You feel the experience in working with young people and with an eating disorder. The doctors have knowledge and understand the art of involved confrontation. For the ‘patient/client’, it is hard work. Self-reflection, underlying patterns of fear of failure and perfectionism are also exposed and addressed, and it pays off. First change in the mind, then the pounds. As parents, you are a directly involved party at Empathie. They work with the context of the family, you are involved and also coached in the difficult process of dealing with both the eating disorder and your adolescent. It is an added value that dieticians are also present under the same roof, allowing for close communication between therapist and dietician. In short: highly recommended for anyone who chooses professional outpatient therapy.

“Elisa’s weight was plummeting at a furious pace and we realised that we could no longer bear this alone. We also didn’t want to let her go or leave her alone in hospital, we knew what we didn’t want. She was so scared and her thinking was so disturbed. ASBL Empathie gave us the support and warmth we needed, in order to keep supporting Elisa, despite our feelings of desperation and helplessness. ‘Together’ we fought with her against her illness with support from the doctors, therapists, family, other girls with anorexia and their parents. It was the most terrible and tearful period in our lives but also a period of intense bonding and humility for life. We are so happy that things are better now.” C, Ghent

After a series of admissions to psychiatric wards and 2 very long-term admissions to an eating disorder ward spread over about 5 years, I was fortunate enough to end up at ASBL “Empathie”, where I have been receiving out-patient counselling for a year and a half now. I am finally becoming aware of what is “going on” with me and above all, I am “aware” of what an eating disorder is. I realise how hard I have to fight to get this under control. With a lot of trial and error, I experience every day that I am walking the right path, although it mostly takes a lot of commitment and courage. And yet, surrounded by the warm people of “Empathie”, my close family and some friends for whom I have boundless admiration, I realise that it is worth it! Step by step, I am now detaching myself from that false sense of security that admission to the psychiatric wards gave me. As a result, I feel there is still a future for me, which is gradually giving me more breathing space, freedom of choice and, above all, real solutions.

M (53 years old)

After decades of searching, doubting, fighting, struggling, giving up, despairing, causing grief, suffering, Empathie came my way… what a discovery!!! Finally no more ‘alone’ talking to my murderous inner critic, but another ‘wise’ external voice , namely that of Empathie made its appearance…. Initially not very welcome, after all, we had been talking for years, me as fearful slave, my inner critic as mighty ruler! ASBL

Empathie invalidated his superiority, what he had to say was anything but the truth, even worse: it was destructive nonsense! At the day centre, I learned to recognise the false tricks of his strategy, the big lies he made me believe in, the fallacies of my thinking. NO, anorexia is not just an immense problem of eating or not eating! It is just one of the inner critic’s tricks to keep me in his power, mould me to his will, make me lose my own ‘self’…. Eating in community was a huge challenge for me.

It was made clear to me in a very loving, gentle way that there was nothing ‘wrong’ with eating a delicious, healthy, beautiful salad, prepared according to the standards of nutrition. I soon got a feeling of ‘safety’, nothing could happen to me, my inner critic was not alone in this, there was another voice that encouraged me and did not discourage me… that voice came from the kind people around me. And yes, my inner critic did not give in easily, he resisted fiercely, did not want to lose me… but with every meal at Empathy, his power diminished, thanks to the endless patience, the great understanding, the touchingly gentle attention… I had found a safe haven, here I felt strong! (How delicious, tongue-tied a chocolate could be…) Gradually I expanded my ‘action radius’ (i.e. fighting, but eating sufficient and delicious food) further, what could be done at Empathie had to be possible elsewhere too! My inner critic was silenced more and more…, yes he is still there, but whether I want to listen to him is up to ME!

Thank you EMPATHIE, words fail me!