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It Takes a Village: Proposed Community Solutions for Vulnerable Learners
No full textSchool disengagement and dropout are multilayered problems that students, families, educators, and counsellors are faced with. Consequently, school dropout affects the larger community from both a financial and wellness standpoint. The paper sheds a light on the uphill battle educators are faced with when addressing the needs of the system's most vulnerable learners and calls upon the community to bridge the gap through resources and partnerships. Causes and consequences of school disengagement and dropout which serve as barriers to student success are explored through the lens of Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory. Further, the paper investigates effective interventions that are occurring within successful alternative education programs to provide awareness and strategies for school professionals, school districts, outside agencies, and other community members. Finally, recommendations are provided which call on school professionals to fight for better when it comes to vulnerable learners, thus prohibiting them from falling through the cracks. Comprehensive wraparound approaches, both at the school and community level are described as successful interventions, in addition to an existing Distributed Learning program which could serve as a model to schools and districts considering alternative approaches. The aim of the paper is to encourage professionals and community members to bring these students out from their dark corners and illuminate them by seeing who they truly are. When students recognize their strengths, develop a sense of purpose, and find a place where they belong, both individuals and communities have hope for a healthier future
An Investigation into a Parenting Practice and its Association with Mental Health Issues
No full textThis study examined parental conditional regard and its effects on the mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults. The author analyzed 10 quantitative studies with the intention of sharing the gathered knowledge to help educate individuals, professionals, and society on parental conditional regard (PCR). Since available research on PCR is limited, general awareness about this parenting practice is negligible. PCR is a love-oriented parenting practice that involves the provision or withdrawal of love and affection contingent on the child meeting parental expectations. Findings revealed that while PCR is often effective in its objective (a child's fulfilment of parental expectations), this usually well-intentioned practice has been found to be associated with less-than-optimal development in behavioural, emotional, and cognitive/identity spheres combined with an increased risk of mental health problems. To reduce these risks, a good first step for clinicians would be to provide education to parent clients on the potential impacts of using PCR, followed by interventions involving gradual changes from long-standing parenting practices to healthier alternatives, such as autonomy supportive parenting
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Examining How School Counsellors Can Support Students Diagnosed with FASD Through Life Skills and Social-Emotional Learning
No full textThe research question I will addressed in this capstone is: How can school counsellors support students diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder through life skills and social-emotional learning? I will explore what FASD is and how it impacts the individual diagnosed with FASD in the school setting. I also will examine the skills and strategies used in life skills and social-emotional learning programs to support individuals diagnosed with FASD. I will define what life skills and social-emotional learning is, the benefits of using these skills in a school setting, and how these programs impact a student diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. I have developed an 8-week program combining foundational skills from both life skills and social-emotional learning programs to help foster success in the school setting and in everyday life
Let the Mushrooms Be the Medicine: The Potential of Psilocybin in the Treatment of Eating Disorders
No full textThe mortality rate amongst people suffering from eating disorders (EDs) has sky-rocketed (van Hoeken & Hoek, 2020). Often poor body image and/or social media are touted as the causes of EDs, but science rightly questions this oversimplification. In actuality, the causes of EDs are complex and often difficult to determine, making the determination of treatments challenging, in a system where the scarcity of and accessibility to treatments is already a barrier. With the renaissance of psychedelic research for the treatment of other psychological disorders, this paper speculates on the possibility of expanding the use of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) to include the treatment of EDs. With the known comorbitiy of mental disorders and EDs, I am curious to explore research that focuses primarily on the potential benefits of PAP to treat EDs alone. If the findings show that PAP can work as positively in the healing of EDs as it has in other mental health disorders such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety, perhaps such findings could open a significant opportunity for healing in this area; possibly significant enough to shift the paradigm about eating behaviors treatment
The Matching Process Between Therapist and Client: How to Magically Land on Therapeutic Alliance
No full textTherapeutic alliance (TA), the quality of the connection between therapist and client, is a well-researched concept in the psychotherapy literature. Despite the immense amount of studies and discussions on TA's role as a necessary foundation for therapeutic efficacy, therapists are not trained to educate their clients about TA, and TA is not a known phenomenon to therapy seekers. As awareness of how individual and collective privileges and discriminations are determined by the dominant social structures in place grows, consideration of TA and therapist's reflexivity become crucial to practice ethically and anti-oppressively. In addition to providing an overview of the makeup of TA, this paper inquires into the influences of intersectionality theory, attachment theory, and interpersonal neurobiology through an intersectional feminist and anti-colonial lens. The failure to integrate TA into therapist education, training, practice, and communication with clients sees implications for the profession of psychotherapy and clients' access to appropriate and efficacious mental health care. Recommendations are offered to encourage TA- and trauma-informed, person-centered, relational, and decolonial practices
An Analysis of the Perceptions of Academic Rigor by Prince George's County Secondary Mathematics Teachers and Secondary Administrators During the Covid-19 Crisis
No full textThe purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions of academic rigor by teachers and administrators of secondary mathematics classrooms in Maryland, during a crisis. The identified problem is, during COVID-19 pandemic, school district leadership may not have effectively communicated with employees about rigor application expectations. The problem developed when schools shifted to virtual learning. The following research questions were developed from teachers' and administrators' application of academic rigor during crisis time in Prince George's County. RQ1: Do teachers and administrators have aligned ideas of academic rigor based on their responses and their provided evidence? RQ2: Is there alignment between the teachers and administrators' perceptions of academic rigor during times of crisis, specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic? The research questions called for a basic qualitative study using coding, thematic, and comparison analysis approach to gather the stories of teachers and administrators. The participants were secondary (grades 6–12) teachers and administrators of mathematics in schools. A sample of 3 teachers, 4 administrators, with 2 years (minimum) experience were used. Each participant could compare teaching or monitoring during and before the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses were coded to find patterns regarding the application of rigor during COVID-19. The theory presumed in the study was if district leadership, administrators, and teachers have aligned perceptions of academic rigor in understanding and application, then academic growth can occur for students during crisis times. The results of the study were analyzed to find patterns of understanding between teachers and administrators in mathematics classrooms. The main finding of the study was that the teachers and administrators did not have an aligned perception of academic rigor during the distance learning period. District Superintendents can use this study to address academic rigor during crisis times and establish protocols ensuring that the staff have aligned perceptions of rigor. To address this concern, we had the staff in the district utilize one definition of academic rigor and use one rubric measuring the levels of rigor in classrooms. Once educators follow one rating system, they can calibrate their instructional lenses. For future research, this study can be completed in other subject areas, noting any similar concerns