Cognitive-Behavioral and Psychodynamic Approaches to the Treatment of Eating and Weight Disorders

Course Objectives

• Understand cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic approaches to treat a range of weight and eating disorders.
• Integrate CBT and psychodynamic orientations in the treatment of eating and weight disorders.
• Work with clients with bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa.
• Optimally use the therapeutic relationship in working with clients with eating disorders.
• Treat obesity and weight problems in children and adolescents.

What You Learn

• Cognitive-behavioral conceptualization of bulimia nervosa
  • Role of the dietitian
  • Self-monitoring
  • Challenging irrational beliefs
  • Body image issues
  • Emotional regulation-dialectical behavior therapy
• Cognitive-behavioral conceptualization of anorexia nervosa
  • Medical prerequisites for outpatient treatment
  • Establishing rapport
  • Setting the emotional tone
  • Recognizing the cognitive themes underlying the disease
  • Reducing treatment anxiety
  • Challenging irrational beliefs
  • Understanding the effects of family involvement
• Approaches to the treatment of binge eating
• Childhood obesity
• Psychodynamic drive-conflict vs. object relations vs. self-theories of anorexia nervosa
• Developmental perspectives
• Bruch’s therapeutic approach
• Challenges, including transference issues, in developing the therapeutic relationship
• Separation and autonomy
• Integrating CBT and psychodynamic orientations in the treatment of eating and weight disorders

How You Learn

• Case histories
• Videos
• In-class discussions