This dissertation investigated the lived experiences of non-binary counselors who face microaggressions within the counseling field. While existing research has explored microaggressions based on sexual orientation within counselor education programs, there is a significant gap in the literature regarding non-binary counselors specifically. This…

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) impacts professionals who assist others experiencing trauma. Assistant principals and principals help both students and staff members suffering crises yet remain an understudied population in relation to STS. This study sought to answer: what is the prevalence of STS in secondary campus administrators, and does the…

The growing prevalence of Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) among mental health professionals (MHPs) has contributed to an ongoing mental health workforce shortage in the United States. Literature has shown strong evidence of workforce and organizational risk factors for STS, with inconsistent conclusions about the role of personal trauma. Previous…

The demand for mental health counseling services has surged, but the capacity of college counseling centers to meet this demand has not kept pace. The effects of COVID-19 have exacerbated this already fragile system of care. College students are enrolling in college with increased levels of anxiety, depression, disordered eating, suicidal…

Black staff working at predominately white institutions (PWIs) of higher education experience systemic workplace racism undergirded by higher education's deep connections to and reproduction of White supremacy and antiblackness. This phenomenological qualitative research study entails a literature review with historical, conceptual, and empirical…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of four Black women frontline supervisors deemed essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlighted the effects COVID-19 had on Black women who were mandated to report to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: This…

Teachers have faced unrelenting stress in recent years, especially since 2020. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, the preeminence of racial injustice has resurfaced. In this context, teachers are processing acute societal-level stressors while simultaneously supporting their students in processing these events. Although emerging scholarship has…

This study applies social cognitive theory (SCT) to better understand workplace equity for neurodivergent employees. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the best practices and barriers to implementing increased workplace neurodiverse equity recruiting and retaining neurodivergent individuals. This included interviews with nine…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe Title I rural K-12 school counselors' lived experiences with compassion fatigue in Oklahoma. The research questions were: How do Title I school counselors in rural Oklahoma describe their experiences with compassion fatigue? How do participants describe the factors that…

The turnover rate of clinicians working in community outpatient mental health centers is alarming. The significant turnover at a community mental health organization prompted a study of burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma. An action research (AR) study was conducted using Price and Mueller's (1981) causal model of turnover theory and…

Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis this study explored the rich experiences of seven racially minoritized student affairs professionals (RMSAPs) who experienced racial battle fatigue (RBF) and the impact it had on their health at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Social psychological research has identified both blatant and…

When the teachers miss school, students miss out on new content, a structured environment, and more. Several studies have examined the relationship between teacher absenteeism and pupil achievement and found a strong connection. In fact, there appears to be a one-to-one relationship: a 10-day increase in teacher absence results in at least a…

COVID-19 has had tremendous effects on all aspects of society. In the intervening years, there have been issues with finances, health, and education (Duraku & Hoxha, 2020; Harris, 2020; ODE, 2020; Safi, et al., 2020; Terada, 2020; Whittaker, 2020). The purpose of this study was to understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the job…

This applied dissertation examined the difficulties and coping mechanisms associated with child welfare professionals' interactions with vulnerable children who provide vulnerable populations with emotional, physical, mental, and psychological support. This responsibility impacts their personal life and professional performance since their regular…

Compassion fatigue refers to the negative consequences associated with working with traumatized individuals. When a crisis occurs, school psychologists are often the first to respond to the mental health needs of the children, often exposing them to the intimate details of the crisis and increasing risk for compassion fatigue. The aim of this…