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Women in Leadership and Perceived Factors of Success
No full textWomen working in U.S. companies face underrepresentation in upper-level leadership roles. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the perceived success factors that enable women to overcome sexism and achieve upper-level leadership roles. Recruitment occurred through purposeful and snowball sampling. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews. This study was guided by concepts from feminist theory (Brunell et al., 2023; Wollstonecraft, 2016), role congruity theory (Schein, 1975), and status characteristics theory (Berger et al., 1977). RQ1 asked: What are the lived experiences of women around overcoming sexism while working in large U.S. companies? SUB1-4: explored perceived barriers, experiences reaching leadership, success factors, and identity traits. Transcripts were analyzed and interpreted for critical terms, then coded for themes (Peoples, 2021; van Manen, 2016). Five themes emerged: (a)Ambition, (b)Culture, (c)Network, (d)Resilience, and (e)Trust. Findings suggest that women need to take risks and be proactive about having conversations with their leaders and skip-leaders, specifically around career progression and constructive feedback, to overcome sexism and other barriers they face. Champions were most critical in early and mid-career time periods. Personal and professional challenges occur throughout all stages of women’s career journeys, but self-imposed barriers were a common barrier that all participants had to overcome to find success. Five recommendations are: (a) clarity of promotional pathways, (b) utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to identify candidates for promotion, inform employees of their potential and options inside their organization (c) creating feedback loops, (d) create/implement resource groups for employees for skills- based coaching, mentorship, and subject matter learning, and (e) offering therapy and coaching to counter self-imposed barriers. Future research should (a) expand study to other groups; (b) compare women in large for-profit companies to nonprofits or smaller size companies; (c) implement a longitudinal study of phases of career progression; (d) study how reorganizations and restructuring affects promotion; (e) explore male perceptions of underrepresentation of women in leadership inside large, medium, or small companies; (f) explore the lived experiences of women inside nonprofit U.S. companies; and (g) a longitudinal study of the use of AI to identify and inform organizations and candidates about leadership positions currently open, being created, or becoming vacant
Challenges Faced by Spousal Caregivers of People with Dementia: The Role of Counselling
No full textThis capstone will examine the collective experiences of older spousal caregivers who care for a spouse with dementia, with the goal of enhancing counselling outcomes for the population. Key questions that guide the capstone are listed here. What are the challenges that caregivers face while supporting a spouse who has dementia? How does counselling benefit this population? How can the field evolve to improve outcomes for this group
Re-Authoring Identity: How Narrative Group Therapy Supports The Metabolization Of Grief In Later In Life Coming Out
No full textResearch on grief among older 2SLGBTQIA+ adults (ages 35–60) experiencing Later-in-Life Coming Out (LLCO) is limited. Mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and suicidality are heightened by minority stressors like stigma, discrimination, poverty, and reduced access to care, factors rooted in heteronormative discourse. These intersecting stressors, combined with relational disruptions, shifting family roles, loss of safety or privilege, missed milestones, and internalized oppression, can compound four key types of LLCO grief: anticipatory, ambiguous, disenfranchised, and non-finite grief. Current research shows that processing grief in a group setting supports emotional healing, reduces mental health challenges, fosters more affirmative 2SLGBTQIA+ identity narratives, and builds a sense of community that lessens isolation. Using Foucauldian discourse analysis, minority stress theory, and narrative therapy, this capstone explores how these grief experiences intersect with identity formation and examines how narrative group therapy can help metabolize LLCO grief while fostering more empowering and affirming narratives
Reimagining Recovery: Can Generative Artificial Intelligence Support the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa?
No full textAnorexia nervosa (AN) is a life-threatening eating disorder with the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses, yet its treatment remains underfunded and underexplored. This capstone investigates whether generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) can support the treatment of AN, either as a standalone therapeutic modality or as an adjunct to existing approaches. It explores the complexities that contribute to the pathology of AN, and discusses some of the risks associated with this disorder including physical and emotional distress and high rates of suicide. Stigma and other barriers to care are discussed, as well as common therapeutic practices, such as inpatient treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and externalization. The discussion explores emerging applications of GenAI in psychotherapy, including AI-supported suicide risk detection, virtual reality exposure therapy, and chatbot-assisted interventions, while addressing ethical concerns such as privacy, embedded bias, and safety risks. This paper concludes by proposing pathways for future research that merge GenAI and AN treatment, emphasizing the need for inclusive, accessible, and ethically sound innovations to improve outcomes for individuals with AN
What are the Mental Health Implications of Enculturation Among Immigrant Children in Western Society
No full textThis paper is an in-depth analysis of the literature regarding the mental health implications of immigrant children due to enculturation. This project seeks to address the concern of immigrant children's under-resourced mental health services due to many identifying factors. Two questions guide the work: 1) What are the mental health implications of enculturation among immigrant children in Canada? 2)What are the barriers to immigrant children accessing mental health care in Canada? Data collection involved the critiquing of scholarly works from various databases from 2020-2025, while highlighting gaps in the research. Specific search parameters of “immigrant children” paired with several other terms that fit specific subthemes, and the use of thematic analysis was used. Results found that enculturation stress was linked to increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, while systemic discrimination reduced help-seeking (Elkchirid & Motia, 2021). This underutilization of mental health care is also impacted by cultural, linguistic, and religious variables, as well as stigma (Elkchirid & Motia, 2021). The implications for counselling involve raising awareness of the barriers immigrant children face in accessing mental health treatment and exploring how these barriers can be addressed and reframed to reduce negative mental health outcomes
America Paradox: Multilingual Educational and Equity in the United States
No full textThe United States has always been a nation of contradictions. It is celebrated as a land of immigrants, yet it has often been hostile to newcomers. It proclaims liberty while constraining rights. And perhaps most paradoxically, it is one of the most linguistically diverse nations in the world, yet it has built institutions, policies, and cultural narratives around English-only monolingualism.
