ABCT Clinical Practice Series

Exposure therapy is a core component of evidence-based treatments for eating disorders (EDs), including cognitive-behavioral therapy and family-based treatment. Despite this, existing treatment guides give relatively limited attention to the clinical issues associated with good implementation of exposure. This book is designed to augment a wide variety of treatment manuals by providing ED clinicians with practical advice for maximizing the effectiveness of exposure, regardless of which evidence-based treatment they use or the profession to which they belong. Written in an easy-to-understand format, this book not only translates the most up-to-date empirical research on exposure for EDs, it also extrapolates clinical advice from the anxiety disorders literature to help busy clinicians become more effective in treating EDs. Readers will walk away with a solid foundation in the theoretical underpinnings of exposure therapy, as well as an understanding of how to utilize this information to sell the rationale for exposure to their ED patients. Clinically rich chapters, with ample case material, demonstrate how to prepare to embark on exposure therapy with a wide range of ED patients, including those with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. Specific types of ED exposure are covered in detail, including exposure to food and eating, cue exposure for binge eating, weighing and weight exposure, body image exposure, emotion and interpersonally focused exposure, and novel forms of exposure for EDs. Clinicians also will walk away with strategies for overcoming obstacles to implementation of exposure therapy, including institutional resistance.Less