Doctoral Dissertation Brochure: Alicia K. Hall
Doctoral Dissertation Defense
of
Alicia K. Hall
For the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Counselor Education and Supervision
Novice Counselors' Experiences Serving Clients with Trauma Histories
April 30, 2025
1:00 P.M.
200 White Hall
Novice Counselors' Experiences Serving Clients with Trauma Histories
Novice counselors serving clients with trauma histories are underrepresented in existing research. The purpose of this study was to explore novice counselors’ experiences serving clients with trauma histories. I recruited eight novice counselors and used transcendental phenomenology, a qualitative research method, to discover the essence of their experiences with the phenomenon.
Findings from this study included vitality as the overarching theme and essential core quality of participants’ experiences as novice trauma counselors. Vitality was woven throughout four primary themes: the novice trauma counselor transition evolution; the cascade effect of participants’ responses from doing trauma counseling; facilitators and barriers for meaning-making; and participants’ stance on client welfare and novice trauma counselor well-being. Implications of this study include the use of vitality as a sustaining, protective sanctuary, the importance of novice trauma counselor preparation and meaning-making, and facilitating novice trauma counselor career sustainability.
ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï the Candidate
Alicia K. Hall
M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
John Carroll University
B.A. Christian Counseling
Central Bible College
Alicia is a licensed counselor, clinical supervisor, and doctoral candidate who has practiced as a clinical mental health counselor since 2010. Her counseling and clinical supervision experiences spans all ages in settings such as community mental health, school and home-based settings, private practice, and hospitals. Alicia is an experienced adjunct professor for both graduate and undergraduate courses including counseling practicum, trauma across the lifespan, and child/adolescent counseling.
Alicia has provided conference sessions and trainings locally, state-wide, nationally, and internationally on counseling, trauma-informed care, resiliency, and diversity, equity, and inclusion over the past 15 years. She engages actively in advocacy for mental health recovery and resiliency and has served in various leadership roles for the Association for Humanistic Counseling, North Central ACES, and the Ohio Counseling Association. She is the founder and inaugural president of the Ohio Association for Resiliency and Trauma Counseling and continues to serve in various roles to promote trauma-informed care practices across the mental health profession.
Doctoral Dissertation Committee
Co-Directors
Jenny L. Cureton, Ph.D
Associate Professor
Counselor Education and Supervision
School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences
Cynthia Osborn, Ph.D.
Professor
Counselor Education and Supervision
School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences
Outside Program Area Member
Alicia Crowe, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Student Services
Professor
Academic Affairs
School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies
Graduate Faculty Representative
Richard Cowan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School Psychology
School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences