Outcomes of Manualized Cognitive-Behavioral Body Image Therapy with Eating Disordered Women Treated in a Private Clinical Practice

Body image change is an important component of the treatment of eating disorders, and cognitive behavioral body image therapy has substantial empirical support as efficacious in the improvement of body image difficulties and disorders. Most evidence comes from randomized, controlled, outcome studies and does not examine effectiveness for persons with clinical eating disorders in the context of "usual care" settings. The present study was conducted in a private practice and assessed 30 women with a range of eating disorder diagnoses. Following manualized group treatment based on Cash's (1997) The Body Image Workbook, clients reported reduced body image dysphoria, greater body and appearance satisfaction on several dimensions, less psychological investment in their appearance, and a better evaluation of their fitness/health. The study's limitations and implications are discussed.