A Search For Belonging and Reflection

This paper examines a deeper look into my life utilizing past background knowledge, interviews, and assessments. Through a reflected lens, I look first at my family history, which has helped shape parts of me. I then examine myself further using assessments such as the ACEs and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Further examination uses a ten-question questionnaire to ask my closest family and friends, highlighting my strengths, weaknesses, and fond memories. The data collected allowed me to form a deeper understanding of myself and form a professional understanding of my approaches as a school counselor which will allow myself to build a plan for continuous growth as a school counselor. Keywords: School Counselor, ACEs, Myers-Briggs Typ

Path to Empowerment: A Trauma Group of High School Students

Knowledge of the implementation of trauma interventions within the school environment can be crucial for academic and lifelong success. The literature review portion will define trauma, examine the prevalence among high school students and explores the impact trauma can have on mental health, academic performance and their social-emotional well-being. It discusses the significant number of students entering high school with traumatic experiences and emphasizes the need for trauma-informed approaches that can be used in schools. The effectiveness of group versus individual therapy is compared, along with an analysis of school-based and social-emotional curriculum. Based on this information, there is a need for trauma groups in high schools. A group manual is included and will provide several structured activities that are utilizing trauma-informed care, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and mindfulness practices. This allows school counselors and mental health professionals the ability to create a safe and inclusive environment to help students manage their trauma symptoms

Hyperfocused on Growth: An ACT group manual for college students with ADHD

Several studies highlight the challenges faced by students with ADHD in a college setting (Bodalski, Abu-Ramadan, et al., 2023; Bodalski, Flory, et al., 2023; DuPaul et al., 2009, Mak et al., 2022; Nelson et al., 2015; Swartz et al., 2005; Willoughby & Evans, 2019). With less structure and more demands than high school, students with ADHD often struggle with self-regulation, executive functioning, self-worth, and social relationships in college. This paper addresses these concerns by creating a group therapy program for college students with ADHD. Highlighting common treatments for ADHD, this group is based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to emphasize mindfulness, acceptance, and self-compassion while also using strategies from coaching and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). There is no one way to experience ADHD traits and because most research focuses on white, male children, considerations must be made to ensure all populations are included in assessment and treatment. Since students with ADHD present with traits that may not be supported by traditional college settings, considerations are also discussed regarding how to tailor the group to support these students’ unique needs. This project concludes with a group manual that outlines how to implement an ACT group for college students with ADHD. Keywords: ADHD, college students, group counseling, ACT, self-compassio

Administrators’ and Teachers’ Perceived Importance of the Holistic Framework for Professional Development Elements: Survey Research

This study researched the six elements of the Holistic Framework for Professional Development (HFPD) to understand administrators’ and teachers’ perceived importance and how demographic variables impacted those perceptions. This was done to contribute to the current gap in the literature regarding how to design and carry out effective professional development. The quantitative survey research utilized exponential, non-discriminative snowball sampling to recruit participants. Fifteen administrators, 64 teachers, and six participants working in ‘other’ roles in their school participated. These participants were citizens of fifteen different countries and worked across eleven countries worldwide. Even given this diverse sample, the results of this research served as evidence that the HFPD elements were perceived to be important aspects of professional development regardless of the early childhood, primary, or secondary system in which participants worked. Element indicators were used to measure the perceived importance of the elements on a five-point Likert scale; element scores were then used to determine a framework composite for the various groups. Administrators perceived the framework composite as more than ‘very important’ while teachers perceived it as more than ‘important.’ The findings also suggested that the HFPD would support participants’ PD needs and be a helpful tool, further validating the HFPD. The researcher believes the reason for this consensus is that, despite the differences across educational contexts, the collective experience of effective professional development practices transcends borders. Therefore, these findings indicate schools should consider utilizing the HFPD to create a culture where everyone is a student, and everyone is a teacher

Restorative Practices In Action: A Hands-on Guide for K-12 Schools

Abstract Restorative justice is a practice well known in many criminal justice systems but most recently gained traction in school settings. Restorative approaches prioritize fostering positive relationships, accountability, and conflict resolution through communication and understanding. This project seeks to develop a complete implementation guide for restorative practices in school settings. This guide will focus on educator\u27s role to foster community, reduce punitive disciplinary actions and promote equity. It will also explore the blending of restorative approaches and frameworks that are already in place such as MTSS (Multi-tiered Systems of Support) and PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports). By providing educators and the support teams around them with practical strategies, this manual aims to support the shift from punitive to restorative models, ultimately increasing restorative practices and fostering safer and equitable learning environments. Keywords: Restorative practice, restorative circles, conflict resolutio

Student Academic Conference

Abstract: Entering college is a major life-changing milestone for many students that may introduce new stressors that have not been experienced before, causing mental or psychological turmoil. In place to combat this are various counseling services free for college students. Minnesota State University Moorhead offers a wide variety of student services, including in-person appointments or free memberships with mobile apps that can offer personalized care based on the student\u27s needs or struggles. Although college campuses provide students with these services, there are low usage levels observed in previous research. To explore a potential reason college student do not utilize these services, this study aims to discover if the home environment, more specifically, the parenting style the student experienced growing up impacts their attitudes and beliefs regarding seeking help. To determine any correlations, a two-by-three factorial design will measure the likelihood of using counseling services based on the student\u27s grade level (underclassmen or upperclassmen) and the parenting style (authoritative, authoritarian, or neither) that was experienced growing up. Following this, participants will be asked to complete a 25-item survey following a Likert Scale inspired by an Adult-Based Model of Help-Seeking. The results of this study indicate that while undergraduate students at MSUM are exceptional at recognizing when their emotions or mental health is being negatively impacted, few are willing to use the counseling services provided to them. The results of this study produced similar results to national scale studies measuring a similar topic

Interactive Read Aloud Planning Template for the story, The Letter from the book Frog and Toad Are Friends

This is a read-aloud planning template for the story The Letter from the book Frog and Toad are Friends, which holds five stories. The goal of the assignment is to create an effective read-aloud. Research supports these as they can expose children to new words and language structures (Burkins & Yates, 2021). Cunningham et al. (2023) also explain interactive read-alouds as a way to “immerse students in rich content.” The author was given a list of stories from the anthology, The 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury: Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud, from instructor Dr. David Wolff, who also provided an assignment description with some of the information listed above for the assignment goal and expectations

Plan B Project: Analysis of Self

I have chosen an Analysis of Self as my plan B project to finish my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I chose this option as I wanted to challenge myself by being able to reflect on my development, background, and personal growth. I wanted to have a better understanding of myself and what helped me develop into who I am today. Throughout this paper, I was able to do just that. I feel that taking the time to sit, think, reflect, and write has opened some doors to understanding myself that were fairly closed off before. Along with reflecting, taking part in other activities (interviewing others, self-assessments, theoretical conceptualization) has really helped me gain an even deeper understanding of myself and what I have to offer

Analyzing the Influence of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Cases and Their Impact On Society

This research paper analyzes the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) cases and how this issue is continuously impacting society. Through the process of thematic analysis, the social media platform Reddit was analyzed on how social media plays a role in spreading awareness on this topic

Changing styles: Creating a Secure Attachment for Parents and Children with Insecure Attachments Group Manual

Parent-child attachments start forming immediately when the child is born. There are four different attachment styles that parent and child relationships fall into: secure, insecure avoidant, insecure resistant, and disorganized. Each of these styles have a unique set of characteristics the child displays as well as how the parent-child relationship appears. Forming a secure attachment between parent and child is necessary for a child to develop normal relationship patterns into adulthood. Without a nurturing sensitive relationship with a caregiver, a child may lack security and sensitivity into adulthood. Parent Child Interaction Therapy is a form of attachment counseling that uses training and coaching of parents to initiate healthy play and communication patterns. Filial therapy is another form of attachment counseling that encourages the development of the parent child relationship through structured play. This manual combines the two forms of attachment therapies into a concise group format designed to give parents psychoeducation and skills training. By participating in the group, parents are working to change their insecure attachment with their child and turn it into a secure attachment