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NEDA TOOLKIT for Parents Types of psychotherapy Perhaps one of the most important considerations when you and your loved one select a psychotherapist is the type of therapy they provide. Different therapies work differently for different people, and some may be more helpful than others for where your loved one currently is in their recovery. Reducing eating disorder behaviors is generally considered to be the first goal of treatment, and the following therapies currently have the most evidence for effectiveness. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The goal of ACT is focusing on changing your actions rather than your thoughts and feelings. Patients are taught to identify core values and commit to creating goals that fulfill these values. ACT also encourages patients to detach themselves from emotions and learn that pain and anxiety are a normal part of life. The goal isn’t to feel good, but to live an authentic life. Through living a good life, people often find they do start to feel better. Family Based Therapy (FBT). Also known as the Maudsley Method or Maudsley Approach, this is a home-based treatment approach that has been shown to be effective for adolescents with anorexia and bulimia. FBT doesn’t focus on the cause of the eating disorder but instead places initial focus on refeeding and full weight restoration to promote recovery. All family members are considered an essential part of treatment, which consists of re-establishing healthy eating, restoring weight and interrupting compensatory behaviors; returning control of eating back to the adolescent; and focusing on remaining issues. Behavioral Systems Family Therapy (BSFT). Parents are coached to help the sufferer restore adequate nutrition and eat regular meals and snacks. BSFT also broadens the focus of treatment to include cognitions and problems in “family structure” while the parents are still in charge of the re-feeding process. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Enhanced Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-E). A relatively short-term, symptom-oriented therapy focusing on the beliefs, values, and cognitive processes that maintain the eating disorder behavior. It aims to modify distorted beliefs and attitudes about the meaning of weight, shape and appearance, which are correlated to the development and maintenance of the eating disorder. Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT). This is a short- term individual psychotherapy. It is premised on the theory that interpersonal difficulties contribute to the onset and maintenance of eating disorder symptoms, and that their resolution will promote recovery. It has predominately been applied to treatment of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, and focuses on interpersonal difficulties rather than behavioral aspects of disordered eating. In addition to the above evidence-based treatments, the following (listed in alphabetical order) are commonly used to help eating disorder sufferers move towards recovery. Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT). CRT aims to develop a person’s ability to focus on more than one thing. CRT targets rigid thinking processes considered to be a core component of anorexia nervosa through simple exercises, reflection, and guided supervision. CRT is currently being studied to test effectiveness in improving treatment adherence in adults with anorexia; it has not currently been tested in other eating disorders. Conjoint Family Therapy (CFT). This is a therapeutic approach that treats the entire family, including the eating disordered member, simultaneously. The premise of CFT is that the client exists within a family and spends most of their time with them. Focus is on improving family dynamics that may be contributing to maintaining the eating disorder. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). A behavioral treatment supported by empirical evidence for treat­ ment of binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. DBT assumes that the most effective place to begin treatment is with changing behaviors. Treatment focuses on developing skills to replace maladaptive eating disorder behaviors. Skills focus on building mindfulness skills, becoming more effective in interpersonal relationships, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. Although DBT was initially developed to treat borderline personality disorder, it is currently being used to treat eating disorders as well as substance abuse. Page  | 31