Date of Conferral

3-18-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Courtney Prather

Abstract

Research on therapeutic boarding schools (TBS) has largely focused on treatment experiences and immediate adolescent outcomes, with limited attention to identity development after program discharge. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to examine identity development during emerging adulthood in TBS alumni aged 18-24 and to explore how internal strengths and external supports influenced participants’ developmental experiences after leaving TBS. Positive youth development was the guiding theoretical framework, emphasizing the bidirectional relationship between a person and the external ecological assets they access. Semistructured interviews were conducted with six alumni, and data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis within a qualitative descriptive framework. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted according to Braun and Clarke’s procedure. Findings illustrated identity development as a gradual, effortful process shaped by renegotiated autonomy, recovering a sense of self, and competence-building following prolonged external control and trauma exposure. The study contributes to the literature by shifting attention from in-program experiences to post-institutional identity development, highlighting emerging adulthood as a critical period of reconstruction rather than delayed development for this population. These findings underscore the importance of post-discharge contexts and autonomy-supportive environments in understanding identity development among individuals exiting highly controlled adolescent placements.

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