Does cognitive analytic therapy eating disorders treatment hold promise for those who suffer from bulimia, binge-eating disorder, and anorexia?  Though these disorders are not fully understood, we do know that counseling methods are very effective ways to help those who suffer from disordered eating.  There are two different methods:

• Cognitive behavior therapy eating disorders treatment or CBT

• Cognitive analytic therapy eating disorders treatment or CAT

While both methods teach clients how to help themselves, there are differences between the two. 

• Cognitive behavior therapy eating disorders treatment uses homework to help clients learn new coping skills; there is a focus on changing behavior through rational thought.

• Cognitive analytic therapy eating disorders treatment mainly helps clients focus on the past to understand the present; the therapist helps the client analyze the connections between the past and the present.

Both methods have the same goal: to help clients change their negative behaviors into positive ones, enabling them to move forward to a healthy future, free from eating disorders.

More about cognitive analytic therapy eating disorders treatment

CAT, or cognitive analytic therapy eating disorders treatment, was first developed by Dr. Anthony Ryle in the United Kingdom.  It is based on ideas from other, classic therapies, including psychoanalytic therapy.  With a focus on identifying negative thought patterns, this treatment may be able to help clients understand specific psychological components of their eating disorders by considering past experiences and events.  After taking part in several CAT treatment sessions, clients may be able to answer for themselves:

• Why do I have disordered eating patterns?

• When did I first develop negative feelings toward food and/or eating?

• What events in my past contributed to my poor self-image?

Additionally, cognitive analytic therapy eating disorders therapists will help the client identify his or her strengths so that they can be used to improve daily coping strategies.

For example, a client with binge-eating disorder may realize that when she was a child, she was rewarded for good behavior with food, over and over again.  Over time, she came to equate food with reward, which led to bingeing episodes.  In therapy sessions, her therapist will help her realize that there are positive, non-food “rewards” she can give herself, such as cultivating a new hobby or scheduling time with a good friend.

More about cognitive behavior therapy eating disorders treatment

CBT, or cognitive behavior therapy eating disorders treatment is a form of therapy that emphasizes the important role of thinking in feelings and actions; it seeks to help people re-shape their feelings about food and their own bodies so that they can begin to make healthy choices instead of disordered ones.  Eating disorders are associated with many factors, including societal, family and psychological; cognitive behavior therapy eating disorders treatment touches on all of these factors, and helps clients learn and integrate new skills.  People who have successfully overcome eating disorders through cognitive behavior therapy eating disorders treatment claim that their sessions helped them connect with their emotions so that they could learn a good attitude toward eating, a positive body image, and increased self esteem.

As mentioned above, CBT often makes use of “homework” such as:

• A diary outlining eating episodes, bingeing and purging to help clients link events and identify triggers.

• A healthy eating plan to implement, including a normal eating schedule with healthy, well-balanced meals. 

During CBT sessions, clients may learn:

• All about their illness.

• How to change the way they see themselves.

• How to eliminate negative thought patterns and turn them into a positive, constructive voice.

• Strategies for handling daily problems in a healthy way.

• Breathing exercises to calm and relax the body and mind.

Both cognitive analytic therapy eating disorders treatment and cognitive behavior therapy eating disorders treatment are very effective in combating all types of disordered eating.  Many doctors prescribe these types of therapy along with drug therapy for an integrative approach.

To read more about eating disorders and treatment methods, please see our home page.