Resources

By Naomi Rogers

What is Psychotherapy and what is its role in eating disorder recovery?

Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is a treatment method that involves talking with a trained and accredited Therapist to help address mental health challenges, emotional struggles, and behaviour patterns. It aims to improve a person's mental well-being, resolve troublesome behaviours, beliefs, compulsions, thoughts, or emotions, and improve the quality of their relationships and social skills.

Our behaviour patterns often stem from past traumas or unmet needs. Many people report that their eating disorders start initially as a way to cope with a difficult or painful circumstance or as a way to manage feelings of shame about themselves or their bodies. Delving into these emotions alone can be overwhelming and many people can be stuck carrying out harmful habits because they don’t have the support they need. Through psychotherapy, we can learn to acknowledge and tolerate our ourselves, which is crucial for moving forward and creating the life we want. You can build a trusting relationship with your therapist and use sessions to experiment with new behaviours or ways to connect with others. It is an opportunity to develop a sense of self that is not defined by your past or by your eating disorder, and instead is shaped by your authentic needs, hopes and dreams. 

“Shame dies when stories are told in safe places” - Professor and Social Worker, Brene’ Brown.

At Clik we offer both Gestalt and Creative Arts Therapy. Gestalt therapy focuses on helping individuals to become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours in the present moment. It emphasizes personal responsibility and believes that we all can change and grow. 

Creative Arts Therapy also shares these values. It utilizes various art forms such as music, dance, visual arts, and drama, and focuses on the somatic experience in the body to address emotional and psychological challenges. This approach allows individuals to explore their emotions and experiences both verbally and non-verbally which can be especially beneficial for people who may find it challenging to articulate their feelings  or who tend to get ‘stuck in their head.’

Both Gestalt and Creative arts therapy can help individuals develop new ways of communicating and understanding their thoughts and emotions, which can be essential in the recovery process from an eating disorder. 

It’s okay to be hesitant or nervous about starting psychotherapy. Many people feel worried that they’ll not be heard, be pushed too far too quickly, or that their treatment will focus too much on numbers or weight gain. At Clik, we will support you when you are starting psychotherapy by offering the following:

 1. Assessment Sessions: For the first few sessions your therapist will gather information about your background, current concerns, and goals for therapy. This supports your work in being holistic and focusing on all the different aspects of you, not just your relationship to food. 

2. Creating a working agreement: You and your therapist will establish the guidelines and expectations for your work together, and you will discuss confidentiality, when and where your sessions will take place and how long for. You might develop certain rituals to help you transition out of therapy and return to your day, or to regulate yourself if triggering material has emerged. You'll work together to establish a trusting and comfortable relationship which is essential for effective therapy. 

3. Identifying themes: You'll discuss and prioritize the issues or themes you'd like to address in therapy with the mutual goal of supporting you and your well-being. Your therapist will provide support and understanding while also challenging you to grow and change in healthy ways.

If you are affected by an eating disorder and want to seek some support, please contact the Team, we can help: contact@cliktherapy.co.uk