Values Based Eating Disorder Treatment

Have you ever been asked to set a goal that you didn’t feel connected to or passionate about? Maybe it was an expectation at school or work. Did you feel motivated to achieve that goal? Probably not. 

If you are reading this blog, chances are you are not happy with your relationship with food. But why? My guess is there’s something in your life that isn’t working any more. Perhaps you are missing out on events because you’re finding getting dressed more difficult because you are so uncomfortable in your body. Perhaps grocery shopping and cooking have become insurmountable tasks that trigger fear and anxiety. Perhaps you’re feeling disconnected from friends and family. Maybe you just can’t carry it all anymore. 

You have a set of values. Some were inherited from family, culture, or religious traditions. Some you developed on your own from life experiences. Eating disorders take over and disconnect people from these values. It’s impossible to make decisions rooted in your values because you are too preoccupied with making decisions that satisfy eating disorder thoughts. 

To help people see this, I do the following activity with clients early on in therapy:

Values: List your five most important values. Some examples could be your relationship with your family and friends, your hobbies and interests, or the morals and ethics that guide your life. Most people value a combination of these things. 

Decisions: When you were engaging in your most severe eating disorder behaviors, were you closer or further away from each of these values?

When developing goals for treatment, we want to center them on these values. We want to assess how the eating disorder has separated you from these values, and what needs to happen to reconnect you.  

If you’re ready for an eating disorder treatment that focuses on your whole person and centers your individual values contact me for a free consultation today!