2024 Thesis Presentation Day
2024 Thesis Presentation Day
May 24, 2024
PACIFICA’S MA COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM
The Counseling Psychology Department looks forward to hosting its annual Thesis Presentation Day on Friday, May 24th. 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 livestream 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
Coffee and Morning Refreshments
Dining Hall Breezeway
8:00 — 9:00am
Resting Room with Art and Music
Room A120
8:00am — 4:30pm
C Track Presentations
Room A101
9:00am — 3:15pm
C Track Luncheon Buffet served on the Main Lawn 12:00pm-1:00pm
Zoom: Please register in advance
D Track Presentations
Barrett Center
9:30am — 3:45pm
D Track Luncheon Buffet served on the Main Lawn 12:15pm-1:30pm
Zoom: Please register in advance
W Track Presentations
Room A102
9:30am — 4:15pm
W Track Luncheon Buffet served on the Main Lawn 12:30pm-1:30pm
Zoom: Please register in advance
V Track Presentations
Room A140
9:00am — 4:15pm
V Track Luncheon Buffet served on the Main Lawn 12:15pm-1:15pm
Zoom: Please register in advance
All Community Closing Ritual
Barrett Center, 4:30pm
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology
C Track Thesis Presentations
Room A101
9:00am—3:15pm
Hosted by Gioia Jacobson, MA, LMFT
Director of Research
Welcome and Introductions:
Gioia Jacobson, MA, LMFT
9:00-9:15am
Bianca Pisano
9:15-9:30am
Apprenticeship With Place: Rediscovering Belonging to an Ensouled World
Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT
Colin Ebeling
9:30-9:45am
Open Spirit: A Therapeutic Approach to Family Formation and Open Adoption
Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT
Catherine Kilmer
9:45-10:00am
Dissociation and Mindfulness: An Intersubjective Approach to Distance Regulation
Advisor: C.D. Taylor, PhD, LMFT
BREAK 10:00 – 10:15am
Danny Kantrowitz
10:15-10:30am
Hidden and Ineffable: Sensing More Than Meets the Eye
Advisor: Cynthia Frederickson, MA, LMFT
Jessica Garratt
10:30-10:45am
The Primacy and Potentials of Metaphor During Pregnancy and Early Motherhood
Advisor: Megan Attore, MA, LMFT
Rachel Cannon
10:45-11:00am
Thresholds of Rebirth: Exploring the Postpartum Experience Through Feminine Initiation, Archetypal Transition, and Dream Rituals
Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT
Connor Kinnon
11:00-11:15am
Intersection of Warriors and Addicts: An Approach to Harm Reduction Integrating Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT
BREAK 11:15-11:30am
C Track Morning Presenter Panel 11:30am-12:00pm
C Track Lunch 12:00-1:00pm
Elizabeth Kimble
1:00-1:15pm
The Musical Art of Attunement: Embodied Empathy, Self-Other Integrated Attending, and the Rhythmic Third
Advisor: C.D. Taylor, PhD, LMFT
Rose McCormick
1:15-1:30pm
You Are Here: The Biological and Psychological Impact of Reverie
Advisor: Elisabeth Gonella, MA, LMFT
Danielle Daviscourt
1:30-1:45pm
Underworld Encounter: Death, Descent, and the Transformation of Consciousness in the Feminine Initiate
Advisor: Elisabeth Gonella, MA, LMFT
BREAK 1:45-2:00pm
Ellen Hsu
2:00pm-2:15pm
Artmaking and Alchemy: Examining the Individuation Paths of Jacob Lawrence, Ruth Asawa, and MC Richards
Advisor: Rebecca Pottenger, MA, LMFT
Alyshia Marcelletti
2:15pm-2:30pm
Nonbinary as Archetypal: A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Myths and Deities Beyond the Gender Binary
Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT
Jinica Torrez
2:30pm-2:45pm
Iboga and Healing the Fractured Soul: Complex PTSD in Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Advisor: Barbara Boyd, MA, LMFT, LPCC
Chris Murphy
2:45pm-3:00pm
