Innovative therapeutic model supports patients with eating disorders in Kent and Medway

A specialist psychotherapy approach in the All-Age Eating Disorder Service (AAEDS) in Kent and Medway is helping people with long-standing eating disorders rebuild their relationship with food, themselves and the world around them.

SPEAKS (Specialist Psychotherapy with Emotion for Anorexia) is a specialist therapy for people with complex and long-standing eating disorders, or for those who have not found other treatments helpful.
The approach draws on Emotion Focused Therapy and Schema Therapy. It helps people understand their feelings, explore their sense of self and work through issues that other talking therapies may not always reach.

This active, recovery-focused therapy is delivered in five structured phases. It uses practical techniques to help people explore different parts of themselves, work through difficult experiences, and better understand and manage their emotions.

A 72-year-old female patient with anorexia who was admitted to the Kent and Medway AAEDS, participated in 50 therapeutic sessions within the SPEAKS model and said: “An eating disorder has been my life for over 50 years, thus when I came to therapy I was 'doubtfully hopeful’. Now, I have a newly configured attitude both to food and to myself as a body and a person.

“I still have an eating disorder and live with it, but I am no longer defined by it. This is linked to the fact that as the eating disorder voice became quieter, my own voice became stronger, a realisation that I could deserve some self-care.”

Her experience shows why it is important to offer flexible and compassionate support for people with long-standing eating disorders, whatever their age.

SPEAKS offers personalised support to help people understand themselves, work through emotional pain and take positive steps towards recovery.

Annie Cardinal, Deputy Director of Psychological Professions for the All-Age Eating Disorder Service at Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust, said: “We are proud to offer SPEAKS as part of our All-Age Eating Disorder Service, providing compassionate, specialist support for people living with long-standing eating disorders. The programme creates a safe and supportive space for people to explore their experiences, better understand themselves and begin to reconnect with who they are beyond their eating disorder.

“It is incredibly heartening to see patients grow in confidence, find their voice and rediscover a sense of hope. Even after many years of illness, the right support can help people take meaningful steps forward in their recovery and begin to build a more hopeful future.”

“We are excited to continue validating this important new model by taking part in a randomised controlled trial of SPEAKS within the trust and Canterbury Christ Church University. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of SPEAKS and aim to make the model more widely available for people experiencing the debilitating long-term effects of eating disorders and co-morbid conditions.”

The trust offers compassionate, personalised care that meets people where they are in their journey and supports meaningful, lasting change. With the right support at the right time, patients can rebuild confidence, reconnect with themselves and move towards life beyond their eating disorder.