9 Learnings from Working as a Therapist in an Adult Eating Disorder Service

I worked as a therapist in an NHS adult eating disorder service on and off between house moves, babies and life between 2004 and 2023. Working in the NHS had never been my strategic career plan.

At 23 years old, I knew that I wanted to work in eating disorders, but the chaos of my early twenties meant that I was running on ideas and dreams, rather than having any concrete plan. Initially, my decision to train as a therapist came from my own wounded healer abandonment issues and wanting to save others.

This wounded place was a helpful starting point and initiation for change. It gave me purpose and hope as I floundered in the choppy waters of life, but feeling reassured by the distant lighthouse shining its beacon out to sea.

I began my therapist training aged 25, with vigorous youthful enthusiasm and joy. 4 years later and working in Student Support at my local university, I fell upon a job advert for an eating disorder therapist.

It was a new service coming to my city and embedded deeply in a psychological approach to treatment. I decided to apply, even though officially, I was an unsuitable candidate for the role. Miraculously, I was offered the job and the incredible mentors who interviewed me back in 2004, continue to be in my life today.

And it opened me up to a whole wealth of experience and learning for the next 19 years.

 

This episode explores 9 things I learned on this journey.

 

Harriet's Substack: https://substack.com/@theeatingdisordertherapist

 

Harriet Frew's current offers: -

Online 10 Steps to Intuitive Eating Course https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/online-courses.html

Online Breaking Free from Bulimia 

https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/bulimia-nervosa-online-course.html

Eating Disorders Training for Professionals

https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/eating-disorders-training-with-harriet-frew.html

Body Image Training for Professionals

https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/body-image-training-with-harriet-frew.html