Harnessing Hope

Harnessing Hope

What is Harnessing Hope?

Harnessing Hope is an online carer skills workshop designed specifically for those supporting someone with an enduring eating disorder (one that has been consistently present for five or more years).

Delivered over five weeks by an experienced eating disorder clinician, you will learn more about the impact of long-term eating disorders, as well as the tools and skills needed to support your loved one’s recovery.

Who is Harnessing Hope open to?

You can attend Harnessing Hope if:

• Your loved one has had an eating disorder consistently for five years or more
• Your loved one is aged 18 or above
• Your loved one has a diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder

How much time will I need to commit?

There are five weekly sessions in total. Each session will last for two and a half hours.

We run a mixture of day-time and evening workshops so you can pick a time of day that suits you best.

What will I learn in this workshop?

There will be a focus throughout the sessions on carer self-care. We know the mental, and oftentimes physical, toll supporting a loved one with an enduring eating disorder can take, so we want to make sure carers prioritise taking time out to look after themselves too.

Topics covered in Harnessing Hope include:

• Developing and maintaining hope
• The impacts of starvation
• Functions of an eating disorder
• Accommodating & Enabling behaviours
• Caring from a distance
• Coping with setbacks
• Finding balance

Where is Harnessing Hope available?

Harnessing Hope is currently available in Northern Ireland and the following regions of England: Essex and Kent*.
To sign up for a workshop, please create your free account on POD, our online carer platform. Once registered on POD, you will be able to search for ‘Harnessing Hope’ using the ‘browse events’ function on the homepage.

Please note this information is subject to change and we hope for expansion of Harnessing Hope across further areas of the UK soon. Please refer back to this page for updates. *Referral by Eating Disorder Service Only.

If you have any questions about the Harnessing Hope workshop, please contact us via email and a member of the team will get back to you in 3-4 working days.