The Renfrew Unified Treatment for Eating Disorders and Comorbidity An Adaptation of the Unified Protocol, Therapist Guide

The majority of individuals who suffer from severe eating disorders also experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic reactions, and/or obsessive-compulsive disorders. Unfortunately, most empirically supported treatments for eating disorders fail to adequately account for such comorbidities.

The Renfrew Unified Treatment for Eating Disorders and Comorbidity was developed to help practitioners serve individuals who struggle with any type of eating disorder as well as intense emotions like anxiety, sadness, anger, and guilt. This Therapist Guide provides guidance on a unified set of interventions that can address both eating issues and co-occurring emotional disorders using the same set of tools. The guide includes direction for use in both individual and group settings, as well as case studies describing the experiences of patients with a diverse set of symptoms, demographics, and backgrounds. Components of the treatment are intended to help identify and explain how eating and emotional issues interact, to address automatic and core thoughts, to change patterns of behavior, and to develop new flexibility and capacity in areas of life that have been affected. The guide also includes instruction on how to provide unified exposure therapy for co-occurring problems. The Renfrew Unified Treatment for Eating Disorders and Comorbidity is based largely on common principles found in existing empirically supported psychological treatments, and has been tested in extensive research summarized in this book.

Heather Thompson-Brenner, PhD is clinical psychologist in private practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Melanie Smith, PhD, LMHC, CEDS-S is Director Of Training for The Renfrew Centers.

Gayle E. Brooks, PhD, CEDS-S is Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer for The Renfrew Centers.

Rebecca Berman, LCSW, MLSP is Clinical Supervisor for the Renfrew Center of Maryland.

Angela Kaloudis, LMHC, NCC, is a Clinical Training Specialist for The Renfrew Centers.

Hallie Espel-Huynh, PhD is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center at Brown University.

Dee Ross Franklin, MA is a Pre-Doctoral Intern at the Neurobehavioral Institute.

James Boswell, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York.

PREPARING FOR TREATMENT

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: How To Use This Manual

Chapter 3: Therapist Materials For Preparing For Treatment

MODULE 1: MOTIVATION AND GOALS

Chapter 4: Therapist Materials For Motivation And Regular Eating

Chapter 5: Therapist Materials For Regular Eating (Supplementary Session)

MODULE 2: UNDERSTANDING EMOTION

Chapter 6: Therapist Materials For The Natural Function Of Emotions

Chapter 7: Therapist Materials For The Three Parts Of Emotions (3-Component Model)

Chapter 8: Therapist Materials For Tracking Emotions Over Time (The ?Arc?)

MODULE 3: MINDFUL EMOTION AWARENESS

Chapter 9: Therapist Materials For Mindful Emotion Awareness

Chapter 10: Therapist Materials For Mood Induction

MODULE 4: COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY

Chapter 11: Therapist Materials For Automatic Thoughts And Thinking Traps

Chapter 12: Therapist Materials For Core Beliefs

MODULE 5: BEHAVIORAL FLEXIBILITY

Chapter 13: Therapist Materials For Countering Avoidant Behaviors

Chapter 14: Therapist Materials For Countering Emotion-Driven Behaviors

MODULE 6: CONFRONTING PHYSICAL SENSATIONS

Chapter 15: Therapist Materials For Interoceptive Exposures

MODULE 7: EMOTION EXPOSURES

Chapter 16: Therapist Materials For Skills For Emotion Exposures

RELAPSE PREVENTION

Chapter 17: Therapist Materials For Continuing Progress Into The Future


Appendix A: Client Forms

Appendix B: Client Worksheets

References