Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by profound social and emotional changes. Counseling can serve as a protective factor for decreasing the long-term negative emotional effects. Despite this fact, counselors continue to struggle with high rates of attrition among adolescent clients. When examining trends of client persistence in counseling across the lifespan, researchers found a relationship between the presence of internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Additionally, they found that high levels of familial stress predicted premature termination from counseling. The purpose of the current study was to create a predictive model of adolescent persistence in counseling. I examined both personal and environmental characteristics of adolescents who sought counseling services (N = 72) from an on-campus university counseling clinic that serves as a training facility for master’s and doctoral students at an accredited counselor education program in the southwestern United States. Participants were predominantly White (67.6%, n = 50), with a mean age of 14.23 (SD = 1.65). Nearly 60% (n = 44) of the clients were female, and 37.8% were male (n = 28). Beyond descriptive variables, eight predictor variables were examined: adolescent involvement in their intake, time spent on the wait list, four domains of parental stress, and parent perceptions of adolescent internalizing and externalizing behaviors. A multiple linear regression was conducted to understand how much of the variance in the number of counseling sessions attended by adolescent clients was explained by the predictor variables. The regression analysis was statistically significant (p = .008) and accounted for 29.1% (R2adj = .192) of the variance in sessions attended. Of the variables examined, externalizing behaviors (42.82%) accounted for the most variance in sessions attended, followed by whether the adolescent was involved in the intake (29.16%), internalizing behaviors (12.96%), and parent-focused stress (10.30%). An examination of the two strongest predictors in correlation to the number of sessions attended revealed a negative relationship with externalizing behaviors and a positive relationship with involvement in the intake, suggesting that adolescents who present with externalizing behaviors and who are not involved in their intake are likely to attend fewer counseling sessions. To understand the differences among adolescents who prematurely terminate from counseling and those who persist in counseling, I conducted a series of univariate and multivariate analyses. Comparing the means of the predictor variables revealed no significant differences between any of the predictor variables examined, although internalizing and externalizing behavior scores fell within the borderline clinical range for adolescents who persisted in counseling. Finally, a predictive discriminant analysis to assess to what degree identified variables predicted premature termination from or persistence in counseling yielded a 75% hit rate. Given this knowledge, counselors may be able to pro-actively identify adolescents who are at risk of prematurely terminating from counseling and implement retention strategies.

University of Macau / Faculty of Education

Ethical codes and laws provide counselors with guidance for how to approach confidentiality, but there is a gap in the literature surrounding counselors' process of decision-making when managing confidentiality with adolescent clients. This study explored the decision-making process of master therapists concerning adolescent clients. I conducted semi-structured interviews with peer identified master therapist (N=10), all of whom were licensed professional counselors with 15 or more years of counseling experience and whose case load contained 25% or more adolescent clients. Participants included seven females and three males; nine participants identified as Caucasian, and one participant identified as Hispanic. Participants ages ranged from 39-61. I analyzed the data, along with two research partner, according to Grounded Theory (GT) methodology. Through constant comparative analysis, a grounded theory emerged from the data in which participants converged understanding of client safety, relationships, clinical intuition in a process of integrated experience and consultation. With the exception of mandated reported and mortal danger, ethical guidelines and laws did not seem to factor into participants' decision making. Implications for counseling practice, preparation, and research are provided.

