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Body-Based Oppression vs. Body Dissatisfaction: Unlearning Anti-Fat Bias and Redefining the Power of Psychotherapists
Get PDFThough routinely unacknowledged and scarcely contested, the demonization of fatness and fat people is one of modern society's most tireless ideological crusades against a specified group of people. Anti-fat bias (and its manifestation as body-based oppression) pervades the dominant Western sociocultural landscape, filtering down from the most influential institutions into the implicit and explicit beliefs of individual citizens. One such institution that is fundamentally constructed upon the tenets of anti-fatness is the practice of psychotherapy. This capstone will trace a history of anti-fat beliefs, explore the systemic and oppressive legacies of these histories, and adopt an intersectional perspective to gain a more complex understanding of the impacts of this oppression in contemporary North American society. Ultimately, the analysis will be most interested in contributing to nuanced discussions of how body-based oppression and body dissatisfaction must be understood as distinct mechanisms, particularly for the work of psychotherapists. Actionable suggestions will be offered for psychotherapists who are committed to ethical, self-reflective, and anti-oppressive work, utilizing the power of therapy to inspire wider social change
Enhancing Well-Being and Managing Stress: Mindfulness-Based Interventions for High School and Collegiate Student Athletes
No full textThe researcher explored the demands on student athletes, including intensive training, competition, and academic expectations, and the impact of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on the well-being and performance of student athletes. The methodology involved a comprehensive literature review to assess the effectiveness of MBIs in reducing stress, improving emotional regulation, increasing focus and resilience, and promoting self-care among student athletes. The findings reveal the potential of MBIs to enhance the mental well-being of student athletes and provide them with tools to manage stress, maintain emotional balance, and improve performance. Mindfulness practices also cultivate self-compassion, resilience, and a positive mindset, which enrich the athletic journey. This study underscores the feasibility of integrating MBIs into the training and support systems of student athletes in recognition of their unique challenges. In promoting emotional resilience, focus, and self-care, mindfulness is a valuable tool to improve the quality of life and performance outcomes for high school and college student athletes
The Egg Came Last: Infertile Women's Journey to Building a Family With Donated Eggs
No full textMany women expect that they will become mothers to biological, genetically related children one day; however, some women will have trouble doing so and some will never be able to. The purpose of this capstone project is to illuminate the unique experiences and key psychosocial challenges that emerge as women navigate female-factor infertility diagnosis, fertility treatment, and egg donation. The consolidation and synthesis of the literature on this subject resulted in a three-stage conceptualization of the infertility journey, where each stage is understood through an overarching theme. The infertility diagnosis stage is marked by disenfranchised grief, the fertility treatment stage is viewed as reproductive trauma, and ambiguous, nonfinite loss, and the final stage of egg donation is a period of resolution. The distinctions across stages are intended to serve as a resource for counsellors to offer targeted support in alleviating the negative psychosocial impact on infertile women. This paper concludes with recommendations for practice and future research
Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment for LGBTQIAA+ Individuals
Get PDFDr. Gary Simeon Walker-Roberts, Ph.D. (they/them/theirs), is a proud LGTBQIAA+ scholar and an accomplished award-winning Professor at National University (NU). They began their educational journey at the local community college in California. After earning an Associates of Arts in Arts and Humanities at Los Medanos College, Dr. Gary earned a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies, Gender and Sexualities at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB). Thereafter, they earned a Master of Arts in English at Arizona State University and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Education with a specialization in E-Learning at legacy Northcentral University, now known as National University. Dr. Gary is a Professor in the Global Innovation, Social Emotional Learning, and Education Technology Department of the Sanford College of Education at NU. Dr. Gary enjoys their role as Professor, Dissertation Committee Chair, and Subject Matter Expert where they successfully facilitate doctoral candidates to reach their terminal degrees. Lastly, Dr. Gary is a proud delegate of National University System’s Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (S-JEDI) Office where they champion the Inclusive Excellence Framework with a focus on LGTBQIAA+ inclusion and equity at NU.The OER white paper project Dr. Gary embarked on covered the following topics: LGBTQIAA+ key terms, gender nonconforming brief history, and gender nonconforming issues in online education contributing to attrition rates. The purpose of the educational white paper, with practice materials, is to serve as an educational foundation in present matters facing gender nonconforming LGBTQIAA+ folks and online students. The educational white paper presents best practices for creating an inclusive and encouraging e-learning environment to increase a sense of belonging and inclusivity in this community. Lastly, there is a review of six PRIDE flags that are used to represent critical members of the community
The Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Persons Who Have Experienced Miscarriage
No full textMiscarriage is both a physical and psychological event that influences the wellbeing of miscarried individual's life. Despite the high prevalence of miscarriage, the research underscores a lack of standardized care in supporting individuals during and after this unique loss. The purpose of this capstone is to explore literature detailing the experiences of miscarriage to understand how future research and counselling practices can support individuals through this all-encumbering experience. This capstone reviews literature on well-established grief theories and their application to miscarriage. Additionally, this capstone explores the use of more current and less researched modalities such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in supporting those affected by miscarriage. Despite a lack of research on ACT for miscarriage, there appears to be several benefits of the intervention, specifically the adaptability and flexibility of the modality to support client-centered care and goals (Ganjari & Nourimoghadam, 2022). Counsellors can support clients bereaved by miscarriage by offering empathy, validation, psychological flexibility, and an individualized client-centered approach. Further research is needed to understand how to holistically support those bereaved by miscarriage
Affect Regulation and ACT as a Modality for the Treatment of Affect Dysregulation
No full textAffect dysregulation is at the heart of psychopathology and a core area of dysfunction across various mental health problems and disorders. Through a literature review, this paper synthesizes existing knowledge on the development of affect regulating system, the psychopathology of affect dysregulation, and the utility of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a therapeutic modality for the treatment of affect dysregulation. The research findings suggest that ACT offers a promising approach to enhance affect regulation and improve psychological well-being. Based on this research, this paper proposes best practices for the ACT modality for the treatment of affect dysregulation. Additionally, this paper also discusses challenges and limitations associated with the implementation of ACT in affect regulation interventions, and suggests future research directions, including the areas related to best practices for the implementation of the Self-as-Context intervention and the efficacy of ACT in the treatment of the primary affect-regulating system