This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more here.

Help us answer every callYour donations keep our Helpline open. DONATE NOW

Echo Peer Coaching

Please note, Echo is currently only available in Sussex, North East Essex and Scotland. We are looking to offer this service nationwide as soon as possible. If you live outside these areas, please do still register your interest below so we can keep you updated.

Caring for someone with an eating disorder can be difficult and lonely. It can be hard to find someone who understands what you’re going through, and you might be worried about how to give the best care to your loved one. Throughout their illness, it’s essential that you take care of your own wellbeing, too.

That’s why Beat is now offering Echo peer coaching, a free and confidential telephone-based service for anyone caring for someone with an eating disorder that gives you the chance to speak to someone who’s been there. Echo is currently running in Sussex, North East Essex and Scotland. We intend to begin the programme in other areas of the UK in future. 

What is Echo?

It is my lifeline… my Echo coach is the only person who has an understanding in this horrifically difficult situation.Parent

Echo is:

  • Completely free.
  • Telephone-based to make it simpler to fit around other commitments.
  • Supported throughout by a skills book that we’ll provide you with.
  • Safe and confidential – we’ll connect your call so that you don’t have to share your contact details with your coach, and we perform regular spot checks to ensure the quality of the service.

If you join the Echo peer support service, you’ll have a 30-minute conversation each week for six months with a trained peer coach. Beat will match you with a person with similar experiences to ensure that you’re able to talk to someone who understands what you’re going through. 

Echo coaches have their own experience of caring for a loved one and coming out the other side. Through weekly 30-minute phone conversations, they’ll give you a space where you feel understood, while empowering you to make the most positive impact possible on your loved one’s recovery.

Peer coaching is about trust, support, and mutual learning. The intention isn’t for the coach to give advice, but to listen, provide a sounding board, and encourage the person they’re supporting to decide on solutions themselves.

I knew I didn't have the answers to all my carer's problems, but I hoped that in some small way I made a difference just by being there and listening.Echo coach

Get Echo Support

For more information, get in touch at echo@beateatingdisorders.org.uk. If you'd like to volunteer as an Echo Coach, please click here.