© 2022 - 'Sign your Feelings' - Dr. Grisel Lopez-Escobar, PhD, LMHC, NCC
Therapist Inclusion Criteria
Note: The "Sign your Feelings" intervention does not require that therapists adhere to a particular theoretical orientation.
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Therapists can live and practice anywhere in the United States of America.
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During this study therapists will charge their typical session fees.
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Therapists participating in the study must:
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1. Have completed either:
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a Master Degree in Mental Health Counseling or
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a Master Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy or
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the equivalent within a PsyD program
2. Either be a registered intern or have completed licensure
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3. Be actively seeing clients on a regular basis
4. Be able to enroll at least two clients into the study
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5. Either be native English speakers or can demonstrate sufficient professional fluency in English so that their fluency or accent is not a deterrent to communication with their client
6. Currently be practicing in the United States of America
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7. Provide participating clients either five in-person therapy sessions or five telehealth services over the course of the study.
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Therapist Exclusion Criteria
The researcher will ask therapists wishing to participate in the study if they have prior knowledge of sign language. If therapists are fluent in a sign language they will be excluded from the study, as the study aims at testing whether therapist NOT fluent in ASL would be able to successfully provide the intervention.
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Client Inclusion Criteria
Clients currently in therapy with therapists who are enrolled in the study will act as participants.
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1. Clients must be at least 18 years of age
2. Clients may participate if at the commencement of the study they will have already attended at least one session with their therapist.
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3. Clients must score at least a 5 in the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in order to qualify
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4. Clients must speak English sufficiently well so that their therapist does not have trouble understanding them
5. Clients must commit to attending all five sessions of the study, although the researcher understands that some attrition will occur​
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Client Exclusion Criteria
1. If the client is physically unable to carry out the signs in the intervention due to any physical limitations
2. If the client has any cognitive limitations (such as memory problems) which might make them either unable to learn and remember the signs in the intervention, and
3. If the client is experiencing severe mental illnesses or severe physical symptoms which would hinder their ability to participate in the study
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4. Clients who are fluent in a sign language are excluded from participation, as this would present a confound. The study aims at testing whether clients NOT fluent in ASL would be able to benefit from the intervention.
