Grad programs with ED focus?

[ScarletKnight62]

I am still trying to figure out what exactly I want to pursue in graduate school. Other posters have opened me up to the idea of pursuing a PhD even though I know my end goal is to be a therapist and not a researcher or a professor. So, I think I will be applying to both PsyD and PhD programs.

I am interested in possibly working with eating disorders. If I did pursue the eating disorders track, does anyone know of any good schools with programs to prepare me for working with that population? I'd still prefer something leaning towards psychodynamic therapy but I definitely do want a balanced program, especially because I know that treating an eating disorder requires several different kinds of therapy.

So basically, what are good programs to pursue for treating patients with eating disorders? What kinds of things do I need to be looking for? I know some schools on my list have it listed as a research subject there or that they can place you in a clinic for eating disorders for the internship part, which would be more important? Not all have both things listed.

Also, is it going to be a large problem that I only have clinical experience with a more general population, and in terms of my research, only with children and adolescents with depression? I did write a research proposal on the subject though for a class... would that help me at all? It's going to be published in a text book.

Thank you!

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[cara susanna]

Sarah Fischer at the University of Georgia researches eating disorders.

 

[WisNeuro]

Kelly Klump at Michigan State University researches Ed's, although she's a bit....intense. Also, in terms of clinical work, they don't see too many ED clients in the clinic as a primary diagnosis, although they do roll through occasionally.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Look for professors as a research match first, imo--you should be able to get practicum experience with EDs at pretty much any program.

 

[erg923]

You will probably find an ED practicum(s) in almost any program. Are you asking from a purely clinical perspective, or from a research perspective also (ie., you want to work with someone who actively specializes it and you want to do your dissertation on that population)? If its the latter, you will simply have to rersearch program and see oif there are any at the univetrsity specializing in EDs and make sure they are taking new graduate students for the upcoming admission year.

BTW, treatment of eating disorders is going to be very directive and very CBTish in the first few months. Dynamic work will come in much later (if they continue with you that long that is) after acute dangers and symptoms have been adressed.

 

[ScarletKnight62]

You will probably find an ED practicum(s) in almost any program. Are you asking from a purely clinical perspective, or from a research perspective also (ie., you want to work with someone who actively specializes it and you want to do your dissertation on that population)? If its the latter, you will simply have to rersearch program and see oif there are any at the univetrsity specializing in EDs and make sure they are taking new graduate students for the upcoming admission year.

BTW, treatment of eating disorders is going to be very directive and very CBTish in the first few months. Dynamic work will come in much later (if they continue with you that long that is) after acute dangers and symptoms have been adressed.

Mostly a clinical perspective. If it's a PhD program then I'd like my POI to specialize in it. If it's a PsyD it's a little less important. I know CBT is important in treating eating disorders, but I think dynamic stuff is just as important. I'd like to be well-trained in both.

 

[erg923]

So basically, what are good programs to pursue for treating patients with eating disorders? What kinds of things do I need to be looking for? I know some schools on my list have it listed as a research subject there or that they can place you in a clinic for eating disorders for the internship part, which would be more important? Not all have both things listed.

Also, is it going to be a large problem that I only have clinical experience with a more general population, and in terms of my research, only with children and adolescents with depression? I did write a research proposal on the subject though for a class... would that help me at all? It's going to be published in a text book.

Thank you!

Clinical experience "looks good", but is never gonna be a determining factor for admission in either Ph.D or Psy.D programs.

Lastly, no program can guarantee you an intership placement. They have nothing to do with that process. Thats all you and the APPIC. They might be refering to the fact that they can offer you practicum experiences with ED populations during your training in the program.

 

[erg923]

Mostly a clinical perspective. If it's a PhD program then I'd like my POI to specialize in it. If it's a PsyD it's a little less important. I know CBT is important in treating eating disorders, but I think dynamic stuff is just as important. I'd like to be well-trained in both.

HMMM. Are they eqaually important? Im not so sure about that. It depends on the situation, the clinical history, and the individual client. I would argue that it also depends on the treatment goals set by your client. First priority is always going to be to stop the behavior, and you have an ethical responsibilty to use the best and most empirically supported methods in this situation. Especially if they are in serious danger of physical/medical decompensation from the ED. There is a also a weak correlation in the lit about resolution of uncouscious conflicts or providing the "corrective emotional experience" and subsequent behavior change.

