Background: Role of experiential avoidance(EA) as the number one maintaining factor for eating disorders. EA is the reluctance or unwillingness to remain in contact with mental events, such as thoughts and feelings,and taking measures to alter the form or frequency of those events or the contexts that give rise to them.
- Introduction
- Motivation for Treatment
- Traditional Treatment Strategies
- Model of ED Maintenance
- Clients with eating disorders display many similar traits
- Temperament and Character Inventory
- Self Directedness vs. EDI Scales
- Experiential Avoidance
- The Scope of Experiential Avoidance
- Avoiding the Pain
- Reactions to Verbal Content of the Mind
- Main Characteristics of EA
- The Core Pathologies of Experiential Avoidance
- The Harmful Effects of EA
- Factors Behind Experiential Avoidance
- Costs of Experiential Avoidance
- Problems with Fusion
- Temperament and Character Inventory Correlations
- Passenger on the Bus Metaphor
- Eating Disorder Index Correlations
- Acceptance as an Alternative to Avoidance
- Aspects of Acceptance
- Clinical Applications of Acceptance
- Not just exposure therapy
- Willingness characteristics
- In-session acceptance exercises
- Metaphors
- Interactions with Other Core Processes
- Conclusion
- Therapeutic Dos and Don’ts
- Reading Signs of Progress
- Summary of Major Treatment Goals
This workshop explores the role of experiential avoidance (EA) as the number one maintaining factor for eating disorders. EA can be defined as the reluctance or unwillingness to remain in contact with mental events, such as thoughts, feelings, body sensations and memories, and taking measures to alter the form or frequency of those events or the contexts that give rise to them. Eating disorders reinforce EA and when EA is the major motivator for behavior, eating disorders become difficult to treat. The pitfalls of EA will be examined and strategies for dealing with them will be discussed.
The workshop begins by describing patient motivation for treatment and traditional treatment strategies, highlighting the model of eating disorder maintenance and the significance of EA. The presenters then discuss similar traits in clients with eating disorders, based on studies of the Temperament and Character Inventory and Self Directedness vs. EDI Scales. Then, EA is defined, discussed and related research presented, including core pathologies, causal factors, and the costs of EA. Acceptance is presented as an alternative to avoidance, and the presenters will discuss the benefits of using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and the clinical applications of acceptance. Discussion will include the use of metaphors and presenters will demonstrate experiential exercises to use with clients. To conclude, the workshop will summarize the “do's and don’t's,” identification of signs of progress, and discussion of major treatment goals.
Dr. Emmett Bishop has more than 30 years experience treating eating disorders and is the Medical Director of Outpatient Services and Program Development at Eating Recovery Center in Denver, Colorado. He has served on the iaedp™ Board of Directors since 1993 and is a past president. He has been a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders since its inception in 1993 and is an Academy Fellow. Dr. Bishop has been a member of the Editorial Board of Eating Disorders Journal of Treatment and Prevention and the American Journal of Psychiatry, and other professional journals.
Jennifer Lombardi, MFT, is the Executive Director of Eating Recovery Center of California, a partial and IOP program for adults and adolescents in Sacramento, California. Recovered from anorexia, Jennifer brings both personal and clinical experience to her work. As a certified fitness instructor she teaches yoga and meditation to clients at Summit.
