DClinPsy Portfolio Volume 1 of 3 - University of Hertfordshire ...

Furthermore, it has been proposed that a problematic need for control maintains anorexic
type eating disorders (Fairburn, Shafran, and Cooper, 1999) and that dietary restriction is
reinforced by the sense of being in control, particularly if the individual has failed at
controlling other areas of life. ACT has various strategies targeted at helping the
individual relinquish the unhelpful need for excessive control. Various case studies using
ACT have found positive results in the treatment of an adolescent female with Anorexia
Nervosa (Heffner, Sperry, Eifert and Detweiler, 2002).
Therefore an ACT treatment plan for eating disorders seeks to undermine ineffective
control and avoidance strategies and by helping the client identify valued life directions
with the provision of support to help achieve them. Thus, negative emotions and thoughts
are reframed as an expected part of life, or as Orsillo and Batten, (2002) explain, an
expected part of goal directed behaviour. ACT therefore attempts to change the aim of
ridding oneself of unpleasant emotions to fully experiencing these emotions whilst also
achieving personally valued goals.
As regards body image dissatisfaction, ACT holds that this may be embraced as
normative discontent if an individual exhibits an accepting posture toward negative
thoughts and feelings about his or her body shape and/or weight (Sandoz et al, 2006). It
may therefore be that enabling an accepting posture towards negative thoughts and
feelings about ones body may decrease the negative relationship between body image
satisfaction and disordered eating.
Clinical implications
Understanding the psychological processes related to disordered eating such as inflexible
emotional processing (i.e. experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion) may enable more
effective early prevention (e.g. in schools).
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