This study is an attempt to better understand the experience of self-destructive behaviour in First Nations adolescent girls by telling their stories, discussing factors that may contribute to the behaviours, and providing counselling insight. Not every Native girl experiences self-destructive behaviour, however those that do require more effective solutions to their problems. There is ample literature regarding non-Native girls and their experiences with self-destructive behaviour. This is not the case with Native girls, and this study is an attempt to fill the literature gap, and at the same time provide insight into counselling practice. Many factors may contribute to the experience of self-destructive behaviour in First Nations adolescent girls (e.g., gender, developmental stages, parenting, cultural norms and values, and discrimination). The combination of these issues compounds each other and creates the context for the experience of self-destructive behaviour specific to Native girls. This reality puts them at risk for truancy, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harming, and ultimately suicide. In order to understand the circumstances or events that lead to a young Native woman's experience with self-destructive behaviour I interviewed three women using in-depth, semi structured interviews. When answering the open-ended questions I asked, the interviewees revealed a story with a beginning, middle, and end. This story reflected the different stages in their lives, childhood, adolescence, and eventually young adulthood. Analysis of the interviews through theme identification revealed common threads through each woman's life. Although each woman had unique experiences, their stories revealed many commonalties. These common themes reflect factors that counsellors should consider when counselling First Nations girls who are experiencing self-destructive behaviour. The results of the study suggest that counsellors should not isolate factors that lead to self-destructive behaviour. For example, First Nations girls experience not just racism or neglectful parenting — they experience both of the factors. The contributing factors begin early in life and compound one another as the girl's life progresses. Hopefully, this study contributes to the betterment of individual Native girls, also to the betterment of the families' and communities' health.

The Internet is becoming a more realistic means of accessing support, especially for those who are unable to or are uncomfortable with accessing supports in person. One population that experiences barriers to accessing face-to-face support is youth, and online counselling is an option available for youth to overcome these barriers (King, Bambling, Lloyd, et al., 2006). Online counselling can occur through e-mail and chat services; however, due to the text-based nature of these services, their effectiveness is criticized for having a lack of verbal and nonverbal communication (Cook & Doyle, 2002). Research, however, has suggested that it is possibly this lack of verbal and nonverbal cues that make online counselling effective. Research has also suggested that the effectiveness of counselling can be measured by the working alliance (Fletcher-Tomenius & Vossler, 2009; Hanley, 2009). This study explored if an effective working alliance can be established in online counselling mediums with youth who are in crisis. A quantitative research approach was taken, in which 91 youth completed an online survey that asked how they felt towards online support services. The results of this study suggest that youth respond positively to the lack of verbal and nonverbal cues; youth appear to enjoy an increase sense of anonymity that is created within online support services, which can contribute to open communication. In addition, the results suggest that an effective working alliance is established in online counselling services, as it was found that youth typical felt happy and satisfied with the services they received. / x, 135 leaves ; 29 cm

Thesis (M.A.)--The Master's College, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

The study was undertaken to address the problem of effective counselling of adolescents exposed to family violence in a multicultural society. There is a growing body of research with regard to family violence, which has intensified since the end of 1998 with the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act no. 116. An additional complication to the phenomenon of family violence as a traumatic experience is the influence of culture. The characteristics of a multicultural society are explored, in order to determine the needs of the traumatised adolescent within the cross-cultural counselling context. During the literature study the researcher became sensitised to the fact that currently established cross-cultural counselling models do not meet the challenges of a multicultural society like South Africa. Intervention in a cross-cultural setting is highly complicated and this demands that an alternative counselling model be designed prior to the development of an effective cross-cultural counselling programme. Intervention Research design, as suggested by Rothman and Thomas (1994), is implemented by means of the qualitative case study method, and led to the development of the C 4 model and C 4 programme. The C 4 programme employs a therapeutic facilitation process that is based on a unique self-developed model of counselling, which rests on the principles of awareness, acceptance, availability and accommodating. The model and programme is context-centred, as opposed to person-centred, in order to distinguish the model from the school of person-centred counselling, as developed by Carl Rogers. The term context-centred implies that the individual is the only authority of his trauma experience. Therefore, it can be assumed that he is the one who can fit his trauma experience into the context of his own life and how it translates into his relationships with others. The intervention is deemed to have had effective results in terms of the adolescents' progress, and the accomplishment of the stated overall and specific aims of the programme. Adjustments were made to process, content and implementation procedures, thereby achieving the desired and intended outcomes. / Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

