South East Technological University (SETU), in collaboration with the Spirituality Institute for Research and Education (SpIRE) in Dublin, convened a pioneering roundtable discussion on the benefits of spiritual practices in the recovery from eating disorders on February 26, 2024.
The event was opened by Mary Butler TD, Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People and was organised by Dr Bernadette Flanagan and Dr Michael O’Sullivan of SpIRE. It brought together spirituality researchers, prominent experts, healthcare professionals, and stakeholders within the field of eating disorder recovery to deliberate on the critical role that spiritual practices can play in the recovery process.
PhD candidate Tara Travers, a graduate of the MA in Applied Spirituality, outlined her groundbreaking research exploring the role of spiritual practices as an avenue toward eating disorder recovery.
Andrea Hayes, an experienced Irish broadcaster, author, and a graduate of the MA in Applied Spirituality at SETU acted as host for the day. Meanwhile, Professor Deborah Lycett, a leading global expert in the field of spirituality and eating disorder recovery, delivered the keynote address, presenting her research findings on the subject.