Background: Support groups are effective adjuncts to the treatment of eating disorders. Benefits include decreased isolation, expression of feelings, improved coping skills, increased investment in treatment and enhanced self-esteem. Development of and kinds of support groups, maintaining successful support groups, and support group as a therapeutic community will also be addressed.
Objectives: 1. the significant benefits of support groups to those recovering from eating disorders, and those who care about and the difference between a support group and group therapy and how to maintain those boundaries 2. what “group rules” are necessary to avoid triggering patients and problems that may be encountered during a group session 3. the group dynamics and how these factors influence group members including how the group can impact someone who is not even in the room
Support groups in popular media
Finding Nemo
Rent
Why are there so few support groups?
Benefits of joining a support group
Decreased sense of isolation
Freedom to express negative feelings/emotional support
Learning to develop effective coping skills
Enhanced self-esteem
Understanding and empathy
Insights regarding maladaptive behavior
Becoming involved in and greater investment in continuing therapy
Types of support groups
Gender restricted
Age restricted—implications of child/adolescent groups
Diagnosis restricted
Family and Friends with and without person struggling
Dual diagnosis
Face to face vs online support groups--Benefits and problems
The support group becomes part of the therapeutic team
Differences between support group and group therapy
How the individual who is not in the support group and not even in therapy can be
impacted by the support group
Demonstration of emerging recovery from therapy in the support group
Concerns demonstrated in support group taken to the therapeutic team
Other impact of the support group on therapy process
Support group guidelines
Leader(s)
Peer led
Professional led
Number of leaders
substitutes
Time and place
Group Rules
Why are they necessary?
How many
What kind
Open vs closed
Confidentiality
Cell phones
Meeting opening and closing rituals
Group process
Experiential
Didactic
Conversational
Professionally directed
Combination
Membership
Developing a support group
Who should attend?
Prescreening, if so what kind?
Requirements to be in therapy if attend support group
Location
How to get members
Group dynamics
Strategies for promoting helpful group dynamics
Communication and interaction patterns
Group cohesion
Group norms, roles, status, culture
Nonverbal behavior
Coalitions
Silences
Leader(s) role in and out of the meeting
Support group as a therapeutic community
Mentoring
Realization that recovery is possible through recovery role models
Equality of all members
Equal expectations of all members
Feeling of interpersonal support and investment in other group members
Dealing with problems
When member
is often late to meetings
talks too much, monopolizing
rejects every suggestion; yes...but
has problems that are more then the group can handle
interrupts others or brings up inappropriate or irrelevant subjects
problem does not match what group is meant to address
leaves early
is suicidal
Dr. Joann Hendelman is a Clinical Psychologist (and registered nurse), Clinical Director of The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness and in private practice in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. She formerly served as Chief, Department of Psychology for St. Mary's and Good Samaritan Medical Centers and was formerly the Clinical Director of the St. Francis Medical Center Eating Disorders Program, Peoria, Illinois. Dr. Hendelman is a Fellow of the Academy of Eating Disorders, a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, Certified Eating Disorders Registered Nurse and iaedp Approved Supervisor. Dr. Hendelman has worked with eating disorders since 1973.
