Pediatric Eating Disorder Program

Philosophy and Treatment Approach

We believe that eating disorder behaviors are complex conditions that are caused by many factors, including biological causes. Researchers have identified specific neurobiological differences in the brains of people with eating disorders that affect how they eat, how they make decisions, and the emotions they experience. People with eating disorders often have temperaments that are predisposed to anxiety and depression, or have been exposed to stressful and traumatic life events that cause intense negative emotions. There is clear evidence that eating disorders run in families and have a strong genetic component.

Sometimes people have the mistaken belief that individuals with eating disorders are “choosing” to have an eating disorder or doing it for attention, etc. We firmly believe that eating disorder behaviors have a function or purpose (even if it is not clear) and often develop as a way for people to cope with unwanted or unpleasant emotions. Thus, in order to recover from an eating disorder, patients need to learn other ways of coping with uncomfortable emotions. Our program’s foundation is Family Based Therapy (FBT; also known as the Maudsley approach). FBT is an evidence based treatment in which families play an active and positive role in order to help their child restore weight and return to normal, healthy eating patterns. FBT is widely considered to be the most efficacious treatment for adolescents with anorexia. Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of FBT: approximately two-thirds of adolescent AN patients are recovered at the end of FBT while 75 - 90% are fully weight recovered at five-year follow-up. In this treatment approach, training families to be integrally involved in helping their child recover from an eating disorder is the backbone of treatment, and we also teach the child skills to regulate their emotions and challenge eating disordered thoughts. Our pediatric program for children ages 13 and younger replicates the success of our adolescent program combining FBT with other treatment approaches in a safe, age-appropriate environment for children as young as 7.

In addition to Family Based Therapy, our program utilizes complimentary evidence based treatments to help our patients cope with their emotions, particularly anxiety, that often come up around eating and sometimes social situations. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, biofeedback, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are used in group, family and individual therapy to introduce more effective coping skills for children and their families as they go through the process of treatment.

Treatment Programs

Patients in our program need more support and structure than can be provided by standard outpatient treatment, but are medically and psychiatrically stable enough to not require immediate hospitalization. We offer several levels of care, ranging from 3 day Intensive Outpatient (IOP) to 5 day 6-hr Partial Hospitalization Program.

How does payment work?

The majority of our patients use insurance since we are contracted with many major insurance companies. Cash payments are also accepted.