Department of Counselor Education

Research has consistently shown that LGBTGEQIAP+ individuals experience pervasive health disparities, including eating disorders (ED; e.g., Mensinger et al., 2020). Unfortunately, LGBTGEQIAP+ people report negative ED treatment experiences, particularly concerning cultural sensitivity, gender-affirming care, and other barriers to diagnosis and treatment (Duffy et al., 2016; Hartman-Munick et al., 2021; The Trevor Project, 2020). Sonneville and Lipson (2018) advocated for developing inclusive screening tools to address current deficits in multicultural ED research and practice. The present study sought to fill this gap by developing and validating a new screening tool for LGBTGEQIAP+ individuals: the Multidimensional Eating and Body Image Screening (MEBIS). Following Lambie et al.’s (2017) guidelines, the researcher developed an initial item pool based on a comprehensive ED literature review. An expert panel of reviewers and a small sample of LGBTGEQIAP+ individuals provided additional feedback to enhance item clarity, content validity, and affirming language. The researcher began the recruitment process after receiving approval from the university’s Institutional Review Board. Participants included LGBTGEQIAP+ adults (18 years of age or older) from the community. Two separate samples were collected via an online survey for exploratory factor analysis (EFA; N=400) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; N=339) procedures. The EFA revealed a nine-factor structure accounting for 61.1% of the variance in the model. The factors were labeled as follows: (1) Gender, Media, and Disconnection; (2) Binging and Emotional Eating; (3) Compassion and Awareness; (4) Communities of Support; (5) Relationship with Food; (6) Affectional Orientation Sociocultural Factors; (7) Restriction, Dieting, and Compensatory Behaviors; (8) Racial/Ethnic Sociocultural Factors; and (9) Family and Cultural Support. According to CFA results, the nine-factor model suggested adequate fit (robust x2 (df = 866)=2479.62; CFI=.903; RMSEA=0.74; SRMR=.084). Additional psychometric analyses revealed acceptable internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.888) and evidence of convergent validity with the well-established ED screening, the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26; Garner et al., 1982). These results pose significant implications for culturally responsive and inclusive ED treatment, which are addressed.

Chronic illness increases each year in the United States with about 117 million people living with a chronic condition (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). There are more than 100 autoimmune conditions (AARDA, 2019). This particular study focuses on a very specific population, which is women with systemic lupus erythematosus; in which women compose 50.9% of the population (United States Census Bureau, 2010). The specific variables being evaluated are marital satisfaction with a special focus on partner intimacy (sexual relations) and the relationship that exists between these variables in women who have the condition. The study aims at forming a marriage between the medical field and the counseling field to have better understanding and ultimately provide a more comprehensive treatment from the findings of this research. Prior studies suggest that marital satisfaction and partner intimacy are affected when a person has a chronic condition, albeit very little research has been done in the last decade that focuses on this particular population with these specific variables.
Seventy six (N=76) women with systemic lupus erythematosus participated in this study. There were 76 females. The diverse participants had an age mean of 44.16 and a standard deviation of 10.59. There were African American (n=7), Asian (n=3), Caucasian (n=55), American/Alaskan Native (n=1), Native Hawaiian (n=1), Pacific Islander (n=3), NA’s (n=6). Education levels were high school (n=17), bachelor’s (n=33), master’s (n=15), doctorate (n=4), other (n=6) and NA’s (n=1). There were employed (n=64) and not employed (n=12). From the Midwest (n=8), Northeast (n=11), Northwest (n=6), Southeast (n=37), Southwest (n=14), NA’s (n=4). The participants were diagnosed varying years from 1992 until 2021, with NA’s (n=7). Flare up mean was 2.7, with a standard deviation of 2.3. The household income mean was $87,784.10 with a standard deviation of 49063.08. The relationship between marital satisfaction, partner intimacy and resiliency in women with lupus was measured by using bivariate regression analysis. The implications of the findings, study limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.

