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Case Reports
. 2025 Aug 19:16:1595758.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1595758. eCollection 2025.

Case Report: An integrative approach to psychotherapy for the mother of a daughter with bulimia nervosa

Qiu Yuan Zhang  1 , Hong Yi Wang  1 , Yan Hong Liu  2 , Hui Yan  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Case Report: An integrative approach to psychotherapy for the mother of a daughter with bulimia nervosa

Qiu Yuan Zhang et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Caregivers is a crucial factor in recovery and psychological intervention of individuals with eating disorders which are often-overlooked. This study explores the role of integrative therapy in promoting the psychological development of the mother of a daughter with bulimia nervosa, improving family structure, and facilitating the patient's recovery. A 43-month, 54-session intervention was conducted with the mother of a woman with eating disorder using an integrative therapy approach primarily based on Bowen family systems therapy, drawing, and narrative therapy. The mother demonstrated improvements in emotional expressiveness, psychological distress, caregiving burden, and family structure, while her daughter experienced a reduction in eating disorder symptoms, improvement in the mother-daughter relationship, and restoration of social functioning, enabling the establishment of personal intimate relationships. In this context, the therapeutic value of integrative therapy deserves further attention. Meanwhile, the issue of mental health management is also reflected in this paper.

Keywords: caregivers; eating disorders; integrative therapy; mental health management; psychological care.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Our family (drawn by Ms. D).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Our family (described by Ms. D’s husband and drawn by Ms. D).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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