LaShonda B. Fuller

Doctoral Dissertation Announcement

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Candidate: LaShonda B. Fuller

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology

Title: The Impact of Structured Group Counseling on Resiliency, Self-Efficacy, and Racial Identity among African American Female Teenagers

Committee:
Dr. Joseph R. Morris, Chair
Dr. Stephen E. Craig
Dr. Sherlon P. Pack-Brown

Date: Monday, July 11, 2011 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
112 East Walwood Hall, Walwood Commons

Abstract:
African American female teenagers are at-risk for low academic achievement as well as personal and social problems. These concerns have the potential to impact their psychological development including resiliency, self-efficacy, and racial identity. This is an issue that needs focused attention. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to determine if a structured group counseling model effectively impacts African American female teenagers’ resiliency, self-efficacy, and racial identity. The researcher conducted four groups over a period of 20 weeks; however, the teenagers participated in consecutive ten week sessions. The treatment was applied to two groups simultaneously, and the groups consisted of eight to 14 members. The results of this study should contribute to counseling professionals’ knowledge about experiences, backgrounds, and belief systems of African American female teenagers as it will specifically explore African American female teenagers’ current experiences of a group counseling intervention. Discussions target perceived racism, sexism, classism, coping mechanisms against experiences of oppression, and African American female teenagers’ identity as an African American and female. Counselors, teachers, and others in helping roles should benefit from this information as this research will provide a culturally intentional competent and ethical intervention to employ when working with this population.