Psychotherapeutic strategies for bulimia nervosa.

Psychotherapeutic strategies for bulimia nervosa have included behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and educational treatments used in individual, family, and group settings. Controlled studies have demonstrated the efficacy of behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches for these disorders, and extensive clinical experience suggests a role for individual psychodynamic and family approaches as well, particularly in the treatment of frequently encountered complex clinical conditions in which bulimia nervosa coexists with other mood, anxiety, personality, and interpersonal disorders. Guidelines for clinical management have emerged from both research studies and the cumulative experiences of specialists.