This course offers UK psychologists a full clinical and psychoanalytic perspective on binge eating.
This course gives UK practitioners a psychoanalytically informed, clinical view of binge eating. It outlines the definition and DSM-5-TR criteria before looking at binge eating as a coping strategy linked to emotional regulation difficulties, early experiences and patterns in relationships. Themes include shame, body image, attachment and what food may symbolise, as well as family systems and wider social and cultural pressures. The therapeutic section considers working with resistance, boundary issues and pitching interventions at the patient's developmental level. It suits therapists who want to go beyond symptom management, and it can be logged as a learning activity in an HCPC CPD record.
This talk provides a clinically grounded overview of binge eating, including its definition, diagnostic criteria, and psychological underpinnings. It explores binge eating as a coping mechanism linked to emotional regulation difficulties, early developmental experiences, and relational dynamics. Attention is given to themes such as shame, body image, attachment, and the symbolic meaning of food, alongside the impact of family systems and broader sociocultural influences. The session also addresses therapeutic challenges, including working with resistance, boundary issues, and adapting interventions to the patient’s developmental level.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this talk, participants will be able to:
Deepening Change in Imago Relationship Therapy