Understanding Eating Difficulties new
Dispelling several myths, this informative live online event explains why anyone can experience problems around food, the impact of eating difficulties, symptoms to look out for, the importance of early intervention, how best to help and support – and more…
Course Factfile
Understanding Eating Difficulties online webinar
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Date: Tue 25th March 2025
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CPD Certificate: 4 hours
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Length: 9.15am – 1.30pm (BST)
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Tutor: Jo Baker
- Price: £45 per person
Price includes handout and access to a recording of the event
£45.00
Book your place
Select a date
NEW: Join Jo Baker on Tuesday 25th March 25 for this live online course. All you need is a computer or tablet and a strong internet signal, the rest is easy – simply book your place and we will email you your confirmation. You will receive your Zoom link the day before the event.
BONUS RECORDING – the event is recorded so you will also get a recording for 2 weeks afterwards to maximise your learning. If you can’t make this date you can buy the recording by booking a place, or register here and we’ll let you know if we run another one.
Increasing numbers of people have difficulties around food and eating, but miss out on help because they don’t have a clinical diagnosis – this online training event is designed to increase awareness of the importance of early intervention to provide better support and help with recovery.
Time is of the essence - early support is important
An estimated 1.25 million people are affected by eating disorders in the UK – but there are many, many more who may not meet diagnostic criteria or simply don’t get the help they need.
Absolutely anyone can be affected by eating difficulties; all ages, all body sizes, all genders, all races, and disordered eating can take many forms. It sits on a spectrum between what might be considered ‘normal eating’ and an eating disorder and may include symptoms and behaviours of eating disorders, but at a lesser frequency or lower level of severity. Eating difficulties don’t just affect the person involved but also their families and friends too, who often feel frightened, confused, and powerless to help.
The aim of this live, evidence-based, online training with Jo Baker, a highly experienced psychotherapist, is to give you a greater understanding of eating difficulties as well as eating disorders and body image. You’ll explore the signs and symptoms, and the effects they have on an individual as well as developing new skills around effective communication with someone who is struggling. It will dispel some of the myths around eating difficulties and also help you find ways of calming yourself in moments of overwhelm to ensure you can be as supportive and helpful as you’d like to be…
This course is relevant to a range of disordered eating behaviours including:
- restrictive eating
- compulsive eating
- irregular eating
- inflexible eating
- avoiding a type of food or food group
- self-induced vomiting
- laxative, diuretic, enema misuse
- supplement misuse
- clinical eating disorders
BONUS RECORDING – you will also get a recording for 2 weeks after the event to maximise your learning.
Jo has a wealth of information and experience to share...
Linda Harrison
What you will learn:
- why early support is important
- how to react if you think someone is struggling around food – including what not to say and do
- the potential physical and psychological harm that disordered eating can cause
- the function of food in mental health
- the common myths around eating difficulties and problems with food
- a greater understanding of eating disorders and subclinical disordered eating behaviours – their signs and symptoms
- increased knowledge of the physical impact and social effects of having an eating disorder
- new skills around communication – how to approach the subject of eating difficulties or food avoidance
- why it is important not to focus on food
- a deeper understanding of ‘body image’ and perception and how media and society impact people’s body image and perception
- a greater understanding of the male experience of eating difficulties and the unique barriers men may face in accessing treatment
- new support and communication skills to offer help to anyone struggling with their mental health, body image and eating disorders
- what exercise addiction is, and its relationship to eating difficulties
- the impact of gym and diet culture on our mental health, body dissatisfaction and the signs and symptoms of muscle dysmorphia
- effective ways to look after yourself – managing stress, anxiety and worry for the household
- how and when to seek professional help
Who is this training suitable for
- Parents, other family members and/or carers of people who are experiencing eating difficulties – or anyone else interested for personal reasons
- Anyone who works with people and needs to know how best to help when someone shares that they are struggling with food
- Therapists, counsellors and any other mental health and welfare professionals who want to gain a better understanding of eating difficulties, their symptoms and impact so they can support families with a member who is experiencing eating difficulties.
Important note
This live online CPD training event is an awareness raising course, providing you with evidence-based information, facts and effective communication skills. It does not qualify you to work with eating disorders.
