Family therapy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa: theory and technique

Family systems theory views anorexia nervosa not only as a product of dysfunctional transactional patterns within a family, but also as a crucial stabilizing element within the family. This paper describes the dysfunctional characteristics of anorexic families as well as the relevance of these characteristics to the anorexic symptoms. Two approaches to the treatment of these families, one developed by Minuchin and the other by Selvini Palazzoli, are described and the compatability of family therapy with individual therapy is briefly discussed.