Eating Disorders Families Australia

Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) has been established by a group of Australian parents who have cared for and treated a young person with an eating disorder, to advocate for the needs and roles of other parents during this experience. Parents and families of children under 18 years are seen by the service system to be vital to treatment and recovery, but not necessarily equipped or supported to be a part of this process. Parents and families of adult children over 18 years have an even less clear mandate and yet have a vital role to play in their family member’s well being and recovery.

Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) acknowledges that not all parents and families are prepared to access their own resources and support or capable of playing a central role in the treatment and recovery of their family member with an eating disorder. However, it is best practice for all parents and families to be given the option and support to maximise their role in the care team. Such collaborative approaches result in better long-term outcomes for our loved ones, more resilient families and less impact on our health system.

Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) sees parents and families of people with eating disorders as parents, carers, siblings, extended family or significant others.

We welcome support in the form of membership and donations to help us achieve our goals.

Want to understand what it is like to care for someone with an eating disorder?

Gregg and Sarah Brown, parents of a young person who is recovered from an eating disorder, made this amazing video documentary for EDFA featuring 3 families telling their story of the impact of the eating disorder on their family and what they needed to do to support their loved one.  To view this video go to https://youtu.be/anDnIvu4FjI

EDFA Workshop and Training for Carers and Clinicians Series 2019

Temperament Based Therapy with Supports

Dr Christina Wierenga              Dr Stephanie Knatz Peck              Dr Laura Hill

Temperament-Based Therapy with Supports (previously known as NEW FED TR) is a new treatment approach focused on integrating cutting edge information about the brain-basis of eating disorders into treatment. TBT-S focuses on arming clinicians with experiential activities and highly-focused skills to teach clients and carers/supports reasons that eating disorders occur, and concrete and applicable skills that can be used to combat disordered eating behavior. Clinicians and carers learn how to address eating behavior in EDs from a brain basis based on the latest information from a neuroscientific perspective. Studies evaluating TBT-S suggest that the effect of approaching treatment from a scientific perspective, as is taught in TBT-S,  leads to high client and carer satisfaction, enhancing both clients’  and supports/carers’ motivation to engage in treatment and a higher degree of self-efficacy.

Come & learn from the founders of TBT-S about this new evidence informed multi-family treatment  for patients 16 and over with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The temperament‐focused treatment combines psychoeducation of AN neurobiology and involvement of supports (families/carers) to develop skills to manage traits contributing to disease chronicity. Both the one day workshop and the 4 day training will address how to 

• better manage eating disorder symptoms by working with AN traits

• reduce mealtime avoidance and distress

• increase effectiveness of client-support interactions to support recovery

​Carers will come away with greater understanding about what is driving the eating disorders​ and valuable skills for working with their loved one.

​For the 4 day training, this is a unique opportunity to be trained to deliver their intensive 5-day 40-hour multi-family format which includes neurobiological psychoeducation, client and support skills-training, meal planning & coaching, & development of a behavioral agreement plan. The TBT-S training will deliver hands-on training on activities and skills that are evidence-informed, which can be used as a stand-alone treatment, or in concert with other treatments in clinical settings. All clinical skills learnt can be used in one on one work with clients & their families; or the 5 day multi-family format can be adapted in less intense formats. 

To see Prof Ivan Eisler talk about TBT-S, click HERE 

For more information, visit www.edfaevents.com