Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects
Dissertations/ACPs from 2026
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: There is distance between us - Examining Couples in Long-Distance Relationships and Relationship Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic, [email protected] Dulal Alghuraibi
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Young Parents: The Experiences and Challenges Associated With Finding and Accessing Social Services, Brittany Cousins
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Navigating Male Partner Infertility Through a Bowen Family Systems Theory Lens: An In-depth Analysis of Women’s Experience and Psychological Interventions, Daphkar Dubreuil
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: A Phenomenological Exploration of Black American Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence Lived Experience Receiving Supportive Assistance from the Black Church, Samantha Fuchs
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: My Dear Child: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis on the Lived Experience of Fathers Bereaved by Suicide Loss, Emily Konicki
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Exploring Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisors’ Experiences Utilizing Technology-Assisted Distance Supervision, Allison Margaret McMillan
Dissertations/ACPs from 2025
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Introducing Bowen Family Systems Theory to the Beautiful Iranian Ladies Group: A Participant Observer’s Experience of Community and Conversation, Raven Allen-McGee
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: The return of the missing to new generation Cypriots: An interpretive phenomenological analysis through a Bowen family systems lens, Desiree Barrionuevo
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Therapists’ Experiences of Personal Loss Through a Bowen Family Systems Theory Lens and Impacts on Their Clinical Practice: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Juliana Benedetti Becker
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: “I wouldn’t say I felt unsafe, but I wasn’t free to talk about it either”: How Cultural Factors Influence Chicana Survivors’ Disclosure to Their Family, April Brown
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Not Just Going Along for the Ride: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Lived Experience of Couples in Global Job Relocation, Maxine Cher
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Mom Zone vs. War Zone: Exploring Female Service Members’ Experiences with Combat Deployment, Paulette A.F. Duhaney
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Supporting Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care: A Critical Review to Inform Training for Mental Health Providers, Kristian Taxiarchis Phikas Fics
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: A Phenomenological Study Exploring Marriage and Family Therapists’ Experiences in Sharing Their Spiritual/Religious Beliefs with Their Clients, Mariana Cristina Guzman de Perez
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Interreflection of Supervisor-Supervisee Conflict: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the Lived Experiences of Supervisees Who Resolved Conflict Successfully, Dania Khalil
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Determining the Impact of Mental Health First Aid Training on Novice Couple/Marriage and Family Therapists' Mental Health Knowledge, Skills, Confidence, and Perceptions, Tina Lambert
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Breaking Free of My Black Box: An Autoethnographic Study of a Young Therapist’s Journey Towards Self-Awareness Utilizing Family Systems Thinking, Tammara Leticia Lewis
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Afro-Caribbean Women's Experiences With Emotions, Specifically Around Anxiety, After Miscarriage: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Using Bowen Family Systems Theory, Alicia Antonette McCray
Dissertations/ACPs from 2024
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: My Journey into the Culture of Autism: Creating a Systemic Map Through the Spectrum, Jennifer Cahill
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Runway to Empowerment: A Therapist’s Self Reflection Approach on Mood and Appearance Utilizing a Bowen Family Systems Lens, Christine Donalds-Rose
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Relational Language: Realizing Conversations, Nadia Rose Farsinezhad
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Peace by Piece: A Wellness and Mindfulness-Based Workshop Dedicated to Parents of Children With Developmental Disabilities, Emily Michelle Garcia
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Moral Distress, Depression, and Compassion Fatigue Among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Protective Roles of Moral Resilience and Social Support, Shirley Patricia Lora Reyes
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Intergenerational Patterns of Emotion Regulating and Its Influence on the Early Childhood Educator’s Practice, Brye Moss
Dissertations/ACPs from 2023
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Training Oncology Health Care Professionals: An Appreciative Inquiry Approach on Evaluating Patient Satisfaction of Chemotherapy Education, Cassandra Cacace
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: A Qualitative Inquiry into the Lived Experiences of Retired National Football League Players, Gabrielle Etrina Carey
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Straight From the Horse’s Mouth: A Thematic Analysis Exploring Client and Practitioner Perceptions of an Equine-Assisted Family Therapy Session, Jessica Marie Gomez
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: “Reproductive Renaissance in Family Therapy: Integrating Infant Mental Health Training & Professional Development”, Claudia Gomez-Walsh
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Gen Z and Millennials’ Experiences Viewing Anxiety and Depression Mobile Short-Form Video Content, Yael Haklai-Neagu
