CityU Scholarly Work (Restricted)
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Contains access-restricted scholarly work from City University of Seattle students, faculty, and staff.
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Item The Efficacy of Therapeutic Factors Associated with Memory Reconsolidation in Trauma Therapy(2025-12-08) Pellatt, SeanIn this capstone, I examine the efficacy of therapeutic factors from memory reconsolidation (MR) research that can be applied in trauma therapy. In this context, trauma therapy includes only the treatment of memories affectively encoded in fear. Furthermore, this capstone focuses on behavioural interventions as opposed to drug interventions and on clinical trials in human populations as opposed to animal studies. Primary studies are synthesized and analyzed to explore the efficacy of specific therapeutic factors that induce MR through behavioural intervention. I elaborate upon an emergent understanding of how to theoretically access MR in trauma therapy for fear-based memories by exploring four inductive themes from this topic. Firstly, MR itself is briefly introduced. This introduction is followed by an inductive thematic analysis, which describes prediction error, taxing working memory, emotional schemas, and timing considerations as the four therapeutic factors that can theoretically elicit MR, as measured by symptom reduction, in clients who are experiencing trauma symptoms connected to fear-based memories.Item Women in Leadership and Perceived Factors of Success(2025-12-06) Reinike, ScarletWomen working in U.S. companies face underrepresentation in upper-level leadership roles. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the perceived success factors that enable women to overcome sexism and achieve upper-level leadership roles. Recruitment occurred through purposeful and snowball sampling. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews. This study was guided by concepts from feminist theory (Brunell et al., 2023; Wollstonecraft, 2016), role congruity theory (Schein, 1975), and status characteristics theory (Berger et al., 1977). RQ1 asked: What are the lived experiences of women around overcoming sexism while working in large U.S. companies? SUB1-4: explored perceived barriers, experiences reaching leadership, success factors, and identity traits. Transcripts were analyzed and interpreted for critical terms, then coded for themes (Peoples, 2021; van Manen, 2016). Five themes emerged: (a)Ambition, (b)Culture, (c)Network, (d)Resilience, and (e)Trust. Findings suggest that women need to take risks and be proactive about having conversations with their leaders and skip-leaders, specifically around career progression and constructive feedback, to overcome sexism and other barriers they face. Champions were most critical in early and mid-career time periods. Personal and professional challenges occur throughout all stages of women’s career journeys, but self-imposed barriers were a common barrier that all participants had to overcome to find success. Five recommendations are: (a) clarity of promotional pathways, (b) utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to identify candidates for promotion, inform employees of their potential and options inside their organization (c) creating feedback loops, (d) create/implement resource groups for employees for skills- based coaching, mentorship, and subject matter learning, and (e) offering therapy and coaching to counter self-imposed barriers. Future research should (a) expand study to other groups; (b) compare women in large for-profit companies to nonprofits or smaller size companies; (c) implement a longitudinal study of phases of career progression; (d) study how reorganizations and restructuring affects promotion; (e) explore male perceptions of underrepresentation of women in leadership inside large, medium, or small companies; (f) explore the lived experiences of women inside nonprofit U.S. companies; and (g) a longitudinal study of the use of AI to identify and inform organizations and candidates about leadership positions currently open, being created, or becoming vacant.Item The Negative Effects of Perceived Scarcity and Strategies to Alleviate Them(2025-12-09) Mah, JustinPerceived scarcity has drastic negative effects such as, increased stress, anxiety and lower subjective well-being despite individuals not experiencing actual scarcity. This review will explore the effects of perceived scarcity and its effect on executive function, prosocial behaviour and risk-taking behaviour. It will then look at ways to overcome the negative impact of perceived scarcity. Utilizing Mullainathan and Shafir's scarcity theory as a framework, this review will methodologically filter through recent research articles on how perceived scarcity influences these phenomena based on the aforementioned themes. This review found that perceived scarcity increases cognitive load and leads to cognitive tunneling but does not always lead to worse decision making. It also found that those experiencing perceived scarcity have disproportionate risk-taking tendencies and engage in less prosocial behaviour. Lastly, abstract thinking and focusing on increasing prosocial behaviour are key methods to reducing perceptions of scarcity. These implications demonstrate ways to escape the feelings of scarcity and provide clinical insights to help clinicians aid individuals suffering from perceived scarcity.Item Attachment-Informed Counselling: Implications for Alliance, Engagement, and Therapeutic Practice(2025-11-28) Lu, RachelThis capstone research project examines the relevance of attachment theory to current approaches in counselling. It emphasizes how learned attachment patterns influence the development of the therapeutic alliance, client engagement in treatment, and the emergence of countertransference within the counsellor. The discussion integrates theoretical foundations with practical applications, illustrating how having an attachment-informed perspective can guide clinical practice and support counsellors in responding to clients with greater sensitivity, knowledge, and adaptability. Ethical considerations are discussed, highlighting the importance of applying attachment theory in ways that are responsive to diverse client populations. This project demonstrates that applying attachment-informed practices can strengthen the therapeutic alliance, enhance treatment outcomes, and promote counsellor reflection and growth. It concludes by offering a practical guide for counsellors to integrate attachment theory into practice.Item Challenges Faced by Spousal Caregivers of People with Dementia: The Role of Counselling(2025-03-16) Kaart, MeganThis capstone will examine the collective experiences of older spousal caregivers who care for a spouse with dementia, with the goal of enhancing counselling outcomes for the population. Key questions that guide the capstone are listed here. What are the challenges that caregivers face while supporting a spouse who has dementia? How does counselling benefit this population? How can the field evolve to improve outcomes for this group?