FAQ

What’s the youngest age you can work with, with body image difficulties?

 

Our workshops start at age 11 but that doesn’t mean we can’t support someone younger. We would assess each child on an individual basis.

 

Can we use your programme as an early intervention before eating disorders and BDD get out of hand?

 

Yes absolutely and this is what we advocate. Our service raises awareness and pinpoints who needs support, as well as heals.

 

When is the best time to use your service?

 

We work best as an early intervention or when clients are waiting for treatment through CAMHS or NHS.

 

How can we ensure the safety of online delivery?

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To facilitate a secure online programme, we request parents to complete our initial assessment form, which helps establish a safe setup. For schools it is essential to have two staff members present for each workshop, with one of them being trained in mental health crisis intervention. For parents with their child at home, we follow a strict protocol where the parent is always in the same or next room and has a plan should crisis occur. We work with them on this plan. We then evaluate the availability of a safe space and suggest a small cohort of no more than 1-10 pupils at a time.

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Prior to the commencement of each client's workshops, we encourage parents to engage in conversations with both schools, providers and their child to ensure they are mentally well-prepared for our program. This communication can be facilitated by 'body image coach,' provided we have obtained consent. Our assessment form will indicate whether parents are aware of local services, such as GPs, CAMHS, 111, next of kin, in case they are needed. If these services are not in place, we collaborate to establish them before proceeding.

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We also inquire about the capacity to accompany a participant to A&E if they do not feel safe within themselves. Once these verifications are complete, and safeguarding measures are in place, we gain confidence in delivering our program. Additionally, we offer one-on-one sessions for those seeking further support and tailor our approach based on their needs. In cases where someone presents a high risk, we have a duty of care to refrain from proceeding with their program. We would then coordinate with their parents to explore further support through appropriate channels. Please refer to our assessment form here for more details.

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Why aren’t all the Body Image Coach team members registered with The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)?

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Not all counsellors and psychotherapists are HCPC registered, through preference, as they each choose their own governing body. We can provide evidence of our therapists' and coaching governing bodies that we are regulated by if required, or you can head to the 'meet the team' section where you can see each member's accreditation which serves as proof that we follow strict ethical frameworks and guidelines. Recognised qualifications are necessary for registration with the professional bodies our therapists are members of.

Here's what the HCPC says: 'Some professionals use the term 'psychologist' or other titles such as counsellor, psychotherapist, or therapist. These are not protected titles, so professionals using them do not need to be on the HCPC's Register. Those who are not on our Register are not regulated by us.'

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Does this service require face-to-face interaction, especially considering its more challenging nature?

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The programme focuses on prevention rather than therapy. Body image issues can be particularly challenging, and our program aims to raise awareness to assist individuals who may be experiencing early-stage concerns about their body image. The Body Image Coach collaborates with professional therapists and coaches who have personal experience with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and eating disorders. They operate in private practice, helping individuals who have struggled with these issues.

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Subject to various safeguarding prerequisites, therapeutic sessions with students identified as at risk would be one-on-one and could be conducted face-to-face, most likely on Zoom due to geographical limitations. We believe that this intervention provides the best support for such clients, and when necessary, we collaborate with external organisations to minimise any potential risks.

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Where is the safety net if further follow-up is needed locally?

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The safety net lies in collaboration with the parent/guardian and the measures they have in place before accessing our service. For example, if our service is accessed through a school, we ensure that the school has a staff member trained to deal with a mental health crisis. We also ensure the presence of a designated safeguarding lead, and we review the workshop setup to handle any safeguarding issues that may arise. Additionally, we inquire about the school's provisions for pupils needing extra support locally, such as maintaining records of each pupil's GP practice and next of kin. We check if the school can support pupils to A&E if they feel at risk to themselves. Before commencing workshops, all these factors, including parent notification, need to be in place. If our service is accessed through parents, we have already set up a similar protocol which is followed should a parent need this. We can help with this if a parent needs our support.

