Detailed case studies from the clinical literature suggest the efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy for bulimia, yet few empirical studies examine the aspects of psychodynamic intervention identified as helpful by the recovered patient. The aim of the present study was to gain a better understanding of the recovered patients' perspectives on the effective therapeutic factors for the psychodynamic treatment of bulimia. In-depth interviews were conducted with fourteen recovered female bulimic patients, ranging in age from 22-46, who had been in psychodynamic psychotherapy for at least two years and had terminated this treatment modality no less than six months ago. The findings included five major themes that subjects identified as helpful in the therapeutic process: (1) engagement and building the therapeutic alliance, (2) decoding the adaptive meaning of the symptom, (3) the nature of the relationship with the therapist, (4) the middle phase of treatment, and (5) adjunctive treatment approaches coupled with psychodynamic work. These findings underscore the importance of the relational field in psychotherapy and suggest that recovered patients may perceive psychodynamic treatment as effective for bulimia nervosa when integrating adjunctive treatment interventions such as medication, journaling, and cognitive-behavioral techniques (e.g. food diaries and exploring bulimic triggers). These findings also suggest the compatibility of the aforementioned adjunctive approaches with long-term psychodynamic work.