Grief and Imaginal Woodworking: A Jungian Art Therapy Approach to Healing Grief Through Woodworking
Advisor: Barbara Boyd, MA, LMFT, LPCC
BREAK 3:00-3:15pm
C Track Afternoon Presenter Panel 3:15-3:45pm
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology
W Track Thesis Presentations
Room A102
9:30am—4:15pm
Hosted by Jacquelyn Toth, MA, LMFT
Research Associate
Welcome and Introductions:
Jacquelyn Toth, MA, LMFT
9:30-9:45
Khaled Jeiroudi
9:45-10:00am
Islamic Psychology and the Unconscious
Advisor: Rebecca Pottenger, MA, LMFT
Akasha Heinzig
10:00-10:15am
Quantum Psychotherapy: Exploring the Interplay Between Quantum Physics and Analytical Psychology in Therapeutic Practice
Advisor: Ifat Peled, PhD
Anna Balliet
10:15-10:30am
Reclaiming the Power of Pregnancy: Shadow Work for Women
Advisor: Ifat Peled, PhD
BREAK 10:30-10:45am
Nancy Aldrich-Ruenzel
10:45-11:00am
Healing Trauma With the Numinous: A Depth Psychological Approach
Advisor: Jacquelyn Toth, MA, LMFT
Erin Smith
11:00-11:15am
Tarot and Attachment
Advisor: Kyrié Carpenter, MA
Sarah Nannen
11:15-11:30am
American Youth in Crisis: A Depth Psychological Approach to Supporting Adolescent Mental Health
Advisor: Shannon Hoppenstedt, MA, LMFT, RN
Cooper Wise
11:30-11:45am
Poisoned Roots: Colonial Capitalism and Mental Health
Advisor: Shannon Hoppenstedt, MA, LMFT, RN
BREAK 11:45am-12:00pm
W Track Morning Presenter Panel 12:00-12:30pm
W Track Lunch 12:30-1:30pm
Laurel Kuzins
1:30-1:45pm
Rewriting Shame: The Power of Secure Attachment for Healing Shame in the Field of Psychotherapy
Advisor: Kyrié Carpenter, MA
Wendy Felson
1:45-2:00pm
Birth and Rebirth: The Discovery of the Embodied Path to Mothering
Advisor: Kaeti Gugiu, MA, LMFT, MHCA
Carly Port
2:00-2:15pm
Integrating the Unconventional: Expanding the Frames and Practices of Western Psychotherapy
Advisor: Kaeti Gugiu, MA, LMFT, MHCA
BREAK 2:15-2:30pm
Ellen Emmenegger
2:30-2:45pm
The Heroine’s Journey: Contemporary Women’s Individuation at Midlife
Advisor: C.D. Taylor, PhD, LMFT
Hania O’Neill Garcia
2:45-3:00pm
Insomnia and Soul
Advisor: Rebecca Pottenger, MA, LMFT
Derrick Radford
3:00-3:15pm
Seven Generations: An Indigenous Perspective on Reclaiming Our Relationship to Earth, Community, and Psyche
Advisor: Rebecca Pottenger, MA, LMFT
Marleigh Poulsen
3:15-3:30pm
The Trickster’s Function in Healing Anxiety
Advisor: C.D. Taylor, PhD, LMFT
BREAK 3:30-3:45pm
W Track Afternoon Presenter Panel 3:45-4:15
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology
D Track Thesis Presentations
Barrett Center
9:30am—3:45pm
Hosted by Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT
Research Associate
Welcome and Introductions:
Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT
9:30-9:45am
Benjamin Landmesser
9:45-10:00am
Encountering the Animal Self in Court-Ordered Psychotherapy
Advisor: Barbara Boyd, MA, LMFT, LPCC
Melanie Davenport
10:00-10:15am
The Wire Mother: Seeking Nurturance From the Matrix
Advisor: Jill McGonigle, MA, LMFT
Bethany Hope
10:15-10:30am
Pathological Demand Avoidance and Relationship: Addressing the Shadow of Demand Avoidance in Relationships
Advisor: Joanna Walling, MA, LMFT
BREAK 10:30-10:45am
Ian Kizanis
10:45-11:00am
Storytelling With the Trickster: Humor and Creative Shadow Work
Advisor: Joanna Walling, MA, LMFT
Lisa Chung
11:00-11:15am
The Orphan in the Cave: An Archetypal View of Loneliness and Opioid Addiction in Youth
Advisor: Barbara Boyd, MA, LMFT, LPCC
Deenah Vollmer
11:15-11:30am
Send in the DMT Clowns: Psychedelics, Mystical Experiences, and the Trickster Archetype
Advisor: Jill McGonigle, MA, LMFT
BREAK 11:30-11:45am
D Track Morning Presenter Panel 11:45am-12:15pm
