Eating Disorder Treatment FAQs

You can stop with just the assessment.

Counsellor fees vary and you can see these in our online lists. Some offer reductions the low waged or unemployed.  Ask your counsellor about concessions during your Assessment.

For binge eating, compulsive overeating and bulimia, we advise weekly sessions in person, by phone or online. We ask you to complete a Food Diary so that together we can find out what is triggering the problem and take steps to sort it out. We work holistically, to deal with stuck habits, emotions, self worth, body image problems, nutritional issues and food addictions which get in the way your health and wellbeing.  A treatment programme will always be adapted to your personal needs. Please read the individual pages in our Help and Treatment Section to see how therapy can work for you.

Telephone counselling is effective and is really useful if you  find it hard to see a counsellor in person. You phone the therapist at an appointed time each week. You would also send or email a Food-Feelings Diary to your therapist before each session. Your therapist give you guidance on what to do in between sessions which will help you recover from your eating disorder.

For binge eating we advise you to start with a 12 week course of sessions, 20 weeks for uncomplicated bulimia and longer for anorexia. Some people recover really fast, although we suggest that you see your therapist at least from time to time to ensure that your recovery is sound.

We respect your confidentiality and will only contact anyone if we have your permission or you are in serious medical danger.

Counsellor qualifications are published in our counsellor lists. All NCFED therapists are qualified health professionals who follow the Code of Ethics of their professional organisation. They have also completed our Practitioner Skills Training For Eating Disorders and have been awarded the Eating Disorder Diploma.

Absolutely YES! Recovery is possible with the right support and help. You can feel in control of food and be free of obsessions and worries about food and weight. Recovery means much more than feeling in control of food. It is about managing your feelings, relating well to other people and being happier overall. You can learn more about recovery here. Recovery also involves healing your body and your relationships with other people which have been damaged by the eating disorder. We understand that you may feel bad about the time, energy or money used up by your eating disorder, but we will help you to look forward and find a new direction for your life.