PERSONAL PROGRESS STATUS CHECK
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
Personal Progress Status Check
Submitted to
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
EDCO 725 D
By
Rhonda Lee Wright
October 27, 2025
PERSONAL PROGRESS STATUS CHECK 1
1. Which part of the dissertation process do you feel most comfortable with? And with which
part of the dissertation process do you feel the most apprehensive about?
I was able to read the material and watch the videos. I am not confident about this process of
doing a dissertation. Because of the research needed for the topics I am considering defending
and are there individuals who are interested in being a part of the study I am researching?
2. Where are you in the process of identifying a dissertation topic?
I am torn between two topics, one in which I have not found much research or information that
will provide adequate information on the related topic, and the other, where I believe I will be
able to find someone who can chair and be a part of the committee.
•Do you already know your topic, and, if so, what is it, and why are you interested
in it? If you don’t know what your topic is yet.
The topics I am thinking of;
1. Neuroplasticity and Prayer- How Prayer and meditation restructure the brain after being
through traumatic experiences such as substance abuse, traumatic brain injury, or
cognitive trauma.
2. Autism and Substance abuse- Those who are on the spectrum have struggled with
substance abuse and/or alcoholism and do not have the proper interventions due to
how the executive function of their brain processes information.
•What are some of your areas of interest related to the field of community care
and counseling?
1. An area of interest would be for those who struggle with depression, anxiety, obsessive
compulsive disorders, mood disorders, and other mental health issues would be able to
PERSONAL PROGRESS STATUS CHECK 2
learn how to change the neuroplasticity and increase the size of the hippocampus while
regulating the GABA function of their brain for a more balanced and emotional mind.
2. My area of interest for those who are on the spectrum would be to develop a theory to
help them with learning how to live sober without having to self-medicate through drugs
and alcohol. The current interventions, such as CBT, DBT, I feel, are not appropriate for this
population due to their high sensory input and the rigidity of behaviors they are
accustomed
to.
