Date of Conferral

7-20-2026

Date of Award

7-20-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Counselor Education and Supervision

Advisor

Sue Tyce

Abstract

This study addressed the need for a psychometrically grounded instrument to measure integrative practice among counselors and mental health professionals. Although many counselors practice from an integrative perspective, no existing scale measures all four pathways of integration, limiting the measurement of integrative practice and its application in training, research, and evidence-based counseling. The purpose of this study was to develop the Theoretical Integration Measurement Scale (TIMS) and evaluate its content validity using a two-round, computer-based Delphi design. The study was grounded in the psychotherapy integration framework represented by four pathways: technical eclecticism, common factors, theoretical integration, and assimilative integration. The expert panel consisted of 15 experts with advanced degrees, professional licensure, and scholarly contributions. Eleven experts completed Round 1, and seven completed Round 2. Data were collected via Qualtrics and analyzed with descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis. Experts evaluated 32 original and revised items for clarity, relevance, conceptual alignment, inclusion, and construct representation across two rounds. Twenty items met the predetermined consensus criteria (75% agreement, mean ≥ 3.00, and SD ≤ 1.00), supporting the content validity of the TIMS and the feasibility of a computer-based Delphi method for instrument development. The TIMS may contribute to positive social change by providing counselor educators, supervisors, researchers, and clinicians with a validated instrument to measure integrative practice, strengthen counselor education and supervision, advance evidence-based research, and improve counseling services and client care.

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Available for download on Saturday, July 17, 2027

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