Year of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Name

Counselor Education and Supervision

Department or School/College

Phyllis J. Washington College of Education

Committee Chair

Shannon Lollar

Commitee Members

Jayna Mumbauer-Pisano, Kirsten Murray, Julie Olomi, Sarah Agarwal

Keywords

Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT), Instrumental Single Case Study, Play Therapy, Single Fathers, Single Parents, Telehealth

Abstract

Traditional family structures in the United States have shifted significantly, with single-parent households facing systemic barriers that increase parental stress and strain the parent-child relationship. As this bond is critical for healthy child development, accessible mental health support is essential for these families (Parache et al., 2023).

Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT), a ten-week evidence-based program, strengthens this bond by training caregivers to use play as a therapeutic tool (Landreth & Bratton, 2020). This instrumental single case study (Stake, 1995) examined one single-parent's experience of CPRT delivered in a condensed four-week telehealth format, addressing the limited representation of single-parent households in CPRT research and documented barriers to program engagement (Smokowski et al., 2018; Socarras et al., 2015). The primary research question was: What is the experience of one single parent participating in a condensed telehealth format of CPRT?

Data were collected in two rounds following one single father's experience of CPRT, using situational mapping (Clarke et al., 2018), semi-structured interviewing, thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), and multiple sources of evidence (Yin, 2018). Situational analysis highlighted five contextual domains shaping the participant's experience, and thematic analysis revealed six themes: (1) Redefining Fatherhood as a Source of Purpose, (2) Reconstructing Parenting Identity: Choosing What to Carry Forward, (3) Learning Awareness and Growth Through Special Play Time, (4) Regulation and Attunement, (5) Empowerment Through Choice, and (6) A Relational Framework Beyond the Intervention.

Rather than seeking to generalize across single-parent populations, this study aimed to develop a deep understanding of one specific case, generating insights that can inform future research and practice. Interpreted through existing literature on CPRT outcomes, single-parent family dynamics, and telehealth service delivery, findings suggest that a condensed telehealth format of CPRT can meaningfully support the parent-child relationship for single parent families. Implications for CPRT practice and future research are addressed.

Download

Share

COinS
 

© Copyright 2026 Matthew Nicholas Schramm