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About Chris Thornton

Chris Thornton is a clinical psychologist who has specialised in the treatment of patients with eating disorders for nearly 20 years.  Chris is the Clinical Director and Principal Clinical Psychologist of the Redleaf Practice, which is a firm of clinical psychologist providing specialist outpatient treatment to those suffering from eating disorders.  He provides supervision and case consultation to all receiving treatment at The Redleaf Practice.

Chris has held positions at the major private eating disorders units in NSW, at The Northside Clinic, The Peter Beumont Centre for Eating Disorders at Wesley Hospital, now the The Hills Private Hospital.  He was actively involved in the design and implementation of the psychological therapy in those hospital eating disorders service.  He is responsible for the supervision of the Clinical Psychologists working on the program and for training Doctorate of Clinical Psychology Interns on their eating disorders rotation.

Chris has been at the forefront of developing a comprehensive continuum of care in eating disorders services.  He has pioneered the use of day program treatment for eating disorders in Australia.  The model of care that he and his colleagues developed is now considered the standard of care nationally and internationally.  Chris is currently the consultant clinical psychologist providing supervision to the day program team at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.  Chris is also the Clinical Consultant to the Thrive Eating Disorders Program in Auckland, New Zealand.  This program is a new program offering residential and day program treatment to the North Island of New Zealand.

Chris is currently the President of the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders.  ANZAED is the peak body representing and supporting the activities of all professionals working in the field of eating disorders and related issues.  This year Chris has been asked to present a workshop on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Eating Disorder.  He has previously presented a workshop on Motivational Enhancement Therapy for Eating Disorders at the ANZAED conference.  He is the only clinician to present have been asked to present two clinical workshops in the 10 year history of ANZAED.

Clinically, Chris is well known for his work on increasing patients’ motivation for change, his use of advanced cognitive behavioural therapy techniques, including mindfulness based interventions. He has published his research in leading scientific journals and through numerous book chapters.  He conducts training workshops nationally and internationally on the treatment of eating disorders.

Chris co-authored the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Psychological Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa and is the co-author of the successful book “How to Recover from Anorexia Nervosa and Other Eating Disorders”.  Chris is a Clinical Associate with the School of Psychology at The University of Sydney and Macquarie University.

 For a full biography click here.