Rehabilitation counselors work with families to assist in transitioning adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) from school to adult services. Currently, there is no evidence base for rehabilitation counselors to conceptualize and promote disability acceptance in parents. The purpose of this research was to identify interventions used by…

This study evaluated the impact of a somatic wellness training pilot program specifically designed for marriage and family therapy (MFT) students. Anchored in mindfulness and the person of the therapist (POTT) model, the program aimed to cultivate heightened self-awareness, emotional regulation, and self-care practices, incorporating respect for…

This dissertation contains two studies that examine family therapy services within public schools related to behavioral or discipline concerns. Both studies stem from an ecological and family systems theoretical framework in examining relationships between the student, family, and school systems. The first study is a scoping review on family…

Family Achievement Guilt (Piorkowski, 1981) is a term that refers to the guilt first-generation college students experience leaving their family behind during the transition to academia. Though family achievement guilt has been examined critically by scholars (Covarrubias & Fryberg, 2015; Covarrubias et al., 2020), little research exists…

As time is limited, creation of a legacy document, particularly when aided by a care partner, is an effective method of facilitating a sense of dignity. However, access to care has been a problem for many individuals enrolled in community dwelling hospice care. Providing Dignity Therapy, (DT) a short-term individualized psychotherapy intervention…

This qualitative study explores the diverse experiences of Black students who are currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, various marriage and family therapy (MFT) graduate school programs in the United States. This study uses minority stress theory and critical race theory to explore the lived experiences of Black graduate students at…

For couples, the intimate relationship between partners is one of the most influential in adult life. Couples and relationship education (CRE) intends to provide contextual knowledge and to facilitate the growth of relationship skill sets. However, current CRE programming is largely heteronormative, relying primarily on male/female relationship…

Racial/ethnic minorities carry a disproportionate burden of mental illness, in comparison to Whites. As such, the integration of cultural humility within mental health oriented (MHO) counseling disciplines seeks to prepare counseling professionals to address root causes of these disparities. Cultural humility requires lifelong learning and ongoing…

The experiences of Mexican immigrant students are underrepresented in the existing research in the field of marriage and family therapy (MFT). Many studies have explored the experiences of Latinx in educational settings and similar fields and some have focused on immigrant students in graduate school from second, third, and higher generation;…

The direct link between the student-teacher relationship and student success has been heavily researched in the postsecondary educational setting, especially the student-teacher relationship between African American students and African American instructors. The importance of this relationship is often highlighted when there is underrepresentation…

Many important decisions regarding couples and families are made by the legal system. However, this system's adversarial nature often results in relational losses for clients, even when one "wins" a case. Some believe a solution may exist in legally-minded marriage and family therapists, who, as experts in family systems theory, are in a…

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of international students in CACREP-accredited marriage, couple, and family counseling programs. Seven former international students from the program who have practiced counseling in their home country were interviewed to understand their learning experiences, adaptation process and counseling…

Practicum training is an essential part of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) Master's degree program, and the cornerstone for preparing students for clinical practice. To characterize the development across clinical competency areas, the current study examined midpoint and final evaluation data…

The dynamics and progress of the integration of the electronic health record (EHR) into health-care disciplines have been described and examined using theories related to technology adoption. Previous studies have examined health-care clinician resistance to the EHR in primary care, hospital, and urgent care medical settings, but few studies have…

School refusal and truancy is a community problem that affects individuals, families, and organizations while lacking a universally accepted definition. At-risk youth often exhibit academic failure, and externalized and or internalized problematic behaviors while schools lose funding and families become disconnected. The school setting allows…