Collaborative care between professionals and non-professionals in the management of eating disorders: A description of workshops focussed on interpersonal maintaining factors

The aim of this paper is to describe the content and processes involved in a series of workshops for carers of people with an eating disorder. These workshops were designed to equip carers with the skills and knowledge needed to be a 'coach' and help the person with an eating disorder break free from the traps that block recovery. The first hurdle is to overcome the unhelpful patterns of interpersonal processes between the person with an eating disorder and their carers. In both naturalistic studies and randomised controlled trials (RCT), family factors have been implicated either as moderators or mediators of outcome. High levels of expressed emotion (EE), misattributions about the illness or unhelpful methods of engaging with the eating disorder symptoms contribute to this effect. These workshops aim to reduce EE such as over protection. Carers are introduced to the transtheoretical model of change and the principles of motivational interviewing so that they can help rather than hinder change. They learn how to use reflective listening to reduce confrontation and how to sidestep resistance. Carers learn what is needed to help their daughter change by reflecting on the processes involved in changing their own behaviours in relationship with the person with eating disorders. Once they recognise that they may need to change then they can use their skills, information and insight to help change eating disorder symptoms. Copyright (C) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.