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 2014
Why activists seek psychotherapy, Collin B. Lee
Chinese American college graduates in the Great Recession : an exploratory study, Rebecca D. Lee
Raíces en ambos países : voices of Latino immigrant parents raising U.S. born children in the Washington Metropolitan Area, Vanessa A. León
Exploring the impacts of disclosure for the transgender and gender non-conforming therapists, Samuel B. Lurie
Do you even lift bro? : a psychodynamic feminist analysis of the mental health benefits of weight lifting for women, Katharine H. MacShane
The impact of texting on committed romantic relationships, Danielle M. Maurer
Exploring the experiences of internalized racism for multiracial individuals : a clinical foundation for social work, Miranda M. McKinley
Invisible victims : the effects of secondary and vicarious trauma on milieu staff members, Jennifer K. Mello
Hypermasculinity, delinquency and adolescent males, Emily A. Meneses
Clinician's perceptions about working with LGBTQ military personnel and cultural competency, Katherine R. Messier
How gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth develop positive identities during adolescence and young adulthood, Lauren E. Millerd
Black women's natural hair care communities : social, political, and cultural implications, Sarauna M. Moore
Exploring the selfie phenomenon : the idea of self-preservation and its implications among young women, Amy J. Nguyen
Therapeutic aspects of dance for dancers experiencing life adjustment issues, Khanhsong V. Nguyen
Identity and cultural competency : critical race and postmodern perspective, Nathan N. Orians
Improved molecular diagnostics for the detection of soil-transmitted helminthes : a multi-parallel qPCR based assay, Marina Ioannis Papaiakovou
An investigation of unconscious countertransference disclosure, Constance M. Pasalis
Therapists' experiences treating clients with dissociative identity disorder, Alexandra E. Paull
The desire to informally mentor : creative growth within the third space, Emily K. Porter
Self-compassion paradox : a theoretical exploration of many compassionate people's lack of self-compassion, Shihan Qin
Exploring the experience of victim-offender mediation through Winnicottian object relations theory and self psychology, Anneke D. Ransijn
Sheriffs' use of restraints for transports of individuals on "involuntary status" to psychiatric facilities for care, Catherine M. Reed
New York City and Boston Upward Bound programs : strengthening academic confidence in low-income students, Giselle Regalado
Trans* and gender non-conforming (TGNC) young adults : self-report of access and comfort in health care systems, Victoria L. Reiszner
Negotiating our membership : factors leading Latina lesbians to develop a political collective identity, Susana Rodriguez
Maybe we really are what we eat : implications of nutrition and mental illness research for clinical practice, Leslie H. Rosenberg
Application of somatic interventions in clinical practice, Rebecca L. Rothberg
A sense of pride over my size : a qualitative study of women of size who consider themselves body positive, Ruth A. Salen
Sex abuse? : just as long as you're not gay : an exploratory study with queer adults on childhood sexual traumatization, Kathleen A. Salmon
Dance for your life! : TangoFlow!® technique and implications in the treatment of trauma : a mixed-methods empirical study, Catherine A. Salmons
Exploring the relationship between maternal childhood maltreatment history, parent-child relations and child emotion regulation, Chelsie D. Sampayan
Smith College SSW graduates and their preparedness in working with African American women IPV survivors, Shannon M. Samuels
Beyond machismo : a theoretical exploration of domestic violence in Latino men, Daniela Sanchez
Clinicians' self-disclosure of personal experience with an anxiety and/or mood disorder, Emma M. Sando
Exploring mental dungeons and slaying psychic dragons : an exploratory study, Michael S. Sargent
Community resilience in the face of community violence, Mary Kate Schmermund
Finding personal meaning : vocational horticulture therapy for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, Ariel B. Schneider
Medicating attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents : how do parents/guardians decide?, Michael J. Schneider
Exploring resources for caretakers of children with food allergies, Claudia A. Shapiro
Trauma, criminalization, and movements for healing justice : a theoretical study of relational theory and transformative justice interventions in the treatment of juvenile sexual offending, Megan E. Shaughnessy-Mogill
The exploration of young adults' online and offline interpersonal relationships, Josselyn B. Sheer
Therapeutic presence : an exploration of Buddhist mindfulness, Winnicott and neuroscience, Susan A. Shelby
Perceived stress levels of individuals who practice yoga in comparison to individuals who participate in other forms of exercise, Chelsey R. Silveria
For the love of them : a theoretical study of the collective in the United States military through Freudian and Fornarian theory, Sophia E. Slote
"Show me the face you had before your parents were born" : African-American New Thought ministers and 'The Black interior', Kaitlin N. Smith
