group therapy for eating

disorders and body image

 
 

Interested in group therapy? contact us here

Group therapy benefits

Group therapy can feel very scary at first. You might wonder what can these people offer me if they are having the same struggles as I am? How can I trust them? How can I open up to a group of people when I can barely talk about this with my closest people and my therapist?

While group therapy is scary for all those reasons, it is also powerful for similar reasons. In group therapy, you are sharing your experiences with other people who REALLY get it because they’ve been there too. And, group is made up of people at all stages of recovery so often group members can share tips and ideas (along with a lot of empathy) that can help you. There is power in not feeling so alone with your problems and having solidarity in shared experiences. Most group members heal from the openness of other members, the trust they put in each other and building a meaningful support system. In addition, being in group can help you learn more about yourself and your relationships outside of therapy. Group allows us to build awareness of our relational patterns, understand mutuality in relationships, and practice new ways of being in relationship with others.

What it looks like

We meet for two hours and do a short psychoeducational component, have a structured meal group and then an open time to process your concerns about eating, relationships, anxiety, depression or any other life issues that are impacting you. At our structured meal groups, members bring their own dinner, check in with their hunger and fullness cues as well as levels of distress, and practice food challenges in a supportive space. 

Group topics include:

  • Emotional regulation

  • Distress tolerance

  • Relationship skills

  • Assertiveness

  • Boundary setting

  • Relaxation/ mindfulness

  • Information about the impacts of trauma and how to mitigate these effects.

  •  Health At Every Size (HAES) model

  • Intuitive Eating approaches

  • Explore the reasons behind the development of eating disorder

  • How to replace eating disorders behaviors with healthier coping mechanisms

  • Body image improvement skills