Group coleadership: a new role for parents of adolescents with anorexia and bulimia nervosa

This paper describes a model for coleadership of a multifamily group which is part of an outpatient treatment program for adolescents with anorexia and bulimia nervosa at The Children's Hospital in Boston. This clinic is a collaborative effort between the Departments of Psychiatry and Adolescent Medicine and has been involved with more than 600 patients and their families. The parents of a recovered adolescent girl have shared group leadership with the author for six years and have added an innovative dimension to the group process as a result of their own experiences. Theoretical and empirical observations are presented and guidelines for maximizing coping abilities are outlined.