Brief Therapy and Eating Disorders

BARBARA MCFARLAND is a psychologist in private practice and founded The Eating Disorders Recovery Center in Cincinnati in 1984. She also is the founder and president of Creative Therapy Associates, Inc., which develops educational materials that are psychologically-based. She has published numerous articles on eating disorders and is the coauthor of several books on eating disorders, including Shame and Body Image (1991) and Feeding the Empty Heart (1988). In addition, McFarland conducts training programs nationally on solution-focused therapy for clinicians and mental health agencies.

"Using a wealth of clinical examples, and offering a creative arrayof techniques and strategies, McFarland has put together apractical, hands-on manual for dealing, in a time-effective manner,with clients struggling with eating disorders. This book will be auseful resource for clinicians in the trenches!" --Steven Friedman,Harvard Community Health Plan "With this book, the eating disorders field has finally maturedpast describing the problem and developed a solution orientation.Traditionally, bulimic and anorexic clients have been viewed asdifficult to help and long-term treatment candidates. McFarlandshows there are ways to treat these problems efficiently andeffectively.... Having treated eating disorders with traditionalpathology-based and long-term approaches for many years, McFarlandis a credible advocate of this new, more brief, and managed-carefriAndly method. Extremely well-written and readable." --WilliamHudson O'Hanlon, coauthor, In Search of Solutions and A Brief Guideto Brief Therapy "Barbara McFarland's book will empower clinicians and clientsalike. With a masterful grasp of therapy trAnds, she distills herwisdom in years of treating this difficult problem and describesher own journey to more effective treatment. Clinicians will find agreat deal of specific help and potent concepts." --Lynn D.Johnson, director, Brief Therapy Center, Salt Lake City "In straightforward, clear, and pragmatic language, McFarlandpresents a model that focuses on strengths rather than weaknesses,on solutions rather than problems, and on hope rather than despair.Her book should be on the shelf of every clinician who works withclients who have eating problems." --Scott D. Miller, Brief TherapyNetwork "An encouraging work that offers more realistic hope for theclients and recognizes and builds on their strengths. This book isrecommAnded reading for anyone who has an interest in the treatmentof eating disorders." --Maren Engel, Canadian Journal ofOccupational Therapy

• Introduction: Using Solution-Focused Brief Therapy with EatingDisorder Clients. Shifting Paradigms: Beyond Sickness. Transforming Clinical Assumptions: Becoming Mindful. The Changing Therapeutic Relationship: The Art ofCollaboration. The First Sessions: Key Interviewing Questions. Working with Challenging Cases: Useful Interventions. Solution-Focused Group Therapy: A Program Description. Epilogue: Through the Looking Glass. Resources: Self-Reporting Forms. Appendix A. Assessment Tools. Appendix B. Working with the Miracle Question. Appendix C. Progress in Treatment. Appendix D. Goals. Appendix E. Aftercare Planning. Appendix F. Progress in Recovery.