Graduation Year
2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Degree Granting Department
Psychological and Social Foundations
Major Professor
Tony Tan, Ph.D.
Co-Major Professor
Chloe Lancaster, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Marylou Taylor, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Robert Dedrick, Ph.D.
Keywords
Assessment, Depression, Supervision, Working alliance
Abstract
The number of traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnoses continues to rise each year. Counseling is a critical factor in TBI treatment, and although numerous studies have investigated TBI outcomes, a paucity of researchers have studied professional counselors’ knowledge, comfort, and self-awareness when working with TBI clients. Due to the diversity of counselor caseloads, it is likely that counselors will serve clients with a dual diagnosis that includes TBI. These dual diagnoses include depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, psychosis, or another neurocognitive disorder. The purpose of this study was to explore counselors’ knowledge, comfort, and self-awareness when working with individuals with a TBI. I used a survey questionnaire to explore counselors’ knowledge, comfort, and self-awareness when working with individuals with a TBI. An expert panel (n = 6) followed the Polit and Beck framework for content validity to review the survey in two rounds. I conducted another a pilot study (n = 16) with the items after the expert panel completed all initial revisions. After the expert panel and the pilot study, professional counselors (n = 72) completed the Counselor Brain Injury Questionnaire (CBQ) to assess the three domains (Knowledge, α = .85; Comfort, α = .93; Self-Awareness, α = .66). Results showed that counselors scored the highest on self-awareness. I conducted three MANOVAs and found that those who received training through their employment scored higher in knowledge than those who received training through an in-service, seminar, or webinar. I did not find any other significant differences.
Scholar Commons Citation
Bradham-Cousar, Michelle, "Counseling Clients with Traumatic Brain Injury: Exploring Counselors’ Perceived Knowledge, Comfort, and Self-Awareness" (2020). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/8516
