2007 - present
Smith College offers graduate work leading to the degrees of master of arts, master of arts in teaching, master of fine arts, master of education, master of education of the deaf, master of science in exercise and sport studies and master of Social Work. Each student is required to archive his or her thesis in Smith ScholarWorks for access and preservation.
Please note that access to some theses is restricted for a period of time as requested by the author. For example, a thesis may be submitted in May 2015, but not open access until May 2020.
- On Campus Access: limited to the Smith College community and researchers on campus
- Off Campus Access: limited to the Smith College community via Smith College log-in. Off Campus researchers may request a loan through Interlibrary Loan at their own library
Masters Theses from 2016
First-generation college students and class consciousness : exploring how social class influences college adjustment, Rachel L. Redd
Resilient open heart : an exploration of compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and spiritual practice with end of life and palliative care clinicians, Nathalie J. Rodriguez
"I own my T!" : the experience of older transgender people of color regarding personal identity, systems of support, and desires for the future, Venae N. Rodriguez
Cultivating resilience : antidotes to White fragility in racial justice education, Katherine E. Roubos
Beats, Rhymes, Life & resilience : hip hop therapy with youth of color : a project based upon an investigation at Beats, Rhymes and Life Inc, Emily S.L. Schwartz
Climate change on the therapist's couch : how mental health clinicians receive and respond to indirect psychological impacts of climate change in the therapeutic setting, Elizabeth B. Seaman
You name it, Kathryn L. Seethaler
Engineering proteins targeting tumor biomarker mesothelin toward applications as cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, Allison R. Sirois
Effects of snorkel use on competitive swimming efficiency, Milana Lauren Socha
Bless your heart but hide the children : the effect of entertainment media depictions of social workers on public opinions about social work as a profession, Abigail R. Spear
Resolving dissonance : how experiences of flow of live music performance facilitate dedifferentiation and impact the subject well-being of young adults, Amanda N. Sposato
Caring for the caregivers : the relationship between perceived organizational support and teacher-child interactions in Head Start classrooms, Mariel R. Stadick
Social workers' experiences related to online dating : a descriptive study, Miriam B. Stevens
Co-parenting children survey : an investigation between separated and intact families, Abigail R. Sushchyk
Clinicians' perceptions of their role in grief counseling, Dinh Q. Tran
Unhealthy weight control behaviors in adolescents : are there classes of risk?, Grace M. Van Schoick
Clinician perceptions of harm reduction, psychotherapy and the role of traditional abstinence models, Abigail R. Vayda
Trust, jealousy and communication in long-term couples practicing consensual non-monogamy, Christina Wang
Exploring sexual assault prevention and education programs on college campuses, Anastacia Marie Webb
Clinical perspective on non-suicidal self injury in adolescents : a qualitative study, Rachel E. Weiner
Impact of support groups on kinship care providers : a project based on an investigation at Community Coalition, Los Angeles, California, Judith Farber Weissman
Caregiver involvement in child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient care : a clinician's perspective, Erika Wentworth
The impact of clinical social workers' conceptualizations of moral injury on their treatment actions in work with veterans, Zachary P. Wigham
Santeria and mental health : bridging the gap between the social work profession and Orisha, Penelope Williams
Standing on the edge of the "Rubyfruit jungle" : lesbians recall the experience of questioning in therapy, Emily Willstatter
Partners' perceptions regarding problematic alcohol use and the effects with romantic relationships : a qualitative study, Meghan E. Wilson
The experience of same-sex partner loss among people age 55 and older, Courtney Woodburn
Masters Theses from 2015
An exploratory study on mental health service experience and its perceived impact on young adults transitioning out of foster care, Sonia Lizette Aldape
"The most badass thing I've ever done" : experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming birth parents, Lauren Ambrosini
Experiences of multilingual social workers : trauma therapy in Spanish and English, Emily H. Aviles
Exploring military social worker's dual professional identities, Sarah E. Bakst
The role of a mother's childhood trauma in parenting her child on the autism spectrum : a case study, Bryannyagara Q. Barboza
The challenge of moral difference : a theoretical investigation of encounters with a client's capacity for violence, Sarah K. Brady
Art as a clinical tool in the treatment of complex PTSD : a theoretical study, Emma T. Brenner-Malin
Voices of family- and partner-violent adults in treatment : participants' experience of therapy, Justin Butler
Personality development in clinical social workers : the significance of introjective personality type in therapists, Lindsey C. Calder
"If you talk to God, you are praying; if God talks to you, you have schizophrenia" : distinctions between psychosis and spiritual experience among Christians, Jennifer Callaghan
Love-melancholy : revolt against mourning, Samantha R. Chaplin
Clinician perspectives of behavioral health service delivery in patient-centered medical homes, Melanie L. Cox
Substance abuse and music use : exploring relationships through recovery, Andrew Culler