This study is an attempt to better understand the experience of self-destructive behaviour in First Nations adolescent girls by telling their stories, discussing factors that may contribute to the behaviours, and providing counselling insight. Not every Native girl experiences self-destructive behaviour, however those that do require more effective solutions to their problems. There is ample literature regarding non-Native girls and their experiences with self-destructive behaviour. This is not the case with Native girls, and this study is an attempt to fill the literature gap, and at the same time provide insight into counselling practice. Many factors may contribute to the experience of self-destructive behaviour in First Nations adolescent girls (e.g., gender, developmental stages, parenting, cultural norms and values, and discrimination). The combination of these issues compounds each other and creates the context for the experience of self-destructive behaviour specific to Native girls. This reality puts them at risk for truancy, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harming, and ultimately suicide. In order to understand the circumstances or events that lead to a young Native woman's experience with self-destructive behaviour I interviewed three women using in-depth, semi structured interviews. When answering the open-ended questions I asked, the interviewees revealed a story with a beginning, middle, and end. This story reflected the different stages in their lives, childhood, adolescence, and eventually young adulthood. Analysis of the interviews through theme identification revealed common threads through each woman's life. Although each woman had unique experiences, their stories revealed many commonalties. These common themes reflect factors that counsellors should consider when counselling First Nations girls who are experiencing self-destructive behaviour. The results of the study suggest that counsellors should not isolate factors that lead to self-destructive behaviour. For example, First Nations girls experience not just racism or neglectful parenting — they experience both of the factors. The contributing factors begin early in life and compound one another as the girl's life progresses. Hopefully, this study contributes to the betterment of individual Native girls, also to the betterment of the families' and communities' health. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Text in Afrikaans / Die Ontwikkelingsgefasiliteerde Groepmodel (OFG-model) is vir die doeleindes van hierdie navorsingstudie aangepas vir adolessente tussen die ouderdom van vyftien en agtien jaar. Die model is gebruik om die betekenisgewing, belewing en die betrokkenheid van 'n groep adolessente wat egskeidingsgetraumatiseerd is te ondersoek. 'n Literatuurstudie is onderneem waarin groepterapie, multikulturele terapie, die adolessent en egskeiding, en die konsepte betekenisgewing, belewing en betrokkenheid nagevors is. 'n Empiriese studie in die vorm van twaalf terapie sassies om die betekenisgewing,belewing, betrokkenheid van die adolessente te ondersoek, is onderneem. Die navorser stel ook vas hoe die proses van terapie met 'n groep multikulturele adolessente verloop. 'n Beplanning van die terapie sessies is gedoen. Ten einde die vertroubaarheid van die navorsing te bepaal, is Guba se model van vertroubaarheid toegepas. Die empiriese studie toon aan dat die Ontwikkelingsgefasiliteerde Groepmodel, terapeuties met sukses gebruik kan word met 'n groep multikulturele adolessente. Die betekenisgewing, belewing, betrokkenheid en die selfkonsep van egskeidingsgetraumatiseerde adolessente kan op die wyse ondersoek word. / The Developmental Facilitation Group Model (DFG-Model) was adapted for the purposes of this research study for adolescents between fifteen and eighteen years of age. The model was used to examine the meaning, experience, and involvement of a group of adolescents traumatised by divorce. A literature study was undertaken to research group therapy, multicultural therapy, the adolescent and divorce and the concepts of meaning, experience, and involvement. An empirical study in the form of twelve therapeutic sessions was undertaken to examine the meaning, experience, and involvement of the adolescents. The researcher also determined how the process of therapy evolved with a group of multicultural adolescents. The therapeutic sessions were planned. To determine the reliability of the research, Guba's model for reliability was applied. The empirical study shows that the Developmental Facilitation Group Model can be used successfully with a group of multicultural adolescents. The meaning, experience, involvement and self-concept of the adolescents traumatised by divorce can be determined in this way. