Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa CBT-AN20

Course Outline

CBT protocols for patients with non-underweight eating disorders have advanced substantially in the past decade. In contrast, CBT for anorexia nervosa has not changed substantially over nearly two decades. Over that time, the research literature in the field of CBT has led to many potential directions for working with anorexia nervosa, and more rapidly than current protocols. This need to revisit the literature has led to the development of a new, 20-session protocol for low- to moderate-risk cases of anorexia nervosa - CBT-AN-20 (Waller, Eddy, Rose, Thomas, Turner & Wade, 2026). As with CBT-T, the aim is to ensure that this effective therapy is made widely accessible – for example, being delivered by junior team members under supervision, and with the support of online skills videos and therapy resources. 

This 2-day workshop will detail the skills needed to deliver CBT-AN-20 in a flexible, patient-centred manner. It will address:

• The evidence to date for CBT-AN-20.

• The meta-competences needed to deliver any therapy effectively.

• Risk management.

• Formulation of anorexia nervosa.

• Reviewing motivation and progress, including working with the anorexic voice.

• The overlapping phases of the therapy, including weight gain and stabilisation; emotional factors behind compulsive and impulsive behaviours; body image work; and ending therapy well.

• Considerations when working with individuals with neurodiversity, trauma effects, younger presentations, atypical presentations, etc.

Case material will be used throughout to illustrate the key skills, along with role-play videos.

 

Key Learning Outcomes

• Ability to enhance therapy outcomes through understanding and use of meta-competences.

• Formulation of anorexia nervosa using an adapted 5Ps model.

• Awareness of the structure of the therapy and the ability to adapt it for the individual.

• Understanding of the core skills used in CBT-AN-20. 

 

Who is the training for?

Therapists who have some to considerable experience working with people with anorexia nervosa. 

 

Reference

Waller, G., Eddy, K. T., Rose, C. L., Thomas, J. J., Turner, H. M., & Wade, T. D. (2026). Cognitive-behaviour therapy for anorexia nervosa: A clinician’s guide to CBT-AN-20. Routledge. 

 

About the Presenter

Tracey Wade is Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor at the University of Adelaide. She has worked as a clinician and researcher in mental health for over 30 years. She is the director of the Flinders University Services for Eating Disorders. She has cowritten 4 books on cognitive behaviour therapy for eating disorders and perfectionism and has over 300 publications in peer reviewed journals. In 2015 she was elected a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. In 2023 she was the recipient of the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy Distinguished Career Award. In 2025 she received the Academy of Eating Disorders Leadership Award in Research, the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Australian Psychological Society Distinguished Contribution to Psychological Science Award. Over 2024 to 2028 she is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant 2025665.