PACIFICA’S MA COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM

PACIFICA’S MA COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM

The Counseling Psychology Department looks forward to hosting its annual Thesis Presentation Day on Friday, May 26th. This meaningful event provides an opportunity for graduating students of the MA Counseling Psychology program present their thesis research work to fellow classmates, loved ones, faculty, staff, and the larger Pacifica community. Through this work, students have the opportunity to showcase their research findings and experiences throughout the multi-year thesis process. This event is always an important ritual experience, and it is our honor to witness our graduates as they present their research work.

Thesis Presentation Day will take place on Pacifica’s Ladera Lane campus throughout the day, from approximately 9 am – 5 pm. A concurrent option via Zoom will be available for guests who are unable to attend in person or prefer to join remotely, and a detailed program of times and presenters, and Zoom registration links, will be provided in the coming weeks.

About the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology Thesis Process

Research and writing are two ways among many of finding meaning within and conferring meaning on experience. These fundamentally human activities can be deeply imaginal and intuitive. In research and writing, we seek to uncover the deep truth of the human condition. Within the context of the Institute’s guiding vision, students are encouraged to select a research question they wish to explore in depth through the vehicle of the thesis. Towards this end, the student is asked to:

  • pursue an area of individual interest relevant to marriage and family therapy, professional clinical counseling, and depth psychology (e.g., therapeutic issues, psychological motifs, clinical procedures);
  • ground this particular area of interest in a conceptual framework (e.g., background information, findings, concluding evaluation);
  • demonstrate competency researching a specific area and expressing ideas with clarity and precision.

The MA Counseling Psychology thesis is the culminating expression of students’ graduate course of study and provides a forum for contributing back into the larger community the knowledge that students have gained during their educational experience.

Schedule Overview

Continental Breakfast

Dining Hall

8:00am — 9:00am

 

Resting Room with Art and Music

Room A120

8:00am — 4:30pm

 

C Track Presentations

Room A102

9:00am — 4:15pm

C Track Luncheon Buffet served on the Main Lawn 12:00pm—1:00pm

Zoom: Please register in advance

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcsceigqTIsGdctlaWCXNzGyKIGvTDiROFv

 

D Track Presentations

Room A101

1:00pm — 4:15pm

D Track Luncheon Buffet served on the Main Lawn 12:00pm—1:00pm

Zoom: Please register in advance

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEuceCppjMpHNTc1hxxlVmzXFDNfVWNJbxi

 

W Track Presentations

Room A101

9:30am — 12:00pm

W Track Luncheon Buffet served on the Main Lawn 12:00pm—1:00pm

Zoom: Please register in advance

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEuceCppjMpHNTc1hxxlVmzXFDNfVWNJbxi

 

V Track Presentations

Room A140

9:30am — 4:15pm

V Track Luncheon Buffet served on the Main Lawn 12:30pm—1:30pm

Zoom: Please register in advance

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqc-2uqD4vG9EYFIgjNT9m8TPu5MsaGaVr

 

All Community Closing Ritual

Barrett Center, 4:30pm

 

C Track Presentations

Room A102

 

Hosted by Gioia Jacobson, MA, LMFT, Director of Research
9:00am—4:15pm

 

Welcome and Introductions Gioia Jacobson, MA, LMFT
9:00-9:10am

 

Kaitlyn Allen
9:10-9:25am

A Journey Beyond the Interior: Exploring Shame and Traumatic Brain Injury in Women

Advisor: C.D. Taylor, PhD

 

Justine Andersen
9:25-9:40am

Assessing and Treating Postpartum Depression: A Multicultural Exploration of Before, During, and After Pregnancy

Advisor: Elisabeth Gonella, MA, LMFT

 

Danielle Sheridan
9:40-9:55am

Soil for the Starved Soul: Reclaiming the Roots of Desire in the Eating-Disordered Psyche

Advisor: C.D. Taylor, PhD

 

BREAK 9:55 – 10:05AM

 

Jillian Bourdon
10:05-10:20am

Boundaries of Self: A Conversation Between Individuation and Interconnection

Advisor: C.D. Taylor, PhD

 

James Brighton
10:20-10:35am

Creativity as Therapeutic Container for Transformative Falling Apart: A Healing Fiction

Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT

 

Gianna Cavallaro
10:35-10:50am

Nightscapes of the Tarot: An Artistic Method for Working With Nightmares

Advisor: Barbara Boyd, MA, LMFT, LPCC

 

BREAK 10:50 – 11:00AM

 

Paul Wilcox
11:00-11:15am

The Inner Realms:  An Evolutionary Struggle Between Hope and Despair

Advisor: Barbara Boyd, MA, LMFT, LPCC

  