This paradox is not incidental—it is woven into the very fabric of the American story. From the suppression of Indigenous languages in federal boarding schools to the Americanization campaigns that targeted European immigrants, and from the Cold War fear of linguistic difference to contemporary English-only initiatives, the United States has repeatedly enforced assimilation at the expense of linguistic diversity. Yet across every generation, families, educators, and communities have resisted—preserving heritage languages, nurturing bilingual programs, and affirming that multilingualism is not a threat to unity but its foundation
Counsellors’ Role in Promoting Positive Legal Experiences for Canadian Female Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
No full textIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious and prevalent threat to women's safety and wellbeing in Canada and globally. Drawing from my counselling work with IPV survivors, I observed that many clients feel overwhelmed and retraumatized by their interactions with the legal system. This capstone explores how female survivors of IPV experience the Canadian legal system, which factors contribute to positive or negative experiences, and how counsellors can promote more supportive legal outcomes. Using reflexive thematic analysis of 22 Canadian studies, I developed a paired thematic framework and applied it to an adapted social-ecological model. Survivor and professional accounts reveal that while some positive experiences occur,
many women face systemic barriers, biased attitudes, and inconsistent professional responses that perpetuate harm. Recommendations for future research, policy reform, and clinical practice are offered at each systemic level. This project underscores how counselling psychologists can advocate for systemic change and promote safer, more empowering legal experiences for Canadian IPV survivors
The Impacts of Microaggressions on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace: A Phenomenological Study
No full textThis qualitative phenomenological study examined how microaggressions impact female military service members' career decisions. The study offered insights regarding the impacts of microaggressions on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. The purpose of the study was to investigate the lived experiences of female military service members and identify the types of microaggressions that may have impacted their military careers. The study demonstrated the impacts of various microaggressions on women in the workplace, including their job performance, evaluations, and overall well-being. This study was guided by Eagly and Karau's Role Congruity Theory, which elucidates the influence of microaggressions on women's career decisions in leadership positions within the military and other organizations. Qualitative research and phenomenological design were used to understand female military service members' lived experiences. In-depth, semi-structured and one-on-one interviews were conducted with fifteen women. Interview data were transcribed. Data was examined using NVivo14, a thematic analysis software. This study and data analysis were guided by two research questions: What types of microaggressions have you experienced in the military that have compromised your career decisions, and have these types of microaggressions impacted your career decisions? Five themes that emerged from the interview results were: (1) gender-based microaggressions, (2) male microaggressions, (3) considering military separation, (4) emotional and psychological impacts, and (5) decision-making and performance. This qualitative phenomenological study revealed that participants experienced many forms of microaggressions in the workplace and their impact on career decisions. The results validated prior and current studies documented in the literature on the effects of microaggressions in the workplace. This study was essential in furthering research on microaggressions, leadership development, and organizational best practices. Nonetheless, the findings showed a lack of comprehensive research on alternative forms of microaggressions and their impacts. Consequently, recommendations for future research and best practices were essential to enhance the comprehension of the lived experiences of female military service members and the impacts of microaggressions on their career decisions
Towards Culturally Responsive Care: Understanding Mental Health Barriers and Solutions for Immigrant Asian Men
No full textImmigrant Asian men experience significant mental health disparities, yet they remain one of the most underserved populations in mental health care. Cultural stigma, masculinity norms, and structural barriers contribute to low rates of service utilization, often deterring individuals from seeking professional support. This paper explores the intersection of these challenges through a framework of cultural humility and intersectionality, critically examining how sociocultural expectations and systemic inequities shape mental health experiences. A review of existing literature highlights the impact of stigma, acculturation stress, and institutional barriers on help-seeking behaviours. Additionally, this paper discusses therapeutic interventions that have been shown to improve engagement among Asian men, including culturally adapted cognitive behavioral therapy (CA-CBT), narrative therapy, group-based interventions, and mindfulness practices. The findings emphasize the need for a multi-level approach, integrating individual, community, and policy-driven strategies to reduce stigma and enhance access to culturally competent care. By addressing these barriers and promoting more inclusive mental health practices, this research contributes to ongoing efforts to bridge the gap in mental health equity for immigrant Asian men
Passing Bonds: The Intergenerational Transmission of Attachment Styles to Offspring
No full textThis paper examines how attachment styles are transmitted from caregivers to children and their impact on the mental health of the offspring, as well as their relationships with themselves and others. Different attachment styles and risk factors that lead to insecure attachments are examined. The paper also examines how caregiver behaviours influence a child's internal working model. Research is reviewed to show that secure and insecure attachment relationships primarily stem from maternal sensitivity, past relationship dynamics, parental mental health, and environmental influences. This capstone aims to support psychoeducational and counselling interventions. It integrates mentalizing, attachment-based interventions, and psychodynamics to help caregivers foster healthier attachment styles in their children, ultimately reducing the negative developmental effects of poor attachment patterns across generations