SSCM was originally called Non-Specialised Supportive Clinical Management designed as a comparative treatment in a clinical trial to be delivered by therapists with expertise in eating disorders and to provide an optimised form of outpatient treatment. Surprisingly (N)SSCM was superior to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) at the end of treatment, even though in the longer term these effects diminished again.

NSSCM was developed further and renamed SSCM. It combines clinical management like giving information, advice and encouragement with a supportive therapeutic style. The aim of SSCM is to help the patients make a link between their symptoms and their eating behaviour and weight, and to support them in a gradual return to normal eating and weight. Additional therapy content is determined by the patient and can cover general areas of life. Unlike CBT-E or MANTRA this treatment model is not based on a psychological formulation, rather it uses a very practical and supportive approach.