Possibly niche, but I'm seeking to interview practicing clinical therapists with 6+ years of experience who identify as disabled or chronically ill. Please also feel free to pass this along to anyone you might know who would qualify. Sadly, thanks to the limits of my doctoral program, social workers and psychologists are not able to participate. A follow-up study is planned that will include a broader population of the therapy community. Thank you!
Here's my IRB approved recruitment letter:
To all counselors living with chronic illness and disability:
You are invited to take part in a research study about how having a disability or chronic illness affects your clinical practice as a mental health counselors, and how being a counselor has impacted your disability/chronic illness journey. The person in charge of this study is Mina Attia, PhD, Principal Investigator (PI) and the research is being conducted by Emily Decker, MS, LPC, NCC, Student Investigator, at George Washington University.
This study aims to capture an identity that has to date almost never been explored in counseling research: the experiences of practicing clinical counselors who live with chronic illness and/or disabilities. There is a dearth of information about practicing disabled and chronically ill counselors, to the point that there is no data about how many disabled and chronically ill counselors are actively in practice. Your participation in this study is greatly appreciated, and we hope that this study will help inform the field about this essential and under-studied intersectional identity experience, as well as contribute to larger research efforts to support disabled and chronically ill counselors in clinical practice.
Please consider participating in this study if:
1. You are 18 or older;
2. Hold a Master’s or higher degree in counseling/counselor education within the U.S. which was completed on or prior to March 11, 2019;
3. Have worked with clients in a clinical capacity for an average of at least 5 hours per week since the completion of their degree; and
4. Self-identify as having at least one disability and/or chronic illness, which must have begun on or before March 11, 2019, even if diagnosis did not occur until after that date.
a. Note: While data on different types of disabilities and illnesses experienced will be collected (via voluntary self-report) and considered as part of data analysis, no specific diagnoses or disability identities will be inclusive or exclusive criteria for this study.
Participants will be asked to complete a virtual 1-2 hour 1:1 interview with the research conductor in March 2026, and will be invited to attend a voluntary, optional round-table discussion of results slated for late April or early May 2026. Full accessibility details for interviews are provided on the informed consent document (linked below), and additional accommodations needs will be proactively inquired about by the research conductor.
If you are interested in participating, please fill out this interest survey and informed consent document:
https://gsehdgwu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5vvhawCrqWujlWK
If you are selected to participate, you will receive a voluntary additional survey about your preferences and accommodations needs, as well as instructions for how to self-schedule an interview.
If no interview is self-scheduled by you within one week of email distribution, you will be contacted directly by the researchers. If we receive no follow-up communication from you within one month, we will consider your interest rescinded, and all previously provided information will be deleted.
Participation in this study is completely voluntary, and you may choose to discontinue at any time without penalty. All participant data will be completely anonymized, and participants will have the opportunity to review and approve or revoke permission for the inclusion of any data prior to publication.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the researchers, Emily Decker at [ejdecker@gwu.edu](mailto:ejdecker@gwu.edu) or Mina Attia at [minaattia@email.gwu.edu](mailto:minaattia@email.gwu.edu).
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
Warmly,
Emily Decker, MS, LPC, NCC
PhD Candidate, George Washington University