Counselling for Eating Disorders. Above and Beyond Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2017 in the subject Psychology - Consulting, Therapy, grade: 2.1, , course: Counselling and Psychotherapy, language: English, abstract: Western culture today favours masculine, linear, and strategic opportunities, approaches, and answers, in many aspects of life, leaving little room for guided intuition, spiritual vision, or feminine energy. It is from personal experience, through therapy, conversation. education, and conducting research, that it became quite clear that this linear, strategic approach is also favoured in the treatment of eating disorders; a phenomenon that is without doubt multi-faceted and multi-dimensional.

The counselling approach that is most-favoured and most-documented for the treatment of eating disorders, is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT incorporates tasks, strategies, and exercises in order to obtain results, leaving aside the more abstract, intuitive techniques. It is the opinion of the author that while CBT has proven to be successful in treating eating disordered thoughts and behaviours, it falls short. As beings, we are much more than the sum of our actions and so, counselling needs to incorporate other elements above and beyond CBT techniques if true change is to occur.

The body of the thesis will contain three main chapters which will provide (1) an overview of elements for consideration with regard to eating disorders, (2) a detailed description of a number of treatment paradigms for eating disorders; and (3) the missing puzzle pieces that could compliment the CBT approach for a more successful outcome. The purpose of this overview is to provide a greater understanding of eating disorders and how they might be better treated in the counselling setting.