Social Work Commons^™

Peers Helping Peers: A Model For Planning A Support Group For Women Struggling With Eating Disorders, Jennifer Sims

Honors Projects

Women are constantly bombarded with images that advertise unrealistic beauty standards. These negative portrayals of women often lead to negative self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, unhealthy dieting, extreme exercising and—in more extreme cases—the development of eating disorders (ED). When treating EDs, practitioners often turn to Cognitive-behavioral Therapy (CBT) as the first choice of intervention, but this treatment option lacks the key element of social support. This paper looks to create a model for planning a support group that balances CBT techniques with social support elements. Elements such as self-monitoring, progressive relaxation, homework, goal setting, and psychoeducation will be pulled from CBT models …