ABSTRACT
With the strongest evidence base in the treatment of bulimia nervosa, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has proven to be effective in the treatment of binge eating disorder and Anorexia Nervosa (AN). CBT manuals and approaches have been designed for bulimia nervosa, for AN treatment and relapse prevention, and more recently for a transdiagnostic approach. Therapists should also be familiar with motivational assessment and enhancement strategies, schema-based cognitive therapy, and cognitive therapy focused on interpersonal processes as described by Safran & Segal. For traditional CBT as well as CBT for Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa (SE-AN), the expectation is that individuals can be actively engaged in setting goals and making changes in their lives to achieve these goals. This requires a commitment of time and energy. In time-limited CBT focused on harm reduction or improved quality of life, the focus is on acquiring the skills needed to meet a specific behavioral goal.
