This study investigated the directional relationship between educators' levels of inspiration and compassion for others to their degree of burnout. Specifically, the investigation tested the hypothesized directional relationship that educators' who report higher levels of inspiration (as measured by the Educator Inspire Scale, EIS; Lambie, Barden, & Bierbrauer, 2016) and compassion for others (as measured by the Compassion for Others Scale; COS; Pommier, 2010) would score at lower levels of burnout (as measured by the three components of burnout [emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment] on the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Educator Survey; MBI-ES; Maslach, et al., 1996). In addition, the investigation examined the relationship between educators' levels of inspiration, compassion for others, and burnout and their reported demographic information (e.g., age, years of experience, type of school, etc.). A review of the literature along with empirical support for the tested theoretical model of the three constructs of interest (educator inspiration, compassion for others, and burnout) is presented. A correlational research design was used to investigate the hypothesized structural model and exploratory research questions (Tabachnick & Fidell, 2012). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized structural model. The results found an acceptable model fit with these data. Specifically, the results yielded statistically significant relationship between educator inspiration and burnout, with educator inspiration accounting for approximately 17%, 15%, and 33% of variance in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment, respectively. Study limitations and implications of this study are discussed.

Within the United States, more than a million jobs in science and engineering (S&E) are projected over the next few years; yet, the Nation lacks the workforce to meet these demands. Despite the need for a more diverse, qualified workforce, African Americans/Blacks remain disproportionately underrepresented in science occupations, science degree attainment, and in science postsecondary majors. The lack of science participation is reflective of how minority secondary students view science and science occupations as many consider the pursuit of a science career as unfavorable. Moreover, minority secondary students, who do choose to pursue science occupations, seem to possess inaccurate (or a lack of) occupational knowledge necessary to do so successfully. Therefore, an understanding of antecedents to career choice will assist educational professionals in addressing the underrepresentation of diverse populations, such as African Americans/Blacks, within the science workforce. The purpose of this study is to garner insight into the science occupational images, occupational and educational aspirations of African American/Black fourth and five grade students. Gottfredson's Theory of Circumscription and Compromise, in conjunction with extant empirical literature, serves as the foundation for the study's conceptual framework. A qualitative case study design was used. The qualitative data provided a contextual understanding of science occupational images, occupational and educational aspirations. Participant-produced drawings, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews served as sources for data collection. Overall, participants lacked some occupational knowledge. Participants viewed scientists as mostly male and Black. Additionally, the occupation of scientist was perceived as a dangerous and of high status. Lastly, half of the participants expressed aspirations to be a scientist, while a majority expressed college educational aspirations.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a trauma-informed school-based mental health counseling intervention (TI-SBMHCI) on students enrolled in three Title I elementary schools. This study aimed to examine the impact of a TI-SBMHCI on participants' social-emotional functionality, trauma symptomology, and academic behavior. Counselors-in-training provided a 10-week TI-SBMHCI based off of Bath's (2008) The three Pillars of Trauma-informed Care and data was collected at pretest (first session), mid (fifth session), and posttest (tenth session). In addition, this investigation examined if participants showed greater improvement in academic behavior in comparison to students who did not receive a SBMHCI through the creation of matched sample control group. Results indicated that the participants' trauma-symptomology, social-emotional functionality, and academic behaviors improved over time. Specifically, results of trauma-symptomology per child report exhibited significant decrease in re-experiencing scores (ƞ² = .088), arousal scores (ƞ² = .086), and total trauma symptomology scores (ƞ² = .08). Further, results of trauma-symptomology per parent report exhibited significant decrease in re-experiencing scores (ƞ² = .251), avoidance scores (ƞ² = .180), negative thoughts and feelings scores (ƞ² = .315), arousal scores (ƞ² = .192), and total trauma symptomology (ƞ² = .369). In regard to social-emotional functionality, parents reported significant decreased in internalizing (ƞ² = .236), externalizing (ƞ² = .160), and total problem behavior scores (ƞ² = .211). Similarly, teachers reported significant decrease in the participants' total problem behavior scores (ƞ² = .090). Further, the students who received the 10-week intervention showed a significant decrease in their office discipline referrals (ƞ² = .094). When a matched sample control group was implemented, there was a between-subject effect among the treatment and control group concerning office discipline referrals (p = .042; partial ƞ² = .052) with the treatment group exhibiting greater decrease in office discipline referrals. Implications of the findings include: (a) support for the use of a TI-SBMHCI for children living in low-income communities; (b) evidence that a TI-SBMHCI promotes elementary school students' social emotional functionality, decreases their trauma-symptomology, and improves their academic behavior; and (c) reinforces the importance of trauma-informed counseling within an effective school-based mental health counseling program.

