Christine Bagala—Transitions from DSM-IV to 5. Summary: This will present an overview of changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5, plus implications.
Lisa Chew—Tarasoff Thirty-Five Years Later: A Fifty-State Examination of the Statutes and Legal Interpretations that Define the “Duty to Warn” for Mental Health Professionals. Summary: Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California (1976) established a legal duty for mental health professionals to warn third parties of potential violent acts of clients. In the years since that decision, many states have created unique “duty to warn” requirements through statute and legal interpretation.
Basem Darwish—Addressing Callous-Unemotional Traits in Children and Adolescents through School Counselor-Mediated Teacher Training. Summary: Experiencing stress, anxiety, social interaction issues, learning disabilities, and poor teacher efficiency can lead to the expression of problematic behaviors in school age children and adolescents. Over time, if steps will not occur to address such issues, children and adolescents may develop and express callous unemotional behavior traits (CU Traits), aggression, and deviant, anti-social behaviors. Expression of such traits interferes with the normal development, achievement, and interpersonal interactions of these children and adolescents. By designing and implementing a school counselor mediated teacher-training approach, school teachers will improve their skills in identifying early problems and issues with their students in the classroom setting, and can work with school counselors to address and mitigate these issues with their students before they lead to the development of undesirable behaviors and traits.
Mary DePartout—What the (mental) health? Summary: An overview of mental health related helping profession graduate school and career options.
Mary DePartout—Using Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy to Treat Female College Students with Eating Disorders. Summary: A combination of the increasing prevalence of anorexia and bulimia on college campuses and the medical complications of eating disorders, including potential fatality, necessitate an intervention that targets the development and maintenance of eating disordered behavioral patterns. REBT intervenes by addressing the irrationality of beliefs creating body dissatisfaction and lowered self-esteem.
Jerrilyn Dixson—Benefits of Play Therapy for Children Dealing with Trauma from Catastrophic Events. Summary: This research explores the effectiveness of play therapy for children who may be experiencing PTSD as a result of a hurricane, school shooting, or terrorism.
Jerrilyn Dixson and Viveca Johnson—Play Therapy and Terminally Ill Children. Summary: Investigates the benefits of play therapy and what it provides for children dealing with terminal illness such as cancer.
Ariann Evans—Group Therapy in Treating Drug Addicted Mothers. Summary: Existential therapy in group work is applied to treating mothers addicted to substances. Suggestions for the formation and structure of the group are provided. Discussion topics and activities are also examined.
Kacie Fry—Pet Loss and its Place in Grief Therapy. Summary: This research explores the effect pet loss has on the individual and/or family; how it affects different genders and age groups, and ways to integrate dealing with such loss through grief therapy.
Gayle Guillory—Counseling Military Personnel with Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). Summary: EMDR shows promise as a method of counseling military personnel for war-related trauma, particularly PTSD. The ideal military treatment would be brief and suited to the unique environment needs which EMDR can fulfill by virtue of its flexibility.
Kathleen Hancock—Play therapy for Socially Withdrawn Children. Summary: Literature review exploring reasons why children withdraw and various play therapy techniques to treat them.
Rae Jacobson—The Impact of Yalom’s Curative Factors on Adolescent girls with ADHD. Summary: Explores using Yalom’s curative factors as a means of managing ADHD and promoting healing
Walesa Kanarek—Attachment and Women in Prison. Summary: The potential benefits of integrating an attachment lens when providing therapy to women and mothers in prison.
Nathan Koch—How Spiritual Traditions Define Relationships and Guide the Counseling Process. Summary: A look at intimacy in Western Culture and how other cultural lenses approach intimacy. A description of how mental health professionals can help couples learn intimacy.
Alison Phillips—Sexual Exploration During College: Healthy and Unhealthy Behaviors. Summary: College is often a time of sexual exploration. Emerging research suggests that students are often unaware of the emotional effects of this exploration, both positive and negative. This presentation aims to raise awareness about the psychological effects of sexual relationships.
Jesse Clovis Roessler—Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Comorbid Asthma and Anxiety in Older Adults. Summary: Older adults commonly experience asthma and anxiety together. Research indicates a strong correlation between the two conditions. Either condition leads to a higher use of medication, symptom confusion, and decline in quality of life. Older adults with comorbid asthma and anxiety would benefit from CBT combined with asthma education.
Matthew Watson—Reactive Attachment Disorder: An Integrative Examination of Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Summary: From origin to diagnosis to ultimate treatment, RAD is full of criticism and controversy. Considerations for counselors beyond “simple” diagnosis will be explored.