Introduction to Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating

This course...

is: an online live course

is for: Nutritional therapy practitioners, nutritionists, dieticians, naturopaths, other health care providers and final year nutrition students interested in applying functional medicine approaches to health and well-being (i.e. exploring how nutrients, other foods and lifestyle factors influence the function of the body and how to apply findings in a person–centred manner that recognises individuals’ unique differences)

is led by: Emma Hendricks

spans: 1 day

provides: ION CPD 5 hours, BANT CPD 5 hours, NNA CPD 5 hours

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o This course introduces practitioners to eating disorders and disordered eating and the fundamentals of working safely, effectively and with confidence to support these clients.
o It includes recognizing common presentations, understanding key biochemical imbalances, and applying foundational nutritional, behavioral and psychological strategies to promote a positive relationship with food.
o It is an introductory day and does not constitute sufficient training to practice in this specialist field; participants will be signposted to appropriate routes for further specialist training and supervised clinical practice.
o Practitioners may struggle to identify eating difficulties early and feel unsure how to adapt traditional nutritional approaches without causing harm, and lack confidence about where their scope of practice ends and specialist support begins.
o This course aims to provide a clear framework for recognizing red flags, understanding the underlying biochemical imbalances, and outlines gentle nutritional, behavioural and psychological interventions alongside clinical boundaries, referral routes and plans for further training and supervision.
o This course will introduce the spectrum of eating disorders and disordered eating, highlight myths and misconceptions and show how these issues commonly present in clinical practice, including through food diaries.
o It will then explore core biochemical imbalances including nutrient deficiency/depletion, neurotransmitter, digestive and hormonal imbalances, and consider the impact of weight-loss medications.
o Examples of the questions it will answer include: “How can I recognise when a client may have an undiagnosed eating disorder?”, “What biochemical issues should we consider in long-term restriction or binge–purge patterns?”, “How do I adapt my nutritional approach without reinforcing disordered behaviours?” and “What can I expect from specialist training?”.
o Finally, it will outline foundational nutrition strategies, introduce simple psychological and behaviour-change tools within NT scope, and signpost pathways for safe MDT working, supervision and advanced training.

What will I learn?

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Create impactful programmes to enhance any client’s relationship with food and help them change their health behaviours.
• Apply the latest research findings in your approach to understand the main biochemical and physiological consequences of restriction, binge eating and compensatory behaviours.
• Avoid potential pitfalls such as colluding with the eating disorder, over-restrictive meal plans or working beyond your scope of practice.
• Be confident in supporting clients through eating identification of eating difficulties, clear referral pathways and roots to specialist training.
• Keep your client motivated by using key psychological and behavioural approaches to address challenges with emotional regulation, ambivalence and avoidance all within the nutritional therapy scope.

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About the presenter:

Emma Hendricks (MSc, fBANT, CNHC) is a Registered Nutritional Therapist and (almost) Health Psychologist, and the founder of The Eating Clinic, an online multidisciplinary clinic specialising in eating disorders, disordered eating and body image. She has worked for a decade at the intersection of nutrition, health psychology and behaviour change, supporting clients with complex relationships with food and their body. Emma is currently in the final stage of a Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology at UWE Bristol, where her research focusses on designing and evaluating an intervention to improve disordered eating and body image challenges in men.

Emma also runs a 6-month advanced practitioner programme, Nutritional Therapy for Eating Disorders, which trains nutritional therapists to work safely, effectively and confidently with eating disorders and disordered eating. She regularly delivers CPD and training providers on topics such as eating disorders, body image, weight stigma and behaviour change, with a strong focus on practical, evidence-based tools that protect clients’ relationship with food and body. Emma is also a specialist advisor in this field and supported BANT with their recent update to the eating disorder professional practice guidelines,