CityU Scholarly Work (Open Access)
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Contains open access scholarly work from City University of Seattle students, faculty, and staff.
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Item The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Emotion Regulation in Adult Romantic Relationships(2025-12) Rogers, ShelbyThis capstone examines the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on emotion regulation in adult romantic relationships. Specifically, it investigates how ACEs influence emotion regulation abilities and their relational consequences in adulthood through an attachment theory perspective. The main question of this project is: How does exposure to ACEs affect emotion regulation and co-regulation in adult romantic relationships? To answer this, relevant peer-reviewed literature from the past five years was collected, analyzed, and synthesized in a literature review. The methodology used is literature review. A thematic analysis was performed to identify and develop key themes. What were the findings? This review and analysis critiqued existing research methodology and highlighted significant gaps and limitations. The capstone concludes with recommendations for clinical practice, emphasizing suitable modalities such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Narrative Therapy, and integrating trauma-informed approaches in working with populations exposed to ACEs.Item The Difference Between Groups Among the Completion of Underrepresented Students and Interactions with Not-for-Profit Private University Business Operations(2025) Hammes, DanielThe study examined how underrepresented students’ (such as students of color, lower socioeconomic communities, and LGBTQIA+) completion rates are affected by their interactions with the business function of a university. Researching completion rates on this basis addresses an area of student success where there is currently a lack of research. This research examines factors associated with the completion rates of underrepresented students, aiming to provide university leadership with information on variables that may influence these rates. This research purposes to clarify how underrepresented student completion rates relate to interactions with business operations at private, not-for-profit universities, addressing a current research gap. Astin’s (1999) Theory of Involvement and Tinto’s (1975) Theory of Student Departure were the key theories referenced in this study and served as the foundational models for this study. The main question of this study asks, “Is there a possible link, if any, between the interactions of underrepresented students with the university business function systems of a university and the completion of these students?” Responses were collected using an online survey (SurveyMonkey) platform from individuals who are current or former students of two not-for-profit private universities. Following data collection, a quantitative research methodology was employed. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to contrast responses from students with differing levels of interaction with university business operations at a not-for-profit private university. This statistical method was also applied to assess the extent and direction of the association between the two student groups. The study found that underrepresented students had an increased level of interaction with the university's business operations; however, no significant correlation was identified between the underrepresented students' interactions and the student completion rates. The survey found no correlation between the number of interactions with business offices and the completion rate of underrepresented student programs, based on the Mann-Whitney U Test results. Although the study found no direct correlation, opportunities remain to improve the interactions between business functions and underrepresented students.Item Wisdom Holders in Practice: syilx and Métis Teachings for Ethical Animal-Assisted School Counselling(2025-12) Stewart, Nicole RenéeThis capstone explores the integration of syilx and Métis teachings into ethical animal-assisted therapy in counselling (AAT-C) within school settings, emphasizing animals as wisdom holders and kin rather than tools. Drawing from nsyilxcən oral traditions, such as captikʷł stories of snk'lip (coyote) and tmixʷ (earth beings), and Métis wahkootowin (relational ethics), the project advocates for decolonial, reciprocal approaches to youth mental health support. Through a literature review of attachment theory, and human-animal bond research, alongside Indigenous epistemologies like Two-Eyed Seeing, the project addresses trauma, anxiety, and disconnection among youth. Practical lesson plans incorporating therapy dogs, like the author's companion Kona, are provided, with ethical guidelines aligned to standards from the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (2024) and Human Research Standards Organization (2023), prioritizing animal welfare and cultural safety. The significance lies in fostering wholistic wellness by repositioning more-than-human relations as central to healing, offering school counsellors culturally responsive strategies that honour Indigenous worldviews while promoting mutual flourishing. Recommendations include ongoing collaboration with Knowledge Keepers to adapt AAT-C practices, ensuring reciprocity, and avoiding anthropocentrism. This work contributes to bridging Western and Indigenous paradigms in education, ultimately supporting resilient, relationally grounded youth.Item Interprofessional Collaborative Practices Enhance the Overall Benefits of Mental Health Services Provided to Counselling Clients(2025-12-30) Alexander, AvrielThis paper examines how interprofessional collaborative practices can be utilized by psychologists to enhance the benefits of mental health services to their clients. This paper will examine the literature surrounding interprofessional collaborative practices, theoretical frameworks, outline a proposed study to examine the benefits of interprofessional collaborative practices, ethical concerns, cultural factors, future research recommendations, and highlight implications and recommendations for psychologists to incorporate interprofessional collaboration into their practices. The aim of this paper is to explain interprofessional collaborative practices and how these practices can benefit clients' overall health, as well as show the benefits to psychologists' inclusion of these practices.Item Understanding Autistic Burnout: The Role of Sensory Processing Differences and Implications for Clinical Practice(2025-12-12) Crawshaw, CaitlinWhile the term 'autistic burnout' has long circulated in autistic communities, academic research on autistic burnout is nascent, and there is little empirical research on its etiology, symptomology, or recovery. This capstone study examines how a core diagnostic category of autism, sensory processing differences, may play a role in the development of and recovery from autistic burnout. Guided by the Social and Relational Model of Disability, this paper integrates a thematic analysis of recent studies to uncover patterns in sensory-related stress and coping strategies among autistic adults. Findings suggest that sensory processing differences, particularly hypersensitivity to certain sensory stimuli, are both risk factors and symptoms of autistic burnout. Masking or camouflaging—the practice of concealing autistic traits to adapt to neurotypical society—likely exacerbates sensory stress and mediates the development of autistic burnout. Unmet support needs further compound the problem. Clinically, this study underscores the need for sensory-informed psychotherapeutic interventions and societal recognition of autistic burnout as a serious mental health issue. The paper provides recommendations for clinical identification and treatment of autistic burnout, and future research to address this overlooked aspect of neurodivergent mental health.