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Lydia Perry, Ph.D., is a 2025 graduate of the Ph.D. Program in Couple and Family Therapy at Antioch University, New England

Dissertation Committee:

  • Kristi Harrison, PhD, Chairperson
  • Kevin Lyness, PhD, Committee Member
  • Bryson Greaves, PhD, Committee Member

Lydai Perry Headshot

Dr. Lydia Perry

Keywords

civilian, cultural competence, cultural competency, fully civilian, military, military cultural competence, military cultural competency, behavioral health, mental health

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

Using a qualitative survey design, this study sought to understand the experiences of fully civilian providers who had achieved self-perceived military cultural competence when working with military or veteran clients or their families. This study also sought a better understanding of what pathways fully civilian providers took in this process, as well as their perceptions of how to better equip other fully civilian providers for work with military and veteran clients and their families. The results of this study yield recommendations for changes in graduate training programs; for example, through more inclusion of the military as a culture in cross cultural competency classes, as well as changes in resources and trainings offered to postgraduate clinicians when working with this particular population. This study contributes to understanding both resources and deficits in the process of fully civilian practitioners developing self-perceived competence with military clients, as well as identifying what could be done so that others can operate similarly when working with the same population. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

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ORCID No.: 0009-0008-2707-9261

Lydia Perry Headshot

Lydia P. Perry, PhD, LPC, LADC

Presentations:

Perry, L. (2025, July). Experiences of civilian mental health providers who work with military clients: A Dissertation. Dissertation defense, presented to doctoral committee. Antioch University: New England. [virtual and granted].

Bachman, A., Byno, L., Correa, N., Fountas, J., Harrison, K., Perry, L., Samuel, D., Twist, M. L. C., Wilson, D., & Zerby, M. (2023, April). An exploration of deliberate practice in online and in person graduate education [Workshop]. Smart Education 4.0-Empowering Learners and Educators: Sixteenth International Conference on e-Learning and Innovative Pedagogies, University of Malta, Msida, Malta. [accepted]

Perry, L. (2022, May). The impact of video game usage on Navy marriages and families [Poster Presenter]. AUNE Applied Psychology Department CFT MA/PhD Virtual Research Conference, AUNE, Keene, NH, USA. [virtual]


Zerby, M., Wilson, D., Twist, M. L. C., Samuel, D., Perry, L., Harrison, K., Fountas, J., Correa, N., Byno, L., & Bachman, A., (2023, November). An exploration of deliberate practice in couple and family therapy online and in-person graduate education [Poster]. National Council on Family Relations, Orlando, FL, USA. [accepted]

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