Creating Community – The Introduction of Multi-Family Therapy for Eating Disorders in Australia

Abstract

It is well established that connection and support are associated with supporting recovery from eating disorders whereas isolation and feeling misunderstood can be barriers to change. While the consumer and recovery movements have long advocated for treatments that go beyond symptom reduction alone to include factors such as connection with others, there are few treatments that are designed to target these directly for young people with eating disorders and their families. In 2014 the Sydney Children's Hospital Network Eating Disorder Service at The Children's Hospital at Westmead introduced multi-family therapy (MFT), the first program of its kind in Australia, with a primary aim being to increase solidarity and support for families in addition to helping promote eating disorder recovery more broadly. Rooted in the principles of family therapy for anorexia nervosa, MFT generally brings together six to eight families for a four-consecutive day workshop followed by six single follow-up workshops over the course of six months. This paper reviews the current literature available on MFT, describes its introduction at a specialist tertiary eating disorder service in Australia, explores preliminary feedback from families, and discusses the importance of creating solidarity for families affected by eating disorders.