Brisbane: Introduction to Eating Disorders

About this event

This training workshop is a comprehensive foundational eating disorder training developed specifically for practitioners working in community settings. The training was developed in response to the frequently asked questions and common barriers cited to implementing first-line treatment approaches by participants attending CBT-E and FBT training workshops. As such, this workshop provides practitioners with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to deliver the first-line eating disorder treatment approaches.

The training will equip community-based practitioners with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand, identify and assess eating disorders; navigate Eating Disorder Management Plans (EDMPs); assess and monitor acute risks; engage highly ambivalent patients; and refer on when necessary. This one-day interactive training includes an overview of up-to-date information and resources, practical real-life scenarios, video and live demonstrations, and activities.

This workshop seeks to provide participants with:

• An accurate and thorough understanding of what an eating disorder is (and what it isn’t) including aetiology, maintenance factors, and comorbidities
• The ability to identify and troubleshoot myths, misconceptions, and biases about eating disorders thereby, ensuring improved understanding, confidence, and competence in working with those affected by an eating disorder
• Confidence in screening for, assessing, and diagnosing eating disorders and their related concerns (including ruling out differential diagnoses)
• A thorough understanding of treatment priorities – especially in cases of complexity and comorbidity
• Practical strategies to assess, monitor, and manage acute medical and psychiatric risks of patients presenting to community-based services
• An understanding of ‘expected body weight’; how to calculate it as well as its role in diagnosis, engagement, and treatment
• An overview of the gold-standard and evidence-based treatments available for patients across the lifespan affected by an eating disorder and how to access them or learn more about delivering them
• Tools to effectively engage patients with a suspected or confirmed eating disorder (especially those who are highly ambivalent) in treatment.