Thesis Defence: Josephine Deschamps (Master of Education in Counselling)
You are encouraged to attend the defence. The details of the defence and attendance information is included below:
Date: March 3, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (PT)
Defence mode: Remote
Virtual Attendance: via Zoom (additional Zoom details at bottom of message)
LINK TO JOIN: Please contact the Office of Graduate Administration for information regarding remote attendance for online defences.
To ensure the defence proceeds with no interruptions, please mute your audio and video on entry and do not inadvertently share your screen. The meeting will be locked to entry 5 minutes after it begins: please ensure you are on time.
Thesis entitled: THE IMPACT OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE ON MENTAL HEALTH AMONG GENDER-DIVERSE INDIVIDUALS
Abstract: The social context surrounding gender diversity influences how individuals shape their identity and experience the world. The increased prevalence of psychological distress in gender-diverse individuals is a concern, and this study focuses on the decisive protective factor of self-acceptance in an attempt to better understand how to mitigate adverse mental health outcomes for this demographic.
By engaging in qualitative, semi-structured interviews and an exploratory qualitative approach, this research garnered rich data that reflected participants' perspectives and experiences. Through thematic analysis, powerful themes emerged. These included the holistic impact of mental health throughout one’s journey, the importance of connectedness and self-expression and the need for authenticity in identity formation.
The experience of self-acceptance was found to have a significantly robust positive impact on participants' lives, mental health, and overall well-being. This research contributed to deepening the understanding of gender-diverse individuals' journeys to self-acceptance by learning from their lived experiences and stories.
Defence Committee:
Chair: Dr. Tina Fraser, University of Northern British Columbia
Supervisor: Dr. John Sherry, University of Northern British Columbia
Co-Supervisor: Dr. Linda O’Neill, University of Northern British Columbia
Committee Member: Dr. , University of Northern British Columbia
Committee Member: Dr. M. Theresa Healy, University of Northern British Columbia
External Examiner: Dr. Si Transken, University of Northern British Columbia
Contact Information
Graduate Administration in the Office of the Registrar, University of Northern British Columbia