ABSTRACT
The difference between a straight line and a circle, depending on how one interprets the question, may be both strikingly straightforward and remarkably complex. On paper, the difference is immediately discernible. However, when applied to the relationship between human-to-human interactions and symptomatic behavior, the distinction between a straight line and a circle heralded one of the most significant paradigmatic shifts in the history of family therapy. A linear school of thought prevailed in psychotherapy for many years, postulating that A causes B, which in turn causes C, and that problematic behaviors may therefore be treated once the root cause is identified. This linear notion of causality had clear implications for the delivery of mental health treatment, and underpinned a diverse array of therapeutic modalities, including behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and psychodynamic psychotherapy, which have been woven into the tapestry of eating disorder (ED) treatment over the last several decades.
