Date
5-20-2026
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision (PhD)
Chair
Kristy Ford
Keywords
play therapy, trauma exposure, posttraumatic growth, professional quality of life, vicarious trauma, counselor self-efficacy
Disciplines
Counseling
Recommended Citation
Stobaugh, Jami, "The Impact of Trauma on Emotional Well-Being and Professional Functioning in Registered Play Therapists" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8478.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8478
Abstract
Play therapists often work with children who have experienced trauma, which can cause emotional strain, while offering opportunities for professional growth. Understanding how therapists’ personal trauma histories affect their well-being is crucial for supporting clinician resilience. This study examined the relationships among trauma exposure, trauma responses, post-traumatic growth (PTG), and professional quality of life among registered play therapists (RPTs) and RPT Supervisors (RPT-S). It also explored whether vicarious trauma (VT), supervisory working alliance, and counselor self-efficacy influenced these relationships. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from a national sample of play therapists via an online questionnaire that measured trauma history, trauma-related symptoms, PTG, professional quality of life, VT, supervisory working alliance, and counselor self-efficacy. Results showed that trauma exposure was not directly linked to compassion fatigue or burnout but was positively associated with compassion satisfaction. PTG mediated the relationship between trauma exposure and compassion satisfaction, indicating that therapists’ experiences of adversity may foster professional fulfillment through growth and meaning-making. Trauma-related symptoms were associated with increased professional distress, while PTG was linked to higher compassion satisfaction. Moderation analyses revealed limited effects of supervisory working alliance and counselor self-efficacy. These findings add to the wounded healer literature by emphasizing the role of PTG in promoting therapist well-being and suggest implications for counselor training, supervision, and self-care. Future research should explore longitudinal relationships and additional protective factors among play therapists.
