Disordered Eating Therapy Group Session Outline

Disordered Eating Therapy Group

Session Outline

Mike BryantStudent Counsellor

LSE Student Counselling Service2013

The Disordered Eating Therapy Group

• … provides participants an opportunity to develop new behaviours and more helpful thoughts affecting their eating habits. • …. is part experiential, part psycho-educational• … is suitable for bulimic, bingeing, restrictive or compulsive eaters. • … is not suitable for people with life-threatening eating disorders.

Session components• Introductions• Understanding emotions• Challenging Mindsets• Body image• Relationships• Coping strategies• Seeking further help

Introductions

•Personal goals for the group•Work in pairs: what has / hasn’t worked in the past•Change: why now? • Stages of change readiness

Understanding emotions

• Identifying and accepting emotions • “Mad / bad / sad / glad”• Shame

Emotions: a crash course

Emotions: dissociation

• Understanding dissociation• How do we choose to not be present• Dissociation and self-harming• Becoming vigilant

Mindsets• Review: how did last week feel?• How the disordered mindset is maintained• Thoughts feelings

Mindsets: Distorted Automati

c Thoughts

Mindsets: Labelling

the Distorted Automati

c Thoughts

Challenging the Mindsets• “Payoffs” of your distorted thoughts beliefs•Body checking and avoidance / “feeling fat”• “Rules” in maintaining disordered eating

Body image• Self concept and body image•Beliefs about eating, weight and body shape•Beliefs about dieting•Beliefs about exercise

Triggers

• Identifying moods and stressors• Common triggers: anger / anxiety / relationships• Other triggers

Relationships•Relationship patterns• Food as a substitute relationship partner•Mothers and daughters•Men and disordered eating• Food as a reponse to crises

Coping Strategies•What works / doesn’t work for you• Coping with too much spare time• “Urge Surfing” strategies• Self-soothing strategies• Identifying barriers to change• Inner child work• Sub personalities (e.g., dieter, binger, critic)• Relaxation methods

Relapse Prevention•Cycle of addictions•Maintaining achieved goals•Plans for preventing relapse

Seeking further help

• LSE Student counselling service• Long-term therapy•Medical support