Supporting resilience in chldren and youth impacted by complex trauma, Rachel E. Stoddard
Social work practice with individuals and families who have experienced pregnancy loss, Sandra J. Stokes
Exploring the experience of biological children of foster parents : their views on family as adults, Jessica J. Studer
What does the 'Q' stand for anyway? : queerness and agency competence, Eleanor C. Taylor
A historical study of the "use-of-self" in clinical practice, Eva Tracy-Raeder
It's common (but we don't talk about it) : how straight male use of gay male porn influences acts, identities, and desire, Solomon Z. Traurig
Emptiness as symptom, emptiness as healing : examining the intersections between Buddhist and psychodynamic perspectives on no-self, Bruno d. Trindade
The application of yoga as a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach to social work, Karen L. Tsai
Before and after : an exploratory study of the positive and negative effects of significant weight loss, Jo Ann Valle
Immigration and depression : an exploration of risks and protective factors, Lenissa Vilhena Barbosa
A study of object use : adults, special objects, and contemporary American culture, Emily K. Walsh
Theorizing anxiety : psychodynamic exploration beyond the medical model, Daniel E. Weinbaum
From sadomasochism to BDSM : rethinking object relations theorizing through queer theory and sex-positive feminism, Simon Z. Weismantel
Gender as compromise formation : towards a radical psychoanalytic theory of trans*, Laura K. Werner-Larsen
Social workers' attitudes about physician-assisted suicide, Ann W. Wheeler
The benefits of child-centered play therapy and filial therapy for pre-school-aged children with reactive attachment disorder and their famiies, Andrea S. White
Here-and-now learning in the social work practice classroom, Raquel Willerman
Becoming visible : the audacity of asking the impossible : marriage, LGBTQ activism, and resilency in the South, Anna R. Wilson
Clinician perspectives on the human-animal bond and its impact on levels of compassion and prosocial behavior, Pear M. Wilson
A study of self-efficacy in a group of Hmong refugees, Mai M. Yang
Attractiveness privilege : the unearned advantages of physical attractivenesss, Kelsey P. Yonce
The use of photography as a clinical tool in social work : a theoretical exploration using Winnicottian and Jungian lenses, André N. Zandoná
Responding to infant sleep-related crying : a theoretical exploration of caregiver response from attachment and object relations perspectives, Casey L. Zandoná
Voices of experience : the mental health consumer and psychiatric survivor movements and their implications for ethical clinical practice, Sophia L. Zucker
Masters Theses from 2013
Life as a sensory over-responsive adult : social/emotional challenges, coping mechanisms and treatments, Sarah K. Ahn
Dismantling the dominant narrative of the irreversibility of schizophrenia : three meaning making approaches to psychosis, Sarah K. Alpern
The perceived role of biological father contact in the self-estem development of young African American women : an exploratory study, Kendra R. Archer
Do we practice what we preach? : an exploratory study of individual, academic, and agency approaches for ameliorating vicarious trauma, Loren R. Biggs
"Mai Pen Rai" = If nothing can be done, what is there to do? : cross-cultural perspectives on social work in Thailand and the United States, Johanna C. Black
Taking up space : exploring clinical social workers' attitudes and practice experiences with their overweight and obese clients, Alyssa L. Bogetz
Dimensions of healing : a synthesis of relational and psychodrama theory and practice in the treatment of unresolved loss and grief, Ashley G. Branum
Feminist values and pornography consumption amongst women and its relationship to sexual self-esteem and body esteem, Laura E. Burnham
Parent education para mi? : the relevance and usefulness of mainstream parent education for Latino parents, Gabriela Bustamante
Exploring what factors influence African American adolescent females to act violently towards each other, Davina S. Callahan
The use of storytelling in therapy with children, Michael Delaney Cantor
Cultural competence : an exploration of its translation into therapeutic practice, Tsu-Yin Chang
Homemade : an exploratory study on the impact of cooking on family relationships and cultural identity development, Tammie G. Chen
Promoting posttraumatic growth among OIF/OEF veterans : a theoretical exploration of the challenges of reintegration, Erin E. Clements
Strengthening the future of Haiti : mental health needs of children in Fonfrède, Haiti : a project based upon an investigation at Capracare, Jaimie A. Colica
Self-care in the practice of oncology social work : a project based upon the self-care practices of twelve oncology social workers, Lindsay Cotter
Indecision : biopsychological frames, Sarah G. Danborn
Positive interventions for children diagnosed with learning disabilities : an exploration of educators' lived experiences, Chelsea M. Dann
Beyond the office doors : the relationship between psychotherapists' disclosures of personal life events and their professional identity, Alana C. DiPesa
Violets are Blue, Melissa Edwards