Developing Dolphins
Developing Dolphins is a set of free online training workshops for anyone caring in a personal capacity for someone with disordered eating, based on the principles of the New Maudsley method developed by leading expert Professor Janet Treasure. Learning online over five weekday evenings, you’ll find out more about eating disorders, gain an understanding of the driving forces behind them, and learn some techniques to help your loved one in recovery and look after your own wellbeing. Developing Dolphins is delivered by clinicians who work directly with people with eating disorders.
How much time will I need to commit?
There are five workshops in total, which run weekly for two-and-a-half hours.
What does Developing Dolphins cover?
You should finish Developing Dolphins with:
- An increased understanding of eating disorders and the psychology behind them.
- Strategies for encouraging recovery, including motivational interviewing, collaborative goal setting, and more.
- Understanding of how your own behaviour could maintain the eating disorder, and how to avoid this.
- Tips for taking care of your own wellbeing while your loved one is recovering.
"I attended Beat’s workshop when my 16-year-old daughter had relapsed after regaining weight in hospital. I was feeling very depleted and hopeless. I can now see light at the end of the tunnel and have hope I can use the skills learnt to help my daughter recover."
—Attendee
You will hear from other families about their experiences and receive peer-to-peer support.
Developing Dolphins will also include practicing your communication skills and understanding Beat’s services. Where possible, you will hear from a Beat Ambassador on their lived experience of an eating disorder and in the final session you will develop an action plan to complete the workshop.
Developing Dolphins is currently available without referral across the following areas in England: Durham and York.
Please check with your local Eating Disorder Service if you are based in Surrey (if loved one is 17>) as you can access with a clinical referral.
Book below ↓
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The course really helped me to have faith and belief that, with the right guidance and support, our daughter could make a full recovery.
Attendee
Book a workshop
Sign up to POD, our e-learning platform, to book onto a Developing Dolphins workshop. If it is funded in your area, this will appear on your "Browse Events" page.
Some workshops have very limited availability so if you cannot get a space, please do email the training team on carers@beateatingdisorders.org.uk or call us on 01925 912829.
FAQs
How frequently does Developing Dolphins run?
The workshop runs regularly throughout the year based on funding. We will not be starting any workshops in December due to holidays causing low attendance.
How many people can join each carers workshop?
We allow a maximum of 17 people to join each workshop.
Who is the workshop for?
It is open to parents, partners, siblings, and others caring for a loved one age 10 and above with an eating disorder that has lasted fewer than five years.*
Do I have to attend every session?
The full workshop is five sessions long. We encourage you to attend all five sessions, although if you need to miss a session, there may be an opportunity for you to catch up when the workshop runs again.
What do I need to join Developing Dolphins?
We ask that you have a good internet connection and a working camera.
What if I've already attended Raising Resilience? How is Developing Dolphins different?
Our other workshop for carers, Raising Resilience, covers some similar themes, and if you have already done that workshop then Developing Dolphins offers a great opportunity for you to practice and develop the skills you learned. However, it’s not necessary to have completed Raising Resilience before joining Developing Dolphins.
How do I book onto Developing Dolphins?
To book onto Developing Dolphins you first need to sign up to our e-learning platform POD. Once you've registered for POD, you'll be able to see workshops available to you by clicking the "Browse Events" button.
For more information, please email or call us on 01925 912829. You can read our online ground rules here.
Workshops are recorded for training and monitoring purposes and will not be shared externally. If you have any questions please contact the training team carers@beateatingdisorders.org.uk.
