If you are a Clinical Psychologist, have you considered a career as a Specialist in treating Eating Disorder Patients? You will be a member of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Psychology is a very wide field. After many years of working as a Clinical Psychologist you will have seen a vast array of individual presentations and symptoms. It is possible to specialise and one field of treatment where demand for treatment is high is that of Eating Disorders.
Eating Disorders onset is most often at puberty although when severe and enduring, the condition may be chronic and continue into adulthood.
Ellern Mede is a group with four hospitals currently which offer specialist inpatient treatment for Tier 4 CAMHS Eating Disorders (age 8 to 18) as well as for young adults aged 18 to 25. We are an NHS qualified provider as well as rated Good by the Care Quality Commission.
The Ellern Mede approach is a Multi-Disciplinary one. Psychiatry and Specialist Doctor services combine with Psychology, Dietetics, Family Therapy, Mental Health Nursing, Therapeutic Support and Occupational Therapy to provide a strong Care Programme Approach to young people. Each member of the multidisciplinary team benefits from mentorship, support from one another, and a rich engagement of views and methods across the various disciplines.
Working with young people at the outset of their journey to maturity is a special opportunity to offer recovery that will see that person into a successful adulthood.
Another particular reward of working with Eating Disorders is that among all mental illnesses, while it may be one of the most life-threatening, it is also one of the most curable. Knowing that recovery is possible, even if therapy lasts for years, is a powerful motivator for therapist and patient alike.
The specialist clinical psychologist at Ellern Mede has the day-to-day support in patient care of a high staff to patient ratio of assistant psychologists, healthcare workers, nurses, therapeutic support workers and activity co-ordinators who will work to your advice with regard to the type of therapeutic activity best for your patient.
The type of interventions patients receive at Ellern Mede includes CBT, DBT, Motivational Enhancement Therapy, and EMDR.
If you are engaged in mental health care but would like to specialise in one of the most rewarding areas, consider working with us. If you are already working in this area and want to work at a senior level with like-minded experts, please do apply to Ellern Mede. We are a world leader in this field and offer excellent training. The organisation is growing and is currently looking to recruit a number of Clinical Psychologists for our London and Midlands area hospitals.
What are the treatments of choice a psychologist would expect to use in this patient group? See Psychological Treatments for Eating Disorders by Andrea E. Kass, Rachel P. Kolko, Denise E. Wilfley. According to the paper’s authors, while Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) remain the most established treatments for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, when it comes to Anorexia Nervosa, no treatment stands out as the superior one. The Maudsley family-based therapy is however, the most established treatment for young people with anorexia nervosa . Ellern Mede’s Medical Director highly rates the Maudsley methods. We do involve the family in our programmes. We provide family therapy as part of the MDT approach.
As a psychologist with Ellern Mede, you would enjoy flexible working; the support of colleagues both in the psychology team and the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT); working closely with Child and Adolescent Consultant Psychiatrists and Specialist Doctors and a range of other therapists.
Eating Disorders have never been more prolific than in 2021. The NHS admit they can not cope with the demand for inpatient admissions, nor can their community mental health teams admit all the people who need outpatient treatment.
The next few years will doubtless see an increase in provision of beds and clinics specialising in this illness.
If you are interested in applying for psychology roles, or any other therapeutic roles with Ellern Mede, please have a look at the Work With Us page on our website: www.ellernmede.org and email [email protected] We have openings now in north London and in Breaston, Derbyshire.