Given the severity and prevalence of mental health concerns among young adults, universities and community clinics have been increasingly invested in improving counseling utilization. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the development of online therapies. Although the availability of online therapies has increased, the process outcomes of actual service users remain unclear. The Theory of Planned Behavior was used to guide the examination of young adults' use of mental health services, and explore group differences in psychological openness, coping, and computer efficacy based on counseling modality. A total of 248 college-aged participants with three help seeking behaviors (tele-mental health counseling, face to face counseling and no counseling) were recruited. MANOVA analysis was used to determine how different service modalities (i.e., online counseling, face-to-face counseling, no counseling) may produce differences in psychological openness, coping, and computer efficacy. Results demonstrated statistically significant differences in coping across tele-mental health, face to face counseling and no counseling groups. However, follow up ANOVA testing revealed amongst the TMH group demographic variables of gender and ethnicity, there was no significant differences based on gender and ethnicity. Implications from the results of this study include (a) greater knowledge relating to the constructs of psychological openness, coping, and computer self-efficacy; (b) increased understanding of the contribution of college students' comparative outcomes within tele-mental health counseling, face to face counseling, and no counseling; and (c) more evidence of impact of clinical tele-mental health counseling on young adults. Furthermore, counselor educators can use the findings to inform counseling programming, particularly tele-mental health training and education. Specific counseling practice, and research recommendations are included.

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This analogue study investigated the relationship between the "therapeugenic" (Bloom & Trautt, 1978) factors of attitude similarity and expertness on perceived trustworthiness of a confederate counselor. Several investigators have demonstrated that attitude similarity is positively related to perceived attractiveness, likeability and competence of counselors (Good, 1975; Griffitt & Byrne, 1970; Trautt, Finer & Calisher, 1980). There has been mixed support, however, for the notion that counselors who are perceived as "expert" will positively impact the counseling relationship (Brischetto & Merluzzi, 1981; Kunin & Rodin, 1982; Strong & Schmidt, 1970). The present study expanded previous research by jointly manipulating attitude similarity and perceived expertness to allow for assessment of both independent and interactive effects. Fifty-one undergraduate students participated. Attitude similarity between "client" and "counselor" was manipulated by prescreening subjects with an attitude survey consisting of controversial topics (abortion, military spending, capital punishment, etc.). Subjects who scored in the extreme conservative or liberal range of the survey were randomly matched with a confederate counselor whose introductory biographical sketch depicted him or her as attitudinally similar or dissimilar to the subject as well as either relatively experienced/expert or inexperienced/nonexpert in the field. The Counselor Rating Form (CRF) (Lacrosse & Barak, 1976) was utilized to measure the subjects' perceptions of counselor trustworthiness. The mini-intake interview consisted of a 10-minute meeting between confederate counselor and subject. A set of questions were formulated to approximate topic areas covered in a clinical intake interview. Each subject was interviewed by a same-sex confederate counselor. Following informed consent procedures, subjects were read a brief biographical sketch of the counselor who would be interviewing them. This sketch contained aspects of education and experience as well as community/research activities and interests conveying both the degree of "expertness" and "attitude similarity". Immediately following the simulated interview, subjects completed the CRF. Prior to the data collection, a three-part pilot study assessed reliability and validity of the attitude survey instrument and of the interview procedures. Test-retest reliability of the attitude survey yielded an r=.94. Questions from the "mini-intake" interview were rated for level of personal intrusiveness to insure that all subjects would be asked the same proportion of personal questions during the 10-minute interview. Finally, the four biographical sketches were rated- on the expert/nonexpert, conservative/liberal attitude dimensions to check their validity as stimulus materials. A three-way ANOVA was performed with liberal/conservative, attitude similarity, and expertness as the independent factors and perceived trustworthiness as the dependent measure. No significant main effects were obtained. Similarly, the three-way interaction was not significant. A significant two-way interaction effect was demonstrated, however, between Liberalism/Conservatism and Expertness/Nonexpertness. Specifically, conservative subjects rated the nonexpert counselors significantly higher on trustworthiness than did the liberal subjects, while liberal and conservative subjects did not differ in trustworthiness ratings of expert counselors. Results were interpreted in terms of the conservative concept of individuality and nonintervention (Monaghan, 1984). Possible implications for the counseling setting were discussed.

