Course Description

This intermediate-level course will provide an overview of behavioral, exposure-based treatment for eating disorders. The presentation will begin with a brief review of eating disorders and exposure therapy principles. Presenters then describe the rationale for using exposure therapy for the treatment of eating disorders, followed by case examples that illustrate the behavioral model. The treatment section of the course includes a discussion on the risks and benefits of behavioral treatment for eating disorders, why functional assessment is important and how it can be used to inform treatment decisions, how to develop an exposure hierarchy, as well as how to apply exposure strategies (e.g., in-vivo and imaginal exposures) in treatment.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Prepare an eating-disorders specific exposure hierarchy that has been informed by functional assessment

2. Apply exposure-based treatment strategies to symptoms of eating disorders