 

[ScarletKnight62]

HMMM. Are they eqaually important? Im not so sure about that. It depends on the situation, the clinical history, and the individual client. I would argue that it also depends on the treatment goals set by your client. First priority is always going to be to stop the behavior, and you have an ethical responsibilty to use the best and most empirically supported methods in this situation. Especially if they are in serious danger of physical/medical decompensation from the ED. There is a also a weak correlation in the lit about resolution of uncouscious conflicts or providing the "corrective emotional experience" and subsequent behavior change.

I think it's important to be well-trained in both. I would call them close to equally important because CBT is very effective at stopping symptoms and behaviors, however I find it to be pretty superficial and if you just get rid of the symptoms, there are still a lot of underlying problems there which I think dynamic therapy better addresses. So, for most patients, I'd want to use both.

 

[cara susanna]

Emmm, I disagree, but I don't think this should turn into a psychodynamic vs CBT thread, so I will leave it at that.

 

[erg923]

I am too am actually a critic of the "CBT box" the profession has gotten itslef into. However, you are making a two large assumptions here. They are especially agregious considering you have no formal clincal training or training in CBT or psychodynamic psychotherapy. However, your statement shows a fundamentally poor understanding of the framework and implementation of CBT. Aaron Beck has often corrected this assumption and has often said that CBT is NOT ahistorical. Some of the techniques certainly can be, but the overall framework and conceptulization is not!

Second, did it ever occur to you that perhaps the underlying etiology of the disorder derives soley from faulty, maladaptive, irrational thought processes in certain uncomplicated cases? In an otherwise in uncomplicated case, perhaps cogntive restructuring of the thought process is all the person really needs?

Lastly, if your assumption was correct, (CBT is "superficial" and merely fixes "symptoms") I would expect the literature to bear out a significantly higher relapse rate for EDs when treated with CBT vs when they are treated with a combination of the two, or soley with psychodynamic therpay. A quick EBSCO search did not yield this in the literarture. Why is this?

 

[erg923]

Emmm, I disagree, but I don't think this should turn into a psychodynamic vs CBT thread, so I will leave it at that.

yea yea...ok lets move on.

 

[ScarletKnight62]

You are making a two large assumptions here. They are especially agregious considering you have no formal clincal training or training in CBT or psychodynamic psychotherapy. I am actually a critic of "CBT box" the profession has gotten itslef into, as well. Howeevr, your statement shows a fundamentally poor understanding of the framework and implementation of CBT. Aaron Beck has often corrected this assumption and has often said that CBT is not neccasarilly ahistorical.

Second, did it ever occur to you that perhaps the underlying etiology of the disorder derives soley from faulty, maladaptive, irrational thought processes in certain cases? In an otherwise in uncomplicated case, perhaps cogntive restructuring of the thought process is all the person really needs?

I definitely was not trying to start the CBT vs psychodynamic debate, just saying what I am interested in pursuing, and once you asked, I felt the need to explain further why.

In regards to the second question you asked, I think that type of thing is extremely rare if it even exists. Eating disorders are extremely complex, deep-rooted problems, not simply an irrational thought process. I'm not saying that there isn't an irrational thought process in place, there most definitely is, but I think it always goes further than that, hence the need for something that goes deeper. In my opinion, CBT doesn't go far enough, and that's why I'd like to be well trained in dynamic therapy as well. It's definitely extremely useful, just not focused enough on root causes and self-awareness in my opinion. It's starting to shift that way with the third wave, with things like "mindfulness meditation" and the like, but it's not quite there yet.

So, to get back on focus, basically I was just wondering what kinds of programs I should look into for this, but as you stated previously, that doesn't matter so much as my internship placement. Thanks for the help!

 

[cara susanna]

Edit: Ahh, n/m, I don't want to get OT. Maybe we should start a debate thread for this.

 

[erg923]

Look into:
SUNY Albany, Boston University, Kent State, Georgia State, Nova Southeastern.

 

[ScarletKnight62]

Look into:
SUNY Albany, Boston University, Kent State, Georgia State, Nova Southeastern.

Thank you! I will.

 

[Eruca]

Also look into Emory's clinical program with Linda Craighead as your POI. She conceived Appetite Awareness Training (AAT), and is just a superb clinician, researcher and mentor. But I'm totally biased, as she was my very first clinical supervisor.

 

[psychmama]

Has anyone mentioned Rutgers yet? Terry Wilson is well known in the field of eating disorders there, and he works with both Psyd and Phd students.