Group Therapy

The Recover Clinic runs a number of specialist therapy groups. Each group enables people to confront destructive behaviours and helps them express their thoughts and feelings in a constructive way.  Participants see an improvement in their self-esteem and in their ability to communicate with, and relate to, others.

Group members are encouraged to give feedback to other members of the group. This includes learning to express feelings about how other members speak or behave. Such interaction provides members with an opportunity to explore new ways of expressing themselves and learning how to interact more effectively.

When people first join a group, the group devotes time to welcome and support new members through what can be an emotionally challenging time. Members create a place of trust which allows participants to feel safe enough to talk personally and honestly. All members make a commitment to keep the content of the groups completely confidential.

All of the therapeutic groups at Recover are facilitated by an experienced and dedicated psychotherapist. They all hold up to a maximum of ten members.

Mixed eating disorders therapy group • Monday evening • 6.30pm – 8.30pm

This is a mixed gender group in which members are working towards recovering from an eating disorder.  We welcome anyone suffering with an eating disorder who would like a safe space to talk about the feelings, emotions and difficulties that they face as a result of their illness.  This group is run by our Senior Clinician, Sara Shammas, who is a specialist in the field.

Adolescents eating disorders group • Tuesday evening • 5.00pm – 6.30pm

Sarah Shammas runs a group for young women aged between 13 and 17 years who are struggling  to recover from anorexia, or bulimia, binge eating and compulsive over-eating. The purpose of the group is to help young women find a voice strong enough to express how they feel so that they are not forced into dependence on an eating disorder as a way of coping with their emotions.

Adults Eating Disorders group • Tuesday evening • 6.00pm – 7.30pm

This group is for women only.  All members of the group have a dual diagnosis which means that they are struggling with more than one issue.  For instance, they may have both depression and an addiction to alchohol; or they may have both an anxiety and an eating disorder.  The focus of the group is on teaching members how to build intimate relationships with others while keeping themselves safe and maintaining healthy boundaries. Sara Shammas runs this group.

Women’s eating disorders group • Wednesday evening • 6.00pm – 8.00pm

All the women in this group are in recovery from an eating disorder.  This is a therapeutic space for members to talk about the challenges they face as a result of living with their illness.  Group members are committed to supporting each other. This may include telephone or text conversations, or informal meetings, throughout the week and during holiday periods.  The group is run by our therapist Sophie Frost who specialises in working with both women who have eating disorders and those that have experienced trauma.

Body work group • Monday evening • 6.00pm – 8.00pm

The aim of the group is to promote a new relationship between the body and self. The group is based on a holistic approach linking mind, body and emotions. Our body is the medium in which we experience our physical life, but it also reflects our personality, our thinking and emotions. Often there are times we feel disconnected and out of sync within ourselves and our bodies. Through the use of dance and movement we begin to reconnect with our bodies, which helps to realign ourselves within it. Dance helps to rediscover our bodies potential in a creative way and the therapeutic value of dance is explored; building self-esteem, confidence and self awareness. Through a series of sequences, we warm up and develop movement together whilst strengthening physical awareness and facilitating relaxation. The dance becomes both an enjoyable and challenging means of self-expression. Whilst the movement grounds us in the body, the mind is focused on the dance. This often helps create a space for self-reflection and development, that supports the participants overall process at Recover.  Kate Snowden is also a trained movement therapist and is experienced in working with people who either have a lack of connection to their bodies or with people who find that they struggle to express themselves verbally.  We welcome people looking for help in all areas of their lives.

Eating disorders group • Thursday evening • 6.00 pm – 8.00 pm

Men and women who are members of this group are in recovery from all types of eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia and compulsive binge eating disorder.  Members are working at re-establishing their personality and sense of purpose:  how they relate to one another, how they communicate in an authentic voice and how they build intimate relationships.  Importantly, they are working to create and maintain stability within their recovery.  Kate Snowden leads this group.