Eating Disorders

Woman contemplating in a field

Management & Psychological Treatment of Eating Disorders

If you are an adolescent or adult at risk of or currently experiencing Anorexia, Bulimia Nervosa or Binge Eating disorder accessing a competent accessible effective system of care is essential to prevent, treat and recover from the disorder. Having trained with Dr Andrew Wallis and Maudsley Family based Mode l. In addition to CBT E based on the model created by Dr Chris Basten and Dr Chris Thornton Lisa offers a treatment program which also includes DBT E. The program meets key elements from the criteria for Australian and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders practice standards and The Butterfly Foundation for best practice for the psychological treatment of severe and complex eating disorders.

Anorexia Nervosa

For adolescence, Family Based Therapy is a model that has the basic premise that families are the best resource to help their child recover from anorexia nervosa in the home setting. It supports the family over a 12 month period . A collaborative phased based approach is used. In the first phase of treatment, you will focus on developing normal eating habits and working to achieve and maintain a healthy weight for you and includes a range of essential treatment components. These include being weighed each week and reviewing your weight, monitoring you're eating and associated thoughts and feelings; and making changes towards normalising both you're eating and weight. In the middle phase of treatment, we focus on addressing the fears and beliefs that may be keeping the eating disorder going. The final phase of treatment focuses on relapse prevention and maintaining the changes you have made.

For the treatment of adults with severe and complex eating disorders, both DBT E and CBT-E constitute many of the core treatment skills.

CBT-E Treatment

CBT-E Treatment for Eating Disorders can take up to 20 sessions (and may be more for severe cases) and will progress through four stages:

  • Stage 1: We will work with you to develop a treatment plan suited for your needs, help you better understand how your eating disorder developed, and what is maintaining your disorder and you will be introduced to a pattern of regular eating.
  • Stage 2: Your progress will be reviewed and any barriers to change will be identified and strategies offered to help you manage them.
  • Stage 3: Key issues that are maintaining your disorder will be addressed including your fear of weight gain, restrictive eating behaviours, perfectionism and your sense of self-worth. Therapy will aim to identify unhelpful thinking styles, behaviours and “rules” around eating, shape and weight. Your thoughts can affect how you feel, which in turn affects what you do. CBT treatment will help you recognise your negative thoughts, challenge them and replace them with more helpful ones. Treatment will also help you manage your difficult emotions/moods so you can stick with your new eating habits.
  • Stage 4: Sessions will focus on maintaining the positive changes you have made, and to put plans in place to minimise the risk of relapse (e.g. preparing for a party or managing stressful situation.

Binge eating disorders (BED)

Addiction models are suggested as treatment options for Binge Eating disorder. Binge Eating Disorder is very treatable and a full recovery is possible even after many years of living with the illness. Through the process of treatment a person with BED will learn how to replace their unhealthy eating habits with more helpful coping strategies, and will learn how to get back in touch with hunger and fullness and to trust their bodies again.

Lisa's Qualifications in this Area

  •   Maudsley Model for Eating Disorders
  •   Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - Eating Disorders (CBT E)
  •   Preferred Eating Disorder Therapy provider for the Butterfly Foundation
  •   Certificate in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

Meet Lisa

Lisa provides specialised therapy to individuals and couples. She is a qualified, compassionate, and experienced psychotherapist delivering personalised services. Her aim is to help you build healthy relationships within and with others for creating a rich and meaningful life.

BSW, Dip Narr, AMHSW, MACSW Clinical Div., Prof Aff APS