Title:Group therapy helps students with body dysmorphia

Last fall, two counselors at Georgetown’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) launched the Body Image and Eating Concerns support group for undergraduate and graduate students.

The group explores cognitive and behavioral aspects of food and body dysmorphia, and helps students overcome their fears through exposure therapy and other resources.

“Eating disorders are a disease that affects you cognitively, behaviorally, and physically,” says Jessica Kuszelewicz, who founded the group with Shanice Anderson and serves as one of the facilitators. “It’s important to cover as many aspects that we can in order to create a comprehensive level of support for those we serve.”

The group creates a welcoming atmosphere for students of all backgrounds.

“Eating disorders do not discriminate,” says Kuszelewicz. “We encourage community because eating disorders thrive in secrecy and isolation.”

“Universities can be seen as a ‘red zone’ for eating disorders,” says Anderson, who also serves as a facilitator for the group. “It’s a time where either pre-existing or new symptoms present in many college-aged students. We have a unique opportunity to intervene before it gets too far or to provide support before they have to put their life on hold in order to receive services.”

During the sessions, students state their personal beliefs that affect how they see themselves or what they eat. Kuszelewicz and Anderson, both of whom have a background working with eating disorder patients, meet after each session to devise a challenge to identify and overcome those obstacles in the following session. Then, the students take home the behavioral experiments, which may include journaling or avoiding checking their weight, and record their results and observations for discussion at the next session.

“This support group really helps to create community around something that can feel taboo—almost like a dirty secret,” says Anderson. “It allows students to know they’re not alone in this fight—that not only do they have us as clinicians, but they also have peers who have similar difficulties or challenges, who are looking for community and connection.”

With more funding, Kuszelewicz and Anderson would like to do food exposures with the group to encourage healthy eating habits, overcome fears of eating in public, and create a safe space.

“This group has helped me realize that I’m not alone in my struggles,” shares a nursing student. “I want to be healthy to provide the best care to my patients as a nurse.”