The purpose of this longitudinal, quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to explore the effects of a standardized bipartite workshop on counselor trainees’ case conceptualization competency. A secondary purpose was to examine the relationship andeffects of mindfulness, anxiety, personality, and the benefits of the training. Master’s level counselor trainees (N = 121) participated in a two-part workshop (3 hours in length per workshop) designed to teach the integrative case conceptualization model (Sperry, 1989). For each workshop, pre- and post-intervention case conceptualizations were rated by at least two independent raters using the Case Conceptualization Evaluation Form 2.0 (CCEF 2.0). Mindfulness was measured by the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire - Short Form (FFMQ-SF), whereas the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Big Five Inventory (BFI) were utilized to measure anxiety and personality, respectively.
The differences between the experimental and comparison group’s case conceptualization scores were tested using Welch’s Two Sample t-tests. A significant difference was found between the first workshop’s gain scores of the experimental group (M = 28.32, SD = 10.71) and the comparison group (M = 17.88, SD = 10.54), t(66.31) = 4.17, p < 0.001, CI.95 [5.45, 17.88]; d = 0.98. A similar result was found for the second workshop, there was a significant difference between the experimental group (M = 14.07, SD = 14.29) and the comparison group (M = 6.57, SD = 13.01), t(98.39) = 2.78, p = 0.006, CI.95 [2.15, 12.86]; d = 0.55. A combined anxiety and mindfulness multiple regression provided evidence to support substantial links between anxiety, mindfulness, and case conceptualization F(8, 88) = 8.64, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.44, CI.95[.23, .52]. This model accounted for approximately 44% of the variance of the first (pre-test) case conceptualization scores. Additionally, a moderation effect was detected for anxiety and case conceptualization. There was evidence to suggest that the extraversion personality factor moderates the effect of anxiety on case conceptualization. Post-hoc analyses conducted (cluster analysis) found two significant and unique personality clusters in the data, which were consequently confirmed by discriminant analysis, achieving 90% classification accuracy.

The purpose of this randomized experimental design was to determine the impact of a culturally adapted family-based intervention program on parenting styles. A secondary purpose was to determine the impact of cultural factors, biculturalism and familism, on the parenting styles of parents who participated in the family intervention, as compared to those who did not participate in the intervention. The sample consisted mostly of Haitian parents whose youth, ages 13-17, were involved in the juvenile justice system in South Florida. Twenty-one parents were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 15) and comparison group, or standard of care (n = 6). This study was a substudy of a larger scale study that was conducted at a major university in South Florida.
Participants in the family-based intervention group received an evidence-based intervention that was adapted to their cultural needs and language preferences. The intervention lasted between 3-4 months. Participants in the comparison group were those in the standard of care, or treatment as usual group, who were referred to community-based organizations for counseling services. A pretest-posttest design was used to examine the effects of the culturally adapted intervention on parenting styles and familism. Parenting styles were measured using the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ, Robinson et al., 1995) and familism was measured using the Attitudinal Familism Scale (Lugo Steidel & Contreras, 2003). T-test analyses were used to determine statistical significance of the variables and gain scores were calculated for the intervention group and comparison group. Pearson’s r correlation coefficient was also used to explore any significant relationships between the dependent variables, parenting styles and familism, and parenting styles and biculturalism. Biculturalism was measured using the Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire (Szapocznik et al., 1980).

The purpose of this randomized control study was to examine the effects of the use of a mindfulness smartphone app on student self-reported levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The sample included college students enrolled in courses at a university in South Florida. Forty-four students were randomly allocated to either the mindfulness app group (n = 22) or the control group (n = 22).
Participants in the mindfulness app group were instructed to complete a guided meditation on the app for 10 minutes per day for 5 weeks. Participants in the control group were offered the intervention after the 5-week protocol ended. A pretest-posttest design was used to investigate the effects of the mindfulness app intervention on self-reported levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, in addition to serum level BDNF.

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to measure the impacts of attendance in a three-month series of social groups on the self-perceptions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptomology, social skills, and loneliness for adults with ASD. The study also measured the impacts of attendance in a three-month series of social groups on perceptions of ASD symptomology and social skills for the caregivers of adults with ASD. This study utilized a convenience sample of adults that were existing members of Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (FAU CARD) Adult Social Group and an identified caregiver. Data was collected over a period of four months. This was the first study to examine the impacts of participation in a semi-structured social group on perceptions of ASD symptomology, social skills, and loneliness for adults with ASD, as prior studies had focused on more structured, clinical interventions. Variance in perceptions over the three-month series was analyzed using a repeated measures MANOVA. Significant differences were reported over the three month period on both adult self-perception and caregiver perception for ASD symptomology, social skills, and loneliness (N=76).

