65th Annual Conference

Friday, February 22

Morning Workshops

10:00 A.M.-1:15 P.M.

Workshop 51

Eating Disorders: The Group as a Conduit to Healing

Chair:    

Patricia Kyle Dennis, Ph.D., CGP, Private Practice, St. Louis, Missouri

The shame, isolation, and alexithymia common among people with eating disorders can be powerfully addressed in a group format. Interactions related to eating and the body can be used to identify and work through these problems. Participants will learn leadership skills including transference/countertransference and developmental factors.
demonstration-didactic-sharing of work experiences
 

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:
1. The attendee will be able to identify group interactions related to common eating disorder symptoms.
2. The attendee will be able to detect his/her own eating and body concerns and their role in the therapeutic process.
3. The attendee will be able to utilize this knowledge in clinical decision-making to foster healing in ED groups.

Course References:

1. Dennis, P. K. (2005). Fat in the Countertransference: Clinical Social Workers' Reactions to Fat Patients. Institute for Clinical Social Work, Chicago. URL: http://www.icsw.edu/_dissertations/dennis_2005.pdf
2. H. Harper-Guiffre and R. MacKenzie. (Eds.). 1992. Group Psychotherapy for Eating Disorders. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Press, Inc.
3. McEneaney, A. (2007). Envy in Body Transference and Countertransference. In L. Navaro and S. Schwartzberg. (Eds).), 2007. Envy, competition and gender: theory, clinical applications and group work. London and New York: Routledge.