Browsing by Subject "Therapy"
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Item Addressing culture in therapy: a multiple case study(Texas Tech University, 2007-12) Reyes, Nenetzin A.; Wampler, Richard S.; Kimball, Thomas G.; Borrego, Joaquin P.; Wampler, Karen S.Over the past decades there has been an increasing emphasis on the development of cultural competence in the therapy room. It is important for therapists to learn to be culturally competent, especially in the United States where multiple minorities thrive, and the number of interracial marriages has increased 400% in the last ten years. Although there has been a surge of information on specific cultural minority groups, there is limited information on how therapists address culture with families that share multiple racial, ethnic, and cultural heritages. Therapists need to know how to address and view cultural differences within families. However, knowledge can only begin through exploration. We need to know what is going on in the therapy room before we can increase our cultural competence. Only then can therapists begin to break down the myth of sameness. The purpose of the present study was to explore how therapists address cultural issues with interethnic couples where one spouse is Latino/a and the other is non-Hispanic White, as labeled by the US Census Bureau (“Anglo”). This study utilized a qualitative multiple case study methodology. This design brings together several cases that are seen as instrumental in gaining knowledge about a specific phenomenon, in this case, how therapists deal with issues around culture with interethnic couples. The sample in this study was made up of three cases. Each case was defined as a therapist who had worked with more than one interethnic couple. Two of the therapists had two couples and one therapist had three couples. Information for each case was gathered from therapist's case notes, assessment packets, and videos of taped sessions. The cases were then analyzed at the within-case and across-case level as well as being compared with the available literature on interethnic couples. Additional data included the Multicultural Counseling Knowledge and Awareness Scale which the therapists completed, and the Cross-Cultural Counseling Inventory-Revised which was completed by the researcher and an outside rater when observing sessions. The within-case and across-case analyses yielded 16 patterns (themes) of how culture is addressed in therapy. The patterns included: 1) Addressing conflicting perspectives; 2) Therapist initiates conversation; 3) Therapist addresses culture straightforwardly; 4) Use of genograms; 5) Influence of couple factors; 6) Couple's willingness to address culture; 7) Therapist addresses alternative/dominant issues; 8) Therapist focuses on behavior; 9) Knowledge & Awareness vs. Skills; 10) Patience and sensitivity; 11) Use of self-disclosure; 12) Client initiation with no follow-through; 13) Clients initiate conversation; 14) Clients become defensive; 15) Differences are initially rejected; and 16) A Latino emphasizes his role as a man. Overall, findings indicated that some therapists are addressing culture with their clients, while others are not. The manner in which culture is addressed depends on therapist and client factors. The final chapter presents a discussion of the study's results including general comments on the prevalence of Anglo-Latino couples, cultural competence issues, discussion of specific findings, suggestions for marriage and family therapists, limitations of the study, and ideas for future research.Item Bajo El Poder?o Del Lenguaje: Capacidad Terap?utica De La Poes?a En Cuatro Poetas Depresivos Y Suicidas: Ra?l G?mez Jattin, Rodrigo Lira, ?ngel Escobar Y Julio Inverso(2014-07-25) Aguilar, Julio CMadness and art are two concepts that are quite often historically interrelated. The term ?madness? designates various mental ailments, depression being one of them (major depressive disorder or depressive episodes in their various forms and diagnostic categories). The prevalence of depressive disorders is common among poets, who find therapeutic value in writing poetry. However, a number of poets turn to suicide as a last resort in order to end a life full of emotional suffering. This dissertation focuses on the study of the lives and works of four suicidal poets who suffered depression: Ra?l G?mez Jattin, Rodrigo Lira, ?ngel Escobar, and Julio Inverso. Natives of four different countries in Latin America, these authors belong to the last two decades of the twentieth century. This study demonstrates the importance of poetic discourse to the depressive poet by contributing to current research on this disease as demonstrated by the use of introspection throughout the creative process. That is, the poet with depression finds relief from the progression of his depressive symptoms by exploring emotions and subsequently exposing his feelings. However, when the word, due to its semantic load, is employed with emphasis on its negative connotation, the effect strongly results in the worsening of the mental condition. Comorbidity of psychiatric disorders is conspicuous. Thus, depression alternates with other mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and substance abuse. This is the case with the poets investigated in this study, as two (Lira and Escobar) suffered from schizophrenia in addition to depression, while all four suffered from addiction (alcohol and drugs). Concomitant diagnoses were the trigger for each of these poets to commit suicide. It was also found that in the case of depression, writing poetry was no doubt beneficial. However, when depression was compounded by other mental disorders, the therapeutic capacity of poetry was found to be relative.Item Deception in Therapy: Setting as a MotivationCarrillo, Lynette Nicole; Curtis, Drew; Fohn, Laurel; Hack, Tay; Lee, JungeunThe