Siblings as Co-Patients and Co-Therapists in the Treatment of Eating Disorders

Although a voluminous literature exists on the families of eating disorder patients, it chiefly concerns the parents and their relationship with the patient (see Vandereycken, Kog, & Vanderlinden, 1989). For too long a time, both researchers and therapists have overlooked the fact that siblings may be involved in the development of anorexia/bulimia nervosa in their sister. ¹ They, too, might suffer from this situation and show signs of psychosocial dysfunctioning (being co-patients), but equally neglected is the fact that the so-called “well” siblings may play a constructive role in the treatment of their anorexic or bulimic sister (and play the role of co-therapist). In the first part of this chapter we summarize the current knowledge about these siblings from a research perspective. Then we discuss what therapeutic role they may play, according to our own clinical experience.