Developing Identity: An Eating Disorder Randomized Clinical Trial

Cognitive behavioral strategies will be used by trained nurse-therapists to facilitate the participant's: a) identification of a small collection of personally meaningful and feasible desired possible selves, b) prioritization of the desired possible selves as short and long-term goals, c) identification, elaboration, implementation and evaluation of cognitive and behavioral strategies to achieve the desired possible self selected as the goal, and d) identification of internal and external barriers that interfere with achieving the possible self goal and utilization of active problem solving strategies to overcome the barriers.

SPI is a 20-week program with a one-hour individual psychotherapy session scheduled each week. The SPI is organized in three stages: 1) Stage 1 (Sessions 1-8) including assessment of the current and past ED history, collection of personal and family history, and identification of problems contributing to the ED; 2) Stage 2 (Sessions 9-16) aims include exploration of underlying emotional problems, increased self-disclosure and expression of feelings, and fostering independence; and 3) Stage 3 (Sessions 17-20) includes continued exploration of underlying problems and implications for future behaviors and termination.