The National University System Repository exists to increase public access to research and other materials created by students and faculty of the affiliate institutions of National University System. Most items in the repository are open access, freely available to everyone.
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Item Fragmented Identities: The Immigrant Experience of Cultural Loss, Grief and Attachment(2024)Immigration is a part of Canada's cultural fibre. As such, counsellors will likely work with immigrant clients who are experiencing challenges related to unnamed grief. This capstone explores the immigrant experience of cultural loss and its impact on attachment styles. Research in the areas of living losses, attachment, and culture is presented to provide counsellors with a framework for addressing the grief that can accompany the loss of culture. Special attention is given to disenfranchised grief and ambiguous loss to expand conceptualizations around grief and better address the needs of immigrant clients. Psychoeducational resources are provided to support counsellors in naming and validating the loss of culture.Item Being with and for the Other: Cultivating Presence and Repairing Ruptures in Therapeutic Alliance(2024-10)The purpose of this capstone is to explore literature and research surrounding therapeutic alliance and presence. By looking at therapeutic work through the lens of the polyvagal theory, this paper explores essential elements of therapeutic encounters and provides novice therapists with practices and skills they can utilize to cultivate an optimal environment for effective and beneficial work with their clients. Additionally, this paper looks at two most common barriers to presence that interfere with clinical work and offers some practices on working with them. Lastly, this research paper includes a discussion on instances of ruptures and offers some research-informed practices for their repair. This paper concludes with practices that novice counsellors can use to cultivate presence in their personal lives and in their clinical practice, along with strategies for repairing ruptures in therapeutic alliance.Item Integrating Wellness: Alleviating Burnout in Counsellors in Training through the Indivisible Self Wheel of Wellness and Compassion-Focused Therapy(2024-10-08)This capstone explores the rising concern of burnout among counsellors-in-training and the need for a comprehensive approach to address it within graduate programs. Burnout, characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced self-efficacy, can profoundly affect trainees' well-being and the quality of care they provide to clients. Through a literature review, this paper examines the contributing factors to burnout, including academic pressures, clinical challenges, and personal stressors. Then, it investigates the potential of the Indivisible Self Wheel of Wellness, its second, and third-order domains, and Compassion-Focused Therapy as holistic frameworks to mitigate burnout and promote wellness through identifying self-care strategies and self-compassion. Recommendations for integrating wellness practices into counsellor training programs that discuss ethical standards to maintain well-being and minimize impairment and emphasize the importance of early intervention, structured supervision, and a supportive training environment are discussed.Item Beyond Affirmation: Applying Liberation Psychology to Expand 2SLGBTQI+ Counselling(2024)In this paper, I explore the unique challenges faced by 2SLGBTQI+ clients and examine the potential of using a liberation psychology (LP) framework in counselling this population. Despite legal advancements, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals continue to face discrimination, resulting in higher rates of mental health issues compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. While psychology has shifted towards more inclusive care models, critics argue for more radical frameworks, particularly for clients with multiple marginalized identities. LP, rooted in anti-colonial discourse, views mental health distress as a manifestation of social and historical oppression rather than individual pathology. I discuss how counsellors have applied LP principles to 2SLGBTQI+ contexts, emphasizing the recognition of social and internalized oppression. I argue that LP provides a comprehensive framework for an anti-heteronormative and anti-cisnormative counselling approach, supporting clients in deconstructing oppression, reclaiming queer lineage, and celebrating 2SLGBTQI+ strengths. To illustrate a practical application, I propose a support group for 2SLGBTQI+ university students based on a LP framework.Item Summary Stats(2024-10-16)
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