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Our staff can deliver workshops online to small cohorts if needed, and additional 1-1 sessions  requiring further coaching or therapy. During 1-1 sessions, clients are assessed to observe their needs, and appropriate choices are made to mitigate any risks.

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Accessing therapy:

The usual safety nets apply. If a client is psychologically unstable and at risk, CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) would need to be involved in their area. Our therapists conduct an assessment at the start of the therapy, and we expect to liaise with parents and providers regarding safeguarding issues and to advise them of more serious conditions that are identified.

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What happens when there is a bigger picture in the background, such as trauma, or when comorbidities like neurodiversity are present? How can these factors be identified, considering they need to be integrated into the therapeutic process?

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Our therapists operate from a trauma-informed perspective, firmly believing that, for individuals of any age, addressing serious body image concerns must involve identifying and tackling trauma, as well as navigating the challenges of neurodiversity and understanding how it impacts the individual and their recovery. Our therapists combine a highly relational approach with psychoeducation.

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If you encounter a mentally unwell young person, what would you do?

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If we identify that a young person is unwell, we would follow safeguarding procedures to ensure their safety. For instance, at the end of a session, we would contact the first-line safeguarding officer in the school or their parents to inform them of our immediate concerns. When working with this client group, it is crucial that the school and/or parents are aware of local mental health services and have information on how to access them in an emergency.

 

I am concerned about the challenges in addressing body image and eating disorders, which, if not approached safely, can leave young individuals in vulnerable positions. 

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We take extensive measures to ensure the support of our clients. If a client is grappling with mental health issues, we provide online 1-1 sessions and collaborate with parents and schools to raise awareness of potential risks and determine the necessary support for the individual. Our approach relies heavily on collaboration with schools, providers and parents (when possible) to appropriately manage any risks, involving us, the school, parents, GPs, CAMHS, and A&E where necessary.

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We expect schools to have safeguarding measures in place if needed. We can share notes on each person, provided they have given signed consent. Additionally, individuals undergoing 1-1 sessions sign a form acknowledging our duty of care to protect them. In cases of any identified 'risk,' confidentiality may be broken with the relevant parties.

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I have no experience with online group support for young people. How effective are they?

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With parents accessing at home, all workshops are pre-recorded, and one - two Body Image coach staff member is present at each cohort with parents in the next room. Before this happens, we have already set up a strict safeguarding and risk protocol which is in place. For schools we collaborate with you to ensure that a safeguard lead and a member of the wellbeing team (or pastoral team) who knows how to respond during a mental health crisis. Since we provide online support, having this in place is essential. In the event that a pupil shows signs of distress or, in the worst-case scenario, experiences a crisis, we will assist teachers in any way possible to ensure the child's safety. It is the sole responsibility of the school, parent, or guardian to ensure that we work together to minimise any risk. This involves coordinating with local GPs, (A&E if necessary), and other organisations such as CAMHS, which handle emergency situations like this. Our role is to help clients overcome their body image difficulties; therefore, it is the responsibility of the organisation using our content to ensure they work with us to have safeguarding management in place should they need to utilise our services.

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There is no information regarding referrals or connections with other education services. If you encounter an unwell young person, what steps would you take?

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We primarily operate as a training and coaching service, focusing on early intervention and the initial stages of eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder. We also have therapists who work with body image disorders. Our therapists are self-employed and work across various aspects of mental health difficulties, including body image disorders. Both our coaches and therapists are affiliated with professional bodies and memberships that provide the necessary credentials for their respective fields. Please find further details here.

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While we exclusively address body image difficulties and have extensive eating disorder and BDD training, we don't assert ourselves as experts in the field. We recognise that we possess a framework that can guide a child toward recovery. This is attributed in part to our personal experiences and primarily to our credentials and extensive experience as coaches or therapists. All frontline staff, including coaches and therapists, undergo training for eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder to stay current with legislation, emerging topics, and the DSM-5 (American version)/ICD-8 (English version).

