Madelaine Romito, Ph.D.
Counselor Education
Assistant Professor
Office:
LWH 4052
Phone:
(773) 442-5593
Email:
m-romito@neiu.edu
COUN 402 Developmental Counseling
COUN 403 Theories of Counseling
COUN 404 Assessment & Evaluation in Counseling
COUN 405 Individual Counseling Skills
COUN 409 Career Development
COUN 420 Introduction to Family Counseling
COUN 427 Diagnostic Systems for Counseling
COUN 432 Human Sexuality and Counseling
COUN 439 Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning
Expertise
Madelaine Romito is a Licensed Professional Counselor with clinical experience in day treatment, university, and group practice settings. Dr. Romito specializes in eating disorders and body image among children, adolescents, adults, and their families. She also works with anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, which commonly co-occur with eating disorders.
Research Interests
Eating disorders and body image in diverse populations, play therapy and eating disorders, weight stigma in counselor education, arts-based research methods
Education
Northern Illinois University
Counselor Education and Supervision, Ph.D.
鶹
Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.A.
Certificate and Couple and Family Counseling
University of Miami
Music, B.A.
Selected Publications
Schoonover, T. J., Horton, E., Bradley, K., & Romito, M. (2026). Unlearning fat bias, embracing size inclusion: A phenomenological exploration of teaching sizeism and fatphobia in counselor education. Women & Therapy, advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/02703149.2026.2728952
Schoonover, T. J., Jha, P., Romito, M., Arogundade, B., & DePinto. A. (2025). Sandtray therapy’s impact on trauma symptoms in adults. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 20(3), 345-361. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2024.2377410
Horton, E., Everett, B., Romito, M. (2024). Inundated with "bounce back" culture: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of postpartum first-time mothers' body image dissatisfaction and mental health implications. The Family Journal, 33(3), 470-478. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10664807241269452
Horton, E., Romito, M., Schoono ver, T. J., & Frawley, C. (2024). A size inclusive playroom: Play therapy considerations to promote healing for children of diverse body shapes and sizes. International Journal of Play Therapy, 33(3), 154–163. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000218
Horton, E., Romito, M., Schoonover, T. J., & Frawley, C. (2024). Grasping at straws: Play therapists’ experiences utilizing play therapy for childhood body dissatisfaction. International Journal of Play Therapy, 33(4), 222–232. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000224
Roberts, S. R., Salk, R. H., Thoma, B. C., Romito, M., Levine, M. D., & Choukas‐Bradley, S. (2021). Disparities in disordered eating between gender minority and cisgender adolescents. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54(7), 1135-1146. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23494
Romito, M., Salk, R. H., Roberts, S. R., Thoma, B. C., Levine, M. D., & Choukas-Bradley, S. (2021). Exploring transgender adolescents’ body image concerns and disordered eating: Semi-structured interviews with nine gender minority youth. Body Image, 37, 50-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.01.008