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Empowerment Beyond Trauma: Exploring Pathways to Agency and Resilience Among Female Visible Minority Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence
No full textResearchers have often examined empowerment in the context of intimate-partner violence (IPV) through the lens of trauma and clinical interventions, with less attention paid to the strengths-based experiences of female visible-minority survivors. This capstone research project is an exploration of the following question: “How do cultural, systemic, and personal influences both constrain and contribute to the empowerment of female visible-minority survivors of IPV?” Through a comprehensive literature review grounded in intersectional feminist theory and guided by Cattaneo and Goodman’s (2015) empowerment process model, the author synthesised recent scholarly findings on IPV, resilience, and empowerment. The key themes include cultural stigma, systemic and legal barriers, the role of social supports, personal resilience, and empowerment-based models in clinical settings. The findings reveal that empowerment is a fluid, nonlinear process shaped by both internal beliefs and access to culturally adapted resources. This research highlights the importance of culturally grounded, trauma-informed, and empowerment-centred supports to help survivors rebuild their identity and independence. Clinical implications include the adoption of intersectionality-informed, empowerment-focused therapeutic frameworks and the expansion of community supports such as transition homes, legal advocacy, and mental-health services. By shifting the narrative from victimisation to survivorship, this study offers valuable insights for clinicians, policy makers, and community organisations who are working to promote resilience and agency among marginalised survivors of IPV
The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Emotion Regulation in Adult Romantic Relationships
No full textThis capstone examines the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on emotion regulation in adult romantic relationships. Specifically, it investigates how ACEs influence emotion regulation abilities and their relational consequences in adulthood through an attachment theory perspective. The main question of this project is: How does exposure to ACEs affect emotion regulation and co-regulation in adult romantic relationships? To answer this, relevant peer-reviewed literature from the past five years was collected, analyzed, and synthesized in a literature review. The methodology used is literature review. A thematic analysis was performed to identify and develop key themes. What were the findings? This review and analysis critiqued existing research methodology and highlighted significant gaps and limitations. The capstone concludes with recommendations for clinical practice, emphasizing suitable modalities such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Narrative Therapy, and integrating trauma-informed approaches in working with populations exposed to ACEs
A Qualitative Study On Reducing High School Principal Burnout
No full textThe varying demands of the principalship create stress and burnout, which can lead principals to quit their jobs. Until researchers understand the specific factors contributing to principal burnout, school districts, supervisors, and principal preparation programs will be unable to support and retain principals effectively. High school principals are licensed administrators responsible for school improvement, instructional leadership, safety, student discipline, and numerous other key areas. Considering the high demand and high-pressure nature of the principalship, this study is important because various factors including the role of teachers, personal issues, working conditions, and others can contribute to the increasing rates of principal burnout. This descriptive qualitative study explored the factors contributing to burnout among high school principals with varying degrees of experience in Washington state in 2025. Specifically, this study focused on the factors influencing principals' decisions to leave or remain in their position. The primary research question was "What causes burnout in high school principals?" To identify principal perceptions of burnout, I employed a qualitative descriptive approach to collect and analyze data through semi-structured interviews with 16 principals. A thematic analysis was conducted to interpret key trends in the data set. Key findings included that burnout can be caused by various factors within the principalship including daily scheduling demands, workload, complexity and intensity of job demands, and lack of work-life balance. Further, principals experienced strain from indirect exposure to trauma. Simultaneously, principals rely upon a "do-the-work" approach, their skills, abilities, and attributes to effectively do their jobs. Those who lead and educate principals should implement strategies that support work-life balance, supervisor feedback and support, and trauma-informed practices that can assist principals in their work with students impacted by trauma. Researchers should explore those who serve principals, such as superintendents and principal preparation programs. These stakeholders should focus on developing strategies to alleviate the job demands of high school principals. One way to do this is to emphasize supporting the individual needs of principals in their specific contexts. Researchers should also explore the specific job demands and exacerbating scenarios that have the greatest potential of increasing strain and burnout
Fostering Resilience: How to Protect Against the Psychological Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences
