SABA Doctoral Dissertation Grant Recipients
2011: Adrienne Juarascio (Drexel University)
Adrienne Juarascio is a third year doctoral student in Drexel University's Clinical Psychology program. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in May of 2008. Her research and clinical interests focus on third generation cognitive behavioral therapies for eating and anxiety disorders. She is also interested in relational frame theory and is examining the predictive validity of a thin ideal Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure for changes in weight, disordered eating, and body dissatisfaction during the freshman year of college. Adrienne currently works as a counselor at The Renfrew Center, and as a therapist at the University of Pennsylvania's Childhood and Adolescent OCD, Tic, Trich, and Anxiety Group and at Drexel University's Social Anxiety Treatment Program. Adrienne's current line of research focuses on the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy as a treatment for eating disorders. Previous work conducted by Adrienne and colleagues demonstrated that acceptance and commitment therapy was more effective than standard cognitive behavioral therapy at treating subthreshold eating pathology in a group of depressed or anxious patients presenting for treatment at a student counseling center. Her doctoral dissertation will assess whether the addition of acceptance and commitment therapy groups to treatment as usual at a residential treatment facility for eating disorders can improve treatment outcome. Adrienne hopes to continue this line of research, with the goal of developing more effective treatments for eating disorders.
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