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Personal Summary

Dr. Caitlin Martin-Wagar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the ����ֱ��. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Akron. Her predoctoral internship was at the Minneapolis VA Healthcare System. Then, she completed a Postdoctoral Clinical-Research Associateship at the Yale School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry, where she conducted clinical-research within National Institute of Health-funded eating disorder clinical trials. Her research focuses on weight stigma and improving eating disorder treatments, especially through strengths-based interventions. Both her clinical work and research focus on families, children and adolescents, and adults, especially in the areas of disordered eating and trauma. Dr. Martin-Wagar’s work also aims to reduce the research-practice gap.

Education

Postdoctoral Associateship, Yale School of Medicine, 2021

Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, University of Akron, 2020

Predoctoral Internship, Minneapolis VA Healthcare System, 2020

M.A., Clinical Psychology, Cleveland State University, 2013

B.A., Psychology & Women's Studies, Cleveland State University, 2010

Courses Taught

Psyx 120 Introduction to Psychology Research Methods

Psyx 391 Psychology of Gender

Psyx 530 Clinical and Diagnostic Interviewing

Psyx 534 Advanced Clinical Methods

Psyx 631 Interventions in Eating Disorders

Research Interests

Eating disorders (predictors of treatment outcomes, interventions, mechanisms of change, access to care, underrepresented populations, especially rural regions); Weight stigma and internalized weight stigma/bias; Strengths-based interventions and well-being; Eating disorder comorbidity (Interpersonal trauma, PTSD, emotion regulation, etc.); measurement within eating disorders and weight stigma

Projects

Lab email: LEDE.ResearchTeam@mso.umt.edu

Lab website: /laboratory-eating-disorders-equity/default.php

Clinic email: EDTrainingClinic@mso.umt.edu

UM Eating Disorder Training Clinic website: /eating-disorders-clinic/default.php

Publications

Funding:

Montana Healthcare Foundation, Planning Grant                            
Role: PI
Short- and Long-Term Improved Access to Care for Montanans with Eating Disorders: Establishment of the ����ֱ�� Eating Disorder Training Clinic

NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences                             
Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (5P20GM130418-04; 5P20GM130418-05)
Role: PI
Identifying Barriers to Eating Disorder Treatment Access Across Rural Regions

UGP 2023, Seed Grant                                                                           
Role: PI
Family-Based Weight Stigma Reduction Treatment for Youth Eating Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial

UGP 2022, Small Grant                                                                         
Role: PI
Eating Disorders in Rural Montana

NIH Clinical Loan Repayment Program-Renewal
National Institute of Mental Health (2L30MH127649-02A1)                                                
Role: PI
Enhancing Eating Disorder Interventions and Access to Care

NIH Clinical Loan Repayment Program 
National Institute of Mental Health (1L30MH127649-01)                                                
Role: PI
Examining Strengths and Reducing Barriers within Eating Disorder Treatment
 

Publications (*denotes student co-authors):

Martin-Wagar, C. A., *Attaway, S. E., *King, L., *Kronenberger, O., & *Melcher, K. A. (2025). Empirical Redundancy? What is the Distinct Role of Internalized Weight Stigma, Thin-Ideal Internalization, and Self-Objectification on Eating Pathology? Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2025.02.007

Martin-Wagar, C. A. (2025). Recognizing and challenging size privilege: A primer for mental health clinicians and researchers. Women and Therapy. doi:10.1080/02703149.2024.2446839

Martin-Wagar, C. A., *Melcher, K. A., *Attaway, S. E., Bennett, B. L., *Thompson, C. J., *Kronenberger, O., *Penwell, T. E. (2024). Does terminology matter when measuring stigmatizing attitudes about weight? Validation of a brief, modified Attitudes Toward Obese Persons Scale. Obesity Science and Practice. doi:10.1002/osp4.70005

Weissman, R. S., Martin-Wagar, C. A., *Attaway, S. E., *Penwell, T., *Hogan, A., & *Pruscino, I. (2024). Taking Steps Towards a Consensus on Night Eating Syndrome Diagnostic Criteria. International Journal of Eating Disorders. doi:10.1002/eat.24309

*Thompson, C. J., & Martin-Wagar, C. A. (2024). Cognitive Flexibility and Emotion Regulation in Eating Disorder Patients with Comorbid Generalized Anxiety and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2024.2405290

Bennett, B. L., Martin-Wagar, C. A., Boswell, R. G., Forrest, L. N., Perelman, H., & Latner, J. D. (2023). Skepticism of and critical thinking about media messages: conflicting relationships with body dissatisfaction. Eating Behaviors, 51. 