No full textAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) comprise an array of traumatic events that children and youth may encounter, such as abuse, neglect, financial strain, household substance use, parental mental health disorders, and exposure to violence. With a high prevalence of Canada’s population identifying exposure to at least one ACE, there is a pressing need to identify resilience mechanisms to overcome the detrimental effects of such experiences. This literature review isolates the most effective and consistent resilience-building mechanisms across individuals. The capstone project is guided by the following research question: What mechanisms explain how resilience protects against the psychological effects of ACEs, and how these mechanisms can be intentionally cultivated in counselling contexts? Relevant literature was critically analyzed and thematically coded to uncover findings about the research question. The most significant findings reveal that resilience mechanisms encompass three primary levels: individual, social/relationship, and community; however, the effectiveness of each may depend on cultural identity and values. This indicates that an integrative and multi-level approach explains how resilience protects against psychological effects of ACEs. This capstone addresses recommendations for clinical practice, such as adapting Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), to guide Canadian counsellors working directly with this population. Furthermore, this capstone discusses recommendations for future research to identify ways to refine the limitations presented within this research project
Insecure Attachment and Empathy Deficits in Adults with Childhood Trauma
No full textChildhood trauma, encompassing various adverse experiences such as abuse, neglect, and disrupted caregiving, has profound effects on emotion regulation, attachment security, and overall social functioning throughout life. This literature review aims to examine the relationships between childhood trauma and its impact on the development of empathy in adulthood. The findings indicate that individuals exposed to traumatic experiences during childhood often exhibit insecure attachment patterns, which hinder their ability to engage in empathic interactions. Specifically, insecure or disorganized attachment styles are shown to disrupt emotion regulation and perspective-taking abilities, which are critical components of empathy. The review describes effective interventions, including emotionally focused therapy (EFT) and attachment-based frameworks, which have demonstrated success in promoting emotional safety and repairing attachment disruptions
The Pressure of Keeping Up: A Qualitative Exploratory Case Study on How Pacing Influences Secondary Mathematics Teaching Strategies
No full textThe problem that this study is seeking to address is to explore the pressure from high-stakes tests and district pacing guides has on the teaching strategies teachers choose to implement in secondary mathematics classrooms. The problem impacts secondary mathematic teachers, their students, administration and district level personnel. The purpose of this study is to explore the perspective of secondary mathematic teachers and the decisions they make in their classrooms. The theoretical framework comes from organizational socialization, which was developed by Van Maanen and Schein in 1976. A theory that states employes change their habits, and beliefs based on the needs of their new environment or workplace. Teachers do this exact thing every school year as they get new students, new professional work groups, or change schools and the process of conforming to those needs starts. This study used a qualitative exploratory case study design that used a thematic analysis for the 11 individual interviews and one focus group. Results show that mathematic teachers do change their teaching styles based for three reasons. The first, most dominant reasons are students’ needs, altering teaching methods to help students understand. Second was due to time restraints or pacing guides, teachers felt they were behind and not keeping up with the given timeline to have students prepared for tests or the next course level. Third was professional collaboration groups, teachers share their ideas, resources, or past practices to help each other prepare the students. The recommendation for future research is to understand what the education system wants from the mathematic courses required for students and see if there are ways to change what standards are taught to help students be successful. For future practices teachers need to keep changing teaching styles and practices for the students to help them be successful. Use their peers to learn new helpful teaching techniques. Finally, keep putting the students first even if that means some standards are not taught in time, students will benefit from a deeper understanding of content as opposed to more content less mastery
How Black Male Occupational Therapy Students Persisted to Degree Attainment: A Narrative Inquiry
