Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT-E) is the first line psychological treatment for bulimia and binge eating disorder. CBT-E has been developed and well researched by Prof. Dr Christopher Fairburn as a specialised form of CBT therapy for eating disorders. It was originally developed for treatment of bulimia nervosa and then enhanced and modified to apply to treatment of binge eating disorder and anorexia nervosa.

The treatment is manualised and structured but also uses a very personalised formulation that reflects the individual’s presentation.
CBT-E is a present-focused, active, and collaborative treatment with the therapist helping the client become their own agent of change of eating disorder cognitions and behaviours that interfere with their broader goals and values of life.
CBT-E primarily focuses on the current (and often self-perpetuating) patterns that serve to maintain disorders. Applying specific strategies to make active changes in thoughts, behaviours and in resulting emotions to overcome these patterns is at the core of CBT-E.

CBT-E begins with psychoeducation and a collaborative exploration of the processes that maintain the disorder and use that to identify the problems that need to be targeted in therapy. Behavioural goal is helping to establish a pattern of regular eating. The client will be asked to monitor their behaviour and engage in behavioural experiments to reduce problematic behaviours. The third stage addresses the maintaining processes of the eating disorder, and the final stage focuses on preventing relapse and maintaining positive changes.
At the end of treatment the focus will be on how to ensure the improvements are being maintained including relapse prevention.