Karma Fry 
11:15-11:30am

The Elephant in the Room: Psychological Defenses of the White Racial Identity

Advisor: Elisabeth Gonella, MA, LMFT

 

Arianne MacBean 
11:30-11:45am

Ariadne’s Thread: A Depth Psychology Exploration of Liminal Immanence in Dance/Movement

Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT

 

Mary McDonald 
11:45am-12:00pm

Exploration of the Unconscious Processes in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

Advisor: Gioia Jacobson, MA, LMFT

 

C TRACK LUNCH 12:00 – 1:00PM

 

Shawna McGrath 
1:00pm-1:15pm

The Psychopomp Function: Correlations Between Psychotherapists and Mythic Figures Who Guide Souls After Death

Advisor: Gioia Jacobson, MA, LMFT

  

Virginia Melin 
1:15pm-1:30pm

A Parent–Child Circle: Fostering Conscious Connection to Earth as a Rite of Passage

Advisor: Gioia Jacobson, MA, LMFT

 

Nicole Mosher 
1:30pm-1:45pm 

Healing the War Within: The Bisexual Psyche in Sexual Assault and Hysteria

Advisor: Michael Elliott, PhD

 

BREAK 1:45 – 1:55PM

 

Sara Murdoch 
1:55pm-2:10pm

Return to the Wild: Healing Patriarchal Wounds by Reconnecting to Natural Ways of Being

Advisor: Alonso Dominguez, MA, LMFT

 

Suzanne Nakamura 
2:10-2:25pm

From a Grieving Heart: Creating Therapeutic Rituals

Advisor: Rebecca Pottenger, MA, LMFT

 

Felicia Romano 
2:25-2:40pm

Resonance and Dynamic Selfhood in Psychotherapy: An Inquiry Into Values

Advisor: Elisabeth Gonella, MA, LMFT

 

BREAK 2:40 – 2:50PM

 

Annabelle Baskin 
2:50-3:05pm

Proactive Couples Therapy: Soul-Work for Partners

Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT

 

Dylan Watson  

3:05-3:20pm

Adventuring Into the Imaginal: The Therapeutic Function of Mythopoesis in Tabletop Role-Playing Games

Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT

  

Brianna Dellinger Spencer
3:20-3:35pm

Regard for Reality Television: A Depth Perspective on Docusoaps

Advisor: C.D. Taylor, PhD

 

BREAK 3:35 – 3:45PM 

 

C Track Presenter Panel

3:45-4:15pm

 

W Track Presentations

Room A101

 

Hosted by Jacquelyn Toth, MA, LMFT, Research Associate
9:30am—12:00pm

 

Welcome and Introductions: Jacquelyn Toth, MA, LMFT
9:30-9:45am

 

Dani Walker Kreutter 
9:45-10:00am

Living Ways of Wisdom: The Spiritual Path of Motherhood

Advisor: Aaron Kipnis, PhD

 

James Kalupson 
10:00-10:15am

Symphonies of Consciousness: A Depth Psychological Investigation Into the Role of Music in Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy

Advisor: Barbara Boyd, MA, LMFT, LPCC

 

BREAK 10:15 – 10:30AM

 

Moriah Stapf 
10:30 -10:45am

Restoring Vibrancy in a Soul-Sucking Society: Turning Toward Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy to Transform the Self

Advisor: Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT

 

Britta Leffler  
10:45-11:00am

Linking Adverse Childhood Experiences and Chronic Health Issues: Implications for Clinicians

Advisor: Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT

 

Vanessa Flores
11:00-11:15am

Finding Healing, Acceptance, and Comfort in Grief: A Journey Through Dreams, Symbols, Signs, and Spirituality

Advisor: Elisabeth Gonella, MA, LMFT

 

 BREAK 11:15 – 11:30AM 

 

 W Track Presenter Panel

11:30am-12:00pm

 

D Track Presentations

Room A101

 

Hosted by Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT, Research Associate
1:00—4:15pm

 

Welcome and Introductions: Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT
1:00-1:05pm

 

Logan Billingsley
1:05-1:20pm

Hearing Nature’s Voice: Archetypal Roots of the Split Between Western Culture and the Natural World

Advisor: Rebecca Pottenger, MA, LMFT

 

Agnes Cartry-Jacobsen 
1:20-1:35pm

Dynamic Voicing: Nonverbal Expression as Perceptual Bridge From Unconscious to Conscious Awareness

Advisor: Rebecca Pottenger, MA, LMFT

 

Minnie Goode
1:35-1:50pm

The Bisexual’s Ever-Revolving Closet Door: Identity Formation in a Monosexist Society

Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT

  

BREAK 1:50 – 2:00PM

 

Carrie McConnell
2:00-2:15pm

Maladaptation as Resilience

Advisor: Alonso Dominguez, MA, LMFT

 

