While perceptions of hope are different for everyone, a program developed and run by nurses for adult inpatients at Princeton Center for Eating Disorders at Princeton Medical Center is helping participants focus on the pathways to hope.
“The goal of the program is to help them look toward the future,” says Lisa Sabo, BSN, RN, PMHN-BC, a board certified psychiatric nurse on staff at the center. “It’s about kindling hope and identifying the value in each person’s life. Defining and reaching goals is key.”
A Four-Week Program
Most participants attend the four-week program twice a week, and each session runs between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the needs of the group.
“It is a supportive program. We are helping guide them to gather the tools they need to identify and reach their goals,” says Anna Lybarger, BSN, RN, PMHN-BC, a board certified psychiatric nurse on staff at the center. “The program is a way to reinforce hope, as part of a multidisciplinary team approach with our therapists.”
Each week focuses on a different aspect of the process. In the first week, participants explore what hope is and what their individual goals are. The second week looks at how they can accomplish their goals and what roadblocks they may face. In the third and fourth weeks, motivation and a recap of where they stand in pursuing their goals are the focus.
“During the program, each person develops a vision board or storyboard, something tangible to help them visualize their goal and create a pathway to success,” says Lybarger.
Adds Sabo, “Roadblocks are common in life, particularly for those struggling with an eating disorder, so we help them see that the pathway to hope may not be a straight line; they need to consider alternatives and possibly second-tier goals in the planning process in order to succeed.”
Princeton Center for Eating Disorders provides inpatient treatment for children ages eight and older, teens, and adults of all genders with serious eating disorders.
Tips for Nurturing Hope
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For information about Princeton Center for Eating Disorders, call 609.853.7575, or visit www.princetonhcs.org/eatingdisorders.
Article as seen in the January/February 2021 issue of Princeton Health.
