Therapist Materials for Motivation and Regular Eating

Abstract

The session covered in Chapter 4 discusses the importance of motivation because motivation and treatment engagement are the most important predictors of outcome. Clients often judge themselves for not having enough motivation. In some ways they feel like they should want treatment, or that they should want to get rid of their eating disorder, or that they ought to be more committed to the process. Motivation fluctuates, and this is normal. The concept of decisional balance is presented to determine the costs and benefits of changing and the costs and benefits of remaining the same. Clients begin to set specific goals (and manageable steps to reach these goals) that they hope to achieve during treatment. This chapter introduces Form 4.1: Regular Eating Food Log, which will be used throughout the treatment program.