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There is currently no information available regarding the evaluation status of your programmes. Why is this?

 

All content for Body Image Coach (BIC) has been developed and verified by accredited professionals in the field of mental health. This group includes, but is not limited to, coaches, therapists, former teachers, and staff members from a mental health charity.

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In order to guarantee the effectiveness of our content, we conducted pilot programs with schools and individuals who willingly participated in our project. These programs specifically targeted those facing body image issues, including the 'Andrew Tate' dilemma. We received outstanding feedback from both schools and individuals, some of which can be found on Trustpilot here.

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How much do you cost?

There are two set prices for our full program, one for business to business (B2B) and one for individuals (parents seeking support for their child) B2C. B2B cohort of 10, costs per child are from £305 pp to £610 pp depending on how many cohorts we deliver. The more we deliver, the less the costs are. This entails 6 weeks support at 3 hours per week and 4 hours in the last week, including parent and provider support. We have been informed that this is outstanding value for money and as we are a non-profit organisation, we want this to be accessible to all. Get in touch with us as we may have funding to deliver in your area. For individual support (parents seeking support for their child = B2C) please get in touch so that we can discuss as it all depends on if you want the full program alone or if you would like to add your child's name to a small cohort. Remember that children can choose to have their camera OFF if they wish as this is an online platform. They can choose to talk or remain quiet as they have a journey planner to express their thoughts also. The most important thing your child needs to do is to attend, listen, learn and work through their journey planner. Talking and camera ON is not vital. For a cohort of10 it would be £305 pp for 6 weeks support at 3 hours per week and 4 hours in the last week, including parent and provider support, totalling 19 hours support with a live coach. 

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Additionally: Therapy 1-1s  are £60 per session depending on budgets and waiting times.

​For ages 16 plus, we offer 1-1 coaching and psycho-education @ £40 per session

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Can parents access and refer?

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Yes. We want to make this as cost effective as possible for you and we have options, so let’s have a chat.

 

What are your waiting times like?

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For the full body image programme, once we have a cohort of 10, we can start after safeguarding set up is in place. For schools who wish to deliver themselves with 2 staff members, it is instant. For 1-1 coaching and therapy/peer support, it depends on our waiting list but we aim to support you as soon as possible and our waiting list is never more than a few weeks.

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Can I attend the workshops with my child at home?

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If you are a parent/carer and you are accessing this service for your child at home, yes, you can but only if permission is granted by your child first.

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Do you work with suicide ideation?

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We have a duty of care to make sure that all children are safe, and we would take measures to do so, if a young person presented as high risk. This does not mean that we work with high risk young people and after we have ensured that a person is safe, we would signpost to the appropriate service as our service is not for high risk young people. That being said, we can work along side a service that is working with someone to ensure their safety is met as this would be their priority. Our priority is to support a young person in their healing from body image difficulties.

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Do you work with self-harm?

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Our service does not provide support for self-harm, but we can work alongside another service that does support a young person with self-harm.

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What if I am a parent or school and cannot afford the full programme?

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Because we are a ‘not for profit’ service, we are able to accommodate your needs. Please speak to a member of staff to see if we can subsidise our service for you. We will do everything we can to support you, if it is possible.

 

What happens to all the data that you collect around young people?

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We evaluate our data so that we can find out if children are influenced by any trends such as the ‘Andrew Tate’ videos. We hold all data for several years before it is archived or deleted. All data is strictly for our data purposes only and is not shared or sold.

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What makes you the best to go to?

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We’ve been in this field of work for many years and most of our staff have lived experience of either body dysmorphic disorder, eating disorders, or struggles with their weight and body image. With this lived experience and as qualified  and experienced staff, we feel that we can bring the best service to schools and parents. We are currently the only service to offer a 4-step approach full body image programme in animation.

 

Will your service ever be free?

 

We continue to apply for funding so that we can deliver our service for free. Join our newsletter and stay up to date with latest funding award and what our criteria is to deliver our service for free.