Date of Graduation

8-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision (PhD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods

Advisor/Mentor

Perryman, Kristi L.

Committee Member

Robinson, Samantha E.

Second Committee Member

Blisard, Paul

Third Committee Member

Mensah, Angela

Fourth Committee Member

Popejoy, Erin K.

Keywords

Disorder eating; Eating disorders; Play therapy

Abstract

The prevalence of disordered eating among children and adolescents has been steadily increasing, posing an increase in the need for treatment. Recognizing and addressing disordered eating in childhood and adolescence is critical to fostering a healthy relationship with food and body image and ensuring the overall well-being of youth. Play has long been considered an important factor in understanding children's lives and experiences and is the recommended counseling approach for children and adolescents (Landreth, 2012). Play therapy is grounded in the fundamental understanding that play is children's and adolescents' natural mode of expression, where toys are their words, and play is their language (Landreth, 2012). The play therapist is a licensed mental health clinician who has received specialized training and education in play therapy (Association for Play Therapy [APT], 2023b). The play therapist is, therefore, considered the most qualified professional to work with children and adolescents presenting with various mental health issues. While play therapists have received specialized education and training in working with children and adolescents (APT, 2023b; 2023c), training and education around disordered eating is not required and often not available. Play therapists serve many roles and share many spaces with youth and are therefore in a unique position to identify risk factors and to provide early intervention. By equipping play therapists with basic knowledge about disordered eating, they will be able to recognize the signs, provide tailored support, and know who to refer to in order to collaborate effectively with other professionals and families. In doing so, youth are offered a safe space to foster a healthy relationship with food and body image. The aim of this dissertation was to better understand play therapists’ attitudes, knowledge, and skills of disordered eating by assessing their knowledge of disordered eating in children and adolescents, their attitudes around disordered eating-related factors, and their perceived skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and skills in identifying disordered eating patterns in children and adolescents. These findings helped support the need for more intentional training with disordered eating practices in children and adolescents.

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