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Evaluation ViewAttendees 7

Traditional Workshop - Ticketed

Eating Disorders

Workshop 5 - Exposure Therapy in the Treatment of Eating Disorders

Friday, November 15, 2024
8:30 AM – 11:30 AM EST
Location: 414/415, Level 4, Downtown Marriott
Earn 3 Credit
Ticketed Session
Keywords: Exposure, Fear, Eating
Level of Familiarity: Basic to Moderate
Recommended Readings: Becker, C. B., Farrell, N. R., & Waller, G. (2019). Exposure therapy for eating disorders. In J.A. Smits et al., Clinical Guide to Exposure Therapy (277-297). Oxford University Press.,   Butler, R. M., & Heimberg, R. G. (2020). Exposure therapy for eating disorders: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 78, 101851.,   Griffen, T. C., Naumann, E., & Hildebrandt, T. (2018). Mirror exposure therapy for body image disturbances and eating disorders: A review. Clinical Psychology Review, 65, 163-174.,   Schaumberg, K., Reilly, E. E., Gorrell, S., Levinson, C. A., Farrell, N. R., Brown, T. A., ... & Anderson, L. M. (2021). Conceptualizing eating disorder psychopathology using an anxiety disorders framework: Evidence and implications for exposure-based clinical research. Clinical Psychology Review, 83, 101952.,   Reilly, E. E., Anderson, L. M., Gorrell, S., Schaumberg, K., & Anderson, D. A. (2017). Expanding exposure‐based interventions for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50(10), 1137-1141.
Eating disorders (EDs) are associated with profound medical consequences, substantial caregiver burden, and high mortality rates. Unfortunately, treatment outcomes from current evidence-based approaches are notoriously poor, with only 30-50% of patients achieving remission (Atwood & Friedman; Kaidesoja et al., 2022). In order to optimize treatment outcomes for EDs, new approaches must address core maintaining mechanisms. Emerging theory and research suggest that fear is a central maintaining factor in EDs, which drives disordered eating behaviors (Murray et al., 2018; Schaumberg et al., 2021). For example, fear of weight gain may lead to food avoidance, overexercise, or purging to prevent feared outcomes from materializing (Schaumberg et al., 2021). Although there is variability among individuals, common core fears experienced by those with EDs are transdiagnostic and include fears related to one’s body shape and weight, food, judgment by others, and loss of control (Butler et al., 2023). Conceptualization of EDs as fear-based disorders calls for the translation of exposure therapy to EDs (Butler & Heimberg 2020; Schaumberg et al., 2021). Despite the promising status of the literature, few clinicians currently use exposure therapy in practice with EDs (Waller et al., 2012, 2016). The current workshop seeks to bridge the gap between research and practice by teaching clinicians how to effectively apply exposure therapy with clients with EDs. The workshop will describe the theoretical and empirical rationale for using exposure therapy in ED treatment and provide training in evidence-based approaches to exposure therapy for EDs, including exposure to feared foods, body image exposures, imaginal exposures, and interoceptive exposures. Experiential methods will also be employed, including demonstrations, role play, and a clinical exercise applying exposure therapy with an ED case example. The workshop will conclude with a discussion of common challenges and methods to optimize exposure therapy outcomes (e.g., using inhibitory learning strategies; Craske et al., 2014). Attendees will have opportunities to discuss and receive feedback on cases.

Outline:
• Introduction to exposure therapy
• Rationale for application of exposure therapy to eating disorder treatment
• Approaches to exposure therapy for eating disorders
• Feared food exposure
• Imaginal exposure
• Body image exposures
• Interoceptive exposures
• Designing and implementing a course of exposure therapy with a patient
• Common difficulties when using exposure therapy in the treatment of eating disorders

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Describe the evidence for exposure therapy in the treatment of eating disorders.
  2. Explain the rationale for exposure therapy to a client with an eating disorder.
  3. Use in vivo (e.g., feared food exposures, body image exposures), interoceptive, and imaginal approaches to exposure therapy for eating disorders.
  4. Apply exposure-based approaches to a case example with an eating disorder.
  5. Identify and problem-solve common difficulties in using exposure therapy for eating disorders.
  6. Long-term Goal: Attendees will be able to apply exposure-based interventions with their own clients with eating disorders.