Difficulties in executive functioning and emotional processing are reported in anorexia nervosa (AN).This case study describes the application of cognitive remediation and emotion skills training (CREST), an intervention that has been piloted in an inpatient eating disorders (EDs) unit. CREST is a 10-session treatment package, which primarily addresses emotion processing difficulties, one of the maintaining features of AN. The stages of CREST are described, which includes targeting thinking styles, recognizing emotions in the self and others, strategies to manage emotions, and practice of emotion expression. Clinical and self-report data collected before and after CREST indicate improvements in identifying emotions and using healthier emotion regulation strategies, alongside an increase in body mass index (BMI) and reduction in ED symptomatology. This case study provides preliminary evidence for the acceptability and effectiveness of CREST as a low-intensity intervention before proceeding to more comprehensive therapies, such as cognitive behavior therapy to address the ED more fully.
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