In June 2026, we introduced Explore and Restore, a weekly occupational therapy intervention group, to Nova Ward. As our service supports individuals with an eating disorder, our team designed the group to be accessible and inclusive to all our service users.
For us, it was important to recognise that the individuals we support are often at different stages of recovery and have varying levels of confidence when it comes to engaging with food, social situations or different activities.
The premise of Explore and Restore is combining eating experiences, socially and in the community, alongside leisure activities. Our aim is to build our service users’ confidence, challenge recovery barriers, enhance occupational balance, and promote independence and wellbeing.
Running for an hour each week, the group is split into two interlinked pathways – Explore and Restore.
The Explore aspect, which is made up of three service users at a time, focuses on building confidence in eating socially within the community. Each week, our group visits a different venue in the community for a snack.
This helps them to practice their recovery-focused skills in real-life settings. The aim is to gradually increase the comfort of our group members when eating in public and navigating social situations, all while engaging with the local community.
Our Restore pathway can host up to five service users at a time and differs by focusing on re-engaging in various leisure activities without feeling guilt. These activities are meant to be restful, ranging from crafts to music to other seated activities.
The purpose is encouraging our attendees to experience enjoyment, creativity and relaxation while challenging unhelpful beliefs about productivity and self-worth. It’s given a great opportunity for individuals to practice being present, connect with others and develop healthier relationships with leisure time, all done in a supportive environment.
Over the past few months, the impact of the group on participants has been clear and it shows us exactly why we set Explore and Restore up in the first place.
A great example of this is one of our now discharged service users, who was on the Explore pathway. She used the group to address her anxiety around eating in public and to challenge food choices that were often governed by eating disorder thoughts.
During her first session, she attended a community venue with two fellow group members and OT staff. She spent considerable time reviewing the menu and selected a food option based primarily on calorie content rather than personal preference. Although she successfully completed the meal, she reported high levels of distress and required verbal support to manage her anxiety.
Throughout the programme, she consistently attended sessions at a variety of cafés, both with and without calorie information on the menus. Using a graded exposure approach, our occupational therapy interventions provided her with opportunities to practice eating in public, challenge feared food and develop coping strategies to manage distress. Repeated exposure to new environments enabled her to build confidence and reduce avoidance behaviours.
Over time, our team have observed a reduction in her anxiety and an increase in flexibility around food choices. She became more willing to select foods based on enjoyment and preference rather than perceived safety. She was increasingly able to engage in community-based activities without being restricted by eating disorder thoughts; such as eating out with her family on leave.
A particularly significant moment occurred during her final session before discharge. Faced with a choice between two menu items, she was unable to decide which she preferred. Rather than selecting the option she considered safest, she independently chose to purchase both items and ate half of each. This represented a marked shift from her presentation at the start of the programme and demonstrated increased spontaneity, flexibility, and confidence.
Her progress also positively influenced peers, as she modelled recovery-focused behaviours and encouraged others to challenge their own anxieties around food and eating in public.
This is one of the many cases that highlights the value of occupational therapy in supporting meaningful recovery and community reintegration. And it’s exactly why we run Explore and Restore.
Since it started four months ago, we are continuing to develop our group. It’s important to us that our service users get a say in shaping the pathways. Most recently, they’ve contributed to our group guidelines and expectations, which is extremely useful. With the Restore pathway, the individuals also have a say on the leisure activities they’d like to do, ensuring our group is tailored to them.
Explore and Restore continues to be a positive addition to our service, offering a practical and recovery-focused approach to supporting individuals both on the ward and within the wider community.
Best wishes,
Laura-Jane