Schema therapy for eating disorders

Although Schema Therapy for eating disorders is still developing as a research domain, early findings are encouraging—including one randomized controlled trial (McIntosh et al., 2016) and multiple pilot studies (Simpson et al., 2010; Simpson & Slowey, 2011). In addition, Schema Therapy has consistently shown robust outcomes for disorders that frequently co-occur with eating disorders, such as borderline and narcissistic personality disorders, chronic depression, and complex trauma (Bakos et al., 2015; Pugh, 2015; Taylor et al., 2017).

This immersive two-day workshop is designed to equip therapists with highly practical tools and techniques for working with eating disorders—particularly when complexity and comorbidity are present (e.g. OCD, perfectionism, PTSD, overcontrol). You’ll learn to apply schema mode work to uncover and shift the emotional drivers beneath eating disorder behaviours.

With a strong focus on experiential learning, this workshop includes live demonstrations, video material, and plenty of hands-on practice. You’ll explore variations of imagery rescripting, chair work, and other experiential techniques tailored to the unique challenges of this population. Topics include bypassing avoidant and controlling coping modes, strengthening the Healthy Adult, and addressing punitive and self-critical modes that maintain disordered behaviours.

You will receive practical handouts and tools that you can immediately use in your clinical practice.

Day 1

Introduction & Foundations

• Gaps in current eating disorder treatment outcomes
• Comorbidity and complexity in eating disorders
• Why Schema Therapy? The case for schema-informed care
• Review of evidence supporting Schema Therapy in this field
• Modes & Mode Mapping

Identifying key modes in eating disorders

• Introducing specific eating disorder-related modes
• Linking modes to disordered behaviours (e.g. bingeing, purging, restriction, rituals)
• Understanding the Overcontroller in its various forms
• Group exercise: Developing a mode map for your ED clients

Schema Assessment & Psychoeducation

• Identifying unmet emotional needs and core schemas
• Exploring coping modes and resistance to recovery
• Strategies for schema assessment and case formulation

Day 2

Experiential Techniques for Eating Disorders

Chair Work & Critic Modes

• Chair dialogues to confront punitive and demanding modes
• Working with the inner critic and guilt-inducing thoughts

Bypassing the Overcontroller Mode

• Version 1: Therapist takes the voice of the Vulnerable Child
• Version 2: Therapist takes the Devil’s Advocate role
• Group exercise: Practice bypassing with Devil’s Advocate role

Imagery Rescripting – Advanced Applications

• Addressing body image distortions through imagery
• Combining imagery with exposure for food/weight-based fears
• Using imagery to address early origins of coping
• Future-focused imagery to build motivation and recovery goals

Empathic Confrontation & Clinical Integration

• Techniques for empathic confrontation in strong coping modes
• Common therapeutic pitfalls and how to manage them
• Case discussion & supervision opportunity

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Apply mode work to formulate complex thoughts, urges, behaviours, and comorbidities in eating disorders
• Use chair work and imagery to target self-defeating critical modes
• Recognise and work with common coping modes, including Overcontrollers and Helpless Surrenderers
• Apply empathic confrontation techniques to bypass rigid and avoidant modes
• Work effectively with clients who find it difficult to access or tolerate emotional vulnerability
• Use experiential techniques to access and heal the underlying distress that drives disordered eating
• Strengthen the client’s Healthy Adult mode as part of the recovery process
• Understand and integrate the latest scientific evidence behind Schema Therapy for EDs and related conditions

This workshop is ideal for schema therapists, psychologists, psychotherapists, and other mental health professionals working with eating disorders—particularly those seeking new experiential tools for working with complexity and comorbidity. Prior experience with Schema Therapy is recommended but not required.