Projects and programmes

Counseling centre – providing psycho-social support for eating disorders sufferers and their families. Assistance in recovery process, guidance in individual and group therapy, support for parents and carers. 

Support groups- for young people with symptoms of anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. Two support groups - for adolescents under 18 years of age, and for female patients aged 19 years and older. Group meetings once a week. Obligatory individual session before joining a group and parallel individual psychotherapeutic work. Group leaders: Ivana Kurtov, social educator, and Nikolina Essert, psychologist and psychotherapist.

Support group for parents- weekly psychoeducational group for parents of minor and adult children suffering from eating disorders. Leader: Tončica Šiškov, prof.paed and psychotherapist.

                                       

Nutritional group- group based on nutritional aspects of cognitive-behavioral therapy-enchanced ( for eating disorders). Group members are adolescents and adults suffering from anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder. Leader: nutritionist specialized for eating disorders Maja Žanko.

New Maudsley lectures- for parents, partners, siblings and friends of persons suffering from eating disorders. Interactive lectures include watching video material with examples beneficial and counterproductive communication in families struggling with eating disorders. Video material is used with permit from prof.Janet Treasure, the co-author of New Maudsley approach.

Saturdays in BEA: Psycho-education for community covering different themes relevant for understanding, recognizing or recovery from eating disorders:

What is the relation between love for ourselves and love for others? lecturer: psychiatrist Hrvoje Handl

How to unlock the joy of living? lecturer: body oriented psychotherapist Jagor Tomašević

Health at every size? seminar for experts in partnership with Institute for Public Health "Dr.Andrija Štampar" and Ministry for Science and Education

New Maudsley approach- family communication including siblings- lecturers prof.paed.and psychotherapist Tončica Šiškov and mr.sc.Jelena Balabanić Mavrović

How to be with yourself- the art of relaxation - lecturer psychologist and psychotherapist Sunčana Rokvić                                         

New Maudsley approach - finding support for parents - lecturers prof.ped.and psychotherapist Tončica Šiškov and mr.sc.Jelena Balabanić Mavrović

Personal experience of recovery- a dancer's story  lecturer Ana Miletić, a proffesional dancer

Hungry Heart; Food and Stress – body oriented therapists Ana Katarina Sansevic and Dane Cvijanović

How to understand suffering? - Sociologist and reality psychotherapist Jelena Balabanić Mavrović

Inner Critic – psychologist Sunčana Rokvić

Mindfulness for Eating Disorders Sufferers – psychologist and cognitive-bihevioral therapist Dragica Barbarić

Psycho drama – social pedagogies and psychodrama teacher Damir Mihalić

Suppressing of our Thoughts – White Bear Effect – psychologist Sunčana Rokvić

My Journey to Recovery – social pedagogies Andrea Klapčić and psychiatrists Dubravko Kužina

Parental Role – Boundaries - psychologist Nikolina Essert

Parental Shadow - Stories about growing up – psychiatrist Hrvoje Handl

                                             

Preventive programmes

  •  „Who is that in the mirror? “, author Jelena Balabanić Mavrović, implemented in 14 secondary schools in Zagreb, more than 2.000 adolescent girls included. Interactive multimedia workshops in small groups, 10 workshops in 10 weeks for each group. Scientifically tested: significant change of attitudes on importance of weight for quality of life; significantly higher self-confidence of participants; significantly lower risk behaviour for developing eating disorders (misuse of laxatives, self-induced vomiting, drastic dieting, everyday weighing, obsessive workout to lose weight etc). 
  • "It 's good to be ME", prevention programme for elementary schools ( 13-14 year old girls) including strenghtening positive body image, self-esteem, development of media-literacy, communication skils.
  • "Licence for imperfection" - activist programme including 1,5 hour-workshop for secondary schools conducted by volunteers ( psychology students, educational-rehabilitational students, social-work students etc). Author is a young activist and future social educator Sara Peranić, who was a candidate for Volunteer Oscar in Croatia 2017.

Networking and education of professionals in the field – to exchange knowledge and experience in work with EDs, to raise general professional knowledge on recognizing ED's symptoms and providing support to sufferers and their families. PROFFESIONAL FORUMS : Prevention and treatment of eating disorders in Croatia in 2017: chanllenges and opportunities;  Psychotherapy in treatment of eating disorders: psychodynamic approach and cognitive-behavioural therapy ( February 2013)/ translation of Quick reference guide- Eating disorders, Developed by the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (2013)/ on line brochure Treatment of eating disorders in Europe and USA(2012)

Knowledge transfer- mentoring, study visits and learning from foreign experts: study visit to Unit for eating disorders, Ljubljana, Slovenia (dr.med. Karin Sernec); hosting prof. Carolyn Costin in Zagreb / Croatian premiere of documentary America the Beautiful/ conference about CBT-E approach (2015) dr.Riccardo Dalle Grave / conference about New Maudsley approach prof.dr.sc.Janet Treasure ( 2016)/ conference about binge eating - Health at every size approach ( december 2017).

Publishing 100 Questions and Answers on Eating Disorders, Carolyn Costin, Mozaik knjiga 2010; "How to cure eating disorders?"dr.Dalle Grave, Veble 2015.

Raising awareness initiatives – media initiatives and actions in local community to raise awareness on eating disorders' issue. Voluntary actions, public campaigns.

Yoga – groups for girls with ED’s symptoms. Relaxation, breathing exercising, accepting one's body, recognizing body needs and individual rhythm. In association with OM Yoga Centre, Zagreb.

Art therapy- using art expression to improve metallization for ED’s sufferers. Workshop leader: Kristina Kovačević, member of Britain Association of Art Therapists.

Psycho-educational workshops- intended for wider population of young people to improve communication skills, self-esteem and stress management. 

INFO POINT – providing relevant information on prevention, treatment and psycho-social support possibilities for eating disorders' sufferers in Croatia via mail, phone and individual meetings.

Inter-sectoral cooperation – with hospitals, universities, public institutes, schools, private psycho-therapists, civil society organizations and all other relevant actors to improve prevention, treatment and psycho-social support to ED's sufferers.