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Exploring Conceptual Parallels of Music and Families Through a Bowen Family Systems Theory Lens for Innovative Clinical Application: A Critical Analysis, Paul Healey
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Burnett Flexible Practicum Model for Sickle Cell Family Healing: An Autoethnographic Critical Analysis, Deborah Kim M. Hurford
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Chronic Anxiety and the Belief in a Curse: An Interpretative Qualitative Analysis on Mental Health Across Generations in the Haitian Community, Lilian L. LaTulippe
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: The adoptive parent and adoptee dyad and its impact on the adult adoptee romantic relationship, Caitlin S. Lowry
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: A Critical Analysis of Physicians Involved in Physician-Assisted Suicide and the Implementation of an Equine-Assisted Family Therapy Wellness Program, Rafis Nin
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: The Lived Experiences of Single Parents Bringing Children to Therapy, Ron Christopher Osborne-Williams
Dissertations/ACPs from 2022
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Through the Looking Glass: An Interpretative Study of Marriage and Family Therapists Working in a Collaborative-Multidisciplinary Medical Setting, Alexandra Elise Alfaro
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Reframing Diversity: An Autoethnography of a Jewish Student Navigating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education in Marriage and Family Therapy Education, Naterika Benton-Strickland
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Venezuelan Parents’ Experiences Supporting Their First-Generation Immigrant Children in Applying to College in the United States, Jetlexis Carlos
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: A Social Media Ethnographic Study on the Marriage and Family Therapy Field’s Use of Social Media to Educate the Public About Its Unique Systemic Relational Orientation, Franchesca Fontus
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Intimate Partners of Sex Offenders: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Kyana Taje Hall-Toney
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: An Autoethnography of a Mentor, Educator, Therapist and Father: Experiences of Constructing an Experiential Strength-Based Approach to Engage Fathers in the Fatherhood Mentorship Program, Clinton Boyd Lambert
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: A Phenomenological Study of Mental Health Professionals’ Knowledge of Working with Victims and Survivors of Human Sex Trafficking, Debbie Manigat
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: From Mat to Couch: Exploring the Incorporation of Yoga Into Psychotherapy by Bringing Therapists Into the Conversation Through Phenomenology, Angela McDonald
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Let’s go on an Adventure: A Phenomenological Study Exploring Marriage and Family Therapists in Office-Based Practice Incorporating Adventure Therapy, Mary I. Mukasa
Dissertations/ACPs from 2021
Dissertation: Karl Tomm’s Internalized Other Interviewing: From Theory to Practice, Robin Akdeniz
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): Clinical Implications and Treatment of Online Infidelity Through a Natural Systems Perspective: A Critical Literature Review, Aleena Sarita Bodoe
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Clinical Artistry: Creative Use of Digital Technologies in Systemic Psychotherapy Practice, Brittany Davis
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Collaborating with the Children of Collaborative Divorce, Tunicia LaShay Davis
Dissertation: Appreciative Inquiry of a Non-profit Organization Transitioning to Teletherapy, Claudia Herrera
Dissertation: Long-Term Sobriety from Opioid Use: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Claire C. Loucka
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: An Exploration of the Experiences of Relational Anxiety in Clergy who Have Practiced in Nigeria, Beverly Nicole Nelson
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: Using Bowen Family Systems Theory to Explore Emotional Reactivity in Marriage and Family Therapists-in-Training: A Phenomenological Study, Tuyet Nguyen-Vasquez
Dissertation: Experiences of Incarcerated Young Men in Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Cynthia Vanessa Penalva
Dissertation: Exploring the Acculturation Experiences of Cuban Refugee Doctors and their Families in Miami: A Phenomenological Study, Nelson Michel Perez
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): Utilizing the Five Sex Languages to Enhance Sexual Communication: A Clinical Case Study, Randi Reichel
Dissertation: Black Couples Filtering Their Love Stories Through the Use of Social Media, Jeff Rocker
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): Development of a Self-Care Workshop: Designed to Support Graduate Students in Clinical Programs, Caroline Talbott
Dissertations/ACPs from 2020
Dissertation: Portrait of a Novice Medical Family Therapist, Working in a Medical Setting with Head and Neck Cancer Patients Observed Through a Bowen Family Systems Theory’s Lens, Venetia Bennett
Dissertation: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Adults Who Have Experienced a Parental Divorce: Identifying Collaborative Divorce Aspects as They Adjusted to Adulthood, Arlene Brown
Dissertation: White Marriage and Family Therapy Students’ Experiences in Diversity Courses: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Porshia Cunningham
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): Creative Use of Vision Boards in SFBT: A Training for Therapists, Janel Daniel
Dissertation: Awareness of the Use of Self in Therapy: An Autoethnographic Inquiry into the Training Experiences of a Black, Single, Female MFT Doctoral Student, Phyllis Days
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): Finding Our Voice: An Ethnographic Study of the Experiences of Black Millennial Therapists, Antionette Edmonds
