ABSTRACT
This chapter will outline the importance of developing competencies for giving and receiving compassion in people with eating disorders. It will initially outline the case for developing a compassionate mind to address shame and self-criticism in relation to eating disorders. The authors will provide a brief review of the role that these factors play in the aetiology, maintenance, and treatment of eating disorders. The chapter will then explore how compassion-focused interventions have been used across a range of eating disorder diagnoses. The authors will outline the development of a compassion-focused therapy (CFT) treatment programme (CFT-E and CFT-E2) which was specifically designed to meet the challenges of recovery from an eating disorder. The chapter will explore the interventions used in the programme; differences between group and individual CFT-E; and key challenges of using CFT with people with a range of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and overeating issues. The chapter will conclude with a brief discussion of potential research and clinical directions for CFT for people with an eating disorder
