MIRROR hopes to inform Stanford students that they can be more than just bystanders to the issues of disordered eating on this campus. MIRROR has been established to help concerned Stanford students approach someone for the first time, to educate them about eating disorders and body image, and to inform them about the resources available on and off campus.
back to topMIRROR is made up of both undergraduate and graduate Stanford students who are trained as peer counselors for the Bridge Peer Counseling Center and have staffed there a minimum of one quarter prior to qualifying as a MIRROR counselor. Through Bridge training (Education 193A), all MIRROR counselors honed their listening and counseling skills, and adhere to the Bridge method's "Eight Commandments," which include being empathetic, nonjudgmental, non-interpretive, and feelings-focused. To qualify for MIRROR staff, counselors undergo specialized training on eating disorders and how to help a friend, and will be able to coach clients on how to approach someone they are concerned about.
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A silence exists around the issues of body image and disordered eating on the Stanford campus. Ask almost any Stanford student and they will say they know someone or have seen someone at Stanford who is “too thin,” exercises too much, or that they have worried might have an eating disorder. While many Stanford students are aware of these issues at Stanford, in their dorms, and among their friends, they are reluctant to do anything about it. Being a bystander is far easier than being the one who confronts a person about his/her eating habits.
Many people are afraid to approach someone about disordered eating issues for several reasons:
• They want to wait until they are “really sure” there is a problem.
• They are afraid they will upset the person and lose a friendship.
• They are afraid of being wrong.
• They think someone else will talk to the person first, or already has.
Often, by the time the person finally seeks help, he or she has probably harmed his/her body permanently.
Furthermore, many dorm and row staff members, such as RAs and PHEs, are in the best positions to approach someone, but may also share the same fears and could benefit from a refresher on their training from the Fall or previous Spring.
Stanford students and dorm/row staff need the confidence and training to be able to approach someone they are worried about. MIRROR will do just that. As a “How to Help” consultation, MIRROR will provide role-plays, coaching, a follow-up appointment, and general information and referrals to professionals on campus.
MIRROR has a three-fold plan to confront the issue of disordered eating at Stanford. A “How to Help” consultation with MIRROR will include coaching, referrals, and information about how to promote healthy body image. These three aspects of the MIRROR consultation are explained below in further detail:
1. “How to Help” Consultation:
People who contact us can schedule a time to meet with a counselor. Each MIRROR client may come to us with a different need and readiness to take action. Some may want to just talk things over or vent before deciding to approach the person; some may have already decided and want tips on how to go about it; some may have no knowledge of eating disorders and need good resources to learn more. MIRROR counselors will cater the consultation to the client’s individual needs at that time.
Coaching will consist of discussing the client’s fears and worries about the person and what would happen if he/she approached them. The counselor will address with the client the importance of approaching the person, provide positive reinforcement for their concern about the person, and suggest the use of role-plays, allowing the client to practice approaching the person and receiving various types of feedback.
At the end of the consultation, counselors will suggest a follow-up meeting or phone call to see how everything went. Clients can share their experiences with the counselors, ask what to do next, and be reminded that the person’s recovery is NOT their responsibility.
2. Referrals:
MIRROR believes in the importance of approaching someone with honesty and compassion, even if the person is not ready to hear it. It is said that a person may need to be confronted 100 times before admitting they have a problem; we will remind our clients that even if they are #12, 37, or 100, they are still taking part in helping this person.
However, counselors will remind clients of the importance of understanding their role in the person’s recovery. Clients will be advised to check in with the person every once in a while and to suggest professional resources on campus (CAPS, nutritionists, Vaden doctors, Residence Deans) so the person can know what further help is available and pursue it. Further, clients should inform Residence Deans when they approach someone about an eating disorder: another reminder that they are not alone in helping the person.
MIRROR is not a replacement for staff, Residence Deans, or CAPS; rather, it can help Stanford students to seek help from services on campus sooner by encouraging concerned individuals to approach the person they are worried about.
3. Encouraging a healthy environment at Stanford:
Counselors will have many website URLs and book titles on hand so that clients can learn more about eating disorders and recovery if they choose to do so. MIRROR hopes to teach clients that body image and eating issues do not simply exist in extreme cases but are cultural issues at Stanford. With this message in mind, clients may learn that their actions and attitudes could have a positive effect on others while eating and exercising. We hope to provide more specific information about how to promote healthy body image and eating attitudes in their own lives and among the people around them.
MIRROR’s clients will include:
• Dorms/Row House staff
• Greek System
• Athletics
• Undergraduate and Graduate students
• Any Stanford student who is concerned about someone in the Stanford community who may have an eating disorder and wants training, wants resources, or just wants to talk.
Possible ways to expand in the future include:
• Becoming incorporated into RA/PHE training
• Developing programming in dorms to promote healthy body image, nutrition, etc…
• Developing a lending library of books about body image and eating disorders to educate Stanford students.
**Interested in contributing to the growing MIRROR library? We welcome any sorts of donations, no matter how small, be they books or funds. For more info, email us at mirrorhelp@yahoo.com.