The programme
Imani offers a full continuum of care to facilitate the recovery process. While eating disordered behaviours differ, the underlying feelings of desperation, powerlessness and suffering are universal.
At Imani we deal with the client’s destructive behaviours surrounding their illness first and then guide them in processing the reasons for this behaviour. We work through a therapeutic community where individuals are part of a group with similar struggles. Through mutual support and shared experience, a healing atmosphere permeates the facility even outside structured therapy sessions.
Listed is information which we hope you will find useful and informative when utilising the services of Imani Recovery Services.
'I needed care and support of people who knew about ED so that I could not slip back into old behaviours.'
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To provide each client with an individualised treatment plan that deals with their eating disorder.
To ensure each client’s safety and restoration of physical, mental and emotional health.
To encourage family restoration by providing explanations to help understand the disease, and by offering family therapy.
To support each family member who is part of our client’s recovery process.
What does a day in Imani look like?
Every day at Imani is different, because of how many eating disorder treatments and activities are involved in our programme. However, preparing and eating meals, along with one-on-one counselling sessions, always remain. This goes a long way towards providing a sense of calm containment.
Main meals and snacks are eaten at the same time each day, and clients are expected to be awake and dressed in time to prepare their own breakfast. Food preparation is supervised as required, and then the community eats together under the care and support of a counsellor or recovery assistant.
Even though each day in our treatment centre is unique, the timetable is very structured. In addition to individual and group therapy sessions, our schedule allows time for yoga, walking and other managed exercise, creative expression and range of diverse holistic treatments.
Clients need to stick to Imani’s schedule to get maximum benefit from their treatment, but allowances can be made for external appointments as long as they are organised in advance. Those who go out in the evening for any reason (such as to a support group) must be back by a specific time, and everyone is required to be in bed by a certain time. This ensures that they get the rest they need to participate fully in the recovery process.
Over a 2- to 3-week period, our programme will always include group therapy, individual therapy, interpersonal therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), schema therapy and art therapy. Volunteer work, Biodanza, yoga, Tension and Trauma Release Exercises (TRE), 12-step fellowships and eating disorder support groups will also be introduced.
In addition, clients will undergo comprehensive relapse prevention counselling and exercises before they leave Imani. Importantly, treatment is not limited to the therapies mentioned here. We aim to be totally holistic, and in tune to the needs of our current patient community. Aspects of our programme will be amplified or reduced to best serve the clients in our care, at all times.
'When I found myself at Imani’s front door, bag in hand, I was broken and truly desperate for help. I was met with love, compassion and understanding.'
We recover when the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change.
Holistic therapies
At Imani, our treatment programme can be tailored to accommodate the majority of adult clients suffering with eating disorders. We strongly believe in a holistic approach, meaning we look at all aspects of an individual’s wellbeing. These aspects include physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and psychological health.
We feel that these areas both influence and are influenced by each other. By working on all of them, we have found, a person has a better chance of recovering and enjoying an excellent quality of life. The holistic treatments offered at Imani include Schema Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Biodanza, Tension and Trauma Release Exercises, alongside conventional counselling sessions.
We also often have people in healthy recovery from their eating disorders visit the centre, to share their experiences and hopes with our current clients.
View the therapies used in our holistic eating disorder treatment programme.
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“Every eating disorder sufferer deserves to find recovery. Let us light the way.”