study and an intervention research model was used to implement the research. Schoeman's Working Model was used as the Gestalt play therapy approach. Attributes of resilient children were used to measure the results. The researcher concluded that play therapy with a Gestalt approach may promote resilience in refugee children because it increases the numbers of protective factors in a child's life. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

This thesis explores Blackfoot homelessness in relation to traditional attachments to Blackfoot territory. It addresses the underlying causes of Blackfoot homelessness in the city of Lethbridge. It speaks to the participants’ experiences of loss on a multitude of levels, disconnection from family and traditional community, and the complex notion of what “homelessness” means for the Blackfoot participants. The thesis uses a literature review to inform the study. The research methodology is a focused ethnography. Interviews with Blackfoot homeless participants were conducted at the city of Lethbridge’s homeless shelter in 2009 and 2010. Narrative analysis was used to interpret the data and the findings, and the subsequent discussion of them, were from a Blackfoot perspective. It is hoped that the information contained within this thesis will help those reading it to better understand Native homelessness and provide insights into the subjective nature of what it means to be “home.” The results of the findings also suggest ways for service providers to develop improved programming aimed at the Native homeless population. / vi, 164 leaves ; 29 cm

Thesis (Revise). / Includes bibliographical references (p. [339]-349) and index.

Thesis (Revise). / Includes bibliographical references (p. [339]-349) and index.

The aim of the research study was to explore resilience in refugee children, using a Gestalt approach to play therapy. The hypothesis, was that a Gestalt approach to play therapy could promote resilience in Refugee children. A literature review was conducted. This revealed that unaccompanied refugee children were unique because they need to deal with trauma, loss and change while having to adjust to living in a new country and many have to learn to speak a new language. The research method was a multiple case study and an intervention research model was used to implement the research. Schoeman's Working Model was used as the Gestalt play therapy approach. Attributes of resilient children were used to measure the results. The researcher concluded that play therapy with a Gestalt approach may promote resilience in refugee children because it increases the numbers of protective factors in a child's life. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Até sua entrada no mercado de trabalho, a identidade da mulher foi construída somente através do casamento, de modo que ela faz ainda um grande investimento na vida afetiva e familiar. Em função disso, esta pesquisa objetivou investigar o processo de luto vivenciado pelas mulheres em decorrência do término de suas uniões amorosas, sejam elas oficiais ou consensuais. Para realização deste estudo, foram entrevistadas oito mulheres separadas que não haviam vivenciado a experiência de um novo casamento. A faixa etária das participantes variou entre 38 e 66 anos, sendo a média de idade de 49 anos. Elas pertenciam às camadas médias da população e residiam em duas grandes capitais: Recife e Rio de Janeiro. Todas as entrevistadas tinham filhos com os ex-parceiros. Com o seu consentimento, as entrevistas foram gravadas e transcritas. Considerando a Análise Temática, as respostas foram categorizadas por temas, formando categorias de análise. Os dados indicam que, independentemente de quem deixa e quem é deixado, podem surgir logo após a separação vários sentimentos: euforia, alívio, tranqüilidade, sensação de liberdade, atordoamento, medo, raiva, tristeza, sentimento, sentimento de abandono. Quanto aos sentimentos atuais relacionados à separação, algumas entrevistadas aceitaram o término do casamento. Por outro lado, alguns relatos apontaram para a dificuldade de elaborar a perda, não do parceiro propriamente dito, mas do casamento. A maioria das participantes atribuiu a vários fatores o término do casamento. Entre estes fatores, podemos citar: a infidelidade masculina; as diferenças de classe social, de educação e de interesses; e o fato de algumas entrevistadas terem exercido o papel de provedoras durante o casamento. Analisando como se deu o processo de reconstrução da identidade individual nas participantes, verificamos que a separação é uma oportunidade de estabelecer novos projetos existenciais e de recuperar aspectos de si mesmo. Quanto à relação com os ex-parceiros, o relato de uma das participantes confirmou a possibilidade de o vínculo amoroso transformar-se em amizade. Os demais relatos, porém, demonstraram que tal situação não corresponde freqüentemente à realidade. A maioria das participantes reconheceu que contribuiu de alguma forma para a separação. Esperamos que este trabalho acadêmico contribua para a investigação do luto feminino decorrente da separação amorosa, propiciando reflexões e sendo um reforço para bibliografia atual sobre o tema / Until women started growing on the job market her identity was built only throughout the marriage, increasing her investment in family and love life. Because of that, this research focused on investigating the process of grief lived by women when their love relationship end either by consensus or official. For this study eight divorced women that havent had experienced remarriage were interviewed. Their age range was between 38 and 66 with a medium age of 49 years old. They were from middle class and lived in two big capitals Recife and Rio de Janeiro. All the interviewed had kids with their ex partners. With their consent the interviews were recorded. Taking in consideration the Thematic Analysis, their responses were categorized in themes building the categories. Data indicates that independent of dumper or dumped, different feelings can appear after a separation: freedom, tranquility, rejection, fear, angry, sadness, etc. Some of the interviewed accepted the end of the marriage but on the other side, some pointed to the difficult dealing with the lost, not just of the partner but the marriage by itself. Most of the participants related the end of marriage to different facts, among them are the men infidelity, social class differences, education and interests and the fact that some of the interviewed were providers during the marriage. Analyzing how the individual identity reconstruction process happened among the participants was verified that separation was an opportunity to establish new projects and recover self aspects. As for the relationship with ex-partners, one of the participants confirmed the possibility of love relationship be transformed into friendship. All the others agree that this situation does not correspond to reality. We hope that this academic work contributes to the investigation of the feminine grief due to love separation, incentivizing reflections and reinforcing the actual bibliography about this subject