Phenomenology of Identity: Narrative Medicine Curricula in the Care of Eating Disorders

A growing body of literature explores the intersection of eating disorders and identity formation-an entanglement that makes eating disorders particularly challenging to treat. Narrative medicine is a discipline of the health humanities that is interested in bearing witness to patients' stories with a closeness and rigor that enhances clinical care. The pedagogy of the field is the narrative medicine workshop, which mobilizes close-reading of works of art and reflective writing to improve our understanding of Self and Other. Narrative medicine workshops can be a compelling tool in enhancing the care of eating disorders by helping patients and their providers embrace uncertainty and challenge a singular narrative of illness. We facilitated parallel workshop series for patients and providers at a residential eating disorder treatment center and conducted qualitative interviews with four patients and three staff participants. Through a close read of participants' accounts, we constructed three themes: Phenomenology of Illness, Phenomenology of Change, and Orientation to Treatment. Group participants shared how workshops illuminated the embodied experience of eating disorders, fostered agency, and provided a sense of recognition and belonging. Providers particularly expressed newfound allyship with patients. This study highlights the value of narrative medicine workshops in shifting a patient's perspectives towards treatment and in promoting a patient-as-partner approach in the treatment of eating disorders-outcomes that situate the pedagogy of narrative medicine as a promising supplement to traditional eating disorder treatment.