While the notion of food as therapy may conjure imaginings of your favorite pint of ice cream and a spoon, culinary therapy is, in fact, a therapeutic technique that can help patients with relationship, psychological and behavioral disorders. Dr. Michael Kocet, chair of the Counselor Education Department for the Chicago School, defines culinary therapy as “the therapeutic technique that uses arts, cooking, gastronomy, and an individual’s personal, cultural, and familial relationship with food to address emotional and psychological problems faced by individuals, families, and groups. Culinary therapy involves an exploration of an individual’s relationship with food and how food impacts relationships, as well as psychological well-being and functioning.” (Vaughn, 2017)

Cooking as a modality for therapy can also be used in a less clinical format. In a separate article on cooking therapy, Debra Borden, licensed clinical social worker, uses cooking practices with clients to connect them with the specific “opportunities and assets” that cooking offers, namely: “metaphor, mindfulness, and mastery. The metaphors are sometimes obvious—there’s nothing subtle about kneading frustrations into bread dough—but Debra specializes in encouraging patients to see each act and ingredient as symbolic of something deeper, a kind of concentration that encourages that second M, mindfulness. And if you can pay attention to the metaphors and learn something new about yourself you get that sense of mastery: a little thrill of accomplishment that reinforces your belief in your own competence and skill.” (Romanoff, 2021)

While practitioners of culinary therapy have varying approaches, the tasks and activities associated with meals: planning, preparing, serving, eating and clean-up each serve as opportunities to re-instate routine, order, even social reintegration and trust for the individual, a family, or other group.

Behavioral scientists continue to explore and validate cooking interventions for positive psychosocial outcomes.  A 2018 Health Education & Behavior Journal article, Psychosocial Benefits of Cooking Interventions: A Systematic Review, documented and research-validated positive outcomes that include:

• Confidence and Self-Esteem: “participation in baking sessions led to improved self-esteem, primarily as a result of increased concentration, coordination, and confidence.”
• Socialization: “There was some evidence that socialization benefits might extend beyond the cooking interventions, as some participants continued to report improved social interactions at home and with family, and they continued to prepare meals as household teams even 6 months later.”

The researchers concluded, “Despite varying types of measurement tools and different patient populations, these studies reported a positive influence associated with participation in cooking interventions on psychological outcomes, including self-esteem, social interaction, as well as decreased anxiety, psychological well-being, and quality of life.” (Farmer, Touchton-Leonard, & Ross, 2018)

A specific study of meal preparation and cooking group participation concluded “that meal prep and cooking groups may be significant for helping psychiatric clients achieve and maintain appropriate mood and hygiene for independent living skills.” (Garcia & Privott, 2023)

Whether the therapy is individual or group-oriented, meal preparation and food-oriented tasks can be an effective therapeutic modality to improve psychological, behavioral, and relationship / social disorders.

References

Farmer, N., Touchton-Leonard, K., & Ross, A. (2018). Psychosocial Benefits of Cooking Interventions: A Systematic Review. Health Education & Behavior, 167-180.

Garcia, A., & Privott, C. (2023). Meal Preparations and Cooking Group Participation in Mental Health: A Community Transition. Food Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 85-101.

Romanoff, Z. (2021, June). I Hired a Cooking Therapist to Deal With My Anxiety. bon appetit, pp. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/cooking-therapy.

Vaughn, S. (2017, October). From cooking to counseling. Retrieved from The Chicago School: From the Magazine | Insight: https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/insight/from-the-magazine/michael-kocet-culinary-therapy/

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