The Dialogue Study: A Virtual-reality Based Treatment for Eating Disorders

For the experimental condition, participants will receive seven individual sessions of Virtual Reality Therapy conducted by a therapist trained in both eating disorder psychotherapy and virtual reality-based therapy, including avatar therapy. In the initial stage of therapy participants create a virtual avatar embodying their eating disorder voice. This enables the person to engage in real time face to face dialogue with the eating disorder voice. The main goal of the intervention is to encourage participants to stand up to the negative comments and commands made by the eating disorder voice and hereby increase their power and agency in the context of the eating disorder voice.

The control condition encompasses treatment as usual comprising seven sessions of specialized treatment, such as individual or group psychotherapy and dietary guidance, provided by interdisciplinary health professionals.