Date
12-11-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Christopher Garner
Keywords
trauma-focused training, self-efficacy, confidence, transcendental phenomenological study, continuing education, dissemination and implementation, trauma competencies
Disciplines
Counseling | Psychology
Recommended Citation
Briggs, Megan L., "After the Training Ends: A Qualitative Study of Therapists’ Experiences with Trauma Training and Self-Efficacy" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6289.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6289
Abstract
Counselors meet many clients with experiences of trauma throughout their careers, and many counselors do not feel confident in their skills to process trauma. The training programs that teach trauma-focused skills have been researched regarding dissemination practices, but there has been very little exploration of the experiences of the individuals who do not utilize newly acquired skills. The primary research question asks what are the experiences of outpatient therapists in applying the skills they learned in trauma processing training programs when practicing in the outpatient setting? The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study will be to describe the experiences of master’s level, outpatient counselors in applying the skills they learned in trauma-focused training programs when practicing in the outpatient setting. The theory guiding this study is constructivism, as the perspectives of the reality of each participant’s experiences will help to clarify the missing pieces of the training process. This study will also be influenced by concepts related to the social cognitive theory, which asserts that human behavior is determined by interpersonal factors, individuals’ behaviors, and the environments impact on the individual. These theories impact the understanding of how behaviors are guided, how individuals choose training programs, and influence the application of new skills after their training is completed. Data will be collected through semi-structured interviews. These interviews will be transcribed and data analysis will include horizontalization, and coding in the practice of transcendental phenomenological reduction.
