This article describes success stories of health professionals caring for people diagnosed with eating disorders, revealing that these narratives create a counterpoint to the widely propagated opinions in scientific literature that qualifies this association in negative terms. Six members of the ambulatory healthcare staff of a university hospital who specialized in anorexia nervosa and bulimia were interviewed. The open interviews were then studied using social constructionist discourse analysis. The analysis revealed the following factors: (i) redefining the patients was considered to be difficult, (ii) focusing on the professional-patient relationship and not on the symptoms of the disorders was important, (iii) the professional learning from the patient; (iv) the emotional closeness in this relationship; (v) the search for alternatives to the fight of truths between professional and patient; (vi) and psychotherapy for the professional provide opportunities for reflection on patient care. These factors clarify what is considered health improvement and how the professional participates in this.
Occupational success; Social constructionism; Anorexia Nervosa; Bulimia