She is like me: a qualitative exploration of body image ideals and the young woman psychologist working with eating disorders

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective Women who are early career psychologists are likely to share a range of similarities with clients experiencing eating disorders including societal body image ideals and their own eating disorder history. While lived experience may strengthen their capacity to empathise with the client, it may also place the psychologist at risk of overidentification with the client if sufficient supports and training are not provided. This qualitative study explored the experiences of women who are early career psychologists working with eating disorders. Method Seven early career women psychologists working in Australia with clients experiencing eating disorders participated in semi-structured interviews in relation to the impact of body image ideals on their work and how they utilise supervision around this issue. Results Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of interview data revealed that several participants believed they had received inadequate training in preparing them to work with clients experiencing eating disorders. Though participants with lived experience believed their capacity for empathy was enhanced, findings indicated that similarities between clients and psychologists also created vulnerability to overidentification with the client, the triggering of their own body image issues, and experiences of shame in supervision and the workplace. Conclusions Training and supervision implications, and future research recommendations are discussed.