Official Course Start: February 4th (2025)
This online course covers fundamental concepts and techniques of schema theory and therapy (ST) as it relates to the presentation and treatment of eating disorders. This includes the assessment of schemas and modes specific to eating disorders, as well as core experiential, interpersonal, cognitive and behavioural change techniques.
Participants will be shown how to conceptualise eating disorders in the context of wider comorbidity, and to utilize powerful techniques to challenge self-criticism and eating disorder symptoms.
Participants will learn ways they can help clients build a healthy, compassionate self to replace the ‘survival’ modes that drive eating disordered behaviours.
Training can be viewed at your own time and pace. There will be access to live Zoom Q&A Meetings with Susan (these are also recorded in case you can't make them live) and discussion forums to encourage active engagement and learning. The material will be made available to registrants for a further 10 weeks after the completion of the course (so 16-weeks access in total from the official course start date).
The training covers 24-hours of Active Continuing Professional Development. A certificate of attendance will be provided at the completion of the course.
Pricing: 16-Week (Standard; 325AUD), and 12-months (Extended; 349AUD) Access Options are available - (Some folks just love more time with the materials) Scroll down for Pricing Options.
Preparatory Material Available immediately on Registration
Course Officially Starts: February 4th (2025)
See below for the course outline:
Course Curriculum
- Intro: How to Get the Most Out of Your Online Course with Susan Simpson
- Intro to the week- “Welcome to Course 1: Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders” (5:16)
- Webinar 1: Evidence base, Comorbidity & Rationale for ST for Eating Disorders (23:33)
- Webinar 2: PATHWAYS to EATING DISORDERS - The role of temperament & childhood experiences in Eating Disorders (38:30)
- Webinar 3 & Video Material- Attachment Styles and Eating Disorders (10:57)
- Webinar 4 - Schema Therapy Assessment in Eating Disorders (46:02)
- Schema Mode Inventory for Eating Disorders - SMI-ED
- Reflection Exercise: Formulating your clients' SCHEMA STORY based on unmet needs (22:38)
- Video: Intro to the week- “Welcome to Module 2”
- Webinar 1: Introducing common Eating Disorder Modes (60:45)
- Webinar 2: ST Formulation, Mode Mapping in Eating Disorders (32:55)
- Video - Talkback show Dr. Phil - Portrayals of anorexia nervosa & binge eating disorder (9:21)
- Video: Diagnostic Imagery to identify ED modes & schemas linked to unmet needs (22:40)
- Reflection Exercises: (1) Identify the possible modes that link to each stage of Fairburn's CBT-E model of Eating Disorders; (2) 'Spot the Modes' roleplay with Susan & Rob (12:57)
- Answers to Reflection Exercises: (1) Spot the Modes & (2) Identifying the modes in the CBTE formulation
- Reminder for Live Q & A Sessions on February 19th @ 8.15am and March 19th @ 8.15am 2025 (UK time zone)
- Intro to the week- “Welcome to Module 3”
- Webinar 1: Identifying and Working with Modes to Work With Motivation Issues; Internal Mode Meetings - facilitating mode dialogues and co-consciousness (84:05)
- Videos - Talkshow clip demonstrating the role of modes in creating ambivalence (6:46)
- Skills: Explaining the concept of modes & learning to roll with resistance (13:14)
- Working with Ambivalence Reflection Exercise (13:55)
- Details of Live Online Q & A Session 19th February, 2025
- Intro to the week- “Welcome to Module 4”
- Webinar - Limited Reparenting & Attunement to the hidden Lonely Child. What can we learn from neuroscience? (96:18)
- Skills Video- ' I have no Vulnerable Child' - Contaminating the Chair' (5:48)
- Skills: Video: Coaching Client's Healthy Adult to reparent their Vulnerable Child (3:42)
- Bonus Material: Five-step process of attunement with Rob Brockman (34:34)
- Reflection Exercise: Wheel of Awareness (8:57)
- Intro to the week- “Welcome to Module 5”
- Webinar 1 - Recognising the Inner Critic (77:50)
- Video clip - Appearance focused Inner Critic Messages (6:46)
- Webinar 2: Differentiating the Inner Critic from the Flagellating Overcontroller: Why is it important, and how should we respond?· (15:17)
- Skills Video: Imagery Rescripting to address childhood experiences linked to ED & schemas (39:55)
- Skills Video: Strengthening the Healthy Adult Mode (11:37)
- Hollywood Video clip - Fighting the Inner Critic - My Mad Fat Diary (3:17)
- Skills video - chairwork to fight the Punishing Mode (23:03)
- Reflection Exercise: Focusing on our own Body-focused Inner Critic Messages (3:00)
- Intro to the week- “Welcome to Module 6”
- Webinar - Working with Coping Modes (82:17)
- Videos - Overcontroller Presentations That Block Connection (9:00)
- Video - Mogli from Jungle Book as Metaphor of the 'Trance' of Detached Self Soother/Stimulator (2:57)
- Skills Video - Pros & Cons of Eating Disorder Coping Modes Exercise (34:11)
- Skills Video - Chairwork for when client can't access their Vulnerable Side. Therapist plays Vulnerable Child. (23:21)
- Skills videos- Chair Work With Overcontroller; (29:42)
- Reflection Exercise: Therapists' coping modes as blocks to attunement (6:19)
- Details of Live Q & A Session 19th March 8.15am (UK time) 2025
- Intro to the week- “Welcome to Module 7”
- Webinar 1 – The Role of Cognitive Strategies for Change in Eating Disorders; Cognitive Methods for Dealing With Toxic Guilt (59:20)
- Webinar 2 – Behavioural Change Strategies (51:50)
- Videos – Reviewing the Evidence Technique for Dealing With Failure or Defectiveness/Social Undesirability Schemas
- Upward Arrow Technique for uncovering Function of Coping Modes
- Exercise: Audio Flashcards for Responding to Body Signals (10:48)
- Downloading Your Certificate and Keeping an Active PD Record/Course Finish Date
Your Presenter - Dr Susan Simpson
Dr. Susan Simpson is a Clinical Psychologist who has specialised in Schema Therapy for complex eating disorders over the past 20 years. She is secretary of the ISST Executive Board, and director of an ISST accredited training program, Schema Therapy Scotland. She has worked in specialist eating disorders services for over 15 years, and is currently based in an NHS-Scotland inpatient eating disorders unit. She is part of an international research group which is investigating the effectiveness of Schema Therapy for eating disorders. She has published several book chapters and journal articles on schema therapy, with a particular focus on the eating disorder population. She is co-author/editor of the book Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders published by Routledge (2020). Susan has presented at national and international conferences and has provided workshops across Australia and Europe.
For a list of research publications, see: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Susan_Simpson