Self-study attachment theory & its relevance to eating disorders

This is a self-study day, so can be undertaken at any time.

Counsellors are frequently presented with clients who use food in various ways to manage their lives. They may not be fully-fledged eating disorders but are indications of disordered eating.

These clients prompt the question of why we need to soothe ourselves via the manipulation of food. Part of the answer is likely to be that they have not sufficiently learned how to soothe themselves or use others appropriately in life management.

This course explores the likely roots of this problem in your client's attachment history. The basic outline of attachment theory and the contribution of more recent writers is considered.

The course then explores how poor attachment will tempt clients to find other means of self-soothing, including food. The course requires participants to consider their own attachment history and its relevance to their eating behaviour.