This comprehensive, research-packed course explores the theory and application of yoga therapy for eating disorders.
Eating disorders are complex and sometimes life-threatening mental disorders that require a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment. Since 2015, hospital admissions for eating disorders have increased by 84%, and wait lists for treatment can exceed one year.
Although not appropriate as a stand-alone treatment, a growing body of research suggests yoga can bolster conventional forms of therapy and boost protective factors that reduce the risk of eating disorders, including self-care, self-compassion, body appreciation, social connection, and mindful eating.
In this five-part series, you will learn directly from Chelsea Roff, a world-renowned yoga therapist and researcher in the field of eating disorders. The course will cover physiological and psychological complications of eating disorders, current research on yoga’s efficacy in prevention and treatment, and best practices for working with patients in treatment and home-based settings.
learn how you can make a difference in eating disorders through yoga therapy.
What you will learn in each session:
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This session covers the different types of eating disorders; including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and lesser-known diagnoses like atypical Anorexia and Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). You will also learn about issues of under-diagnosis in men, transgender people, and racial/ethnic minorities and the unique challenges they face in accessing care and receiving a proper diagnosis.
In this session, you will learn to:
Identify the different types of eating disorders and how they manifest in people of different ages, genders, cultures, and backgrounds
Recognise the clinical criteria used to diagnose eating disorders, so you can work effectively in clinical settings
Understand the symptoms associated with each type of eating disorder, and how they impact a yoga practice
Explain the factors that lead to under-diagnosis of eating disorders in men, transgender people, and racial/ethnic minorities.
Describe the unique challenges faced by these populations in accessing care and receiving a proper diagnosis
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This second session explores why eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder. You will learn about common cardiovascular problems in students with chronic eating disorders, the risk of suicide and self-harm in this population, and best practices for offering yoga therapy to students who may be at risk.
In this session, you will learn to:
Explain the factors that lead to high mortality rates in people with eating disorders, and why it’s critical yoga therapists work within their scope of practice.
Recognize common cardiovascular problems associated with eating disorders and how they impact a yoga practice.
Understand the rates of suicide and self-harm in people with eating disorders, and ways in which yoga may exacerbate mental health challenges.
Identify best practices for offering yoga therapy to students who may be at psychological or physical risk.
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This third session covers current evidence and research trends on yoga in the prevention and recovery of eating disorders. Learn about the most impactful studies that have been published in this burgeoning field over the last decade, and how these exciting findings can inform and guide your work as a yoga therapist.
In this session, you will learn to:
Understand the key findings of recent studies on yoga as a tool for eating disorder prevention and recovery.
Identify how these findings can inform and guide your work as a yoga therapist.
Understand the strengths and limitations of current research on yoga for eating disorder prevention and recovery.
Apply these insights to your yoga therapy work with students with eating disorders.
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In this fourth session, you will learn about the most impactful yoga therapy practices for students at different stages of recovery. Learn how to tailor a yoga therapy program to meet the needs of different students, as well as best practices to assess that students with eating disorders are safe to practice.
In this session, you will learn to:
Create a safe and impactful yoga therapy program for students with eating disorders.
Understand how different yoga practices support different stages of recovery.
Apply the best practices for risk assessment to your work with students in home settings.
Tailor yoga therapy practices to the individual needs and goals of each student.
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In this final session, you will learn about the common features of eating disorder treatment and how yoga therapy fits into an overall treatment plan. Learn about the most common psychological therapies used to treat eating disorders and how yoga therapists can work effectively and cohesively within a clinical treatment team.
In this session, you will learn to:
Discuss the common features of eating disorder treatment and how yoga therapy fits in.
Understand the psychological therapies most commonly used to treat eating disorders.
Develop strategies to incorporate yoga therapy into eating disorder treatment plans.
Understand how yoga therapists can work within clinical treatment teams.
Is this Course Right for Me?
This course is aimed at yoga therapists and yoga therapists in training. We also welcome yoga teachers, yoga teachers in training, and health professionals from other backgrounds who have additional skills in working with eating disorders or who are taking this seminar series as a pathway to further training.
Does this training certify me to work with students with eating disorders one-on-one?
No. This course is designed to increase your awareness of eating disorders and help you understand the benefits of yoga in prevention and treatment. You will learn about the role yoga teachers and yoga therapists play within an integrated clinical treatment team, with best-practice guidance.
