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Experiential Therapies for Bulimia Nervosa Treatment
Contributor: Melissa O’Neill, LCSW, Director of Program Development at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center
Experiential treatment is one that uses actions, movements, and activities in the therapeutic process to promote healing from eating disorders.
It encourages individuals to bring awareness to their body and sensations, identify and address unresolved issues through the use of role-playing, guided imagery, use of props, dance and yoga therapies and much more [1].
This process allows for both clinicians and clients to see patterns in behaviors and thinking in a new way. It lets each individual interact in a new way that unlocks their body and mind.
Benefits
These type of therapies can benefit individuals in numerous ways [1]. It can bring forth success, identify barriers to recovery, improve self-esteem and self-confidence through mastery of a skill. It allows the individual to take and own their particular responsibility.
Personal, emotional growth occurs through engaging in experiential activities. It provides for objectivity by the client for development in self-awareness of particular treatment barriers, interactions, and thoughts.
In group therapy when working with those who are struggling with bulimia nervosa, it can be extremely helpful to bring awareness to oneself through the use of individual role play or engage in family role play [2].
One activity is Hiding Behind the Wall. This action works to bring forth representations of walls in a partner setting to share why or what they are hiding, what they do not want others to see, and why afraid to show their genuine self.
It is learning to listen, clarify, and give productive feedback to others as well. Both partners take turns doing this activity.
Other group activities can be where group members create past relationship scenes with friends and family members or create a family picture through the placement of various group members play loved one or friends.
This allows for further objectification by the client to be able the family in a new way as well as the role they take within the family.
Another experiential therapy is being able to work on negative thinking. Small groups are used to be a ‘negative thought’ and a ‘positive statement.’ The person who is the ‘client’ is able to listen to the internal conflict in a more objective way.
It gives the person the opportunity to express feelings, explore own self-power, and how to quiet negative thinking and use positive or validating statements [2]. This gives the person a way to practice their tools learned in individual therapy in a safe and supportive space.
Other experiential therapies are individually based on art. One such activity is the use of masks. Often sufferers will create decorative masks that show what their eating disorder looks like as well as what their genuine self-looks life.
Art can be a way for those who struggle with verbally connecting with the therapist or peers can use art or other mediums to be able to express what they are feeling and thinking.
How it Helps Bulimia Recovery
Bulimia is an eating disorder that that is characterized by frequent and recurrent episodes of binging and purging (or other compensating behaviors) to rid the body of the binge foods consumed.
Individuals will typically feel a loss of control over the rate and amount of food eating, a sense of shame and guilt, and anxiety [3].
Creating tools within the therapeutic process can help facilitate change within the client. Journaling is one tool that can be used to help clients identify patterns.
It can also aid in self-monitoring and way to express self outside of the therapy process during the treatment process. In 2004 a study on teens with bulimia and expressive therapies, adolescents were able to modify negative thinking patterns and problem-solve better than those who did not [3].
Ownership
Having each person take ownership of their treatment is a unique part of the process in experiential treatment. Goals focus on being able to identify triggers to bulimic symptoms that manage underlying issues.
Expression in various ways can help create a healthy awareness and tools to express emotions in new ways that do not involve the eating disorder or co-occurring disorders.
It is using new therapeutic ways to develop confidence in the person’s own ability to choose healthy behaviors and recovery on a daily basis.
Group therapy within the experiential process for bulimia nervosa treatment connects individuals to each other and shuts down the feelings and thoughts around loneliness, stress, and anxiety of the eating disorder.
Art therapy, dance and movement therapy, experiential trauma groups, self-defense and recreational sports help individuals feel connected to others while learning how to sense and move their body in new ways.
In conclusion, there are many ways a person struggling with bulimia can engage in experiential therapy. It allows a person to be freer than they may feel in traditional therapies, allowing deeper emotions and thoughts to come to the surface.
Working with various mediums such as art, dance, sculpting, gardening, body movement and other ways can help sufferers learn more about themselves both internally and externally, connecting to what purpose the eating disorder serves.
For many who struggle with bulimia, experiential therapies are a useful tool in being able to learn how to listen and respond to the body and mind versus external cues from others or the environment.
Whether in outpatient or inpatient care, experiential therapies can have immediate relief and benefits.
About the Author: Melissa O’Neill, LCSW, Director of Program Development at Timberline Knolls
Melissa’s role involves collaborating with others to create the vision and curriculum for all group programming offered at TK. She also clinically supervises the talented specialists who facilitate groups all over campus.
Early in her career, Melissa spent time in residential care, working with children with significant trauma histories. She then ran a substance abuse IOP followed by several years in private practice. She also managed an IOP/PHP program for Eating Disorders and Mood Disorders. At Timberline she started as a Primary Therapist, followed by serving as a clinical lead.
Melissa received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Vanderbilt University. She earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois. Melissa is a member of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals.
References:
[1] Experiential Therapy What Is It? (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2017, from http://www.crchealth.com/types-of-therapy/what-is-experiential-therapy/[2] Therapeutic Guidelines and Experiential Interventions in the Treatment of Eating Disorders. (2017, June 01). Retrieved October 01, 2017, from https://centerforchange.com/therapeutic-guidelines-experiential-interventions-treatment-eating-disorders/
[3] Treating Adolescent Females With Bulimia Nervosa: Using a Creative Approach With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy . (n.d.). Retrieved October 01, 2017, from http://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/vistas/article
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Published on November 2, 2017.
Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on November 2, 2017.
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com
