This paper (Assignment 3.2) that I completed for CNS 771: Clinical Mental Health Counseling outlines the structure for an eating disorder prevention program for adolescents and provides information on why it is needed. This paper demonstrates how counselors can be instrumental in program development and can initiate much-needed services being offered to at-risk clients. Click here to download a PDF version.
Disordered Eating Prevention Workshop for Middle Schoolers
Rationale The second semester of my counseling internship was spent conducting individual, group, and family therapy with clients who were struggling with a range of eating disorders including: Binge Eating Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, and Pica. Although these issues manifested in different ways, most of my clients had a lot in common. Most of them were dissatisfied with the way they saw their bodies, had grown up in households that were obsessed with dieting, and we influenced by social pressures to look and eat a certain way. Most clients also reported the origin of their disorder beginning between age 9 and 12 years old. The clients who came to us during their middle school years often recovered quicker and more easily than those who came when they were older and more set in their eating disorder thoughts and habits.
Many people who have not experienced an eating disorder firsthand or through someone close to them think that eating disorders are solely about food. In fact, food is just one piece of the puzzle. For this reason, I designed this workshop which takes a more holistic approach to disordered eating prevention. The first session is focused on debunking myths about food and dismantling diet culture. This session will present an “All Foods Fit” model to encourage balance and moderation as opposed to restriction. The second session will focus on body positivity, the role of media, and how to manage tough body image moments. We will discuss Health at Every Size and we will identify role models who look diverse. The third session will discuss social dynamics as this is a crucial part of the middle school experience. This session will discuss how to disagree or confront a friend when they say something negative about food or someone’s body; how to help a friend who might be struggling with disordered eating; and how to speak up and communicate effectively when you are upset. Instead of using food or one’s body to send a message, we will practice using words. We will also talk about what kind of qualities we respect and look for in friends, and how we can emulate those qualities ourselves. The fourth and final session of the workshop will focus on how to cope with difficult emotions. Middle school can be a tumultuous time filled with fear, embarrassment, stress, anger, and all sorts of other scary feelings! This session will help attendees identify healthy coping strategies they can turn to in these moments instead of relying on food to moderate their emotions.
The overall goal of the workshop is to provide a safe space where young adolescents can ask questions and explore their beliefs around food and body image. This clientele was selected because while they may be becoming more aware of their bodies and food intake, they likely do not yet have a full-blown eating disorder. The aim is to empower attendees to become self-advocates who can ask for what they need, balance their emotions, find and be positive influences, learn to love themselves, and enjoy their middle school years! The idea is that if we equip young people with powerful truths about food and body image, that they can move into their teen years ready to combat long-standing attitudes about these issues that may be harmful. Some helpful online resources are included at the end of this report.
Plan Session 1: “All Foods Fit”
Goal: To understand the role of calories and the health implications of malnourishment and to debunk common myths about dieting.
Objectives:
Attendees will learn the components that every meal should include (i.e. starches, proteins, fats, dairy)
Attendees will learn what constitutes a portion size of each food group
Attendees will learn statistics on how many diets fail and learn about diets which may be physically/emotionally harmful
Methods:
Art Activity – Each attendee will get a canvas and will have time to create an art piece based on the quote “My body is less judgmental of what I eat than my mind.”
Meal Plan Creation – Attendees will work in small groups to create a week’s work of balanced meals (integrating snacks, desserts, and all of the major food groups)
Session 2: “Every Body is Beautiful”
Goal: To develop positive body image and learn about Health at Every Size.
Objective:
Attendees will view statistics on how media influences our body image
Attendees will learn about Health at Every Size and that being overweight does not always equate with being “unhealthy”
Attendees will learn about the effectiveness of affirmations
Methods:
“Where in Your Body” Art Activity – Attendees will get a worksheet with the outline of a human body, then they will color each area by which emotion they feel there
“Objective Affirmations” Activity – Attendees will make notecards with objective affirmations, such as “my feet get me where I need to go” or “I like my arms because they are strong”
Session 3: “With Friends Like These”
Goal: To learn how to effectively communicate with peers and family members.
Objective:
Attendees will learn about the importance of maintaining boundaries
Attendees will learn how to speak up and handle confrontation in a kind manner
Attendees will practice verbalizing uncomfortable emotions
Methods:
“Women/Men I Admire” Activity – Attendees will take 10 minutes to journal about three people who have inspired them or been influential in their lives. They will be asked to list 3-5 qualities each of these people has and then we will discuss how most of those qualities are not physical
Session 4: “Self-Care & Coping”
Goal: To develop resources for coping in a healthy way when emotions are heightened.
Objective:
Attendees will identify behaviors that have or have not worked for them in the past
Attendees will hear about the takeaways of DBT literature on distress tolerance
Attendees will watch Dr. Kristen Neff’s TED Talk on Self-Compassion
Methods:
“Self-Care Toolkit” – Each attendee will decorate a shoebox and will be asked to include in it a list of activities they can do when they are feeling down, a list of people they can call, and a few images of things that make them happy
Websites on this Topic:
Health at Every Size An organization that focuses on promoting acceptance of body diversity. https://haescommunity.com/
Recovery Warriors This visually intriguing site posts blogs from hundreds of people who have recovered or are recovering from eating disorders that tackle prevention and intervention strategies https://www.recoverywarriors.com/
Oliver Pyatt – Blog This eating disorder treatment company has centers across the country and their blog focuses on a range of topics relevant to disordered eating http://www.oliverpyattcenters.com/blog/