The New Maudsley Approach - Support Eating Disorder Carers with Jenny Langley

In this week's episode, Hannah is joined by Jenny Langley, an advocate in the eating disorder community. After supporting her son through anorexia 20 years ago, Jenny has dedicated her life to making sure families feel informed, empowered, and never alone.For over 15 years, Jenny has worked with the Eating Disorders Research team at the Institute of Psychiatry and is trained in the New Maudsley Model, where she now coaches carers, trains clinicians, and delivers practical skills workshops. She is co-author of the New Maudsley Skills-Based Training Manual and writer of Boys Get Anorexia Too, a book that has helped countless families feel seen.This week, we discuss:What it’s really like to support a child through anorexia as a parentThe shock, guilt, shame many carers describeEarly inpatient treatment, trauma, and learning on the job as a familyThe New Maudsley approach for supporting family dynamicsThe animal metaphors (rhino, kangaroo, jellyfish, terrier, ostrich, dolphins, St Bernard)Why carers’ self-care isn’t selfish, it’s essentialThe unique role of dads and male carersRelapse, “safety behaviours” and why recovery often looks more like discoveryCarers matter. Families matter. And with the right support, they can be powerful allies in recovery – not by being perfect, but by staying, learning and loving through the mess.Timestamps:01:20 – Jenny’s Story05:30 – Emotions Felt By Parents and Carers11:00 – Externalising the eating disorder as “Rex”16:40 –The New Maudsley Approach28:20 – Animal Metaphors and Carer Styles41:00 – Treatment Trauma, NG Feeding and Post-Discharge55:10 – Dads, Male Carers and Keeping Communication OpenResources & LinksConnect with Jenny visit her websiteConnect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans Podcast hereFollow Full of Beans on Instagram hereCheck out our website hereListen on YOUTUBE here⚠️ Trigger Warning: Mentions of eating disorders. Please take care when listening.If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help us spread awareness.Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