Feedback and Testimonials
Thank you for your feedback. We want to hear from you and appreciate your comments. We are keen to continually improve upon our work to ensure that you are getting all the information you want and need.
Please email us your feedback about the DVD, any feedback is appreciated, positive or negative. You can also complete our online feedback questionnaire. www.surveymonkey.com/s/recoverymentorfeedback
The following perspectives were kindly provided by DVD viewers.
CARER TESTIMONIALS
• I think when my daughter was ill, and we were struggling, it would have been very helpful to look at the first restaurant scenario, including "Incorporating Change".
. Even from the small amount I've watched I feel really pleased that we are going to have another resource to offer families coping with an ED.
• I found the scenarios great and so wished I had them all those years ago. Karine was right to insist on the behaviours being represented by the actual animals as it was very hard hitting, especially at the meal times one. The only animal I wasn't too keen on was the terrier. I can see that a huge amount of time and effort was spent on editing it.
• I really like the scenarios and the animal heads as they are a graphic reminder of where things are heading. I would have valued this resource when I was struggling and have been in quite a few of the scenarios myself.
• Restaurant with MI is useful for planning change, trying new things; meal support both with and without MI is realistic, showing how frustrating it is, as well as good tips.
• Over-exercising both with and without MI is useful to have a partner scenario; shopping is good for planning – both very common situations.
• Discussing Change and Carer Support & Incorporating Change illustrate lots of techniques, carer self-care, collaboration and persistence required. Carer respite – essential.
• The DVD gives lots of practical examples that families face and how to use good communication skills to calm the waters and encourage ED to start thinking about change, as well as illustrating common family reactions to ED and how this can be improved.
• A lot of very useful information although I found some of the scenarios extreme and off putting for carers eager to help their loved one.
• I wondered whether one or two scenes were "over the top" but decided that it only helped to reinforce the behaviour and perhaps was a good thing.
• I liked the hand out a lot and felt it was a bonus to the DVD, something to hold in your hand. The questions reinforced what I saw in the scenes, asking questions about the scenes and then asking challenging questions about me as the carer. Having the two ways of imparting information, watching and reading reinforces the message and helps the memory.
Mark Taylor:
“As a professional who works sufferers of eating disorders and their families, I can highly recommend buying this. It is very clear and uses the most common situations that families will find themselves in.
Many families are thrown into a head spin when an eating disorder presents. This can cause shock, surprise, fear and many other emotions that can make each family react in lots of ways. With the help of this DVD, I can see that it will go a very long way to helping the family find their own resources and power to help their loved on to recover.
Using an evidence based model - The New Maudsley Approach, it guides the viewer through the techniques that will help to sidestep many of the confrontations and arguments that are present when trying to support someone with an eating disorder. The strength of this DVD is that it beautifully demonstrates that the family are a powerful resource in supporting the sufferer toward recovery rather than the often held myth of being the cause.
The DVD is presented in the way in which it helps the viewer to learn the skills by firstly describing the situation and demonstrating the typical ways in which things can go wrong, then coaching the viewer into understanding the skills needed, then demonstrating the techniques by returning the scenario.
The main drive of the DVD is to demonstrate the skills of motivational interviewing, but you won't need to go away and read about this technique before watching the DVD, It's all in there for you to learn.
The viewer will also see repeated themes such as separating the illness from the sufferer, encouraging them to see 'the bigger picture', learning the art of 'curious questioning', looking out for 'eating disorder talk', emotional recognition, the use of affirming statements and reflective listening. It also drives the message of hope and the focus that change is possible. It also helps the viewer understand their own approaches and emotional responses by using easy to remember animal analogies, again, presenting examples of this throughout the DVD.
My advice would be to watch the whole DVD and the scenarios in order for the first time. Expect the use of language to feel quite scripted and 'wooden' at first but it has been specifically done in this way to make the techniques very clear and obvious. With practice (and viewing the DVD several times at least) any family will be able to apply the techniques using their own language and in the ways they know their loved one will respond to. I am also very pleased that the DVD treats mistakes as normal and asks the viewer to consider them as learning opportunities. The key to this..? as with anything, BE PERSISTENT AND KEEP TRYING. This will take practice.
This DVD should be used in conjunction with the book "Skills-based Learning for Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder: The New Maudsley Method" which is also available on Amazon. The two together are a powerful tool in tapping into the family's resources.
In summary, in my professional opinion, a well thought out training aid that will support very effective change if you are persistent and give yourselves time to get it right. Also, as a caution, some of the scenarios contain emotive language so view before you let your children see it.”
Mark Taylor - Specialist Practitioner (Eating Disorders)
www.marktaylornorthants.co.uk
June Alexander:
“Helping someone recover from an eating disorder can be hard work. Irrational and unpredictable responses from the person you love can have you feeling like you are afraid to speak in your own home.
If what you are doing works, keep doing it, if not perhaps a new DVD, How to Care for Someone with an Eating Disorder, which draws on the research outcomes of Prof. Janet Treasure and her New Maudsley team, can offer new suggestions.
• I think that the jacket cover of the DVD is well designed. The front cover says very clearly what to expect: HOW TO CARE FOR SOMEONE WITH AN EATING DISORDER. I think this is very good because as they say: it does what it says on the tin!
• Also I think the SUCCEED logo is good; a tree, and the words: Free from Eating Disorders. Straight away this is motivating and gives hope. I like the warm colours as well.
• The back cover also is very succinct and sets the agenda; the DVD will help carers to change their own behaviour, to create a better climate for recovery. Also they will gain skills and knowledge.
• 10/10 for presentation of the cover. I think this will really help when you are selling on Amazon.
• I very much like the graphics of the Succeed logo, I felt it set the tone for the whole DVD, somehow engaging but empathic - not sure why I felt that!
• I liked the narrator, he has a calming voice, he came across as a patient man.
• I really like the narrator as he calms everything down and gives you confidence that there are different ways to approach situations while recognising that if what you doing works that's fine too.