Psychotherapy in Context: Co-occurring Eating Disorders and Gender Distress in Adolescence
Join our Therapy First webinar this Thursday
You’re invited to join us on THURSDAY JUNE 4TH AT 1PM ET for our latest webinar with Systemic & Family Psychotherapist, Anastassis Spiliadis.
This webinar explores how psychological thinking and psychotherapeutic interventions may support adolescents experiencing co-occurring eating disorders (primarily of a restricting type) and gender-related distress. Emerging practice-based evidence suggests that individuals experiencing gender-related distress may also present with eating difficulties or eating disorders. At the same time, clinicians working in independent practice or in public mental health services have observed that some adolescents presenting for eating disorder treatment may also identify as trans and/or experiencing gender-related distress. While eating disorders and gender-related distress are not symmetrical phenomena, both may involve the body becoming a source of distress.
When working with adolescents, whose bodies, brains, relationships, and identities are in a state of developmental flux, a range of factors may further complicate both hypothesizing/formulating and psychotherapeutic interventions. The session will include a presentation focusing on the evolving evidence base, the integration of systemic family therapy and psychodynamic thinking, and considerations relating to safety, risk, and the development of a safe therapeutic alliance. It will also introduce the concepts of double-blocking and systemic embodiment. There will be space for discussion and reflection, with the aim of supporting clinicians working across different contexts to think more integratively about psychotherapeutic work with co-occurring presentations and experiences. No prior clinical experience with eating disorders is required.
No prior clinical experience with eating disorders is required.
What will be covered?
Learning objectives for the webinar are:
Describe links between theory and practice in relation to co-occurring eating disorders and gender-related distress in adolescence.
Identify areas of overlap and difference between these presentations, formulate complexity and risk, and consider stage-appropriate psychotherapeutic interventions.
Discuss the evidence base relating to embodied distress in adolescence.
Meet Anastassis Spiliadis
Anastassis Spiliadis is a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist and UK-registered Supervisor with a background in Psychology (MSc) and Organizational Management (MSc). His professional interests include embodied distress across the lifespan, the integration of developmental processes within family therapy contexts, and the development of psychotherapeutic interventions.
He works clinically with individuals, couples, and families, and also consults with public and third-sector organizations in the United Kingdom and Greece. He has worked for more than ten years within the UK National Health Service across specialist and generic mental health services. He teaches as a Visiting Lecturer across psychology, psychotherapy, and sexology training programs at university level, and provides supervision to teams and individual clinicians.
He is Vice Chair of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee at the Association for Family and Systemic Psychotherapy (UK), and is currently a Doctoral Candidate exploring how female detransitioners experience and make sense of changes in their bodies.
Who should come to the webinar?
Therapy First webinars are open to the public. Parents, clinicians, teachers, and interested people are all welcome to attend. Psychologists and professional counselors are eligible to earn 1.5 CE credits for participating in the live webinar. Please share this email with anyone you think might benefit from attending!
Therapy First Members attend at a discounted price, and have access to recordings of all our previous webinars in the Therapy First Community. Membership is open to clinicians from any country, and is just USD$50 per year. Apply to join here.
Webinar tickets are $20, or $10 for Therapy First Members.
Therapy First is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Therapy First maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Therapy First has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7505. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Therapy First is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This webinar provides 1.5 hours of CE credits.
Therapy First webinars are open to the public. Parents, clinicians, teachers, and all those interested are welcome to attend. Psychologists and professional counselors are eligible to earn 1.5 CE credits for participating in the live webinar (attendance for the entire length of the program is required to receive CE credits).




Due to the time difference east coast versus west, I missed the webinar. Is there a recoding posted anywhere?