Incorporating positive body image into the treatment of eating disorders: A model for attunement and mindful self-care

•A model for positive body image within eating disorder (ED) treatment is presented.•Positive body image is conceptualized as a form of flourishing.•Flourishing is fostered by healthy, embodied self-awareness and mindful self-care.•Self-awareness and mindful self-care are viewed as targets in ED tre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Body image 2015-06, Vol.14, p.158-167
Main Author: Cook-Cottone, Catherine P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Attunement
Awareness
Body Image - psychology
Combined Modality Therapy
Eating disorders
Feeding and Eating Disorders - psychology
Feeding and Eating Disorders - therapy
Female
Flourishing
Humans
Male
Mindful-self-care
Mindfulness
Models, Psychological
Personal Satisfaction
Positive body image
Psychotherapy
Self Care - psychology
Treatment
Young Adult
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Summary:•A model for positive body image within eating disorder (ED) treatment is presented.•Positive body image is conceptualized as a form of flourishing.•Flourishing is fostered by healthy, embodied self-awareness and mindful self-care.•Self-awareness and mindful self-care are viewed as targets in ED treatment.•Vignette shows self-awareness and mindful self-care integrated in ED treatment. This article provides a model for understanding the role positive body image can play in the treatment of eating disorders and methods for guiding patients away from symptoms and toward flourishing. The Attuned Representational Model of Self (Cook-Cottone, 2006) and a conceptual model detailing flourishing in the context of body image and eating behavior (Cook-Cottone et al., 2013) are discussed. The flourishing inherent in positive body image comes hand-in-hand with two critical ways of being: (a) having healthy, embodied awareness of the internal and external aspects of self (i.e., attunement) and (b) engaging in mindful self-care. Attunement and mindful self-care thus are considered as potential targets of actionable therapeutic work in the cultivation of positive body image among those with disordered eating. For context, best-practices in eating disorder treatment are also reviewed. Limitations in current research are detailed and directions for future research are explicated.
ISSN:1740-1445
1873-6807
DOI:10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.03.004