Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
CBT-T stands for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy - Ten sessions, which is a focused and time limited therapy. CBT-T is suitable for those with eating disorders at near-healthy weight or above. CBT-T involves food, fluid and weight monitoring. CBT-T will involve challenging your anxieties to overcome your fears about food and your body. We focus on what can help you in the here and now.
CBT-T involves several phases. First, we support you to get into a regular eating pattern and manage anxiety around eating. We also help you to learn more about eating disorders and their effects and challenge your beliefs around food. We then focus on managing emotions that can drive eating disorder behaviours, as well as improving body image. We finish with a section on maintaining progress and planning for staying well in the future. Everyone with an eating disorder is individual, so CBT-T is adapted to your individual needs.
CBT-E (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy – Enhanced) is a psychological treatment designed specifically for eating disorders. It focuses mostly on the here and now and what is keeping the eating disorder going. In CBT-E, we ask you to monitor your food intake, and we take your weight within sessions to track this over time. CBT-E also involves setting tasks which we call ‘next steps’ for you to complete between the sessions. CBT-E has several phases. These include psychoeducation about eating disorders, regular eating (including weight restoration if needed), body image, dietary restraint, managing events and moods that may trigger eating disorder behaviours. There are 20-session and 40-session versions of the treatment depending on whether someone is at a low weight, or needs support with tackling perfectionism, low self-esteem or interpersonal difficulties.
Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT).
The aim of CAT is to help clients to understand the ways we relate to other people which we develop earlier in life to get our needs met. CAT helps clients to see how these patterns have continued into adult life in ways which are no longer helpful. We work collaboratively to identify the patterns and construct a shared understanding (the “Reformulation” phase). The remainder of the therapy has 2 phases: recognition and revision. In the recognition phase time is spent noticing when the patterns are being repeated. In the revision phase exits from the patterns are created, producing a different outcome. CAT is time limited to either 16 or 24 sessions depending on the complexity of the difficulties presented.
MANTRA
MANTRA (Maudsley Model of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults) is an evidence-based treatment for anorexia nervosa. MANTRA is structured around a workbook which empowers patients to control their own therapeutic journey. The treatment is delivered over 20-40 sessions and can be delivered via a group or 1:1. It uses a motivational interviewing therapeutic style which is tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of people with Anorexia. MANTRA covers identity, thinking styles, social and emotional world and nutrition.
Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM)
Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM) is a therapy developed to treat Anorexia Nervosa (AN). SSCM has two core components: clinical management and supportive psychotherapy. The clinical management includes normalising eating patterns and behaviours and providing psychoeducation and support to restore weight to regain health. The supportive therapy component ensures that all sessions are “client-driven” where the service user and therapist work on whatever issues the service user wants to talk about.
Guided self help
Guided self-help (GSH) is a 12-week, 6 session treatment based on CBT with elements of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), mindfulness and motivational interviewing. It is designed to allow service users to become their own therapist, with an Assistant Psychologist, Peer Support Worker or Occupational Therapy Assistant supporting and ‘guiding’ the service user through the manual.
GSH has a strong evidence base in eating disorders but is primarily used to treat Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN). It can be delivered through face-to-face, online or telephone appointments.
1:1 and group sessions
First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED)
FREED is an early intervention care package designed for young people with a first episode eating disorder of up to three years duration. FREED provides rapid access to treatment and tailors treatment to the specific needs of young people. The aim is to reduce the duration of an untreated eating disorder and promote early full recovery.
