About this webinar
Date: September 24, 2026
Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET
Facilitators: Anita Federici, PhD, CPsych, FAED., and Dhwani Joshi, MSW, RSW.
CE hours: 3
This training is suitable for:
- Mental Health Professionals: psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers.
- Medical Professionals: nurses, psychiatrists, pediatricians, family doctors.
- Direct Service Workers: drop-in workers, shelter and hostel workers, child and youth workers, youth justice workers
- Educators: teachers, ECE, school administration, support staff.
Client category: Professionals working with individuals 12 years to adulthood.
Level of training: Introductory
Prerequisite: Experience and training in eating disorders treatment (FBT, CBT).
Description: The therapeutic relationship plays a critical role in evidence-based eating disorder treatment. This workshop focuses on the use of self in standard front-line ED treatments, emphasizing how therapists’ cultural, gender, and lived experiences shape their work with clients.
Participants will engage in reflective exercises, case discussions, and experiential activities to explore how their personal identities and experiences impact the therapeutic alliance, treatment planning, and outcomes.
Learning objectives: At the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Understand the concept of the "use of self" in therapeutic practice and its specific relevance in eating disorder treatment.
- Identify how cultural, gender, and lived experiences influence the therapist’s perceptions, interventions, and interactions with clients.
- Explore strategies to use authenticity and self-awareness to strengthen the therapeutic alliance while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
- Develop skills to address potential countertransference and biases that may arise in eating disorder treatment.
- Integrate culturally responsive approaches through consideration of clients’ diverse perspectives on body image, food and lived experiences into treatment planning
Agenda:
Introduction and Framing (30 minutes)
- Welcome and objectives
- Brief overview of the use of self in psychotherapy
- Specific challenges in eating disorders treatment
Exploring Therapist Identity (1 hour)
- Reflective exercise: Mapping cultural, gender, and lived experiences
- Group discussion: How do these factors influence our work?
Case Studies and Small Group Discussion (1 hour)
- Presentation of anonymized case examples
- Participants discuss in small groups how their identities might influence their approach
Practical Tools and Strategies (1.5 hours)
- Techniques for fostering authenticity and connection Managing countertransference and implicit biases
- Building culturally responsive treatment plans
Closing and Q&A (30 minutes)
- Summary of key takeaways
- Open discussion and resource sharing
Audio/visual recording disclaimer: Please note that this training will be recorded. We kindly ask that you please review the audio/visual consent form.
Continuing Education (CE) Information: SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Learning Institute is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) to offer continuing education (CE) hours. Full-day programs equal six CE hours; half-day programs equal three CE hours; for less than half-day programs, one hour of programming equals one CE hour. SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Learning Institute maintains responsibility for the programs.
Other licensing boards and professional organizations will grant continuing education credits for attendance at their own discretion; participants will need to submit the course outline and Certificate of Participation for their consideration.
Registration closes:
If registration has closed and you're still interested in joining this course, please contact Mary Anne at mvanrooyen@sickkidscmhlearning.ca
Accessibility
We strive to ensure our online learning programs are easy for everyone, everywhere. If you have any accessibility requirements (closed-captioning, ASL interpreters, advanced access to program materials), please email Mary Anne Van Rooyen at mvanrooyen@sickkidscmhlearning.ca to let us know how we can best support your learning experience.
Please note: Once the online registration is complete, any modifications to a registration must be done by contacting Mary Anne Van Rooyen via email at mvanrooyen@sickkidscmhlearning.ca
Photography is being used for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted in the content is a model, except where indicated.