If you are an experienced, qualified HG therapist /counsellor who would like to learn more about how we can work therapeutically with people with eating difficulties, problems around food or eating disorders – view our advanced CPD training in-person workshop: Working with Eating Difficulties
Course Programme
The ‘Understanding Eating Difficulties’ course starts at 9.15am and runs until 1.30pm.
Register your interest
If you can’t make this date, complete the form below and we’ll email you when another date becomes available.
Meet your tutor
Jo Baker
For many years Jo worked as a therapist within the Psychological Wellbeing department at the University of Derby, where she dealt with an extensive and varied caseload…
A very comprehensive and accessible summary of the causes and treatments for Eating Difficulties, by an excellent presenter.
It was nice to have the course notes in advance. That way it was easier to understand everything Jo said. It is clear that Jo has a very broad and deep knowledge and experience in this matter and she clearly gave the boundaries within which it is safe to operate as a counsellor and when you need to refer to a specialist. I found it a really worthwhile course! Thank you Jo!
Brilliant, super informative and evidence heavy! Such great detail and clarity around the theory and application – really felt upskilled by the end of the session and that it was worth while! Will be a lot more confident approaching this in practice now – would recommend to anyone who works in contact with young individuals especially.
I thought Jo’s course was excellent. The content covered in the time frame was so extensive but didn’t feel rushed in any way. I felt I had quite a broad knowledge around the subject but felt I came away armed with new knowledge and practical tips that will further enhance my support of the pupils I work with. I always enjoy rewatching the recording as it allows you to solidify the learning and often add to it. Thank you again.
Jo delivered an insightful and educational introduction to working with eating difficulties. The signposting very useful along with the focus on unmet needs. I will most definitely consider another Human Givens training.
I found the knowledge in this course very insightful and found Jo to be professional and knowledgeable. I would recommend the course to anyone working with, or who could be working with, clients who have disordered eating or emotional eating. Understanding the complexities of the 7 named disorders and the emotional and mental health connections feels relevant to everyone. Knowing how best to work with this topic is vital considering the magnitude of people impacted in the UK.
Highly informative – good knowledge base. Good mix of research and practical skills application. Liked the links provided in the chat.
Jo really knows what she is talking about. She had good, practical ideas to work with, but she also indicated when to draw the line as to where other professional help is needed. I found it very informative to hear about more forms of disordered eating and also the relation with autism. It makes me more aware and therefore I hope to be able to recognise troubled eating in an early stage when I come across it. I’m not a native speaker of English, but I found it very well understandable. Having the handout the day before helped a lot in this regard.
I thought there was a good balance between background/theory etc on the one hand, and information/strategies regarding how best to support someone with an eating disorder/disordered eating, on the other. I found the latter particularly useful and would possibly have welcomes more detail and specificity with it.
Jo relayed an enormous amount of information in a very short time. She presented the morning well and the topic was easy to follow. I was able to learn more about the different eating disorders which will help me with future clients, as well as how to broach the subject in a more helpful and supportive way.
The training was engaging and very informative. I found the information on difficult conversations and building a good mental heath toolkit especially helpful. Very useful and well presented training – thank you.
A very well thought out and delivered course. The trainer was extremely knowledgeable and easy to listen to, given the sensitive nature of the topic.
Was good information. Not the course’s fault but felt the Q & A was too personal/case specific rather than training focused
Informative, maybe some more interactive parts would have been good rather than just listening all day as was hard to keep full focus by the end.
A well thought out course with a wealth of useful information. Jo is an excellent trainer who delivered the material effectively. Jo clearly has a lot of experience in this area, useful to refresh knowledge and pick up new ideas and material for working with clients.
I found the first half of the course excellent. It was very helpful to have explained the different categories of eating disorders and the different service levels. The second half about how to talk to clients with eating concerns felt more generally the language that one would use with clients anyway from a person-centred or integrative approach. I wonder if some language skills more specific to eating could be included. This was an intro webinar to the subject, though, so maybe I could get more training on higher levels. Thank you
Very informative – easy for a lay person to understand.
Human Givens’ courses I’ve attended have always been of a very high standard and this is no exception. Clearly thoroughly researched and Jo’s examples were really helpful. I learned a lot today about the various types of disordered eating and I very much like the approaches suggested. Having access to the resources via links is also incredibly helpful. Thanks so much.
