ED Therapy Cards – A Practical Guide for Clinicians
This comprehensive course introduces clinicians to the Eating Disorder Therapy Cards—a creative, evidence-informed tool designed to support emotional and psychological recovery in adolescents and adults with eating disorders.
Course Synopsis:
Through step-by-step guidance and clinical insights, you’ll learn how to effectively integrate the Trait, Inner Critic, Emotion, and Sage cards into your therapeutic work. You’ll also explore the concept of Head and Heart Space—a framework that helps clients recognise the internal tug-of-war between control and emotion, and move toward a more balanced, compassionate way of relating to themselves.
This course will show you how to use the cards to facilitate self-reflection, externalisation, and identity exploration, while tailoring interventions to your client’s stage of recovery. An accompanying clinician workbook is included to support your learning, provide prompts, and guide real-world application of the cards in session.
Perfect for clinicians seeking structured, flexible, and engaging ways to deepen therapeutic conversations and support lasting change.
Course Curriculum
Section 1 – Introduction to the Cards
This section outlines the purpose and aims of the Eating Disorder Therapy Cards, explores the research and theory underpinning their development, and highlights important clinical considerations for their safe and effective use.
Section 2 – Setting the Scene
Here, we explore how to prepare both the therapeutic space and the client for working with the cards. Topics include:
- Guiding principles for using the cards
- Recommended order of card introduction
- Understanding and introducing the concepts of Head and Heart Space
- Therapeutic goals associated with these foundational frameworks
Section 3 – How to Use the Cards
This practical section provides an in-depth guide to each card set, including their purpose in treatment, key clinical insights, cautions, and suggested interventions:
- Trait Cards – therapeutic goals, clinical reflections, and targeted activities
- Inner Critic Cards – identifying critical voices, supporting externalisation, and building compassionate inner dialogue
- Sage Cards – their therapeutic role, fostering integration and strengths-based exploration through creative engagement
- Emotion Cards – integrating emotional literacy into treatment, with examples of how to combine them with other card types
Section 4 – Using the Cards in Broader Settings
This section explores how the cards can be adapted for use in family sessions or therapeutic group settings to enhance communication, insight, and collaboration.
Section 5 – Conclusion
A summary of key learnings and final reflections on integrating the cards into clinical practice with confidence and creativity.