BULIMIA: THE TRANSGENERATIONAL VIEW*

Abstract

Within families presenting with bulimia, there exist interactional patterns that can be said to enable, and perpetuate, the binge‐eating and purging symptoms of the identified patient. A transgenerational treatment method is proposed, which not only intervenes in ongoing dysfunctional patterns, but also provides a frame for creating a therapeutic metaphor (“legacy”) to direct the therapy. Rationale and stages of the treatment process are outlined, and a case example is given to illustrate use of the transgenerational frame.