Working with Eating Disorders When You're Not a Specialist - with Kel O'Neill

What happens when you realise a client has an eating disorder, but you're not an eating disorder specialist?

As therapists, we're taught not to work beyond our competence. But specialist eating disorder services are stretched, waiting lists can be long and sometimes there isn't anywhere else for a client to go.

So does referring on always have to be the answer?

In this episode of the Good Enough Counsellors podcast, I'm joined by counsellor, trainer and researcher Kel O'Neill to talk about why eating disorders aren't only an issue for specialist therapists.

Kel explains why eating disorders can be easy to miss, particularly when they aren't the reason someone originally comes to therapy. We talk about the influence of diet culture and weight loss medications, and why someone's weight doesn't necessarily tell us how unwell they are.

We also explore the difficult question of competence. How do you know whether you have enough knowledge to help? What role do supervision, training and multidisciplinary working play? And how can therapists think about risk without becoming so frightened of getting something wrong that they feel unable to help at all?

Kel also talks very movingly about her own lived experience and why a counsellor being willing to work with her made such an important difference to her life.

We discuss:

why all therapists need some awareness of eating disordershow eating disorders can be hidden behind other presenting issuesshame and the stereotypes that can prevent people seeking helpdiet culture, body image and weight loss medicationswhy you can't judge the seriousness of an eating disorder by someone's sizecompetence and knowing when you need additional supportmultidisciplinary working in private practicemanaging risk and the fear of getting things wronghow training and specialist supervision can helpwhat therapists can offer even when they're not eating disorder specialistsVOXED and the importance of learning from lived experience

About Kel O'NeillKel O'Neill is a counsellor, trainer and researcher specialising in eating disorders. Alongside her private practice, she provides training and supervision for therapists and is the founder of VOXED, Voices of Experience in Eating Disorders, which brings together lived experience, clinical practice and different perspectives on eating disorder work.

Find out more about Kel via her website HERE and connect with her on Instagram HERE

Private Practice: Who Do You Most Want to Help?One of the things therapists often worry about is feeling they need to know everything about every possible client presentation.