Kleinian Theories Of Eating Disorders

According to, Kleinian theorist’s destructive impulses can project into mother in order to get rid of these painful and difficult feelings. Kleinian theory suggests that we understand the proliferation of violent, destroying, and destructive internal part object relationships, at the level of unconscious phantasy. Kleinians believe that we carry an internal picture of the world, full of part and whole objects to which we relate this picture, an unconscious filter, we see and experience the world in every situation we come in contact (Smolak & Levine, 1993). Individuals who suffer from eating disorders frequently fail in establishing emotional communication with the people they attached, which builds insecure attachments during childhood. Individuals with eating disorders have more separation anxiety during childhood resulting in more control over body changes, which is an external way to divert attention away from attachment related issues (Garner & Garfinkel, 1997). In the clinical setting, it is important for the clinician to be able to modify assessments that are based on attachment style questions, observing the client when asked or challenged with difficult assessments. Clinicians working with younger clients can utilize play therapy; express the child’s emotions through stories, art therapy, and by
Modifying treatment that targets specific attachment styles will help eating disorders clients improve through long-term interpersonal functioning, emotional regulation, and mental status (Tasca, Ritchie & Balfour, 2011). Termination is extremely important when ending a therapeutic relationship with individuals with an attachment issue; it should not be portrayed or viewed as abandonment because the clients self-worth can be lowered, causing more psychological or emotional