Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders Online Training I Working with Tricky Modes, Body Image & Trauma l June 2025

Schema Therapy Scotland is pleased to introduce this 1 or 2-day workshop on Schema Therapy for eating disorders with a focus on bypassing difficult coping modes, working with guilt, shame and body image disturbances.

This workshop will provide therapists with an opportunity to learn powerful techniques for working with these people with eating disorders, including managing tricky coping modes that often block access to the Vulnerable Child. Anyone interested in knowing how to implement schema therapy using mode work with eating disorders, including those with severe and complex presentations, would benefit from this workshop. This advanced therapy workshop aims will train participants in implementing techniques for working with entrenched early maladaptive schemas (including core beliefs) with individuals with eating disorders and complex comorbidity. You will also have an opportunity to learn some ways of adapting schema therapy for eating disorders in a group context.

The workshop will provide participants with practical experience and guidance in the use of imagery rescripting, chair work, empathic confrontation and other techniques for change. Videos and live demonstrations will be used to illustrate experiential change techniques. Training will specifically include working with vulnerable [child] modes, limited reparenting skills, bypassing avoidant or overcompensatory coping modes, and fighting punitive (self-critical) or guilt inducing thinking patterns that drive eating disorder behaviours. Participants will receive handouts that they can use in their clinical work.

The workshop will offer you methods to cope with these challenging situations and will include:

Day 1:

The latest evidence-base for Schema Therapy with Eating Disorders & common comorbidities
Chairwork formulation for complex eating disorder thoughts, behaviours, urges, & comorbid disorders using schema ‘modes’
Working with clients who are reluctant to participate in experiential work & to connect with emotions.
Empathic confrontation & chair-work to bypass tricky coping modes coping modes in Eating Disorders including: Overcontroller, Detached Self Soother, Compliant and Helpless Surrenderer modes

Day 2:

Schema Therapy for Addressing Body Image Disturbances
Imagery rescripting for working with Complex Trauma in Eating Disorders
Imagery rescripting for working with Guilt and Shame in Eating Disorders
Enhancing Interoceptive Awareness through Reparenting and Imagery Rescripting
Enhancing client’s Healthy Adult mode in treatment.

About the presenter:
Dr Susan Simpson is a Clinical Psychologist who works with patients with severe and complex eating disorders in an outpatient eating disorders service in NHS Scotland. Susan has 20 years of experience using Schema Therapy with complex comorbidity, including eating disorders, OCD, personality disorders and PTSD . She has published several book chapters and journal articles on schema therapy, with a particular focus on the eating disorder population. In addition, she has presented at national and international eating disorders conferences and has provided several workshops on Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders across Australia. She is co-author/editor of the book ‘Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders’, Routledge, 2019. A full list of her publications can be found at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Susan_Simpson/publications

Schema Therapy Scotland