REST: A Key Facilitator in the Treatment of Eating Disorders

Abstract

REST offers some unique characteristics that support it’s utility in the treatment of eating disorders. REST affords the opportunity to process ones attitudes and behaviors, perhaps as never before, in a unique environment without interaction with the external environment. REST is especially suited to facilitating the reduction of conflicts between eating desires, cultural expectations, and health concerns. REST enables clients to determine their personal goals because there are no stimuli to arouse maladaptive defense mechanisms which might interfere with clients’ personal goal directed processing. At the same time, adaptation to the environment includes imaginai activity which may also interfere with the evocation of cognitive defenses. REST is, perhaps, the ultimate safe non-judgmental non-directive therapeutic milieu.