Browsing by Author "Kees, Nathalie, advisor"
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Item Open Access Affinity development in undergraduate students at a large research institution(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Berquam, Lori M., author; Kees, Nathalie, advisor; Banning, James, committee member; Brower, Aaron, committee member; Berry, Joyce, committee memberPublic institutions of higher education have faced repeated financial reductions over the past decade. The cumulative effect of reductions has necessitated public institutions re-examine funding models and funding alternatives that allow the institution to thrive. Alumni are the living endowment of the institution and are offered opportunities for involvement with their alma mater throughout their lives. The purpose of this study is to explore the association of specific university experiences that contribute to a strong sentiment of affinity of undergraduates for the institution. It further explores the experiences that appear to be most significant in developing university affinity at the undergraduate level. Current students enrolled at a public research extensive university in the Midwest were surveyed to determine if a relationship exists between university experiences and university affinity. This study also examined the differences in student characteristic information and university affinity. Using multiple regression to analyze the results, four university experience constructs were found significant. They include; student service opportunities, student service staff, initial impressions of the institution and extracurricular involvement. The analysis of student characteristics did not have significance in this study. Examining the experiences, perceptions and demographics of current students and what contributes to the concept of affinity is critical in the pursuit of alumni who want to be connected and committed to the institution.Item Open Access Comparative analysis of willingness to seek personal therapy between beginning and advanced counseling graduate students(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Landwehr, Nicole, author; Kees, Nathalie, advisor; Carlson, Laurie, committee member; Canetto, Silvia, committee memberThe purpose of this study was to examine counseling graduate students' willingness to seek counseling. Ægisdóttir and Gerstein (2009) determined three components of willingness to seek counseling: stigma tolerance, intent, and expertness. These three constructs, along with overall willingness, were assessed utilizing the Beliefs About Psychological Services (BAPS) scale, developed by Ægisdóttir and Gerstein. The independent variables of beginning and advanced counseling students were created based on research that demonstrated differences between entry-level students and doctoral students (Skovholt & Ronnestad, 1992) and research that examined three levels of beginning versus advanced counseling graduate students (Roach & Young, 2007). Master's level counseling students (N = 37) from four universities completed the BAPS scale on willingness to seek counseling and a demographic questionnaire. No statistically significant results were found between beginning and advanced counseling graduate students on the dependent variables of overall willingness, stigma tolerance, intent, and expertness utilizing four independent sample t-tests. Past literature was examined in accordance with the current findings. Participants reported similar levels of current use of counseling and past use of counseling as in previous research. Limitations are explored, as well as implications for counseling graduate programs and future research.Item Open Access Continuing bonds in a virtual world: the use of Facebook in adolescent grief(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) James, Libba, author; Kees, Nathalie, advisor; Banning, James, committee member; Kuk, Linda, committee member; McQuiddy, Susan, committee memberThe purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the adolescent grief experience when it is being lived out through the online social media site, Facebook. The primary research question, "What is the grief experience like for adolescents who use Facebook for grief support by communicating with the deceased and with other grieving individuals?" guided the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Eight high school students agreed to participate in this study. Each adolescent had experienced the death of a peer within the previous two years and acknowledged that they used Facebook as a means of support during their grief. Participants took part in two interview sessions with the researcher. The researcher used interpretive phenomenological analysis to interpret the data. After the final phase of analysis, five major themes emerged from the text: remembering the dead, not forgetting the dead, self-expression of grief, connecting with the living, and continuing bonds with the dead. These themes led to results that support the use of online social media in adolescent grief. Understanding the importance of this phenomenon is critical for any person who works as helping professional with adolescents. Because of the rapid developments occurring daily in technology and in online social media, future research possibilities could be endless.Item Open Access Infusing spiritual and religious competencies into traditional counselor education programs(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Parmley, Rhonda R., author; Kees, Nathalie, advisor; Haddock, Shelley, advisorThis narrative study of counselor educators' lives and pedagogical orientations offers an integrated approach to incorporating spiritual and religious issues into traditional, civically-funded counselor education programs. Biographical interviews were completed with twelve counselor educators in CACREP-accredited programs who are