Recovery from Anorexia Nervosa remains extremely
difficult. In this text, the author presents a
physical, psychological, social, and spiritual
integration treatment model based on the literature.
Next, results from a phenomenological analysis of
documents, interviews with recovered women and
expert clinicians, and observations at a residential
treatment facility are presented, revealing the
existence of intolerable emotional states that
precede the development of the disorder and
influence the process of recovery. Implications of
the findings for counseling practice are provided,
including the need for counselors to understand the
adaptive and expressive function of Anorexia
Nervosa, to include spiritual assessment in the
comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, to utilize
empirically based treatment strategies that
recognize the biological, psychological, social, and
spiritual needs of sufferers, and to integrate, when
appropriate, empirically supported spiritual
interventions.