ACT for Anorexia Nervosa: A Guide for Clinicians

This is the first book to present a roadmap for tailoring acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to the serious, complex challenges of anorexia nervosa (AN). Leading authorities describe interventions grounded in ACT core processes--Defusion, Acceptance, Attention to the Present Moment, Self-Awareness, Values, and Committed Action. Guidance is provided for conducting functional assessments with adolescents and adults and working toward individualized treatment goals, starting with weight restoration. The book also discusses ways to engage parents and other family members in treatment. It features therapist scripts, sample dialogues, case examples, and reproducible forms and handouts. The large-size format facilitates photocopying; purchasers also get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

Rhonda M. Merwin, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center. She is Director of the ACT at Duke Program, which conducts training, clinical services, and research in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and is a core clinical, research, and teaching faculty member at the Duke University School of Medicine. Dr. Merwin’s career has focused on using contextual behavioral science to understand and treat anorexia nervosa and maladaptive eating and weight control among individuals with type 1 diabetes. Dr. Merwin is recognized as an ACT trainer and has collaborated with the Duke Center for Eating Disorders since 2006.

Nancy L. Zucker, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center. She is Director of the Duke Center for Eating Disorders and a core clinical, research, and teaching faculty member at the Duke University School of Medicine. Widely published, Dr. Zucker is an author of the American Psychiatric Association’s revised practice guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders, currently under development. Dr. Zucker’s clinical work and research focus on how to help young people develop a healthy awareness of their bodies’ signals, and learn to match these signals to actions that allow them to flourish.

Kelly G. Wilson, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of Mississippi. He is a co-developer of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Dr. Wilson is coauthor of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Second Edition, and has published numerous other books, articles, chapters, treatment manuals, and technical reports. Dr. Wilson trains and consults internationally on the design and implementation of behavioral treatments. His work includes the investigation of acceptance, mindfulness, and values-oriented strategies in the treatment of a variety of problems in living, as well as in the basic behavioral science underlying therapeutic change.