"Parents for Parents": a self-help project for and by parents of eating disorder patients

The project "Parents for Parents" was set up for and by parents of patients with eating disorders. The primary goal of the project was to train these parents to become "field experts" who can support other parents in similar situations. The volunteering parents were carefully selected and received an intensive training program including knowledge of eating disorders, educational themes, guidance of groups, and counseling techniques. Nine parents have completed the whole training and are now working independently as field experts on a voluntary basis. They run discussion groups, answer telephone calls, and give lectures at schools. There are intervisions on a regular basis to follow up the work of the field experts and adjust it if necessary. This article gives an overview of the different steps in this project with a first evaluation.