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Thesis (MEd(Psych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the use of Eye Movement Desensitisation (hereafter referred to as EMDR), a form of psychotherapy on a female adolescent sexual assault survivor. Adolescence as a developmental stage is characterised by specific issues, such as the search for own identity. Sexual trauma may increase the inner conflict, because of the adolescent's ability to deal with the trauma at a higher cognitive level than in earlier childhood. Without support including psychotherapy, the adolescent sexual assault survivor may be at risk of developing mental health problems including Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome (hereafter referred to as PTSD). This research is a qualitative case study, involving only one adolescent participant. Mary (pseudonym) a sexual assault survivor, was selected from referrals the Unit for Educational Psychology at the University of Stellenbosch received from the Child Protection Unit of the South African Police Services. She was referred because she displayed symptoms of depression and PTSD, which affected her relations with her parents, siblings and peers. She also struggled to cope emotionally with the academic demands of school. The ecosystemic approach was chosen as the preferred framework within which to locate this study. In assessment and intervention this framework lends itself to focussing on relationships and systems rather than merely the individual with a problem. The study explores the use of EMDR to alleviate symptoms of depression and PTSD in Mary. She attended thirteen sessions of which the first three were used to assess her level of functioning. Data were collected by means of self-report questionnaires including the Beck's Depression Inventory and the Dissociative Experiences Scale, interviews and therapy sessions during which EMDR was used. The data were analysed using codes, categories and themes, interpreted and the study concluded with a discussion of the findings. The findings suggest that EMDR effectively alleviated Mary's symptoms of depression and PTSD. However, since the study was limited to a single participant, a larger sample is recommended to determine whether EMDR might be a feasible treatment tool for female adolescent sexual assault survivors. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die gebruik van Oogbeweging Desensitifisering Herprosessering (hierna verwys as OBDH), 'n tipe psigoterapie, om 'n vroulike adolessente slagoffer van seksuele misbruik te ondersteun. Adolessensie as 'n ontwikkelingsfase word deur spesifieke kwessies gekenmerk, onder andere die soeke na 'n eie identiteit. Seksuele trauma mag die innerlike konflik verhoog, weens die adolessent se vermoeë om dit op 'n hoër vlak van ontwikkeling as die jonger kind te hanteer. Sonder ondersteuning, insluitend psigoterapie, mag die adolessent die risiko loop om geestesversteurings soos Posttraumatiese stresversteuring (hierna verwys as PTSV) te ontwikkel. Hierdie navorsing was 'n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie en slegs een adolessente deelnemer was daarby betrokke. Mary (skuilnaam) 'n seksuele geweld oorwinnaar, is gekies vanuit verwysings wat die Eenheid vir Opvoedkundige Sielkunde van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch van die Kinderbeskermings-eenheid van die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisie Dienste ontvang het. Sy is verwys aangesien sy blykbaar simptome van depressie en PTSV geopenbaar het, wat haar verhoudings met haar ouers, sibbe en portuurgroep beïnvloed het. Sy het ook emosioneel gesukkel om die akademiese eise van die skool te hanteer. Die ekosistemiese benadering is gekies as die raamwerk vir hierdie studie. In assessering en intervensie lê dié benadering groter klem op verhoudings en sisteme, as op 'n individu met 'n probleem. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stelof die gebruik van OBDH verligting van simptome van depressie en PTSV in Mary teweeg sou bring. Sy het dertien sessies bygewoon en die eerste drie is gebruik om haar vlak van funksionering te bepaal. Data is ingesamel deur middel van die Beck's Depression Inventory en die Dissociative Experiences Scale vraelyste, onderhoude en terapie sessies waarin OBDH ook gebruik was. Die data is ontleed deur middel van kodes, kategorieë en temas, geïnterpreteer en die studie eindig met 'n bespreking van die bevindinge. Die bevindinge het aangedui dat OBDH effektief Mary se simptome van depressie en PTSV verlig. Omdat die studie egter beperk was tot 'n enkele deelnemer, word 'n groter getal deelnemers aanbeveel om te bepaal of OBDH moontlik geskik is om vroulike adolesente oorwinnaars van seksueel geweld te ondersteun.