https://doi.org/10.4081/qrmh.2024.11376
Understanding the phenomenological experiences of schema therapy for those with an eating disorder
Submitted: 8 April 2023
Accepted: 5 July 2024
Published: 12 September 2024
Accepted: 5 July 2024
Abstract Views: 211
PDF: 112
Supplementary Materials: 2
Supplementary Materials: 2
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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Schema therapy expands traditional cognitive-behavioral models, weakening early maladaptive schemas and schema modes while strengthening adaptive modes. This study investigated participant experiences of schema therapy for eating disorders, focusing on schema modes and the eating disorder voice, how these maintained disordered eating, and how therapy helped. Semistructured online video interviews with clients receiving schema therapy for eating disorders (N=10) were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Four group experiential themes were developed: (1) adverse experiences, typically in childhood and adolescence, (2) interpersonal relationships, especially with primary caregivers and the benefits of a good therapeutic relationship, (3) self-awareness of schema modes and the eating disorder voice and their impact on participants’ eating disorders, and (4) recovery using schema concepts, including finding one’s inner child, better self-management, and ambivalence about recovering. Overall, schema therapy was perceived as beneficial, specifically regarding participants’ awareness of their inner child, development of their eating disorder, and awareness of their eating disorder voice. Participants expressed a growing positive sense of agency, connecting with their inner child’s needs and developing a connection to their healthy adult mode. They also felt that schema therapy had equipped them with the tools to strengthen their healthy adult mode, while simultaneously weakening their maladaptive modes.
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How to Cite
Cunningham, Alice, Marie Reid, Stephanie Sayan, and Richard Hammersley. 2024. “Understanding the Phenomenological Experiences of Schema Therapy for Those With an Eating Disorder”. Qualitative Research in Medicine and Healthcare 8 (2). https://doi.org/10.4081/qrmh.2024.11376.
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