Clinicians' voices on suicide prevention for veterans, Katherine E. Culpepper
The coming out process : an exploratory study of famiies with more than one LGBQ sibling, Kimberly Dasso
Recollective awareness meditation : a self-care process for meditating therapists, Sophie S. Davis-Cohen
Protean, Joy Davis
Gang stalking : internet connectivity as an emerging mental health concern, Elizabeth E. Dietrich
It takes a village : a survey of women's experiences of emotional support during prenatal care visits, Elizabeth M. du Toit
Relationships that appear to contribute to the development of an earned- secure attachment, Abby E. Feinberg
Exploration into pre-clinicians' views of the use of role-play games in group therapy with adolescents, Sarah H. Flashman
"I could never do that in real life" : an exploration of real world morality and moral decision-making in role-playing video games, Samuel E. Flescher
The effect of mindfulness practice on the personal and professional lives of hospice bereavement counselors, Heather R. Floyd-Haupt
Taking it all in : how do psychodynamic social workers use social justice values in clinical practice?, Danielle S. Frank
The effectiveness of EMDR therapy on clients with addictions, Jennifer L. Franklin
Content and metaphor : making meaning of voices, Emma P. Gabriner
Cultivating presence : effects of therapist's mindfulness meditation on therapeutic presence, Marianne Galus
Self-love or self-obsession? : a comparative theoretical analysis of Black women's natural hair selfies on social media, Rachael E. Gardiner
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder : experiences of diagnosis, treatment, and management by African American caregivers, Lydie H. Gnacadja
How do the online illness narratives of people living with advanced-state cancer inform clinical social work practice with this population?, Jenny B. Grabelsky and Jenny B. Leitson-Grabelsky
Surviving the divorce : the power of the sibling relationship, Jessica Hallberlin
Altruism in relationship to the therapeutic process : an exploratory study of the perspectives and experiences of clinical social workers, Leslie M. Hammer
Talking about race : how do White clinicians engage in dialogue about race in cross-racial therapy with Black clients?, Elizabeth J. Hare
"What are you?" : understanding the contextual influence on the racial categorization of multiracial adults and the impact on their sense of belonging, Maya N. Hochberger-Vigsittaboot
Sharing our edges : the mindfulness influence on therapist's formulation of insight, Sonia S. Hsieh
The impact of identity on the experience and management of bipolar disorders, Lisa M. Jaffe
The role of self-compassion in alcohol use disorders : an exploratory study : a project based on an investigation at ServiceNet, Inc., Northampton, Massachusetts, Kaitlyn M. Janicki
The dyad of colleagues : transferential experiences of clinical trainees with their personal therapists and its impact on practice, Aubrey J. Koch
Conceptualization and treatment of psychoanalytic envy through Kleinian/Bionian lens, Maia Kolchin-Miller
Parent perceptions of school violence : a replication study, Maria Segura Kwon
"I love my children... but I hate being a mom" : exploring narratives of maternal ambivalence in anonymous, digital spaces, Christine M. Lacy
Flow in the therapy setting : an examination of optimal experience in clinical social work practice, David E. Landry
Developing a protocol for the treatment of transitioning adolescents : a survey of gender clinics in the United States, Elise Lehotsky
The role of fictional narratives in adolescent identity formation : a theoretical exploration, Anne Lind
Ecotherapists' perceptions about the efficacy of their work, Fiona C. Lundy
Mothers experiencing homelessness : an exploratory study on parental involvement in children's education and perceived barriers to involvement :, Marla G. Maccia
The roots and implications of rape myth acceptance in public discourse : the Steubenville, Ohio rape case, Shannon E. Mackey
Hierarchy of Comfort, Stephanie Maher
Parental perceptions of parent-therapist alliance and adolescent self-disclosure on the perceived efficacy of adolescent psychotherapy treatment, Kara G. Maltese
The implementation and acceptance of yoga techniques for children with complex trauma among practicing clinicians, Danielle S. Martineau
Millennials' perceptions of how their capacity for romantic love developed and manifests, Kate McGuire
The power of play : a theoretical study of play, the self, and the public school, Rebecca G. Medrano
I googled. "How do you know you're gay?" : a qualitative study on LGBTQ identity formation and the Internet /, Rebekah M. Meresman
Trans* individuals' experiences with employment discrimination : supporting self-efficacy in the job-seeking process, Matthew S. Meurer-Lynn
The birds and the bees can have canes and wheels : the sexual identity formation of women with visible physical disabilities, Clara J. Miller
"Good enough" nanny : socioeconomic disparity and power in the nanny-employer dyad, Carolyn M. Moody
It takes a village : exploring African American women's experiences with collective identity, racism, and well-being, Lyana M. Murrel
Narratives of thriving : Black lesbian and queer women negotiating racism, sexism, and heterosexism, Arianne J. Napier
Understanding the obstacles and motivations of offering human sexuality coursework : an analysis of accredited MSW programs in the U.S., Nicole M. Nelson
College graduates' perceptions of binge drinking on college and university campuses, Molly M. Newton
Client perceptions on the therapeutic quality of care when disclosing spiritual and religious beliefs : a mixed methods study, Maia Nikitovich