current study investigated setting as a motivation for deception. The therapy setting was compared to a casual social situation in attempts to see if there were differences, speculating that therapy relationships involve more closeness, thus less deception endorsement/motivation. Furthermore, the orientation of benefit (self vs. other) was also explored as well as lie acceptability. Participants were recruited from Angelo State University using Sona-Systems technology in return for course credit. Participants were asked to watch stimulus videos and complete the Deception Motivation Questionnaires in response. In addition, participants completed the Revised Lie Acceptability Scale and a Demographics Questionnaire. The questionnaires were used to assess participants’ use of, acceptance, and motivations for using deception. Results indicated that setting was not a motivation for deception. Overall, results indicated significant effects in the types of lie and orientation of benefit of deception. Further implications of motivational factors to use deception are discussed.Item Employing handicrafts to communicate the course of trauma : a test in using handicrafts as an explanatory method(2010-05) Willman, Lisa Anne; Olsen, Daniel M., 1963-; Hall, Peter A.This report contains discussion of four design projects aimed to investigate the ability of handicrafts to communicate complicated subject matter. In this exploration, handicrafts are used to present the experience of recovering from a traumatic experience by challenging commonly held stereotypes about handicrafts. By breaking the trauma and recovery process into four distinct stages, each stage can be discussed in detail via the corresponding design piece. Consequently, each stage also allows for new opportunities to apply handicraft practices in new ways. Through this line of questioning, the four pieces expand upon the imagery, materiality, subject matter, and formal creation techniques typically used in handicraft projects. This collection adds to a greater body of work that intersects traumatic experiences with art and design and that explores the power of design as a communication tool. It opens the door for further investigation into the application’s potential as a teaching tool for trauma victims, nontraditional applications of the craft, its ability to aid in the recovery process, and the potential risk and benefit victims have from such work being done and from creating such pieces themselves.Item Empowering silenced voices : counseling techniques for Black rape survivors(2014-05) Roberts, Davia; Cokley, Kevin O. (Kevin O'Neal), 1969-In the United States, Black women are more likely to be sexually victimized than any other ethnic group. Despite the higher rates among Black women, there is little research that provides therapists with approaches and techniques that are culturally specific to Black women. Instead, most literature has focused on women as a whole, rather than examining the different cultural values and forms of support that are needed for recovery in different ethnic groups. Therefore, this report will provide therapists with a sociocultural lens to increase awareness of the Black woman's identity, while suggesting a Womanist theoretical approach to group psychotherapy as an ideal method of treatment.Item Facilitating transfer and maintenance in school-aged children who stutter : a guidebook for clinicians(2014-05) Wong, Allison Mei-Li; Byrd, Courtney T.This report was developed to: a) enhance the clinician’s understanding of transfer and maintenance as it relates to stuttering, b) explore the unique challenges that face the school-aged population, c) examine research outside of the field that may be of benefit for school-aged stuttering clients, and d) provide the clinician with examples and activities that will facilitate the transfer and maintenance of stuttering treatment. The report will include a brief discussion of transfer and maintenance. The remainder of the report will focus on facilitating transfer and maintenance by increasing motivation, self-efficacy, realistic goal setting, and self-regulation.Item Life review and reminiscence group therapy among senior adults(2006-05) Collins, Cassondra J.; Bradley, Loretta J.; Parr, Gerald; Duemer, Lee S.This dissertation investigated the salient themes in the lives of senior adults. Senior adults now constitute the largest demographic category in the United States. Thus, there continues to be a greater need for counselors to understand and be sensitive to the needs of senior adults. A case study format served as the method of this qualitative study based on a grounded theory approach. A group of senior adults (n=10; 3 men, 7 women; all were European-American who lived all or most of their life in West Texas) ages 84 to 91 participated in twelve one-hour group counseling sessions using a life review and reminiscence approach. The sessions were recorded and the transcripts of these sessions were analyzed using a thematic coding procedure. The participants were also asked about their experience in group therapy and their thoughts about life review and reminiscence therapy in particular. The counselor's experience working with senior adults was also explored. The results of the counseling transcripts indicated the following themes: Use of humor, role of expert, importance of significant relationships, reminiscing about food, independence and survival, health and vitality, family traditions and rituals, death and related existential issues, reflections on education, acceptance, leisure and recreation, values on religion and politics, and issues related to personal finance. In general, the participants enjoyed the counseling experience and were not apprehensive about participating. They experienced a sense of commonality and personal empowerment. The counselor reported that the participants were insightful and allowed the counselor to make mistakes. In conclusion, a better understanding of the needs of senior adults will enable counselors to become more effective in counseling this population. Group counseling using life review and reminiscence strategies appeared to be an effective approach in helping senior adults deepen social connectedness and allowing them to share their lived experiences which the members agreed were enjoyable and beneficial. Future research should consider the use of life review and reminiscence therapy in an individual counseling setting and the effects of counseling on the physical health of senior adults.Item Life review and reminiscence group therapy among senior adults(Texas Tech University, 2006-05) Collins, Cassondra J.; Bradley, Loretta J.; Parr, Gerald; Duemer, Lee S.This dissertation investigated the salient themes in the lives of senior adults. Senior adults now constitute the largest demographic category in the United States. Thus, there continues to be a greater need for counselors to understand and be sensitive to the needs of senior adults. A case study format served as the method of this qualitative study based on a grounded theory approach. A group of senior adults (n=10; 3 men, 7 women; all were European-American who lived all or most of their life in West Texas) ages 84 to 91 participated in twelve one-hour group counseling sessions using a life review and reminiscence approach. The sessions were recorded and the transcripts of these sessions were analyzed using a thematic coding procedure. The participants were also asked about their experience in group therapy and their thoughts about life review and reminiscence therapy in particular. The counselor's experience working with senior adults was also explored. The results of the counseling transcripts indicated the following themes: Use of humor, role of expert, importance of significant relationships, reminiscing about food, independence and survival, health and vitality, family traditions and rituals, death and related existential issues, reflections on education, acceptance, leisure and recreation, values on religion and politics, and issues related to personal finance. In general, the participants enjoyed the counseling experience and were not apprehensive about participating. They experienced a sense of commonality and personal empowerment. The counselor reported that the participants were insightful and allowed the counselor to make mistakes. In conclusion, a better understanding of the needs of senior adults will enable counselors to become more effective in counseling this population. Group counseling using life review and reminiscence strategies appeared to be an effective approach in helping senior adults deepen social connectedness and allowing them to share their lived experiences which the members agreed were enjoyable and beneficial. Future research should consider the use of life review and reminiscence therapy in an individual counseling setting and the effects of counseling on the physical health of senior adults.Item Marriage and family therapists' experience of creativity in the therapy room(Texas Tech University, 2008-05) Drew, Faith; Kimball, Thomas G.; Wampler, Karen S.; McGovern, Thomas F.; Morelock, Catherine N.Research stresses the importance of creativity in family therapy, yet a paucity of information describes how Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) define and experience creativity in their practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe MFTs’ experiences of creativity in their work with individuals, couples, and families. The study discusses creativity within various disciplines and frames the concept within a stage and a systemic model, illustrating an individual creative process and a system of interconnected components. The study uses a phenomenological methodology, as outlined by Moustakas (1994). Data were gathered through in-depth interviews from 10 Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists practicing in the West Texas region. The interviews revealed 3 main categories, 8 main themes, and 15 subthemes describing how MFTs experience creativity personally and professionally. The study concludes by discussing the essence of the phenomenon, as well as implications and guidelines for behavioral health professionals, specifically MFTs, to promote creative development in their practice. Recommendations are made for future studies.Item The role of family functioning, family messages and child cognitions in the development and maintenance of depression(2014-08) Metz, Kristina Lynne; Stark, Kevin DouglasPre-adolescent females are at an increased risk for the development of depression; therefore, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of depression in this population. Previous research indicates that cognitive style, including beliefs about the self, world, and future, is a vulnerability to the development and maintenance to depression. Research has found that cognitive style is malleable until early adolescence, at which time it begins to solidify and become more difficult to alter. Both parent-child relationships and family messages have been found to be associated with depression and previous research indicates that these factors may contribute to the development of a negative cognitive style. The purpose of the current study was to expand previous research by examining the roles of family functioning, perceived family messages and the cognitive triad in the development of depression for early adolescent girls. The study also explored whether family functioning and perceived family messages contributed to the development of girls’ cognitive style (cognitive triad). The study additionally evaluated the proposed model across two ethnic groups (Hispanic, Caucasian) as well as across