Discuss the notion of ambivalence in working with people with eating disorders: - Essay Example

Section/# Ambivalence in Therapeutic Engagement Although many studies have pointed to the fact that therapy has a conclusive and measurable impact upon a litany of different disorders, its overall level of success is not only contingent upon the skill of the therapist; it is also contingent upon the attitude and approach that the individual patient engages with respect to the therapy that they are receiving. One of the most common and difficult approaches that an individual who engages with therapy is likely to reflect is an attitude of general ambivalence.

Ambivalence is borne out of a tacit understanding that therapy itself is somehow useless and they are merely wasting their time with respect to the counseling/therapy they are receiving. With respect to eating disorders, ambivalence is specifically concentric upon the hardship that the therapist faces with respect to the patient approaching the situation with an attitude that all therapy that might be directed at them is either useless or cannot solve/ameliorate the situation that has prompted them to seek out therapy in the first place.

As a means of countering this extraordinarily negative approach, the therapist must first and foremost engage the patient with an understanding of what the eventual goals and verifiable metrics therapy might be able to provide them. All too often, therapists delving directly into the issue and seeks to make a definitive change with respect to the patient and/or their disorders without a thorough analysis and engagement with respect to what therapy can and cannot do. Accordingly, prior to engaging with the patient and seeking to change the particular behavior/disorder, a more effective approach that can and should be utilized is with regards to approaching the patient and discussing the full range of potential benefits that therapy could have for them.

Moreover, rather than understanding the patient’s particular dilemma and seeking to address this based upon therapeutic counseling, many therapists also fall prey to a one size fits all approach (Hunter et al., 2014). Rather than listening to the patient and determining whether or not their own psychological health and personality is conducive to a level of therapy and whether or not this therapy could eventually help to affect a positive change upon the eating disorder that they are experiencing, far too many therapists merely assumed that since the particular approach has worked in the past that any and all levels of ambivalence the patient might be displaying are merely ancillary to the root solution they are attempting to effect.

From the information that is thus far been provided, it is clear and apparent that the overall success ratio and level that therapy can provide to the patient is suffering from an eating disorder is ultimately contingent upon the degree of cooperation that the patient is able to reflect. However, rather than determining that therapy is only as successful as the approach of the patient, it must also be understood that the approach of the therapist must be altered and specifically changed dependent upon the situation and the overall level of trust that is displayed within the relationship.

In conclusion, these metrics are not uniform and vary from patient to patient; lending the therapist to be required to take a thorough examination of each and every case as a means of determining the best practice and approach that should be utilized.ReferenceHunter, J., Button, M., & Westra, H. (2014). Ambivalence and Alliance Ruptures in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy,