Five Day Intensive Therapy Program

Research suggests unprecedented levels of success when families and support persons become centrally involved in the treatment process. 

Our Intensive Family Therapy (IFT) weeks provide a robust, multidisciplinary treatment experience combining psychoeducation, behavioral contracting, DBT skills training, Parent Management Training, and live meal coaching.

What sets our program apart is its depth. In conjunction with group and family therapy, every patient receives an individualized: 

  • Psychiatric evaluation with a licensed provider to review psychiatric history and medication as well as treatment plan for next steps in care
  • Dietary evaluation with a registered dietitian to discuss meal plan and goal weight based on weight history
  • Therapeutic nutritional support and multifamily meals coached by our staff

See below for our upcoming scheduled IFT weeks and their specialties. For questions or to learn more, contact our Admissions Team at 858.534.8019.

ARFID IFT | February 9 - 13, 2026

We are excited to announce a week-long, intensive therapeutic program designed specifically for children ages 6 - 13 with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

This program offers families a unique opportunity to: 

  • Deepen families' understanding of the complex, biological sensory, and anxiety-driven factors underlying the disorder
  • Learn more about ARFID through age-appropriate psychoeducation for both caregivers and children, helping families understand why eating is hard and reducing blame, fear, and power struggles around food
  • Practicing using evidence based tools like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for ARFID (CBT-AR) and Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP), so families can confidently support food exposures, reduce avoidance, and continue progress at home after the intensive week. 

Together with families, our multidisciplinary team led by Brenna Yob, LMFT ensures every caregiver walks away empowered with practical tools and the confidence to support their child’s healing journey.

Adolescent IFT | March 16 - 20, 2026

This is a week-long intensive therapeutic program designed specifically for adolescents 11 - 17 with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) or Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED). 

This program offers families a unique opportunity to: 

  • Empower parents to take a dominant role in the refeeding process and educate families about the tenants and overall goals of the multiple phases of Family-Based Treatment. This often includes weight restoration, normalization of eating patterns, and reduction in cognitive rigidity and focus on weight and shape.
  • Support families in understanding the function behind common eating disorder behaviors and help caregivers gain greater insight into the ways neurobiology, temperament, genetic vulnerability, and overall mental health contribute to symptom severity. In particular, teens and families will engage in a number of experiential and discussion-based activities to learn varying perspectives around what it feels like to engage with and suffer from an eating disorder. 
  • Identify next steps for treatment following this week-long intensive, including how to incorporate skills learned into the home environment and therapeutic support with developing specific expectations and contingencies for further progress toward recovery.  

Guided by Gaby Bagnara, PsyD, Natalie Holland, LMFT and Ana Arguilez, LMFT, our multidisciplinary team partners closely with families to ensure caregivers leave feeling empowered with practical strategies and the confidence to support their child’s healing journey.