age (9-10, 11-14) and grade (4-5, 6-8) groups. Participants included early adolescent girls (age 9-14) at risk for the development of, or diagnosed with, a depressive disorder (N = 198). Family functioning, family messages, cognitions, and depressive symptoms were obtained via girls’ self-report on a variety of questionnaires. Results from latent variable structural equation modeling indicated a significant direct effect of family functioning on perceived family messages, of perceived family messages on girls’ cognitive triad, and of girls’ cognitive triad on depressive symptoms. Furthermore, family functioning had a significant indirect effect on girls’ cognitive triad while both family functioning and perceived family messages had a significant indirect effect on girls’ depressive symptoms. No significant differences were found in the model pathways across ethnicities (Hispanic, Caucasian); however, the cohesion factor loading that was an aspect of family functioning was significantly different across groups, with Hispanic girls’ perceptions of family cohesion having a stronger association with family functioning than Caucasian girls. This finding seemingly indicates that cultural components may impact family attributes that are important to family functioning and, thus, role in the development and maintenance of depression in early adolescent girls. No significant differences were found between age or grade groups. Supplemental analyses, in which the model was investigated while controlling for depression, highlighted that the model was not driven by depressive symptoms (i.e. distorted perceptions). Implications, limitations, and areas for further research are discussed.Item The Residual Effects of Slavery: Clinical Implications for African Americans(2011-08) Wilkins, Erica J.; Whiting, Jason B.; Ivey, David C.; Smith, Douglas B.; Watson, MarleneSlavery and its aftermath have exacerbated a number of challenges that are unique to the African American community. Despite the literature that exists within other disciplines, no published studies within the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) literature has examined the implications of slavery and its residuals on African-American families. The current study explored the residual effects of slavery on African Americans and considered the clinical implications of these residuals. This study used a modified Delphi methodology to answer the following specific research questions: (1) In what ways have African Americans been negatively affected by slavery and its residuals? How can MFTs recognize these negative effects during the course of therapy? (2) How can the resilience of African Americans be understood as it relates to slavery and its residuals? How can MFTs recognize these resiliencies during the course of therapy? (3) What are the best therapeutic practices that MFTs can employ in the treatment of slavery and its residuals? The research consisted of three rounds of data collection in order to obtain information from panelists who have demonstrated an expertise regarding the topic of the residual effects of slavery. Data collection entailed: an open-ended questionnaire, a Likert-scale questionnaire and one round of interviews. Literature suggests that information should be gathered around the following themes: core assumptions about the residual effects of slavery, ways in which these residuals have negatively affected African American clients, implications about the resiliency of African Americans and interventions that MFTs can employ to effectively treat African Americans.Item The role of race/ethnicity in clinical judgment in couples and family therapy(Texas Tech University, 2008-12) Powell, Felicia Y. R.; Ivey, David C.This research examined how training and experience, family roles, gender and ethnicity affect ratings of family and individual functioning. Untrained undergraduates and American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) members’ ratings of case histories that described various ethnic families were compared as a measure of client ethnicity effects. Participant perceptions of case vignettes were compared to determine the relative influence of family race on the clinical judgment of family and individual family member functioning. Three hundred fifty five (126 untrained, 229 experienced) adults from a large Southwestern University and American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy participated in the research. Participants were randomly assigned to the three interview conditions: (a) Caucasian family, (b) Asian family, and (c) Hispanic family. After reading the case vignettes, participants completed parent and family assessment forms for each of the three family vignettes.Item Therapy for the male-to-female transgender client : a clinician's guide(2014-05) Haun, Lindsey Lee; Byrd, Courtney T.Male-to-female transgender clients seek therapy to learn to safely modify their voices in order to sound more feminine. Unfortunately, to this author’s knowledge, there are no data that report the number of transgender individuals who are actively seeking speech therapy, nor any accurate estimate of the number of transgender individuals in the United States. Moreover, current resources for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) lack up-to-date, comprehensive information about assessing and treating transgender clients. The present handbook will provide the most recent research related to appropriate therapeutic guidelines and activities to SLPs and SLP graduate students. In specific, the handbook will include research and techniques for modifying pitch, resonance, intonation, semantics, and nonverbal communication for transgender women. Moreover, the handbook will include background information about the current issues transgender women face in society and in seeking medical treatment.