teaching a course, have taught a course, or are otherwise infusing content related to spirituality and counseling into their training programs. Based on study findings, suggested qualifications to teach about this topic include: at minimum an interest, and at best, a passion for understanding spiritual and religious issues; personal exploration of varieties of religious and spiritual experiences; peak or transpersonal experiences; self work including the understanding of one's self in relation to models of faith development; Dark Night of the Soul experiences; embodiment of the Sage archetype; and exceptional group processing skills. Courses and student learning about this topic were related as being sites of extraordinary student transformation. Based on course outcomes, an integrated counselor training curriculum is recommended as a way to re-author traditional, civically-funded programs. This curriculum would include: creating a cultural canon focused on community building; increased opportunities for instructors to explore issues (including those of a religious and spiritual nature) most relevant to student lives; a stronger focus on experiential, critical, multicultural and feminist pedagogies; greater attention to creating physical and emotionally inviting learning environments; and allowing enough time for student integration of profound transformations so that they are competent to address issues of significance with clients. Recommendations for further research include: larger, interdisciplinary studies on this topic, such as a cross-disciplinary examination of how spiritual, religious, ethical issues in counseling and psychotherapy are being imparted in other mental health training programs; ethnographic exploration of in-class experiences for students in programs where spiritual and religious issues are being addressed; and further examination of the content and application of the Spiritual Competencies in training and clinical work.Item Open Access Rhythmic auditory stimulation to reduce falls in healthy elderly and patients with Parkinson's disease: a randomized control trial(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Hurt-Thaut, Corene P., author; Kees, Nathalie, advisor; Davis, William, advisor; Gloeckner, Gene, committee member; Tracy, Brian, committee memberBackground: The risk of falling over the age of 65 is 33% for healthy elderly and 40% for a person with Parkinson's disease over a one year period. A training program to reduce this risk could have significant impacts on health care cost and assist in maintenance of patient safety, independence, and quality of life. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a home-based Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) gait training program would have an effect on gait parameters associated with falls in healthy elderly and PD patients with a history of frequent falls. Method: Twenty healthy elderly and twenty PD patients were randomly assigned to a continuous treatment group which underwent 24 weeks with RAS, or a control group which trained intermittently eight weeks with RAS, eight weeks without, for twenty-four weeks. Changes in ankle dorsiflexion, cadence, velocity, stride length, the Berg Balance Scale, fear of falling, the Barthel Index, the timed "up and go" test (TUG) and frequency and severity of falls were evaluated. Results: The results for the healthy elderly indicated a statistically significant increase in degrees of dorsiflexion, velocity, cadence, stride length, and the Berg Balance Scale in both groups at each time point, with large effect sizes. Results for the PD treatment groups indicated that there were significant differences in dorsiflexion (p<.009), cadence (p<.009), velocity (p<.0001), stride length (p<.0003), severity level 1 falls (p<.003), and fear of falling (p<.0004), when comparing treatments, with large effect sizes. A correlation matrix combining all 40 participants revealed a significant correlation between fear of falling and severity level 1 falls at 8 weeks (0.48, p<.004); severity level 2 falls at all time periods [baseline (0.42, p<.01), 8 weeks (0.42, p<.01), 16 weeks (0.42, p<.01), and 24 weeks (0.42, p<.01)]; and severity level 3 falls at 24 week 0.35, p<.04). Other correlations with falls in the healthy elderly group included severity level 2 falls and the Berg Balance scale (0.65, p<0.002), severity level 2 and 3 falls (0.65, p< .002), severity level 3 falls and stride length (0.57, p<.002) and velocity (0.65, p<.002). Significant interactions were seen between the intermittent and continuous treatment groups in dorsiflexion [F (2,72)=9.54, p<.0002], stride length [F (2,72)=8.17, p<.0006], velocity [F (2,72)=7.92, p<.0006], fear of falling [F (2, 72)=12.97, p<.0001], and the Berg Scale [F (2,72)=1.92, p<.15]. Conclusions: The findings offer evidence that continuous and intermittent RAS treatment over time can be effective tools to reduce falls in healthy elderly and patients with Parkinson's disease, however continuous RAS treatment results in greater gains in gait parameters associated with safety. Two single variables, the Berg Balance Scale and velocity were seen as a significant fall predictor for healthy elderly. The Barthel Index was a significant indicator for falls with injury for the Parkinson's participants.Item Open Access The experiences of women leaders advancing international peacebuilding: a cross-case study of Nobel Peace Prize laureates(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Hentschel, Margit, author; Kees, Nathalie, advisor; Jennings, Louise, committee member; Timpson, William, committee member; Zimmerman, Toni, committee memberRepresentative testimony is showcased from four living women Nobel Peace Prize laureates from a multitude of public texts, presentations, and interviews that document their voices and experiences to advance international peacebuilding. Critical