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Can temporary cessation of CBT really be therapeutic? A case study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 September 2017

Paul E. Jenkins
Paul E. Jenkins*
Affiliation:
Cotswold House Eating Disorders Service, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford OX3 7JX School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT
*
Correspondence to Paul E. Jenkins, Cotswold House Eating Disorders Service, Warneford Hospital, Warneford Lane, Headington, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a notoriously costly and challenging psychiatric illness to treat. Despite an accumulating evidence base, psychological treatment fails to achieve symptom abstinence in many patients with eating disorders, a shortcoming that is likely to be further pronounced in AN. The case study reported here describes how a mutually agreed break in a course of psychotherapy following an initial lack of progress might have influenced outcome for a client with a severe eating disorder. The patient received 26 sessions of CBT and results, consistent with those of larger studies, showed significant improvement on primary symptom measures. These results are discussed in the context of relevant psychological theories and an exploration of the client's motivation. Consideration is also given to other factors that may have influenced outcome.

Keywords

case studyCBTCBT-Eanorexia nervosatherapeutic break
Type
Practice article
Information
the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist , Volume 10 , 2017 , e8
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2017 

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References

Recommended follow-up reading

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Masson, PC, Sheeshka, JD (2009). Clinicians’ perspectives on the premature termination of treatment in patients with eating disorders. Eating Disorders 17, 109–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

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