Family Therapy in the Treatment of Eating Disorders

It has previously been believed that families had a negative impact in their children's eating disorders. Families were often blamed for the development and preservation of their children's eating disorders. However, within the last decade family therapy has provided evidence for the use of families in rehabilitating children with eating disorders. Additionally, families should actually not be held responsible for the development and preservation, rather viewed as patients as well. One outcome of family therapy, for patients diagnosed with an eating disorders, is the process of bringing the family unit closer together. The current literature review has two goals; first, to explore various family therapies in order to develop further understanding of eating disorders, as well as the gap and limitation within some of the current interventions. Second, is to provide possible suggestions for future research to develop other possible family interventions.