AMY BIANG. Examining The Lived Experiences Of Counselors Of Color In The Eating Disorder Field: A Post-Intentional Phenomenological Study. (Under the direction of DR. CLARE MERLIN-KNOBLICH)
Though eating disorders (EDs) affect a diverse population, among professionals who treat EDs, Counselors of Color (COC) are under-represented (Jennings- Mathis et al., 2020). Because the ED field is predominately comprised of White professionals (AED, 2022; Jennings-Mathis et al., 2020), a danger exists that White invisibility hinders counselors and researchers from recognizing oppression and injustices that occur in the ED field. The purpose of this Post-Intentional Phenomenological study was to bring awareness of the experiences of COC in the ED field and create a dialogue for systemic and social change related to their experiences. Eleven participants were interviewed, and the interview material was analyzed using a post-intentional phenomenological design. Tentative manifestations, provocations, and productions emerged through a whole-part-whole analysis. Five tentative manifestations; unprepared, belonging, unspoken knowing, exhaustion, and microaggressions; seven provocations; vulnerability, race as an asset, complexity, sense of duty, nonmaleficence, double bind, and credibility, and two productions; cultural inclusion and fulfillment, offer valuable knowledge about the experiences of COCs in the eating disorder field. Implications for counselor education and the ED profession are discussed, along with limitations and future research considerations.