The development of a common factors based virtual reality therapy system for remote psychotherapy applications

Mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety affect one in five adults in the United States. According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), non-serious mental illnesses are found in 30.6% of young adults aged 18-25 years old and 25.3% of adults aged 26-49 years old. In 2020, the NSDUH found that only 44.8% of all adults living with non-serious mental illnesses sought treatment. In 2020 and 2021 with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, 41.5% of US adults reported to have been struggling symptoms of an anxiety of depressive disorder. With this added burden, the increase in social isolation during the pandemic, and unknown long term psychological effects of the past year and a half, the need for an effective remote psychotherapy treatment is even more evident. The objective of this research is to address the growing need for a remote psychotherapy solution that is both accessible for isolated patients and effective. One approach to therapeutic healing that is standard in counseling psychology is the use of psychotherapy based on common factors theory. This theory poses that there are several common factors that need to be addressed for healing to occur. This research focuses on two of the common factors that are most difficult to reproduce in remote psychotherapy: the therapeutic alliance and the therapeutic environment. We hypothesize that the use of a virtual reality (VR) and neurofeedback based psychotherapy system specifically designed based on common factors theory will lead to better performance in the therapeutic alliance between therapists and patients and ultimately, better outcomes for remote psychotherapy patients. The following specific aims address this hypothesis:Specific Aim 1: Design and Develop a Common Factors Based Virtual Reality Therapy for Remote Psychotherapy Applications. A full common factors based VR psychotherapy system was developed using Unity3D, Autodesk Maya, and MATLAB. Key components of the design include three virtual environments designed based on key elements of restorative environments (Forest World, Log Cabin, and Freud Therapist Office), two therapist avatars based on Jungian archetypes for healing (Woman Healer, Sage), a neurofeedback system using electroencephalography (EEG), a therapist interface, and a patient interface. Success was measured based on the prototype's ability to be a fully functional remote psychotherapy treatment, its adherence to restorative environments design elements, and its adherence to Jungian archetypes design elements.Specific Aim 2: Determine the functionality and usability of the novel common factors based VR therapy system for therapists. The first step to determining the efficacy of a novel treatment system in psychotherapy is to analyze the functionality and usability of the treatment for therapists. Specifically, this study examined if therapists are able to effectively use this system for the remote treatment of depression and general anxiety. A proof of concept study was conducted with 21 observing counselors in training to examine the functionality and usability of the VR enhanced therapy system for therapists. The session was conducted with a professional therapist and a patient using the VR system in another room. Measures from this study will include the 1. Client Reactions Systems, 2. Perceived Restorative Scale, 3. Session Evaluation Questionnaire, and 4. Presence Questionnaire. Success will be determined by examining the neutral score for each these metrics, and comparing the scores received by therapists to the average. The treatment was considered successful if the novel VR treatments preforms as well or better than the average across all metrics.Specific Aim 3: Determine the functionality and usability of the novel common factors based VR therapy system for patients. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Telemental health experiences of doctoral students in counseling psychology programs

The central focus of this dissertation is to provide an overview of many areas of telepsychology and the lived experiences of doctoral students using teletherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the origins of telemental health, and its development since the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed. The cost and benefit of these services is explored along with the possible directions in in the field of telepsychology. This is an important topic considering the steadily increasing reliance on technology. Teletherapy is especially pertinent to psychology doctoral students who are learning how to deliver psychology services, reduce stigma, and widen access in the best ways possible. Current trends suggest this form of service delivery will likely become more popular. For this reason, it is important to understand the experiences of doctoral students with this mode of service delivery. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis design was used to examine the experiences of 4 doctoral level counseling psychology students. Each of these students had at least some experience providing telehealth services to varying degrees. Each participant discussed their experiences providing services, the feedback they have received from clients about their experiences, and how their educational experience was impacted by learning virtually during the pandemic. These results provide insight into the participants' challenges, benefits, and future areas of growth associated with providing telemental health services. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

An ecologically informed study of perceived emotional wellbeing in school-aged children experiencing family homelessness

Background and objectives: Family homelessness has been characterised as a hidden crisis with 121,340 children living in temporary accommodation in England in March 2021. There is limited literature and, therefore, understanding of emotional wellbeing in school-aged children and young people who are experiencing family homelessness. This study adopts an original approach to explore the perspectives of: children and others in their ecological system, also highlighting a social justice focus for counselling psychology. Methodology and methods: Fourteen qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with: school-aged children, parents, and educators with experience of, or supporting, family homelessness. The data were analysed in two reflexive thematic analyses. Ecological, intersectional and social justice lenses were used in synthesis. Analysis: The analysis of the parent and child data generated three themes: 1) Unsafe, unfit, and unsuitable accommodation, no place for a child;2) Four school moves in two years, the implications for the child in school;and 3) Living a life on hold, family homelessness perceived as a trauma. The analysis of the educator data also generated three themes: 1) A kaleidoscope, homelessness as a shock to the child and their family system;2) Learning in limbo, emotional wellbeing in education;and 3) The school as an anchor, a point of stability for the child and family. Discussion: The findings conceptualise family homelessness as a shock to the childa s ecological system, which affects their emotional wellbeing and education. They identify welfare austerity and COVID-19 as chronosystem stressors, which amplify precarity. The findings highlight pivotal roles for the family system and the school as points of stability in the childa s ecological system, and the school in connecting the childa s mesosystem. Potential implications for counselling psychology, education, policy, limitations and suggestions for further research are considered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Insider's guide to graduate programs in clinical and counseling psychology., 2022-2023 ed

The definitive guide for prospective graduate students in clinical and counseling psychology has now been revised and updated for 2022/2023, with all-new data on more than 300 doctoral programs. This is the book that students rely on for finding the programs that meet their needs and maximizing their chances of getting in. Profiles encapsulate each program's specializations or tracks, admission requirements, acceptance rates, financial aid, research areas, and clinical opportunities. A detailed time line and multiple worksheets help students decide where to apply, build their credentials, develop strong applications, and make an informed final decision. This new edition provides a new chapter on deciding between the master's and the doctoral degree. It presents updates on the diversity-driven and COVID-accelerated movement against using the GRE. The book provides guidance on creating a LinkedIn profile and incorporating it into one's application. It presents a new section on the pros and cons of taking a gap year following college graduation, advices on optimally preparing for preadmission interviews by videoconferencing, data on which departments offer affinity/alliance groups for its ethnic minority and LGBTQ students. The book provides a new section on using online forums during the interview process In addition, throughout the book, it highlights free resources to minimize the cost of applying to graduate school and provides web addresses to ease the admissions process-locating compatible programs, communicating with potential faculty mentors, submitting application forms, and helping faculty send letters of recommendation electronically. In other words, the book removes some of the work and cost of preparing and applying for graduate study in psychology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The Distance Cure: A History of Teletherapy

La téléthérapie désigne un ensemble de services de santé mentale facilités à distance par l'utilisation de différents supports de communication. Dans The Distance Cure, Hannah Zeavin examine de manière critique l'histoire de la téléthérapie en tant que spécialiste des communications, de la culture, et de la technologie. Ses analyses montrent comment les notions culturelles de ce qui est thérapeutique, ainsi que les pratiques et les relations entre clients et conseillers, ont été transformées par l'évolution des médias.Alternate :Teletherapy refers to a range of mental health services facilitated at a distance by the use of different communications media. In The Distance Cure, Hannah Zeavin critically examines the history of teletherapy as a scholar of communications, culture, and technology. Her analyses show how cultural notions of what is therapeutic as well as practices and relations between clients and counsellors have been transformed by changes in media.

Cyborg oracles: insights for counseling psychology from the disability justice movement post COVID

The COVID pandemic has allowed transformative change that has otherwise faced resistance, and counseling psychology can use the pandemic as a time of reflection and change. Counseling psychology needs to incorporate insights from the disability justice community to create a more liberated world. The manuscript begins with a brief overview of disability justice principles and the relative lack of attention to disability in counseling psychology. An overview of three areas for change is presented: 1) expanding pathways to connection and recognizing humanity's interdependence, 2) redefining resilience and ensuring that we add ongoing transformative justice to our resilience practice, and 3) persistent access. Finally, the manuscript ends with a conclusion that discusses the importance of fully practicing disability justice, which includes understanding that it will be messy, imperfect, and takes practice. This manuscript is a roadmap to create a more just set of practitioners, teachers, researchers, and social justice advocates, among the many other roles that counseling psychologists take on.