Martin-Wagar, C. A., *Attaway, S. E., & *Melcher, K. A. (2023). Differences among feminist and non-feminist women on internalized weight stigma, body image, and disordered eating. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11. doi:10.1186/s40337-023-00851-7

Martin-Wagar, C. A., & *Heppner, H. (2023). Adaptive depends on context: An examination of the Intuitive Eating Scale-2 in an eating disorder sample. Appetite, 180. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2022.106349

Martin-Wagar, C. A., & Weigold, I. K. (2022). Internalized stigma as a transdiagnostic factor for women with eating disorders. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 31, 173-190. doi:10.1080/10640266.2022.2095481

Martin-Wagar, C. A., Marquardt, C. A., *Liu, Y., Arbisi, P. A., Erbes, C. R. & Polusny, M. A. (2022). Inconsistent reporting of adverse life events is predicted by current internalizing distress among military service members. Military Medicine. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usac167

Martin-Wagar, C. A., Boswell, R. G., Bennett, B. L., Perelman, H., & Forrest, L. N. (2021). Psychological and eating disorder symptoms as predictors of starting eating disorder treatment. International Journal for Eating Disorders, 54(8), 1500-1508. doi:10.1002/eat.23538

Gregor, M. A., Weigold, I. K., Martin-Wagar, C.A., & Campbell-Halfaker, D. (2021). Tenure expectations and career aspirations among women assistant professors in STEM. Journal of Career Development, 49(4), 890-905. doi:10.1177/08948453211005032

Wisniewski, L., Safer, D. L., Adler, S., & Martin-Wagar, C. A. (2021). Dialectical behavior therapy and eating disorders. In L. Dimeff, S. Rizvi, & K. Koerner (Eds.) Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Clinical Practice (2nd ed.). Guilford Press: New York, NY.

Norcross, J. C., Sayette, M., & Martin-Wagar, C. A. (2020). Doctoral training in counseling psychology: Analyses of 20-year trends, differences across the practice-research continuum, and comparisons with clinical psychology. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 15(3), 167-175. doi:10.1037/tep0000306

Weigold, A., Weigold, I. K., Dykema, S. A., Drakeford, N. M., & Martin-Wagar, C. A. (2020). Computerized device equivalence: A comparison of surveys completed using a smartphone, tablet, desktop computer, and paper-and-pencil. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 37(8), 803-814. doi:10.1080/10447318.2020.1848159

Martin-Wagar, C. A., Norcross, J. C., Sayette, M. (2020). Decisions, decisions: What are the real differences between clinical psychology and counseling psychology programs? Eye on Psi Chi, 25(2). doi:10.24839/2164-9812.Eye25.2.38

Weigold, I. K., Weigold, A., Russell, E. J., Wolfe, G. L., Prowell, J. L., & Martin-Wagar, C. A. (2020). Personal growth initiative and mental health: A meta-analysis. Journal of Counseling & Development, 98(4), 376-390. doi:10.1002/jcad.12340

Martin-Wagar, C. A., Holmes, S. C., & Bhatnagar, K. C. (2018). Predictors of weight restoration in a day treatment program that supports family-based treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 27(4), 400-417. doi:10.1080/10640266.2018.1528085

Ben-Porath, D., Bhatnagar, K. C., Gimenez Hinkle, M., & Martin-Wagar, C. A. (2018). Feeding and eating disorders. In V. Kress & M. Paylon (Eds.) Treating Those with Mental Disorders: A Comprehensive Approach to Case Conceptualization and Treatment (2nd ed.). Pearson: New York, NY.

Weigold, I. K., Weigold, A., Boyle, R. A., Martin-Wagar, C. A., & Antonucci, S. Z. (2018). Factor structure of the personal growth initiative scale-II: Evidence of a bifactor model. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 65(2), 259-266. doi:10.1037/cou0000254

Weigold, I. K., Boyle, R. A., Weigold, A., Antonucci, S. Z., Mitchell, H. B., & Martin-Wagar, C. A. (2018). Personal growth initiative in the therapeutic process: An exploratory study. The Counseling Psychologist, 46(4), 481-504. doi:10.1177/0011000018774541

Martin-Wagar, C. A. (2018). Inequity for women in psychology: How much have we progressed and what work still needs to be done? Psychology from the Margins, 1, Article 3. https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/psychologyfromthemargins/vol1/iss1/3

Kelly, A. C., Wisniewski, L., Martin‐Wagar, C. A., & Hoffman, E. (2017). Group‐based compassion‐focused therapy as an adjunct to outpatient treatment for eating disorders: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 24(2), 475-487. doi:10.1002/cpp.2018

Bhatnagar, K. C., Martin-Wagar, C. A., & Wisniewski, L. (2017). DBT for eating disorders: An overview. In M. Swales (Ed.) Oxford Handbook of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK.

Affiliations

Academy for Eating Disorders (AED)

Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)

Association for Size Diversity and Health

American Psychological Association (APA)

    Society for the Psychology of Women (Division 35, APA)

    Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice (Division 37, APA)

    Society of Child Clinical and Adolescent Psychology (Division 53, APA)

Montana Psychological Association

Society for Research on Adolescence

Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology

Professional Experience

Licensed Psychologist, Montana #3789

National Register Health Service Psychologist #150161

Honors / Awards

2024 Judy E. Hall Early Career Psychologist Award Winner: https://www.nationalregister.org/martin-wagar-2024-hall-award/

2018 American Psychological Association, Student Affiliates of Seventeen "Bridging the Gap” Award

Hobbies

Spending time with loved ones, hiking, camping, traveling, taking care of plants, gardening, strategy board games, video games, reading, cooking