D Track Lunch 12:15-1:30
Bethan Land
1:30-1:45pm
Nurturing Seeds of Uncertainty: Evaluating Connection Between Narcissistic Caregivers and Resulting Mistrust on Individual’s Intuition
Advisor: Jill McGonigle, MA, LMFT
Elyse Jung-Vrymoed
1:45-2:00pm
Blonde Venus: The Archetype of the Bimbo, Trauma and Resistance
Advisor: Marilyn Meyer, MA, LMFT
BREAK 2:00-2:30pm
Julia Osborn
2:30-2:45pm
Community as Catalyst: Creating a Loving World for Trans People
Advisor: Gioia Jacobson, MA, LMFT
Stuart Krimko
2:45-3:00pm
The Impossibility of Change:
Suicidality in Depth Psychological Work With Couples
Advisor: Jill McGonigle, MA, LMFT
Emily Wieber
3:00-3:15pm
The Exquisite Corpse: A Healing Symbol of the Intersubjective Third
Advisor: Gioia Jacobson, MA, LMFT
BREAK 3:15-3:30pm
D Track Afternoon Presenter Panel 3:30-4:00pm
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology
V Track Thesis Presentations
Room A140
9:00am—4:15pm
Hosted by Joanna Walling, MA, LMFT
Research Associate
Welcome and Introductions:
Joanna Walling, MA, LMFT
9:00-9:10am
Stav Fishman
9:10-9:25am
The Wounded Healer: Relating to Our Woundedness as a Therapeutic Tool
Advisor: Joanna Walling, MA, LMFT
Taylor Erickson
9:25-9:40am
Unconsciously Formed by and Forming: Reclaiming Individual and Collective Desire
Advisor: Maura Tousignant, MA, LMFT
Vishal Narang
9:40-9:55am
Everybody’s Atlantis: A Depth Psychological Consideration
Advisor: Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT
BREAK 9:55-10:10am
Galia Nitzan
10:10-10:25am
Beholding the Numinous: A Journey of Awakening, Individuation, and Self-Realization
Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT
Amy Bourne
10:25-10:40am
Owning Power in Love Addiction: Dismantling the False Self and Recovering Authenticity from the Shadow
Advisor: Maura Tousignant, MA, LMFT
Karly Salcido
10:40-10:55am
Weaving Parts: The Use of Metaphoric Process in Post-Traumatic Growth
Advisor: Rebecca Bruno, MA, LMFT
BREAK 10:55-11:10am
Ashley McKinnon
11:10-11:25am
Inner Winters: A Celtic Exploration of Depression and Melancholy
Advisor: Joanna Walling, MA, LMFT
Erin Mosse
11:25-11:40am
Grieving and Ritualizing Marriage Death: The Garden as Outer World Companion and Inner World Landscape
Advisor: Jacqueline Toth, MA, LMFT
Nacera Mekki
11:40-11:55am
Healing Beyond Words: Anxious Attachments and the Dance of Hypervigilance Unraveled Through Symbols in Therapy
Advisor: Alonso Dominguez, MA, LMFT
V Track Morning Presenter Panel 11:55am-12:15pm
V Track Lunch 12:15-1:15pm
Madelyn Casserly
1:15-1:30pm
Silenced Pain: Understanding the Opioid Crisis as an Attempt at Initiation
Advisor: Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT
BREAK 1:30-2:00pm
Benjamin Friedman
2:00-2:15pm
Remember Me: The Archetypal Call for Initiation in Cinema
Advisor: Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT
Cara Brown
2:15-2:30pm
The Dimensions of the Void: Aliveness, Psychic Deadness, and Nothingness
Advisor: Thomas Steffora, MA, LMFT
Alaska Ogden
2:30-2:45pm
Snare of the Serpent: A Mythopoetic Approach to Addiction and Recovery
Advisor: Kaeti Gugiu, MA, LMFT, MHCA
BREAK 2:45-3:00
Patricia Devaney
3:00-3:15pm
The Mother and Father Archetypes: A Catalyst for Interpersonal Conflict
Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT
Rachel Taylor
3:15-3:30pm
From Maiden to Seductress: An Archetypal Analysis of Female Development and Self-Objectification
Advisor: Kathee Miller, MA, LMFT
Caitlin “KK” Wootton
3:30-3:45pm
Communion With Cacao: Working With Cacao as a Sacred Medicine in a Modern Therapeutic Context
Advisor: Rebecca Pottenger, MA, LMFT
V Track Afternoon Presenter Panel
3:45-4:05pm