No full textCollege degree attainment is a goal for many students following high school, which can lead to a higher likelihood of employment, higher earnings, and personal satisfaction. However, there are disparities among racial and gender lines for achieving a college degree. There are also racial and gender disparities in representation for healthcare professionals, including occupational therapy practitioners, which has a negative impact on healthcare outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry study was to explore the experiences shared by Black males who achieved a degree in occupational therapy from a predominantly White institution. Harper’s anti-deficit achievement framework for research of color in STEM and Goings’ black male adult learner success theory are used to frame the concept of degree achievement for Black males. Seven Black males who graduated with a degree in occupational therapy shared their stories through a one-on-one Zoom interview. The data were analyzed using narrative analysis. The findings of the study showed how their experiences of the participants viewed through the lens of their past, present, and future, their personal and social conditions, and their description of place, impacted their success as students and professionals in occupational therapy. Narrative threads of resilience, belonging, systems of support, and diversity and representation emerged. The implications for practice impact occupational therapy programs and workplace settings, and calls for the development of targeted strategies to enhance the experiences and successes of Black males in occupational therapy
Patient Behavior Prediction Using Big Data Analytics and Machine Learning
No full textAccurately predicting patient behaviors such as treatment adherence, healthcare engagement, and responses to interventions remains a persistent challenge due to the complex interaction of physiological, contextual, and behavioral factors. Traditional predictive models often overlook contextual determinants, including socioeconomic status, environmental conditions, and perioperative stress indicators, thereby limiting both accuracy and clinical applicability. The purpose of this quantitative, explanatory, quasi-experimental study was to develop and evaluate an automated machine learning (AutoML) based big data analytics system using the VitalDB dataset, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, to predict patient adherence behaviors in perioperative care. The dataset included high-resolution physiologic signals, perioperative attributes, and electronic health record–derived outcomes from 6,388 surgical cases. The study compared AutoML frameworks with traditional machine learning models, including logistic regression, decision trees, random forests, and gradient boosting machines. Data preprocessing involved imputation, normalization, and feature engineering to address missing data and ensure model robustness. Model performance was evaluated using metrics such as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC–AUC), precision–recall area (PR–AUC), and F1-score. Results demonstrated that ensemble and AutoML models achieved enhanced predictive performance (ROC–AUC = 0.99), while maintaining interpretability through SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME). Key predictors included the Intraoperative Stress Index, ASA classification, and SpO₂ burden. Findings confirm that integrating contextual and physiologic data within explainable AutoML pipelines enhanced predictive accuracy and transparency, supporting the development of clinically actionable decision-support tools for personalized, data-driven healthcare
Stuttering: A Disconnect Between Mind and Body
No full textThis capstone paper examines stuttering through an integrative lens that considers both psychological and physiological influences. Drawing from somatic experiencing and polyvagal theory, it explores how the mind–body connection shapes the lived experience of stuttering and informs therapeutic intervention. The capstone synthesizes current literature on speech fluency, nervous system regulation, and trauma-informed care to highlight limitations of traditional approaches that focus primarily on speech mechanics. It proposes that effective intervention requires addressing underlying nervous system dysregulation alongside speech production goals. This project applies theoretical frameworks to clinical practice by outlining strategies for integrating body-based techniques with established speech-language therapy methods. The paper also identifies opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and emphasizes the importance of building safety and resilience in the therapeutic process. The synthesis serves as a resource for clinicians seeking to broaden their understanding of stuttering and to develop more holistic, client-centred treatment plans by answering the research question: how can polyvagal and somatic therapy be used to understand and treat individuals who stutter
Coaching Athletes with ADHD
No full textImagine a 15-year-old male high school athlete standing on the soccer field waiting for the game to start. The whistle blows, and as everyone around him rushes to their positions, he is distracted by his untucked jersey and notices his shoelaces are untied. He bends down to tie them. At the same time, he gets passed the ball but misses it because he’s not paying attention, and the ball goes directly to the other team. The coach yells out instructions, but the player is too far away, and with so many instructions just given, he starts to feel overwhelmed, embarrassed, and frustrated - he didn’t mean to miss the pass. Teammates roll their eyes, some making comments under their breath, “not again, how does he keep missing it?” The coach means well but is untrained in how to support an adolescent with ADHD, interpreting the player’s actions as a lack of effort or care. The player, embarrassed and dysregulated, then shuts down and withdraws from the game. By the end of the game, the athlete, coach, and other players are annoyed and slightly angry. The athlete leaves questioning whether he belongs on the team; the other players exchange knowing looks, and the coach leaves feeling frustrated, wanting to help but unsure of how. This everyday scene highlights the gap between adolescents with ADHD and the need for coaching knowledge