Family and Friends

You can access our services if you live in the North East, are over 16, and are supporting someone with eating distress/an eating disorder. The person you are supporting does not need to be accessing EDNE and they can be under 16.

We offer the following services:

• Holding onto Hope workshop
• Family and Friends counselling session

Holding onto Hope workshop

We know that it can be extremely distressing and bewildering watching a loved one struggling with eating distress/disorder.  It is important that you also have the support you need. 

Although most people who experience eating distress/eating disorders need some professional support to get well, friends and family also play a vital role in supporting recovery. Empowering and supporting a person’s support network is recognised by the NHS as an integral part of recovery.

Our workshop will help you understand more about eating disorders. You’ll feel more confident in your knowledge, have reduced anxiety and improved communication. We are here to support you and your loved one on a journey to recovery.

These workshops, facilitated by a counsellor and group worker, will develop your skills, and build your resilience. You’ll explore:

• Unhelpful beliefs about eating disorders
• How to cope with the caring role
• Motivational skills
• Reflective listening skills
• How to bring about change

They are open to anyone caring /supporting someone with an eating disorder or eating distress. We don’t place restrictions on relationships, so you might be a parent, grandparent, sibling, partner, cousin, or friend.

The person you’re supporting can be under 16 and doesn’t need to be in our services, but if you have any questions at all about whether this is right for you, please email us at the address below.

We run these regularly, so please complete the registration below to be contacted with details of upcoming dates.

Family and friends counselling session

You may find one to one support helpful. At EDNE, we can offer a one-off counselling session with one of our qualified counsellors. You might find it useful as a space to share your worries, frustration, or hopelessness you are feeling in the caring/supporting role. You might want to specifically ask questions about the eating distress/disorder your loved one is experiencing to increase your knowledge.

To register for a one-off counselling session, please complete the registration form below and choose the “one-off counselling session” option.

Family and friends support group

Our monthly support group is for family and friends of a loved one with eating distress and disorders. Held online, we do not have defined topics, but offer a facilitated safe space for people who have already attended the Holding onto Hope course to connect with other people in similar situations and share experiences.