Shauna Frisbie - A Therapists Guide to Treating Eating Disorders in a Social Media Age

To my mother, who made a calm, safe space for my early
years, shared stories, and taught me to remember the
ones that matter. And to my husband Gary, who makes
possible the great relationship that we all deserve.

A Therapists Guide to Treating Eating Disorders in a Social Media Age is a must-read for therapists. Shauna Frisbie takes the reader through an insightful journey about eating disorders. While the author pays attention to detail and research, the book also contains practical information. The emphasis on social media and its influence on eating disorders helps the reader navigate through the important issue of identity formation. The attributes of this book are many and stretch into both the professional and personal realm.

Loretta Bradley, Ph.D., Professor, Texas Tech University, Fellow,
American Counseling Association, Former President of American Counseling Association

This book is an essential read for therapists who treat eating disorders as well as therapists who work with adolescents. Dr. Frisbie eloquently weaves clinical experience and theory together to provide insight into how adolescents develop their personal identity through interactions facilitated by social media. The shift in how adolescents view themselves and the world profoundly impacts how identity is developed. All therapists need Dr. Frisbies book as a guide through the new reality of identity development.

Beth Robinson, Ed.D., Professor of Psychology, Lubbock Christian University

This book has been a work in progress for over ten years, the ideas growing slowly from my clinical experience with eating disorders. Thus, I must first acknowledge my clients who have shared their stories and their photographs. Their responses to photo therapy are the inspiration for this book.

Having an idea and turning into a book is a journey that would not be possible without the guidance of others. Thank you to W. W. Norton and Company for selecting this manuscript for publication. I am grateful to Deborah Malmud at Norton for taking an interest in my work and moving this project from proposal to reality. Words cannot express my gratitude for your feedback to the manuscript. I am also grateful to Mariah Eppes, project editor at Norton Professional Books, and the many competent individuals there who have edited, designed the cover, marketed, and generally smoothed this process. Thank you to Loretta Bradley, who was so generous with her time to read this book and to Latayne Scott for her willingness to read and edit.

Of course, no one can make it through life without their tribe, those people who make life worth living. Thank you to my friends, family, and friends who are really more family than friendsTami Prichard, Christye Weld, and Kaylene Brown. Special thanks to Beth Robinson, colleague and true friend, whose giant whiteboard diagram structured my ideas for this book, who gives excellent advice and is ready for any adventure. I am blessed beyond measure by my familyGary, who loves well and supports my endless array of projects. He is the best fit I can imagine in a husband and first-rate father to our next generationZane, Sonnet, and Nash. I love doing life with them all.

Shauna Frisbie is a licensed professional counselor and approved supervisor for licensed professional counselors (LPC-S), a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist (CEDS), and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). She graduated from Texas Tech University in 1998 with a masters in Human Development and Family Studies and in 2001 with a doctorate in Counselor Education. Dr. Frisbie has taught psychology, family studies, and counseling at Lubbock Christian University since 2001 and is currently a professor of clinical mental health counseling. Her clinical work with children, adolescents, and adults has taken place in various settings including agencies, the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, and private practice. She has been in private practice, specializing in eating disorders and trauma, since 2000.

An avid interest in photography and the role of photography in modern society, as well as extensive work with adolescents, led Dr. Frisbie to explore the impact of social media on mental health. As an eating disorder specialist, she seeks to expand treatment methods to address social media use in this population. In addition to working with eating disorders, Dr. Frisbie is currently involved in international research projects on the impact of trauma on children and adolescents. She lives on the high plains of Texas with her husband. Find out more about Dr. Frisbie at www.drfrisbie.com.

Note to Readers: Standards of clinical practice and protocol change over time, and no technique or recommendation is guaranteed to be safe or effective in all circumstances. This volume is intended as a general information resource for professionals practicing in the field of psychotherapy and mental health; it is not a substitute for appropriate training, peer review, and/or clinical supervision. Neither the publisher nor the author(s) can guarantee the complete accuracy, efficacy, or appropriateness of any particular recommendation in every respect. To protect client privacy, names, and details have been changed. Descriptions of images were likewise altered to protect confidentiality.

Copyright 2020 by Shauna Frisbie

All rights reserved
First Edition

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact W. W. Norton Special Sales at specialsales@wwnorton.com or 800-233-4830

Cover design: Chin-Yee Lai

Cover art: venimo
Book design by Anna Reich
Production manager: Katelyn MacKenzie

The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:

Names: Frisbie, Shauna, author.
Title: A therapists guide to treating eating disorders in a social media age / Shauna Frisbie.
Description: First edition. | New York : W. W. Norton & Company, 2020. | A Norton professional book. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019057966 | ISBN 9780393714456 (paperback) | ISBN 9780393714463 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Eating disorders--Treatment. | Social media.
Classification: LCC RC552.E18 F75 2020 | DDC 616.85/26dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019057966

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SHAUNA FRISBIE

A NORTON PROFESSIONAL BOOK

In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity.

Erik Erikson

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