Counseling

The aim of the study was to validate the researcher's new therapeutic intervention, Sign your Feelings, through a four-week randomized control trial (RCT). This intervention involves hearing therapists working with hearing clients. It incorporates (a) discussions about the therapeutic alliance, (b) therapists teaching their clients 36 signs in American Sign Language (ASL) and (c) frequent emotional disclosure as clients learn and practice the signs. This RCT measured the therapeutic alliance and client outcomes, using the Sessions Rating Scale (SRS) and CORE-10 instrument. Eighty adults from 10 U.S. States participated in the study. Sixteen therapists underwent training before administering the intervention, and sessions took place virtually and in-person.
Results did not render statistically significant differences for SRS total scores between the two groups (p =.194). CORE-10 total scores between the two groups were not statistically significant either (p = 0.736). However, results did show a statistically significant negative correlation of r = -.229 (p = .041) between SRS and CORE-10 post-test scores.

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.