▼ Within the field of counseling the majority of supervisors and supervisees are White (Constantine et al., 2005; Inman et al, 2004). Research has indicated that ethnic clients’ perception of satisfaction with counseling services is significantly influenced by the clinicians’ level of multicultural competency (Constantine, 2002; Frank, 2004). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between multicultural training and supervisors' perceived multicultural competency within White supervisor-White supervisee supervision dyads as well as supervisees’ ratings of supervisors’ perceived cross cultural competency. This study utilized the ACA Multicultural Counseling Competency (Sue et al., 2006) as a framework for this research and the instrument used in this study. This research utilized simple linear regression to analyze 40 supervisor and supervisee dyads. Findings included significance in that supervisees’ ratings of supervisors predicted awareness and knowledge for cross cultural competency independent of social desirability. Finally, conclusions, implications of the findings, and suggestions for future research were discussed. Advisors/Committee Members: Parr, Patricia.

▼ The current study examined emotional skillfulness theory and the possible impact emotional skillfulness may have on martial satisfaction and the intimacy process among African Americans. Emotional skills were defined by the ability to identify and communicate emotions. Specifically, the differences between husbands’ and wives’ scores on measures of emotional skills, the relationship between participants’ self-perceived emotional skills and one’s own intimate safety and marital satisfaction, and whether intimate safety mediates between emotional skills and marital satisfaction. Two hundred and sixty four participants (132 married couples) completed measures that assessed emotional skillfulness, marital satisfaction, and intimate safety The results supported much of Emotional Skillfulness Theory with African American couples. No significant differences were found between husbands’ and wives’ scores on Difficulty Identifying Emotions and Difficulty Communicating Emotions. For both husbands and wives one’s own Difficulty Identifying Emotions was negatively correlated with spouses’ marital satisfaction and Intimate Safety. Husbands’ Difficulty Communicating Emotions was also negatively correlated to wives’ Marital Satisfaction and Intimate Safety; Wives’ Difficulty Communicating Emotions was negatively correlated with husbands’ marital satisfaction, but was not significantly associated with husbands’ Intimate Safety. Finally, it was found that Intimate Safety mediated between emotional skills and marital satisfaction. Advisors/Committee Members: Perosa, Linda.

▼ This study was an investigation and evaluation of the perceived usefulness of spirituality concepts by therapists and couples as related to the counseling experience. The spirituality concepts that were evaluated were derived from several spirituality scales including The Spiritual Wellness Inventory, The Spiritual Well-Being Scale and The Spiritual Meaning Scale. Comparisons of the ratings of spirituality concepts between therapists and couples and within the couples’ structure were analyzed to determine the perceived usefulness of the spirituality concepts as related to the potential overall usefulness of each spirituality scale for the purpose of assessing spirituality during the counseling experience. The initial regression results for both therapists and couples indicated that all evaluated spirituality concepts accounted for a significant amount of unique variance in perceived usefulness. However, in the subsequent regression analyses, the results indicated that significant differences existed in perceived usefulness of the spirituality concepts between the therapists and couples and among the couples when controlling for age, gender and ethnicity. Advisors/Committee Members: Parr, Patricia.

▼ The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the relationship between couples‟ communication, marital satisfaction, and involvement in a support group for couples where one partner has a genetic mutation that places him/her at a significant risk for developing cancer. Researchers have investigated marital satisfaction in couples with illness, the role of support groups for couples with illness, and communication about illness. Research looking at genetic risk for illness, however, is limited, especially as it relates to couples‟ relationships. Breast cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer in women and ovarian cancer is the fifth most diagnosed cancer in women. About 10% of breast cancers and about 10% of ovarian cancers are related to a deleterious mutation, referred to as BRCA (Breast Cancer), that can be detected through a blood test. There are many decisions facing individuals and families in dealing with this BRCA mutation, and this stress can cause a great deal of strain on the couple relationship. Support groups are available to help wade through the vast amount of information. However, the role of these support groups on relationship satisfaction has not been studied. A correlational research design examined data from 62 couples who were recruited through a support group called FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered). The couples recruited for the study required that at least one partner be diagnosed with the BRCA mutation. The couples were in a marital or co-habitating relationship. The couples were asked to complete a standardized instrument, the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised, to examine issues impacting their relationship satisfaction. They also completed a demographic questionnaire that included several Likert scale questions regarding support for their BRCA status and involvement in a support group. John Rolland‟s Family Systems-Illness Model (1994) was the lens used in examining the data reported by the participants. The results from this study may provide some information about issues couples with a genetic risk for disease may be facing, how support groups impact coping with this genetic knowledge, and how communication patterns are impacted for these couples. The present study looked at the relationship of the level of involvement in a support group on communication patterns and marital satisfaction in couples where one partner has the BRCA mutation Advisors/Committee Members: Parr, Patricia.

▼ The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the impact of addiction recovery, such as treatment and self-help support group influence on the couple relationship. Researchers have investigated behavioral couple therapy, family relationship theory, and individual and group therapy. Few have delved into couple recovery and their experiences. A qualitative phenomenological method was implemented in this study with five voluntary couples that met the criteria. They participated in an in-depth, conjoint interview. The in-depth interviews asked questions to get to couple interactions in connectedness, triangulation, and distancing, observed through Bowenian Theory. Murray Bowen's Transgenerational Theory: Differentiation of Self was the lens used in viewing the lived experiences reported by the participants. This theory also served in analyzing those experiences the couples shared. Analysis of those experiences brought to light four common themes among the recovering couples: Emotional Change, Interdependent Interactions, Cultivated Communication, and Treatment Dilemmas. The information gleaned from this study is valuable to many disciplines that include clinicians (marriage and family therapists, counselors, social workers, and chemical dependency counselors), clergy, researchers, and laypersons. Advisors/Committee Members: Parr, Patricia.