ABSTRACT

In Re-Thinking Eating Disorders: Language, Emotion, and the Brain, Barbara Pearlman integrates ideas from psychoanalysis, developmental psychology and cutting-edge neuroscience to produce a model of neural emotional processing which may underpin the development of an eating disorder.

Based on clinical observations over 30 years, this book explores how state change from symbolic to concrete thinking may be a key event that precedes an eating disorder episode. The book introduces this theory, and offers clinicians working with these challenging clients an entirely new model for treatment: internal language enhancement therapy (ILET). This easily teachable therapy is explored throughout the book with case studies and detailed descriptions of therapeutic techniques.

Re-Thinking Eating Disorders will appeal to students and practitioners working with this clinical group who are seeking an up-to-date and integrative approach to therapy.

chapter 1|22 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|36 pages

The neurobiological contribution to understanding the development of an eating disorder

Neurobiological underpinnings of eating disorders

chapter 3|10 pages

A conceptual gap

Current ideas in eating disorders and the need for a new treatment approach

chapter 4|23 pages

Filling the conceptual gap

The development of symbolisation from a developmental neuropsychoanalytic perspective

chapter 6|12 pages

Theory and practice

chapter 7|9 pages

The problem with CBT

chapter 8|12 pages

ILET treatment with 'Emily'

chapter 9|5 pages

Conclusions

chapter |3 pages

Postscript