This study was developed to answer the research questions 1) What services do school counselors provide in alternative education programs in Virginia? and 2) What are the reasons that students are participating in alternative education programs in Virginia? Alternative programs throughout Virginia were identified and data were randomly collected from a random sample of administrators and school counselors working in 15 of these programs. The data collected were then transcribed and analyzed in an effort to determine if any significant categories or themes related to the research questions. The data indicated that most counselors identified that they were involved in both direct counseling and administrative duties at their schools. Direct counseling duties consisted primarily of individual counseling, group counseling, and career counseling while the two primary administrative duties reported were test coordination and scheduling. The data indicated some consistent reasons for placement in alternative education programs. Seven schools reported that they served students for behavioral, academic, and other various reasons while only three reported that they served students specifically for behavioral or academic reasons. The areas of discipline/expulsion, failing grades, lack of credits to gain diploma, truancy, and teen pregnancy were identified as reasons for which placement in the alternative programs interviewed. The results of this study suggested a need for further studies relating to community involvement and direct counseling activities of school counselors working in alternative education. Recommendations were also made with regards to the future training of school counselors and the development of alternative education programs. / Ph. D.

(G-PGCS) was designed and implemented for K-6 school counselors. G-PGCS began in the fall of 1994 and has continued to the present; however, there have been no studies on the effects of the program. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to conduct a qualitative evaluation of G-PGCS. The evaluation participants included current Roanoke County K-5 school counselors, and selected administrators. The sources of data for the evaluation were interviews, an informal observation, program documents, Semantic Differential Scales (SDS) designed for this evaluation, the Job Satisfaction Blank (JSB; Hoppock, 1935), a counselor burnout SDS (Cummings and Nall, 1983), video tapes of G-PGCS sessions and responses to an anonymous memorandum. As a result of participation in G-PGCS, the K-5 counselors interviewed reported gains in counseling skills, positive professional changes, and personal growth. JSB and burnout SDS means of the G-PGCS counselors indicated that they have a high job satisfaction and low counselor burnout levels. G-PGCS could have contributed to high JSB and low SDS burnout scores, but further study is needed in this area. Strengths of G-PGCS were increased peer support and self-awareness, learning new counseling techniques and skills, G-PGCS supervision feedback, and a greater sense of professionalism. In addition, administrative support, training, and structure were cited as strengths. The SDS also confirmed the gains and strengths of G-PGCS. Group membership and/or dynamics was cited as a weakness because some of the counselors wanted to change group membership periodically. The other two weaknesses were the lack of adequate time for clinical supervision and the need for more clinical supervision training. No weaknesses of G-PGCS were found in the statistical analysis of the SDS. With administrative support and modifications, G-PGCS can be replicated to meet the clinical supervision needs of school counselors. Further research including an experimental pre- and post- observation study is needed to find specific G-PGCS program gains. / Ph. D.

Thesis advisor: David L. Blustein / This study focused on the assessment of counselor perceptions of prostitution and the examination of how perceptions influence counselors' clinical judgments. The preliminary study involved the development of Counselor Perceptions of Prostitution Scale (CPPS) designed to assess counselors' attitudes towards prostitution. The items developed based on the debate in the literature between those who view prostitution as social oppression and inherently traumatizing, and those who believe that prostitution is a self-determined career path were administered to seventy-two counselors-in-training. The measure demonstrated high internal consistency reliability (α = 0.87), had a significant negative correlation (r = -.68) with the Attitudes towards Prostitution Scale (ATPS) and exploratory factor analysis yielded a unidimensional scale. In the final study, three brief clinical vignettes were used to manipulate the variable of client's engagement in prostitution. Each vignette comprised of a client seeking services for depression while engaging in prostitution, selling marijuana, or working in a department store. One hundred and ninety-eight mental health providers rated their empathy, attribution of responsibility for the cause of and solution to the problem, assessment of client's functioning, and willingness to work with the client in response to the vignette assigned. They also completed CPPS and ATPS. Data was analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Overall, results of the MANOVA revealed that empathy was the most significant contributor to the difference between conditions. Contrary to prediction, there was no difference in empathy for the client engaging in prostitution versus the client working overtime at the department store. However, counselors' demonstrated lower levels of empathy for the client selling marijuana. The CCA revealed that in response to the prostitution vignette, counselors who viewed prostitution as inherently traumatizing and also held accurate beliefs about prostitution were likely to be more empathic and attribute less personal responsibility to the client for solving her own problems. Limitations of this study and implications for counselor practice, education, and future research are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

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