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What Counsellors Need to Know About Assessment of Problematic Pornography Use
No full textThe continued growth of the Internet, coupled with its influence on the consumption of pornography on individuals as well as families, has led to growing concerns for both academics and counsellors about the negative impact both on mental health and on relationships. This capstone explores the impacts of problematic Internet pornography consumption and ways counsellors can support adults who self-report problematic Internet pornography use. The literature review showed that problematic Internet pornography consumption is a controversial issue within the counselling and mental health fields. Within the literature, there proved to be no real consensus regarding the conceptualization and screening of problematic Internet
pornography consumption which challenged the professional confidence of some counsellors. This has left them unable to decide/agree if problematic Internet pornography use was a behavioural addiction, human sexuality concern, or connected to gender based violence. The hope for this capstone project is to clearly define problematic Internet pornography consumption and to equip counsellors with clear information on how to provide improved quality care, and support assessments for clients that include questions surrounding Internet pornography use
Two-Eyed Seeing: Honouring the Roots of Psychedelic Medicine
No full textPsychedelic medicine is surging in popularity, and the Western world seems poised at the brink of legalizing specific psychedelics for therapeutic use. However, in its current form, psychedelic medicine replicates the same power structures and inequities as does the Western medicalized framework from whence it came. Applying the conceptual framework of etuaptmumk, Two-Eyed Seeing, this paper challenges the supremacy of Western biomedical approaches to psychedelic medicine and instead advocates for a new way of seeing that honours the global cross-cultural roots of psychedelic medicine and elevates Traditional and Indigenous Knowledges as fully developed systems of knowledge whose ontologies and epistemologies stand equally alongside their Western counterparts. I will explore the origins of sacred plant medicines, select principles of Traditional Knowledge, and examine the history, evidence base, and current practices of the Western psychedelic biomedical model. Two-Eyed Seeing helps one see with one eye from the strengths of Traditional Knowledge and from the other with the strengths of Western approaches. This project offers a practical framework to help counsellors in the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy braid together the best of both in a way that is integrative and complementary
Narrative in a Garden: Integrating Horticultural and Narrative Therapy for Trauma Healing in Groups
Get PDFAs a designation of its own, horticultural therapy (HT) has historically been an effective treatment for mental health. HT is not usually connected to the profession of clinical counselling and may be more widely accepted if combined with traditional talk therapy. Narrative therapy’s techniques align with the reflective, growth-oriented nature of horticultural therapy. This capstone aims to understand the efficacy of an integrative horticultural narrative therapy model as a treatment for trauma and post-traumatic stress-disorder (PTSD). Group therapy is identified as a uniquely suited treatment for trauma and shapes the lens of this scope of research. Despite gaps in long-term studies on the impact of horticultural therapy for PTSD, the integration of these modalities presents a promising, group approach for trauma treatment. Future research will need to examine these approaches further, with particular focus on trauma-informed care. A narrative garden group therapy program is proposed as an opportunity to for later studies
Nurturing Holistic Health in Adolescents: The Role of Mind-Body Awareness, Emotional Development, and Sleep Education
No full textThis research project explores health promotion objectives for adolescents. Given the scientific evidence of health outcomes in adulthood that are connected to poor mental health in adolescence, combined with the current mental health crisis affecting North American youth today, wide scale efforts and supports must be implemented. The focus of this paper is psychoeducational in nature and is intended to educate teens and adult stakeholders, including school staff, about holistic wellness and health promotion aims. It investigates the connection between mental and physical health- mind and body- as well as emotional development during adolescent years, and sleep as an essential health habit. Each of these topics look at the values, norms, and present-day conditions that are contributing to health concerns affecting youth. The combined effort of this capstone is to teach young people how they can protect their health and inspire better self-awareness, self-efficacy, and capacity for decision-making that can better prepare them for a lifetime of health and wellness. Included is my recommendation of an educational bulletin board, useful in counselling centers or school hubs, that highlights each topic and offers health promotion tips, and is relevant and approachable for both teens and the adults caring for them
Mental Health Practitioners Who Work With Immigrant Clients and Interpreters
No full textDeveloped countries such as Canada have a growing number of immigrants, many of whom encounter mental health challenges and usually face barriers to accessing mental health services because of their limited English proficiency, which necessitates the use of interpreters. In this study the author addressed the impact of the presence of interpreters on the therapeutic process in working with immigrant clients. Utilising the Campinha-Bacote model of cultural competency as a framework, the author conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) and drew on seven electronic databases (EBSCO, JSTOR, Francis Online Mental Health and Social Care Collection, Google Scholar, Mendeley Taylor, ProQuest, and PubMed) to identify relevant journal articles from 2017 to 2024. A total of 19 peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria. The findings are organised into five major themes: communication, interpreter role, therapeutic alliance, emotional impact, and training and support. The results indicate that the presence of an interpreter significantly impacts the therapeutic process and presents both opportunities and challenges. Interpreters can enhance communication and cultural understanding and facilitate therapeutic alliances, but they can also present complexities related to communication challenges, role dynamics, triadic relationship challenges, and emotional burdens. The study underscores the need for psychotherapists and interpreters to receive training and support to address these challenges effectively. Furthermore, psychotherapists must have cultural-competency skills and adopt culturally sensitive approaches in their interpreter-mediated psychotherapy. The recommendations include future research to focus on standardised training for practitioners and interpreters and further investigate the long-term effects of interpreter-mediated psychotherapy on treatment outcomes
The Effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Children and Youth Who Have Experienced Developmental Trauma
No full textAnimal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a relatively new field of study that has gained considerable support over the past decade, with more research dedicated to understanding its impact on humans' psychological and physical well-being. The author of this paper provided insight into the aforesaid modality and its impact on developmental trauma (DT) in children and youth to specifically answer the research question "How does animal-assisted therapy impact children and youth who have experienced developmental trauma?" The theoretical framework that guided this capstone research reflects attachment theory and the premise that the human-animal bond can create a secure attachment (Bowlby, 1969; Parish-Plass, 2021). The paper also includes the findings from a literature review and a methodological analysis. The results of the literature review present three major themes: attachment bonds, treatment adherence, and AAT with canines and equines. The author further derived subthemes that led to additional findings. The
most significant findings in this research are attachment bonds and the human-animal bond; therefore, attachment theory guided the findings across the literature. The author discusses these findings in detail; they guide the recommendations for clinical practice. Furthermore, this paper includes ethical and cultural considerations within the literature reviewed and recommendations for future research
Critiquing Therapeutic Conceptualizations of Violence
No full textThe exploration and treatment of traumatic experiences is rapidly expanding in the mental health field and as a whole, the topic has significantly increased in popularity over the past 40 years. Psychodynamic therapy (PDT) and narrative exposure therapy (NET) are used to conceptualize and treat client experiences of violence. Despite the widespread use of these frameworks, both are deeply problematic in their conceptualizations and interventions as their understandings are pathologizing. Response-based practice and the interactional and discursive view of violence and resistance underscore the inaccurate language of PDT and NET that leads to the pathology of clients. A case study analysis emphasizes the issues inherent within the exclusive use of PDT or NET to respond to client experiences of violence. The use of a broader set of therapeutic models can address the shortcomings of using one particular model, and therefore, an eclectic approach to counselling will better serve novice counsellors and their clients alike
Financial Literacy and its Influence on First-Year College Student Retention Rates
No full textFinancial literacy skillsets may be lacking in the first-year college student population, which may contribute to lower first-year college student retention rates. Because financial literacy is a skillset that may need to be taught to college students, this study attempted to understand and explore the link between financial literacy levels and first-year college student retention. By interviewing first-year college students enrolled in a first-year success course, this phenomenologically based study provided insight into students' current understandings and feelings about financial literacy, financial literacy pedagogy, and students' desires to continue to their sophomore year of college. The study provides insight into specific financial literacy topics and other solutions that should be taught and provided to first-year college students. As a result of improved financial literacy programs and resources for students, colleges may recognize improvements in their first- year college student retention and overall graduation rates. This qualitative study used semistructured interviews to understand the subjects’ full experiences in relation to debt (Feige & Yen, 2021) and financial decision-making processes (O'Sullivan et al., 2019). Fifteen students were selected from first-year student success classes at a mid-sized public 4-year college in the Northeast, United States. Data obtained during the semistructured interviews were analyzed and the researcher created coding and themes to review data obtained during the semistructured interviews. Although this study did not find a relationship between financial literacy and first-year student retention rates, the completion of the study resulted in a better understanding of first-year college students' financial literacy levels and the financial literacy topics where first-year college students lacked insight. As a result of the study, it was realized that financial literacy skillsets
were lacking and there were high levels of money mismanagement in the first-year college student population. Suggestions include creating a standardized financial literacy curriculum for students based on their financial literacy levels and programs to help students create and stick to budgets. This study provides insight for college administrators to provide relevant financial literacy to students, which may increase financial literacy levels and provide opportunities for better money management for first- year college students
Social Anxiety as a Threat to the Mental Health of Undergraduate Students
No full textThe period of undergraduate studies typically falls within emerging adulthood. The time of undergraduate studies introduces a range of unique stressors which pose challenges to the mental health of undergraduate students. Social support has been found to be a significant protective factor against mental health challenges; however, undergraduate students often depart their existing support system to pursue their studies. Social anxiety is a highly prevalent mental health challenge associated with significant and diverse negative consequences for those who suffer from it. Despite the challenges associated with undergraduate studies and the prevalence and impact of social anxiety, little research has been conducted to understand the impact of social anxiety on the mental health of undergraduate students. This capstone paper examines the research on the typical challenges experienced by undergraduate students, the importance of social support to mental health, theories of social anxiety, and the impacts of social anxiety. This research concludes that social anxiety impacts undergraduate students through its negative impact on perceived social support, relationship quality, employment, treatment seeking behaviour, academic achievement, and social anxiety’s comorbidity with certain mental health disorders. This capstone paper concludes with suggesting the importance of universities and the counselling field considering the impact of social anxiety in their efforts to best meet the needs of the undergraduate student population
