Creating an Eating Disorder Support Circle: Steps for Building Safe, Compassionate, and Sustainable Community
No one recovers alone. While professional treatment is critical for eating disorder recovery, peer and community support play an essential role in long-term healing. One increasingly powerful model of mutual support is the Eating Disorder Support Circle—a structured, intentional space where people can connect, share, and grow together through lived experience.
Unlike clinical therapy groups, a support circle is peer-led, community-driven, and grounded in safety, presence, and mutual respect. When thoughtfully designed, these circles can reduce isolation, challenge shame, promote body liberation, and serve as a lifeline through every stage of recovery.
This post outlines the step-by-step process of creating an effective and ethical eating disorder support circle, supported by research and trauma-informed practices.
Why Support Circles Matter in Eating Disorder Recovery
Eating disorders often thrive in secrecy, disconnection, and internalized shame. Recovery requires re-learning how to be seen, heard, and supported in safe ways.
Peer-based recovery spaces offer:
Belonging: A place to be with others who "get it"
Validation: Reduced stigma and shame through shared stories
Accountability: Gentle support to stay engaged with recovery
Empowerment: Reclaiming voice and agency
Community care: Practicing connection without performance
Research Insight: According to Mead et al. (2001), peer support helps participants cultivate “hope, a sense of belonging, and a belief in their ability to recover.” These components are critical for sustaining progress alongside professional treatment.
Step 1: Clarify the Purpose of the Circle
Before creating a support circle, define why it exists and who it’s for.
Key Questions:
Will this be for individuals in active recovery? Early stages? Post-treatment?
Will it serve a specific population (e.g., teens, LGBTQ+ individuals, parents, those with binge eating disorder)?
Is it open or closed (drop-in vs. consistent group)?
What is the circle’s primary focus—connection, expression, education, or mutual support?
Example Mission Statement:
A peer-led, body-neutral support circle for adults in eating disorder recovery to share experiences, reduce isolation, and cultivate hope in a nonjudgmental environment.
Step 2: Develop a Trauma-Informed Framework
Support circles are not therapy, but they must still be safe, boundaried, and emotionally attuned. A trauma-informed framework includes:
Clear group agreements
Respect for autonomy (no forced disclosure)
Non-hierarchical facilitation
Recognition of power, privilege, and oppression
Practices for managing distress in group settings
Use resources like SAMHSA’s Trauma-Informed Care Framework (2014) as a guideline.
Step 3: Choose a Format and Structure
You’ll need to decide how and when the group will meet, how it’s facilitated, and what happens during a typical session.
Consider:
Frequency: Weekly or biweekly is ideal for consistency
Duration: 60–90 minutes
Modality: In-person, virtual, or hybrid
Facilitation: Peer-led, co-led, or rotating facilitators
Accessibility: Closed captions, gender inclusivity, body-affirming language
Sample Meeting Structure:
Welcome and check-in
Review group agreements
Open discussion or themed topic
Optional closing reflection or grounding exercise
Facilitators should be trained in active listening, boundary-setting, and de-escalation techniques.
Step 4: Create Community Agreements
Agreements (or “group norms”) keep the circle safe and respectful. Collaborate with members to co-create shared values.
Common Agreements:
Confidentiality is expected and honored
Speak from personal experience (“I” statements)
No diet, weight loss, or triggering talk
Everyone has the right to pass
We practice listening over fixing
We prioritize inclusivity, not perfection
Make sure agreements are reviewed regularly and accessible to all members.
Step 5: Promote Inclusivity and Accessibility
Eating disorders affect people of all identities—not just thin, white, cisgender women. Create a space that reflects and respects the diversity of lived experiences.
Use inclusive language (e.g., “all bodies are welcome”)
Acknowledge systems of oppression (fatphobia, racism, ableism, etc.)
Offer low-cost or donation-based access
Make sure physical spaces are accessible and non-triggering
Ensure digital platforms are safe, private, and secure
Research Insight: Goeree & Ham (2017) emphasize the need for culturally sensitive peer programs that validate identity-based experiences, especially in marginalized communities.
Step 6: Develop a Referral and Safety Protocol
Support circles are not a substitute for professional care. It’s vital to have:
Local and national referral resources (therapists, hotlines, treatment centers)
A plan for how to respond to distress or crisis (e.g., suicidal ideation, medical emergencies)
Boundaries around when and how to suggest professional help
Key Contacts to Include:
NEDA Helpline (1-800-931-2237)
Crisis Text Line (Text HOME to 741741)
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988)
Local eating disorder clinicians or support programs
Step 7: Invite, Sustain, and Evolve the Group
Start by inviting 5–10 people who share the circle’s purpose and values. Once the group begins:
Check in regularly on member needs
Offer roles for shared ownership (e.g., timekeeper, note taker, greeter)
Celebrate milestones and transitions
Allow space for conflict resolution or redefinition as the group evolves
Healthy support circles are living systems—they change with the needs of their members. Practice flexibility, curiosity, and openness to feedback.
Ethical Considerations and Boundaries
Support circles work best when facilitators and members:
Avoid offering clinical advice
Don’t compare or measure severity of illness
Maintain confidentiality unless safety is at risk
Set limits around time, contact outside the group, and emotional labor
Stay in their lane (support, not treatment)
Facilitator burnout is real. Always practice self-care and encourage co-facilitation or rotating leadership to avoid emotional overload.
Final Thought
Creating an eating disorder support circle is a powerful act of community care. In a world where recovery can feel isolating, such circles offer space for people to be seen in their fullness—not just their illness.
When guided by trauma-informed values, inclusivity, and peer wisdom, support circles can become sacred places of restoration—where healing is shared, and hope is passed from one person to another.
As author and activist Adrienne Maree Brown writes: “We heal in community. We learn in community. We transform in community.”
References
Mead, S., Hilton, D., & Curtis, L. (2001). Peer support: A theoretical perspective. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 25(2), 134–141.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2014). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services.
Goeree, M., & Ham, C. (2017). Eating disorders and marginalized communities: A review. Journal of Social Work Practice, 31(3), 313–324.
Levine, M. P., & Smolak, L. (2018). The role of protective factors in the prevention of eating disorders. Eating Disorders: Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 26(1), 1–9.
