For Mothers Of
A child with an eating disorder
PROFESSIONALS
Lectures for professionals
About the emotional reality of parents
of a child with an eating disorder
When a child develops an eating disorder, all attention naturally shifts to the child's recovery. Parents are expected to be supportive, stable, and consistently present. They must supervise meals, guard boundaries, regulate emotions, and remain a safe haven. Often, while they themselves have become completely dysregulated.
In current treatment, the focus of parental guidance is usually on supporting the child's recovery. But who supports the parents themselves?
Drawing on my experience as a psychologist and as the mother of a child with an eating disorder, I give lectures on the emotional impact of eating disorders on parents and what is needed to truly guide them.
I advocate for a fundamental shift:
not only attention to the role of parents in their child's recovery process, but also to the recovery process of the parent themselves.
My mission
It is my mission to give emotional support to parents a natural place within eating disorder care.
Parents do not only need to be informed about how they can support their child. They also need space for their own anxiety, grief, exhaustion, and dysregulation.
For parents who feel seen, supported, and regulated can ultimately also be more firmly present for their child.
Contents
Themes in the lectures
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Parental dysregulation: stress, anxiety, hyperalertness, and exhaustion
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Why parents often have to “keep going” while their resilience is running out
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The nervous system under chronic stress
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Guilt, shame, powerlessness and loss of control
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The impact on relationships, family, and identity
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Why psycho-education alone is often not sufficient
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The importance of emotional guidance and co-regulation
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How professionals can support parents without giving them extra responsibility
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Practical tools for self-regulation and emotional support
Purpose of the lectures
My lectures offer professionals:
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insight into the inner experience of parents
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deepening beyond existing treatment models
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knowledge about stress, dysregulation, and self-regulation
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tools to better support parents emotionally
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awareness of what parents need to sustain the long-term recovery process​
Practical information
For whom
The lectures are suitable for, among others:
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practitioners in eating disorder care
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psychologists and therapists
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dieticians
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system therapists
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youth and family professionals
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General practitioners
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POH-GGZ
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education professionals
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parent counselors
Lectures can be tailored for teams, institutions, study days, or parent meetings. Workshops and training sessions are also possible.
Interested in a lecture or collaboration? You are most welcome to get in touch and get acquainted!
PSYCHOLOGIST NIP®