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): Medical Family Therapy Training and Supervision: A Participatory Action Research, Daron Flory
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): Applied Clinical Perspective on Utilizing Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) with Adolescent Males Committed to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice., Tyrone K. Grandison
Dissertation: The Impact of Grief Work on Hospice Mental Health Providers Through a Bowen Family Systems Lens, Joshua Hernandez
Dissertation: Sin Papeles: The Experiences of Undocumented Central American Immigrants in the United States, Elizabeth Jarquin
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): Combatting Stigma and Shame Associated with Professional Mental Health Help-Seeking Attitudes in the African American Community: An Inquiry with African American Pastors, Tamiko Jordan
Dissertation: Exploratory Study of the Lived Experiences of Adoptees in The Caribbean, Kelley T. Knowles
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): An Action Research Study: The Development and Implementation of “The Talk” Parent Workshop for Hispanic Families Facing Multigenerational Childhood Sexual Abuse Utilizing a Bowen Systems Lens, Nicole Linardi
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): Exploring the Experience of Married Couples Making the Decision of Whether or Not to Have a First Child, Liana Lorenzo-Echeverri
Dissertation: The Conundrum of Both/And in a World of Either/or: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Resilience and Intersectional Identities in Queer Women of Afro-Caribbean Descent, Stephane Louis
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): Evaluating the Collaborative Process Training Gaps: What is Missing for Mental Health Professionals?, Rachel Dahlia Merlin
Dissertation: Happy Tears: An Evocative Autoethnography on an Adoptee’s Development of Identity through Reunification, Jessica Popham
Dissertation: Therapeutic Autoethnography: From Epiphany to Catharsis, Kelsey Railsback
Dissertation: Exploring the Professional Development of MFT Students Enrolled in Equine Assisted Family Therapy Coursework: An Experiential Learning Modality, Natalie Rothman
Dissertation: Appreciative Inquiry of an Exemplary Trauma Informed Wellness Center Created for the Community and Families Affected by a School Shooting, Halle Solomon
Dissertations/ACPs from 2019
Dissertation: Glancing Back at The Camel’s Hump: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Saudi Family Therapists’ Dual Epistemologies, Rana M. F. Banaja
Dissertation: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Women Veterans Transitioning Back into Civilian Life, Paula Boros
Dissertation: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Afro-Caribbean Marriage and Family Therapists working with Persons who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and/or Questioning: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Raquel Yvonne Campbell
Dissertation: From Horse Walk to Therapy Talk: Exploring the Effects of Equine Assisted Family Therapy Coursework on Self of the Therapist Development of MFT Student Therapists, Tiffany de Leon
Dissertation: Solution-Focused Family Weekends in an Addictions Treatment Facility: An Action Treatment-and-Research Study, Sandra DiMarco
Dissertation: Cooking with Couples: A Grounded Theory Study on the Relational Aspects Found in the Cooking Interactions of Couples, Nicole R. Gordon
Dissertation: The Experience of Sexual Abuse of Afro Caribbean Women: The Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of the Particularities Attached to Disclosure, Angela Hood
Dissertation - NSU Access Only: The Elephant in the Therapeutic Room: Nelson’s R.E.A.C.T Professional Guideline for Working with Registered Interns in Private Practice Concerning Intimate Partner Violence, Melanie S. Hussain
Dissertation: An Exploration of the Lived Experience of Women who had Abortions and the Effects of the Abortion Secret on their Relationships: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Marckdaline Johnson
Dissertation: An Autoethnography of a Bilingual Therapist Working with Haitian Clients: Reconnecting to Home, Marie Philomise Joseph
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): The Lived Experiences of Haitian-American Adults Who Experienced Transnational Separation from a Parent in Childhood, Damabiah Lamy-Riviere
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): Addiction and the Family: Substance Use as a Symptom of the Larger Emotional System, Alexis Mercado
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): A Solution Focused Approach to Behavior Goal Assessment: Training and Utilizing the Monterroso Parent Goal Assessment, Daisy Monterroso
Dissertation: Marriage and Family Therapists’ Clinical Impressions of Romantic Relationship Dissolution Heartbreak: A Modified Delphi Study, Isibel C. Moreno
Dissertation: A Phenomenological Study of Black Fathers in Child Welfare, Tamaru N. Phillips
Dissertation: VWA: Hearing the Courageous Voices of Extraordinary Women who have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence in Haiti, An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Michaelle Darley Pierre
Applied Clinical Project (ACP): Modifying the Relational Suicide Assessment for Use with Latinx LGB Adolescents, Daphne Pozo
Dissertation: Knock Knock! Who’s There? Exploring the Functions of Play and Humor During Bowen Family Systems Theory Training, Helen Reynolds
Dissertation: Clinical Director Perspectives on Decision Making of Family Involvement with Clients at Inpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Centers, Lauren Amber Serdencuk
Dissertation: Transgender Parent Differentiation: A Heuristic Phenomenological Study, Eva Smidova
Dissertations/ACPs from 2018
Dissertation: High School Peer Counseling: Understanding the Impact of a Systemic Training Incorporating Bowen Concepts, Christina Elizabeth Berdebes
Dissertation: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Hypnotherapeutic Experience, Jimena Castro
Dissertation: Autoethnography of a Whitegirl Marriage and Family Therapist's Experience Working on the Rez, Andrea L. Cuva