Therapeutic Change and Anorexia Nervosa: Views of a Family and a Therapist

Abstract

Answers to the question ‘Why do people change in family therapy?’ remain somewhat elusive and may to some extent always remain partial. However, the perceptions of important participants in the therapeutic system, namely family members themselves, seem somewhat under‐utilised. A regular examination and integration of the families' views may lead to enrichment of our understanding of this complex area.In this paper the therapist's (and therapy team's) views of the possible catalysts of change in therapy are compared with one family's ideas twelve months after termination of treatment. The family had attended for family therapy because the middle daughter had been suffering from anorexia nervosa.