Interventions and Strategies for Families and Friends of the Self-Harming Patient with an Eating Disorder

Healthy support and connection are critical to the long-term recovery of individuals with eating disorders and with self-harm behavior (SHB). The intention of this chapter is to discuss working with significant others including family, spouses, lovers, and friends. I find it useful to work with available significant others whenever I can, and this chapter will provide examples of considerations, strategies, and interventions.