First Steps to Recovery workshops

Our online interactive First Steps to Recovery workshops are for anyone in the early stages of contemplating recovery from an eating disorder.

Recovery is something you may find yourself thinking about a lot when you’re struggling with an eating disorder. Maybe it’s something you fear – or something you long for. Maybe it’s both of those things at different times. Perhaps it’s something you’re supposed to be working towards with your GP, psychologist, or counsellor. If you are contemplating recovery, you may be considering the benefits of changing some of your disordered eating behaviour. However, you might also be fluctuating between wanting to change and wanting to maintain some of your habits. We know how difficult and confusing this can be. Recovery from an eating disorder is a complex and challenging process; it’s a journey which isn’t smooth or consistently upward, but you can make that journey.

To help support you to take those first steps, we have turned our popular self-guided e-course into a series of interactive workshops.

Designed with the help of people who have recovered, the workshops are ideal if you are in the early stages of an eating disorder and will provide an interactive and informative experience in which you’ll be encouraged to reflect on what recovery really means for you. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with others with similar experiences in a safe space.

Taking place over four consecutive weeks, the workshops aim to:

Inspire hope and belief in recovery.
Help you to explore the concept of recovery; identify the different stages and reduce anxiety and apprehension.
Motivate you to take the first steps towards recovery.
Enable you to take action by setting personal goals.
Provide support and accountability for making change.

Who are these workshops for?

This is a starter level course for anyone who is contemplating recovery. It will give you the opportunity to really think about recovery – what it is, what it isn’t and what it means for you. If you have an eating disorder it is important that you have some professional help. This would usually be through your GP to ensure your physical health is being monitored, as well as a counsellor or therapist to help with the psychological aspects. The First Steps to Recovery workshops are not a substitute for this, and we recommend that you use the service to support your recovery alongside professional help.

How much does it cost?

We are able to offer places at a subsidised rate of £20 (normally £100). This cost covers all four workshops.

When are the workshops, and where?

TBC – we will update this page when the next dates are available.

You’ll need to be able to attend all four sessions, as each one progresses to the next.

What topics will we cover?

Through discussions and exercises, we will cover:

What recovery means to you
Common misconceptions about eating disorders
Causes of eating disorders
Worries and concerns about recovery
What is normal eating
Impacts on health and wellbeing
Stages of change
Goal setting and identity
The inner critic
Managing anxiety
Next steps

What’s the format of the workshops?

Weekly video calls on Zoom, with a small group, designed to be confidential and supportive.
Each session will be 60-90 minutes including a break and will include discussions, exercises (group and individual) and time for reflection.
Some light ‘homework’ between sessions (no more than 10-20 minutes).

Will you talk about food and meal plans?

This course helps you explore the psychological side of recovery. We will not be going into nutritional support as part of this course but we will signpost where you can go next for this kind of help.