Format: Live-online Lecturer Led Classes (Virtual-Classroom) via Zoom

Duration: 1 Evening Every Week 6pm to 9pm

Online Live Attendance: 30 Hours

Self-Directed Learning: 30 Hours

Total CPD Credits: 60 Credits

Assessment: Written Assignment +/- Viva Voca Assessment

Award: Accredited Professional Diploma

Course Accreditation:

- Professional Development Consortium

- Provider of Excellence

- CPD Standards Office

- Irish Counselling & Psychotherapy Association (ICPA)

Course Description

The Professional Diploma in Eating Disorders, Body Image & Emotional Health is designed for practitioners who wish to better understand the complex relationship between food, body image, emotions, and identity. The course provides a comprehensive overview of eating disorders and disordered eating, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant/restrictive intake, and subclinical patterns that may still cause significant distress and impairment.

You will explore how biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors interact in the development and maintenance of eating difficulties. Particular attention is given to perfectionism, shame, trauma, anxiety, low self-esteem, and difficulties in emotional regulation. The impact of family dynamics, peer relationships, media influences, and social pressures around appearance and performance is examined throughout, with sensitivity to gender, culture, and diversity.

A core focus of the programme is on developing a compassionate, non-judgemental and collaborative stance. You will learn how to recognise warning signs, ask safe and sensitive questions, and respond in ways that reduce stigma and promote trust. The course introduces key therapeutic approaches and best-practice guidelines in the support of individuals with eating difficulties, while clarifying the limits of your role and the importance of multidisciplinary working, medical monitoring, and specialist referral.

Teaching methods typically include lectures, case examples, reflective exercises, and skills practice. You will be supported to apply learning to your own context, whether that is counselling, psychotherapy, youth work, education, health, fitness and wellbeing, or community and voluntary services.

This diploma is particularly suited to professionals who frequently encounter concerns about food, weight, shape, or appearance in their work. By the end of the course, you will have greater confidence in understanding eating disorders and body image distress, in holding supportive and informed conversations, and in contributing to environments that promote emotional health, body respect, and recovery-oriented care.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this diploma, participants will be able to:

Describe and critically discuss the major eating disorders and eating-related difficulties
(including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, ARFID, OSFED and subclinical presentations),
with reference to current diagnostic frameworks and contemporary debates.
Explain the biopsychosocial and cultural factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of eating difficulties,
including the roles of temperament, attachment, trauma, perfectionism, shame, anxiety, low self-esteem, and emotion regulation.
Analyse the impact of body image and identity on emotional health, including how appearance-related pressures,
weight stigma, media and social media, fitness/wellness culture, and performance ideals shape clients’ self-concept and behaviours.
Recognise early warning signs and red flags for eating disorders and body image distress across the lifespan,
and ask safe, sensitive and non-judgemental questions that encourage disclosure and reduce stigma.
Conduct an initial psychosocial assessment of eating and body image concerns that is within the practitioner’s scope of practice,
including gathering relevant history, identifying risk, and appreciating the client’s functional use of symptoms.
Formulate eating and body image difficulties using a biopsychosocial lens, integrating developmental history, family dynamics,
peer relationships, cultural context, and the client’s emotional world in order to guide supportive interventions.
Apply core principles from evidence-informed approaches (such as CBT-based, emotion-focused, compassion-focused
and systemic perspectives) to support clients with eating and body image concerns, while clearly maintaining appropriate role boundaries.
Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary and stepped-care framework, including:
- understanding when medical monitoring is essential,
- when and how to refer to specialist services, and
- how to communicate effectively with GPs, psychiatrists, dietitians, schools, and other key professionals.
Demonstrate a compassionate, collaborative, and recovery-oriented stance in conversations about food, weight, shape,
and appearance, fostering safety, autonomy, hope, and motivation for change.
Practice in an ethically sound, inclusive and culturally sensitive manner, with awareness of:
- diversity in gender, sexuality, culture, body size, age, and ability;
- the impact of personal bias and weight stigma; and
- relevant ethical and professional guidelines for work with eating disorders.
Critically reflect on their own relationship with food, body image and emotional regulation,
and use supervision, reflective practice, and self-care strategies to sustain safe and effective work in this area.
Translate learning into their own professional context (e.g. counselling, psychotherapy, youth work, education, health,
fitness/wellbeing, community or voluntary services) by developing or refining policies, practices, or resources
that promote emotional health, body respect, and supportive responses to eating distress.

Course Layout

Week 1 – Foundations of Suicide Prevention

Lecture: History, epidemiology, global and local data
Workshop: Challenging myths and stigma
Readings: WHO Live Life Strategy, SAMHSA Suicide Prevention Toolkit
Assessment: Reflective journal on language and stigma (500 words)

Week 2 – The Psychology of Suicide

Lecture: Theoretical frameworks (Interpesonal Theory, IMV Model, Psychache)
Case study: Analyzing pathways from ideation to action
Workshop: Understanding lived experience narratives
Assessment: Short essay (1000 words) applying theory to case

Week 3 – Risk and Protective Factors

Lecture: Epidemiological risk profiling
Workshop: Creating biopsychosocial formulations
Assessment: Risk formulation exercise (graded practical)

Week 4 – Assessment and Crisis Recognition

Lecture: Tools and structured professional judgment
Practical Workshop: Conducting simulated suicide assessments
Guest Speaker: Clinical psychologist or crisis service professional
Assessment: Recorded role-play (pass/fail competency)

Week 5 – Intervention & Safety Planning

Lecture: Overview of intervention models
Workshop: Safety plan development in triads
Reading: Stanley & Brown (2012) Safety Planning Intervention
Assessment: Safety plan submission & rationale (750 words)

Week 6 – Working with Special Populations

Lecture: Culturally safe and inclusive approaches
Panel Discussion: Voices from diverse communities
Assessment: Group presentation – targeted prevention strategy

Week 7 – Ethics, Law, and Professional Practice

Lecture: Legal duties, documentation, and ethical dilemmas
Workshop: Scenario-based decision making
Assessment: Case-based legal/ethical analysis (1000 words)

Week 8 – Postvention and Recovery

Lecture: Bereavement care, trauma responses, organizational postvention
Workshop: Designing a postvention protocol
Assessment: Draft organizational postvention plan (graded)

Week 9 – Community & Systems Prevention

Lecture: Population-level approaches, national strategies
Workshop: Policy analysis and prevention campaign design
Assessment: Capstone project proposal

Week 10 – Integration, Reflection & Capstone

Lecture: Integration of learning and professional identity
Workshop: Supervision, resilience, and self-care strategies
Assessment

Professional Diploma in Eating Disorders, Body Image & Emotional Health- (LIVE ONLINE)
60 CPD POINTS

Course Format, Description, Learning Outcomes & Modules

Book Now