At The Surrey Centre, we recognise that eating disorders affect not only the individual but also the entire family system. We believe in the profound capacity of families to support healing when provided with understanding, guidance, and compassion. Our family therapy sessions offer a safe and nurturing space where each member can explore their experiences, enhance communication, and work collaboratively towards recovery.
Eating disorders often thrive in secrecy and isolation. By involving families in the therapeutic process, we aim to:
- Foster Understanding: Educate family members about the nature of eating disorders, dispelling myths and reducing blame.
- Enhance Communication: Develop healthier ways of expressing thoughts and emotions, promoting empathy and connection.
- Strengthen Support Systems: Empower families to provide consistent and compassionate support, reinforcing recovery efforts.
- Address Family Dynamics: Explore patterns and relationships that may influence the eating disorder, facilitating systemic healing.
Research indicates that family-based interventions can significantly improve treatment outcomes, particularly for adolescents.
Our therapists are trained in various modalities, and tailor sessions to meet the unique needs of each family. We focus on:
- Collaborative Exploration: Encouraging open dialogue to understand each member’s perspective and experiences.
- Skill Building: Teaching practical tools for managing meal times, setting boundaries, and navigating challenges.
- Emotional Support: Providing a space to process feelings such as guilt, fear, or frustration in a constructive manner.
- Integration with Individual Therapy: Coordinating with individual therapists to ensure a cohesive treatment plan.
Sessions typically last 90 minutes and can include various family members, depending on the situation and therapeutic goals.
In our family therapy sessions, we create a space for thoughtful exploration, practical support, and emotional understanding. Depending on your family’s needs, we may explore:
- How an Eating Disorder Functions
Understanding how eating disorders serve as coping strategies, and why they can be so difficult to shift without support. - Understanding Individual Experiences and Emotions
Gaining insight into what each family member may be feeling (including the one struggling) and how to respond with compassion rather than fear or frustration. - Supporting Mealtimes
Navigating the emotional and practical challenges of eating together, and learning how to bring calm, structure, and support to shared meals. - Improving Communication
Learning to speak, listen, and respond in ways that foster connection, reduce conflict, and support recovery. - Exploring Family Dynamics
Looking at relational patterns with care and curiosity, and gently shifting what no longer serves the health of the individual or the system as a whole.
We understand that each family’s journey is unique. Our family therapy services are available:
- Independently: Families can engage in therapy without the individual receiving concurrent treatment at The Surrey Centre.
- In Conjunction with Individual Therapy: Integrating family sessions with the individual’s treatment plan for a comprehensive approach.
- As Needed: Offering sessions at various stages of recovery to address emerging challenges or transitions.
Our goal is to support families in becoming resilient allies in the recovery process, fostering an environment where healing can flourish.
As the recovery journey unfolds, food begins to return to its rightful place. Not as a source of fear or control, but as nourishment, ritual, and shared experience. For many families, this shift becomes a profound moment of reconnection: meals once marked by anxiety or silence become opportunities to gather, to care, and even to enjoy again.
Supporting this transformation is a core part of our work. We hold hope for the day when food can once more be something simple, grounding, and shared – an expression of love and life, rather than struggle.
If food, eating, or body image feels like something you’re carrying alone - you don’t have to anymore.
For more information or to schedule a family therapy session, please contact us: