Eating Disorder Counsellors With Eating Disorder Histories: A Story of Being “Normal”

Abstract

Debate exists in the eating disorders field about the fitness to practise of counsellors with eating disorder histories (Johnston, Smethurst & Gowers, 2005). Yet despite widespread acknowledgement of the demanding nature of eating disorder counselling in general (Zerbe, 2008), almost no research exists about the actual experiences of recovered eating disorder counsellors in particular. Using semi-structured interviews this study aimed to address the research gap by investigating the experiences of 7 counsellors with eating disorder histories. Particular emphasis was given to their beliefs about the impact of their work on their own body image, weight and relationship with food. Results derived from an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis suggested that the counsellors' experienced their eating disorder history as a double-edged sword that led them to engage in a number of self-presentational activities. Implications of these findings for the eating disorders field are discussed.