Achieving Weight Gain with Anorexic and Bulimic Clients in a Group Setting

Abstract

Anorexia, bulimia, and combinations of these symptoms with other disorders have been dealt with successfully using the reparenting model at Cathexis Institute. Working with people who have these eating problems has stimulated the development of techniques to address the problems of weight control that are the hallmark of these disorders. These techniques are illustrated by a hypothetical case history of a typical anorexic client. This example provides a description of dealing with eating disorders within a community setting like Cathexis. It points out important aspects of the leader's values and an approach to relating to persons with eating disorders. It also reports the discovery that many eating-disordered clients can, in a group, support each other and provide responsible supervision for each other. In its entirety, the example provides a model for managing weight gain in conjunction with dealing with the psychological problems that accompany anorexia and related disorders.