Jo has a really engaging style of presenting, very knowledgeable, gave time to participants questions. Would highly recommend this course, increased my knowledge immensely.
This was a great introduction into eating difficulties. I feel that it gave a great overview into some of the more commonly known challenges and a bit more understanding into how they might arise. It was useful to hear about how to have conversations with people who are struggling and also to be given a reminder to look after yourself first. The course ran really well and Jo was brilliant at delivering the information. I would be very keen to enrol on more of the Human Givens webinars and courses.
Incredibly informative and so much given in such a short space of time. Very well thought out programme and delivered clearly with a clear understanding of all the sensitive issues surrounding this issue. Lots of useful examples offered of how to open the conversation with someone who is suffering from an eating difficulty.
It was a good starting point for deeper exploration and good to see that so many eating disorders were covered.
Very interesting and well presented. Great toolkit given alongside the webinar as well.
Really helpful. So many useful tips and resources.
The usual high standard of human givens training: informative, practical and well presented.
A very good introduction
I found it very informative, i liked that during the course information was sent though via the group message -instant access is always helpful.
Another good informative input
A valuable webinar
A little disappointed in today’s course. I’m used to an in-depth view of the subject from HG courses. This one felt lightweight and didn’t add very much to my knowledge
Very informative and interesting. Lots of information to take away and reflect on. Jo is an engaging tutor and the course was well delivered.
Jo’s presentation was clear and graduated in that it built in depth gradually throughout the session. For many attendees like me the subject was new and this training was pitched so that it suited the newcomer and was I’m sure a valuable refresher for those with previous and /or lived experience whilst also bringing new insights.
I liked that the presentation kept to the notes which helped my understanding and aided annotating.
Well put together. Very interesting topic. Very well presented by Joanna.
Really enjoyed the session. The tutor knew her subject well and invited participation from attendees
Gave me an excellent grounding in how to approach the issue from understanding to managing it effectively
Clearly presented, helpful information about different aspects of eating difficulties. Lots of useful links to supporting information and useful signposting information as well.
A fantastic training day full of facts and information on disordered eating and how to help clients who experience eating difficulties. Jo delivered a fantastic session which left me feeling more informed on this subject. I would highly recommend this to anyone working in the mental health field.
The course was well organised and the tutor was excellent. I found the course interesting but very much an introduction to the topic. I am hoping to do the advanced course.
Jo is a delightful presenter. Very easy to understand, personable, well informed and really kind. She blended the material with the HG core understandings excellently. I feel as if I gained an iterating insight into EDs generally. I would have enjoyed a start to finish case study and more examples as to how Jo and others have successfully worked with clients
A very informative course but I would have personally liked some opportunities for more experiential work and a chance to hear more case histories as the lecturer has had so much experience in the field. I enjoyed the course but always appreciate some interactive content as well. Perhaps break out rooms recognising that we are all on some kind of spectrum with food, perhaps to have done something experiential around it as well. Always interested to hear case studies too, what helped how ..over what period of time and how many sessions. Good to have role play around awkward questions as well as how to address issues like emotional food buying and storing. Do give me some suggestions if you are offering a more practical course at a later stage. Could this be open to non HG practitioners? I am not a HG practitioner but am a student of Alex Heath Traumatic Birth rewind who possibly incorporated similar approaches.
What a fantastic use of time! Well worth taking the time to attend this HG training. Incredibly useful information about eating difficulties and lots of new knowledge gained by me. I also felt that this particular training took all of my HG understanding to a new level. Loads of consolidation of ideas and building on patterns to firm up and extend on the foundations. What great training – thank you.
Really insightful, practical and will definitely help me to to feel more confident when eating issues come up with clients. The tutor is clearly very experienced in this area and presented content coherently. Lots of practical examples and opportunities for attendees to ask questions and comment. Really good to have the reminder on HG principles around RIGAAR, and having the various presenting issues relating to eating disorders broken down.
The course was excellent, inspiring, stimulating and informative with lots of material to ponder on.
An extremely useful course helping me to gain an understanding of a very challenging area of practice for the non-specialist. There was an excellent opportunity to ask questions during the course. Jo encouraged interaction with the attendees.
A great start to this complex disorder(s). Feel I would like to continue on my learning of this topic.
An excellent course, well presented and very informative.
Great refresher, plus lots of new information. Delivery excellent.