feminist theory and critical literacy theory provide the theoretical framework to support my cross-case study. Mindful inquiry and appreciative inquiry are also employed as methods. Thematic findings include both an individual case study and a cross-case study presentation, which showcased two themes for each participant. The cross-case study findings reveal four predominant themes; 1) having access, power, and a platform as Nobel Peace Prize laureates, 2) social justice identity construction, 3) non-violent action, and 4) promoting a strategy of hope. The implications of my research highlight the importance of including women's voices in international peacebuilding and how their political leadership and activism promote human rights and democracy for all people. Recommendations for future research include greater gender equality in language construction and in fostering political peacebuilding leadership roles. Understanding how to replicate the exceptional qualities embodied by these four women is key in advancing future such leaders.Item Open Access The meaning of evaluation in the supervisory relationship for counselors-in-training(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Madani, Yaser, author; Kees, Nathalie, advisor; Carlson, Laurie, advisorEvaluation is an important component in the training programs of counseling students. Evaluation in the context of supervision experience may be best defined as a process that includes factors such as the supervisory relationship, the scope of evaluation, and the style of communicating supervisory feedback to supervisees. Previous research in the area of counselor education and supervision has not adequately addressed the topic of students' experience of evaluation in supervision and how that may impact supervisees. There was a need for a more detailed inquiry about the supervisees' perceptions about the meaning of evaluation in the context of their training and supervision experience. The overarching research questions for this study were "What is the meaning of evaluation in the supervisory relationship for counselors-in-training?", and "What are the underlying contexts that account for a counselor-in-training to experience different meanings for evaluation in the supervisory relationship?" A phenomenological approach in qualitative research was adopted for this study in order to describe, understand, and discover the meaning of evaluation in the supervisory relationships for 20 students who had experienced evaluation in practicum or internship. Inquiring about the in-supervision cognitions of the students interviewed suggests that the supervisees' meaning of evaluation may be influenced by their understanding of the purpose of evaluation, methods of evaluation, and more importantly the supervisory relationship. Similarly, the majority of the interviewees indicated that they had experienced intense feelings of being evaluated during their supervision. In general, students seemed to recognize evaluation as part of their professional and personal development. The students also shared many insights which should be considered in order to improve the overall objective of supervision programs. The findings of this research suggest the interaction of several different factors seemed to influence the students' experience of evaluation. Most of these factors involved conditions that were more directly related to the supervision setting, including different supervisors, classmates, and the client. In addition to a stage-based model of supervision, the findings from this study suggest that supervisors be sensitive to the impact of evaluation on their supervisees and to adopt a relationship-based approach when conducting supervisory evaluation.Item Open Access Voices of interfaith dialogue: a phenomenological analysis(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Krebs, Stephanie Russell, author; Kees, Nathalie, advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Haddock, Shelley, committee member; Timpson, William, committee memberThe purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to explore the lived-experiences of students participating in interfaith dialogue at the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) Interfaith Leadership Institute (ILI) in Atlanta. The lived-experiences of the participants were explored though the following research questions: (1) How do participants define interfaith dialogue in their own words? (2) How do participants experience interfaith dialogue? (3) What do participants perceive that they learn or gain through participation in interfaith dialogue? A purposive sample of eleven participants who self-selected to attend the ILI were recruited through the assistance of the IFYC staff. The researcher conducted a brief face-to-face screening in Atlanta with each participant, followed by a semi-structured interview via Skype or phone. Data was analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological approach, inductively looking for themes to emerge. Results demonstrated that the lived-experience of interfaith dialogue was characterized by: (1) the role of the environment, (2) the value of individual relationships through sharing and storytelling, (3) holding an ecumenical worldview, which led to the (4) strengthening of the individual's faith or non-faith tradition. The results of this study support past research on curricular intergroup dialogue and serves as a vehicle to translate similar outcomes to a co-curricular format. Recommendations include: intentionally creating environments to foster interfaith dialogue, expanding formats of interfaith dialogue to include co-curricular options and experiential opportunities, and increasing religious literacy through education and training. In addition, expanding the faith discussion to include the secular and others that do not fit with the current paradigm of religion must be explored.