ERP Everywhere, but Not All At Once

Eating Disorders so often start and end with Anxiety- this is the argument for making
use of ERP. Throughout the treatment. Multidisciplinary- in the therapy consultation
room as well as the dietitian office. At all levels of care. In a box and with a fox.
Claire St John, MPH RDN CEDS-S and Anna Governale, LMFT recommend utilizing
ERP concepts to treat a variety of challenges that arise throughout.  An exposure with
Anna such as a mirror challenge or family systems confrontation- can aggravate eating
behaviors that get addressed with Claire.  Similarly, ERP with Claire will certainly send
the patient back to Anna with new feelings to focus on.
Fears in life- successfully avoided through an ED- become exacerbated throughout
recovery and existing OCD can get amplified, then dissipate.
 
We learned about Imaginal Exposures, reviewed usage of SUDs, and discussed the
importance of co creating exposures with a patient- so as to adjust to their trauma. We
learned to “Invest in the distress of today to avoid it tomorrow”.
Ultimately, it is the demonstration of Anna and Claire’s collaborative relationship- this is
our goal in ED treatment.
Thank you to all who attended from far and wide today and shared their ERP
experiences.
A video of the full talk is here.