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 or 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 or disorder.  It is important that you also have the support you need. 

Although most people who experience eating distress or 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 teach you 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.

Our next Holding onto Hope will start on Thursday 15th May, 4pm - 6pm, in person in Newcastle, and the following programme will start on Thursday 16th October, 1pm - 3pm, held online.

Please complete the registration below to be contacted with details of these dates, and future sessions.

Family and friends counselling sessions

From Summer 2025 we are are delighted to be able to offer free one-to-one confidential counselling sessions with a student counsellor for family and friends who are supporting a loved one with eating distress. We know it can be hard to support someone with eating distress or an eating disorder, this is a place for you to share your thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental space. Counselling sessions can take place at our offices in Newcastle or online via. Teams. This service is for family and friends aged 16+ and who live in the North East. Your loved one does not have to be accessing our service. The student counsellors are supervised by their clinical supervisor linked to their training organisation, are all student members of appropriate professional bodies, and are supervised by EDNE's counselling lead.

To register for counselling sessions, please complete the registration form below and choose the Counselling - counselling session with a student counsellor 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.