Abstract
The author elaborates on the uses of ego-state therapy for patients with eating disorders. The concept of ego states and their origins is reviewed. Methods for the activation of ego states using hypnotic and nonhypnotic techniques are presented in detail. This is followed by a clear and specific elaboration on the therapeutic communication with hidden ego states. The goals of ego-state therapy for patients with eating disorders are: 1) change in the patient's eating behavior, that is, replacing the abnormal eating pattern with a healthy eating behavior; 2) freedom from the obsessive preoccupation with food; 3) relief from body-image distortion. All of these are accomplished by allowing for greater permeability and flexibility of the ego-state boundaries, eliminating dissociative amnesias, and creating a state of greater internal harmony.

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