At Rhodes Wood Hospital, supporting a young person with an eating disorder is a whole‑team effort. Alongside medical, psychological and nutritional treatment, family therapy plays a key role in helping young people at Rhodes Wood move towards recovery while strengthening the network around them.

The Family Support Team includes three qualified systemic family therapists and two family practitioners in training. Each ward has its own allocated family therapist and every family is offered systemic family therapy once a fortnight as part of the core therapeutic programme. Families can also access a range of additional support, including twice‑monthly online parent workshops, a monthly in‑person parents’ peer support group and a monthly meal‑support workshop designed to help parents understand what mealtimes look like on the ward and why certain approaches are used.

“The aim of family therapy,” explains Family Therapist Fran Dix, “is to meet with families and help them think about what’s going on for their child, how they can support them through treatment here and how they can continue supporting when they go home. We’re always looking at what might get in the way of that and that’s what we work on together.”

Family therapists at Rhodes Wood work systemically, meaning they don’t just focus on the young person, but also consider the wider context around them. This includes family relationships, school, community life and the young person’s relationship with the multidisciplinary team (MDT).

“We often act as a systemic voice in the MDT,” adds Family Therapist Kevin Ball. “If  things feel stuck, we can offer another way of thinking about the situation. Because we see all families on the ward, we have a broad view of the system and that’s something the team really values.”

One distinctive feature of the service is the weekly Family Clinic, which uses a reflecting‑team approach. In these sessions, the family meets with a therapist while other members of the team observe and, at set points, reflect together on what they have heard. The family listens quietly before deciding whether to pick up on any of the reflections.

“If you only have one therapist, you only get one point of view,” Fran says. “A reflecting team gives families several perspectives they can consider. It’s particularly helpful where things feel hard to shift.”

Engagement in family therapy is encouraged for all families as part of the treatment programme. Parents may arrive with understandable questions, concerns or uncertainties about the process, especially if they are new to eating disorders. A key part of the work is psychoeducation, helping families understand how conditions like anorexia affect thinking, behaviour and emotions, and why certain clinical decisions are necessary.

“We balance being experts and being collaborative,” Kevin explains. “We offer information that can help, but we’re also there to explore ideas together, build understanding and strengthen relationships. That combination makes the work really rewarding.”

As treatment progresses, family therapists also support communication between home and the ward. Families may receive difficult or worrying messages from a young person who is adjusting to structured mealtimes, new routines or close observation, all essential components of early treatment. Part of the family therapist’s role is to help parents make sense of this, and to support both parents and staff to stay connected and aligned.

“Building trust is central,” says Fran. “Parents know their child better than anyone, and we know how the eating disorder operates. When we work together, it creates a strong foundation for recovery.”

A helpful way to understand anorexia, which many families find reassuring, is to view it as a separate influence, something external that has entered the young person’s life.

“Families often respond really well to the idea that the eating disorder is like a third presence affecting relationships and decisions,” Kevin says. “It helps reduce any sense of blame and brings everyone onto the same side.”

Siblings and extended family members are included in sessions wherever appropriate, although practicalities such as school can affect how often this happens. Even when they are not in the room, therapists keep them in mind. Parents are often supported to find ways to talk with siblings, answer their questions and maintain connection during a difficult time.

“We’re always thinking about the family system as a whole,” Fran explains. “That includes grandparents, siblings and anyone else who plays a significant part in the young person’s life.”

Family therapy at Rhodes Wood sits alongside individual therapy, dietary work, education, medical care and nursing support. No single intervention works in isolation; instead, each strengthens the others.

“If a young person spends months away from home,” Kevin says, “it’s important that their family feels informed, equipped and confident. Families are central to recovery long after the hospital stay ends.”

This Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Fran and Kevin emphasise one message above all: families are not just involved in treatment, they are an essential part of it. And when they are supported, informed and empowered, young people have the strongest possible chance of moving forward with hope and resilience.