The purpose of this study was to develop and explore the factor structure of a retrospective assessment instrument designed to identify the presence of early covert traumas in an individual’s history. Covert traumas are those which are psychosocial, and often interpersonal, in nature (Altobelli, 2017). While a deficiency in the available body of research addressing such traumas currently exists, limited research suggests that experiences of such phenomena may affect individual potential across various domains of development, functioning, health, and well-being (van der Kolk, 2014). In addition, the residual effects of such traumas may exacerbate adverse adult outcomes, such as experiences of chronic pain, proclivities towards maladaptive forms of coping, and hindrances to academic and occupational performance and achievement (Felitti et al., 1998). Furthermore, some theorists propose that the impact of such traumas, especially when compounded, may cause more emotional harm than exposure to a single overtly traumatic event (Staggs, 2014).

Motivation can foster engagement in the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program leading to benefits that can potentially result in sustainable employment. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Motivational Interviewing using the Motivation Curriculum for Vocation Rehabilitation Consumers (MCRC) on stages of change, self-determination, functional disability limitations awareness and life satisfaction on minority and non-minority VR clients with disabilities that had open cases with The Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

The purpose of this quasi-experimental, longitudinal study was to measure the effects of reflective practice coaching on 35 participants, as compared to participants who did not receive coaching. Data was collected over a period of eight weeks. A secondary purpose was to examine the effects of a standardized case conceptualization training lecture on 84 participants. A third purpose was to examine the relationships between counselor trainee demographic variables, their attitudes towards evidence-based practice, disposition towards reflective reasoning, and competence in writing case conceptualizations. This was the first study to contribute to the reflection in counseling literature. A convenience sample of N = 84 participants participated in two standardized case conceptualization training lectures. An intervention group (N = 35) received an additional three one-on-one reflection coaching sessions. The comparison group (N = 49) received the training lectures and no coaching. Participants from both groups attended two 3-hour training lectures, which taught the integrative case conceptualization model developed by Sperry (2010). Intervention group participants took part in three additional one-on-one reflection coaching sessions. Pre- and post-training lecture case conceptualization skills were assessed using the Case Conceptualization Evaluation Form (CCEF) 2.0. Levels of reflective thinking were measured with pre-, post-, and post-post-administrations of The Reflection in Learning Scale (Sobral, 2005). Variance in case conceptualization competence was analyzed using a MANOVA. Intervention group participants’ mean CCEF 2.0 scores were significantly higher than those of the comparison group (M = 72.64 and M = 46.81, respectively). Reflective thinking was determined not to be a mediating or moderating variable. Mean CCEF 2.0 scores from the first training lecture increased from the pre-test to the post-test (M = 11.20 and M = 24.10, respectively) for all participants. Mean case CCEF 2.0 scores also increased from the pre-test to the post-test in the second training lecture (M = 21.33 and M = 52.29, respectively) for all participants. Additionally, a paired sample t-test showed improvement on the Reflection in Learning Scale (Sobral, 2005) between the post-test and post-post test for the intervention group. Results were significant (|t| = 1.91, df 34, p < .001, one-tailed).

The primary purpose of this longitudinal, quasi-experimental study was to investigate the effects of a bipartite, standardized case conceptualization training among participants in comparison to those who were exposed to both the training and deliberate practice coaching. The secondary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the training and aspects of deliberate practice, along with participants’ attitudes toward evidence-based practice (EBP). A total of 84 counselor trainees were recruited from two South Florida universities. Participants in both the experimental group (n = 35) and comparison group (n = 49) received two, three-hour training lectures, which explained the integrative case conceptualization model developed by Dr. Len Sperry in 1989. Over a period of eight weeks, the lectures were separated by approximately four weeks in order to assess whether the training effects persist over time. As measured by the Views About Case Conceptualization (VACC) instrument, the first training lecture effectively reduced case conceptualization myths for both groups by approximately 4 points (out of 25), t (83) = -8.53, p < .001. Repeated measures MANOVA showed that the training had a significant impact on the entire sample. As measured by the Case Conceptualization Evaluation Form (CCEF) 2.0, the comparison group’s overall mean score improvement was approximately 40 points (out of 100) and the experimental group’s overall mean score improvement was approximately 63 points (out of 100), F (4.256, 348.974) = 32.102, p < .001. The results reveal that the training and coaching had a significant effect on counselor trainees’ ability to write effective case conceptualizations with a partial eta-squared effect size of .281. Using both the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS) and Moulaert Questionnaire, this study also examined the influence of attitudes toward EBP and aspects of deliberate practice on trainees' case conceptualization competence. Paired samples t-tests and correlation analysis revealed that participants became more “open” to EBP, t (83) = -5.280, p < .001. However, it was determined that coaching did not act as a mediating or moderating variable. Overall, the findings support that case conceptualization training and deliberate practice coaching increase counselor competence, and that the effects persist over time.