CBT for Eating Disorders
What is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT, is a talking therapies, based on the concept that thoughts, feelings, what we do, and how our bodies feel, are all connected. If we work to change one of these we can influence and alter all the others.
When we are anxious or low in mood, we often fall into patterns of thinking and responding which can worsen how we feel. CBT works to help us notice and change problematic or unhelpful thinking styles or behaviour patterns so we can improve how we feel.
CBT is a collaborative therapy - it’s not something that is done to someone, it’s a way of working together on mutually agreed goals.
Why is CBT used in eating disorders?
CBT-E has a good evidence base as a treatment for people with eating disorders, and is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). It has been shown to:
• Promote weight restoration to a healthy weight
• Decrease eating disorder symptoms
• Reduce or stop binge eating and purging
behaviours
• Maintain a healthy weight
CBT-E has 4 stages. In Stage 1, the focus is on gaining a mutual understanding of your difficulties with food and eating. Your therapist may ask you to complete questionnaires and a self-monitoring diary.
The purpose of this is to help you and your therapist to figure out what kinds of problems you face, and the extent of your difficulties. Early on in treatment you will set out your goals. Finally, an essential part of Stage 1 is to work on establishing regular healthy eating patterns.
Stage 2 is to review your progress and develop a plan for the rest of your therapy including the skills that you might want to learn.
What happens in CBT-E?
In Stage 3 will focus on the processes that might maintain your difficulties with food and eating. Depending on your situation this may include:
Addressing concerns about shape, weight and body image.
• Improving your skills to deal with day-to-day events
• Making sure other important areas of your life don’t
get displaced by the focus on food
• Addressing extreme dietary patterns
• Addressing low self esteem, perfectionism or interpersonal problems if these are getting in the way of getting over your eating problem.
Stage 4, is about understanding where setbacks could happen and how to manage them.
Fees
All sessions are £110
Session are 50 minuets long