Defense Date

5-29-2024

Graduation Date

Summer 8-10-2024

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Counselor Education and Supervision (ExCES)

School

School of Education

Committee Chair

David Delmonico

Committee Member

Kathryn Linich

Committee Member

Helga Stokes

Keywords

supervision, suicide, grief, counselor, counselor education

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the grief experiences of counselors in supervision who have experienced a client's death by suicide. Given that this phenomenological study aimed to explore a new phenomenon of study, the researcher utilized van Manen’s lived existentials as a process for data analysis. The first chapter of the dissertation introduces the problem and includes the research question. The question is: “How do counselors who have experienced a client's death by suicide experience supervision as they work to deal with the loss?" Following this chapter, the researcher reviews relevant literature selections. During the methodology chapter, the researcher describes the recruitment of participants using networked relationships and virtual connection points. Once the participants had explored the informed consent and affirmed their participation, they became identified as recruited. Participants completed a short demographics survey from this phase to ensure appropriate professional credentials and gain insight into the client's background. Participants participated in a semi-structured interview guided by the researcher using an electronic medium. Each interview lasted approximately fifty minutes to one hour and thirty minutes. Once completed, the researcher transcribed all interviews and cleaned them to support the anonymity of participants. The researcher then analyzed each transcript using van Manen’s lived existentials. The analysis process allowed the researcher to recognize emergent themes from the participants while connecting meaning in those themes. Reporting of the data resulting from the participant experience includes utilizing emergent themes. The researcher then reviewed the implications of these themes for the field. The inclusion of limitations of this study, recommendations for future research, and questions for future research led to the study’s conclusion.

Language

English

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