Claudia Hammerschmidt
2:15-2:30pm

 The Impact of Grief on a Secure Attachment Style

Advisor: Michael Elliott, PhD

 

Jessica Hyatt
2:30-2:45pm

The Whore Complex: An Archetypal Analysis of United States Perspectives on Female Sex Workers

Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT

 

Anthony Musick
2:45-3:00pm

Interconnected Metamorphosis: Spiritual Awakening and Addiction Recovery

Advisor: Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT

 

BREAK 3:00 – 3:10PM

  

Allison Rees
3:10-3:25pm

Enter the Dungeon: Exploring the Crucible of the Dark Erotic Imagination

Advisor: Michael Elliott, MA, LMFT 

 

Kai Tilley
3:25-3:40pm

Treating Young Lesbians of Color: The Intersectional Queer Affirmative Therapeutic Model

Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT

 

Catiflor Wright
3:40-3:55pm

Pain as a Portal: A Feminine Quest for Individuation

Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT

 

Jen Antill
3:55-4:10pm

Growing Rooted: The Psychological Impact of Creating Attachment to Place

Advisor: Joanna Walling, MA, LMFT

   

D Track Presenter Panel

4:10-4:30pm

 

V Track Presentations

Room A140
9:30—4:15pm

Hosted by Joanna Walling, MA, LMFT, Research Associate

 

Welcome and Introductions

Joanna Walling, MA, LMFT
9:30-9:45am

 

Catherine Taylor
9:45-10:00am

Nature as Divine Mother: A Depth-Oriented Ecopsychological Approach to Treating Binge-Eating Disorder

Advisor: Rebecca Pottenger, MA, LMFT

  

Sam Cohen Paz
10:00-10:15am

Finding Healing Through Humor in Gay-Affirmative Therapy

Advisor: Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT

  

Gabriella D’Urso
10:15-10:30am

In Search of Wholeness: The Journey to Self through Astrology and Individuation

Advisor: Ifat Peled, PhD

 

BREAK 10:30 – 10:45AM  

  

Alexandra Dolce 
10:45-11:00am 

Facing Shadow in The Eyes of The Lover: A Ceremonial Approach to MDMA-Assisted Couples Therapy

Advisor: Elisabeth Gonella, MA, LMFT

  

Jennifer Emblom Castro
11:00-11:15am

Exploring the Ancient Mysteries of the Pineal Gland: A Doorway to Expanded States of Consciousness

Advisor: Ifat Peled, PhD

 

Nicole Pascavis
11:15-11:30am

Doubt as a Doorway to Self-Determination: Exploring Clients’ Doubt in Psychotherapy as Therapeutic Opportunity

Advisor: Elisabeth Gonella, MA, LMFT

 

BREAK 11:30 – 11:45AM  

  

Elizabeth Haley 
11:45am-12:00pm

On Ritual: Individual Growth and Cultural Change

Advisor: Ifat Peled, PhD

  

John Jack Litterst 
12:00-12:15pm

The Ecological Subject

Advisor: Rebecca Pottenger, MA, LMFT

  

Yoni Klein 
12:15-12:30pm  

Tunnels Through the Unconscious: An Exploration of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Advisor: Elisabeth Gonella, MA, LMFT

  

V TRACK LUNCH 12:30 – 1:30PM

  

Leeza Legg
1:30-1:45pm  

Wounded Goddess: Fragmentation and the Female Psyche

Advisor: Joanna Walling, MA, LMFT  

 

Michaela Mujica-Steiner
1:45-2:00pm

The Double-Headed Goddess: Re-Membering the Lost Archetype of Feminine Wholeness

Advisor: Jacquelyn Toth, MA, LMFT

  

Preyanka Gulati 
2:00-2:15pm

  Intricate Realms of the Erotic and Dance: Historical Themes and Archetypes Under India’s Brahminical Patriarchy

Advisor: Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT

 

BREAK 2:15 – 2:30PM   

 

Crystal Carson 
2:30-2:45pm

Descent to the Depths: A Mythopoetic Approach to Grief

Advisor: Jacquelyn Toth, MA, LMFT

 

Jalene Vincent Welch
2:45-3:00pm 

Increasing Affordances for Outdoor, Unstructured, Risky Play as a Response to Children’s Pandemic-Related Stress

Advisor: Elisabeth Gonella, MA, LMFT

  

Shannon Algeo
3:00-3:15pm 

Soul Retrieval: Poetry Therapy for Recovery of the Lost Self from Smartphone Attachment

Advisor: Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT

 

Lena Firestone
3:15-3:30pm

  Individuation and the Symbolic Support of Weaving One’s Own Chrysalis

Advisor: Joanna Walling, MA, LMF

 

BREAK 3:30 – 3:45PM  

  

V Track Presenter Panel

3:45-4:15pm