The content was appropriate and in depth. It will help me going forward with a particular client and also any future clients. Using the ’emotional needs audit’ as a tool is something I use where appropriate and clients find it helpful tool, particularly to identify unmet needs.
Having people type their questions on the chat so there was designated time to answers these, rather than interruptions. Sometimes people ask questions that are about to be answered in the course, so this was a better way of keeping to time and the flow of information.
Very well put together and delivered.
I had signed up for this course thinking I SHOULD do it. I have always found working with this issue to be challenging. Jo made the session so relevant and interesting and her delivery (despite a cold) was at the right pace and with plenty of time for questions. Listening to her I felt reassured in my ability to work with this issue, and importantly, when not to. Thank you for demystifying this subject for me.
I found the course extremely helpful in understanding eating disorders and difficulties around eating. I work with a lot of young people who have different issues around food, body image, exercise, social media etc. so found all the information provided beneficial, especially in relation to neurodiversity. A wonderfully well presented webinar with lots of useful points to help me in my work. Thank you Jo and Arlene.
The course was really well structured and was presented in a very engaging way. I liked the way Joanne took in all the comments and experience to adapt it to the needs of the audience. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to further their knowledge around eating disorders and eating difficulties.
I thought the course was easy to access. The delivery was clear and well-constructed. The content was very informative and will help me to improve the service I provide to clients.
Clear, concise and informative, and delivered at a good pace.
Well organised and presented. The speaker was excellent in her approach and how to present the topics. I found the subject relevant to the ongoing problems we have with many young, and not so young people who are suffering in this way. There needs to be more light shone on the subject. It affects so many people. More understanding of it being a mental health problem is important.
Just the right amount of information and so much practical hands-on advice. Thank you.
I found the training to be invaluable and delivered in an interesting way. Jo delivered the training using her knowledge and sharing anecdotal experience. I gained knowledge and insight as well as signposting other material which I will be looking into. Many thanks.
If you work with people with disordered eating, or you’re affected by it personally (family, friends, colleagues) then this is the best value and most informative half day you can invest in.
Good quality up to date course material – great signposts with lots of opportunity for Q & A. Thank you!
Very comprehensive webinar which not only covered the theory but also practical ways to help. Jo is a very good presenter with a wealth of knowledge.
The content was relevant and easy to follow, very helpful with the guidance on different eating difficulties experienced.
I found this course really informative and has broaden my knowledge around eating disorders. I thought the trainer was really engaging and answered all questions with a thorough understanding of the topic.
Interesting course
Well presented and covered everything it set out to in this limited amount of time. Plenty of time for questions given.
Eating disorders are on the increase across the many business sectors, age groups in modern society led by higher numbers of women now closely followed by men. The course addresses the important relationship developed between the successful Human Givens methodology and the identification and treatment of eating disorders. The course achieves this by identifying the current types and experiences recognised in the wide number of eating disorders, the importance of early diagnosis and value of positive communication in treatment as key factors in successful overall treatment. The course is delivered by a recognised and experience Human Givens professional who identifies from current HG practice the contribution and future scope in continuous treatment of eating disorders.
I found the course very informative and professionally delivered. The Q & A aspect expanded well on the topic. Jo’s answers were helpful and supportive. I look forward to attending the April course with Jo to learn more.
Very informative and interesting. Lots of very helpful information.
A well conceived introduction to how people have and develop a poor relationship with food or disordered eating. The message is loud and clear, that when we catch the symptoms and signals early enough, a holistic intervention can stop what might have gone on to be quite a serious mental illness with serious implications for physical health.
The course was informative and also delivered in a way that was clear and easy to understand.
So helpful for understanding eating disorders – what they are and how they manifest.
The course was very informative as this is something of professional interest as a psychotherapist away from my main occupation. There were lots of information content and I can’t wait to receive the links for further resources. The facilitator was very knowledgeable and she did well to answer all the questions posed.
Very informative, helpful course. Will look to booking onto ‘Working with eating difficulties’ as this would benefit my role.
First course with Jo. Very impressed. Clear, concise, so much information. Looking forward to attending the full day course. Thank you.
I found the course to be informative as this is something I have not had much CPD training in. It was helpful to look at the Human Givens approach to disordered eating.
A very informative course about a difficult subject that affects a lot of people around us.