Does this sound like you (or your loved one?)
You feel out-of-control with food?
You are miserable or your mood is dependent on how much or what you are eating?
You hate your body or make self-deprecating comments?
You see yourself as “fat,” “ugly,” “stupid,” or “unworthy”?
You think about food or not eating food for much of the day?
You find yourself eating even if you are not hungry?
You use food to soothe, numb or distract yourself?
You’ve lost weight in the past and have been happy with yourself but you just can’t stop the yo-yo now?
You glamorize being thin – it’s your ultimate goal in life?
You are ashamed and secretive?
You use behaviors to regulate your food intake such as self-induced vomiting or over-exercising?
You are torn between getting “better” and giving up the behavior because it has been a reliable “friend”?
Or perhaps this sounds more familiar:
You restrict your food intake, count calories and/or skip meals
You value thinness and body size over health
You compare yourself to others and measure your self-worth against how you perceive them
You are terrified to eat what you term “bad” foods because you believe they will make you gain weight
You are constantly calculating, planning what to avoid or obsessed with food or your body size
You feel overwhelmed and you don’t know where to start to get help
Eating Disorders are complex psychological and medication disorders that can affect all areas of a person’s functioning. Most frequently, a treatment team that includes mental health professionals, medical professionals and a nutritionist are necessary for recovery.
Our clinicians bring a breadth of skill and compassion as well as an individualized treatment program designed to meet each client’s unique needs. WE ARE EATING DISORDERS SPECIALISTS AND EXPERTS!
We can help you (or your loved one):
Understand the power that food has in your internal and external lives
Learn about your relationship with food and body image in a way that offers you understanding and control
Learn ways to soothe without food
Decode your “story” with food and rewrite it
Develop a sense of self-worth regardless of your body size or weight
Gain control over food
Make a plan for eating and stick to it
Accept yourself
Get out of eating prison
Do you want to improve your Body Image? Are you tired of looking in the mirror and hearing your “inner critic?” Would you like some peace about your body, finally. In our Eating Disorder program, you will learn:
how to think about and describe your body neutrally
how to tolerate your body “imperfections”
how to like and even love your body despite your “flaws”
how to quiet that negative voice in your head, your “inner critic”
how to find peace in a sea of negative body thoughts
Family-Based Therapy:
In addition to traditional outpatient psychotherapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Mindsoother Therapy Center offers the option of Family-Based Informed Treatment (FBT-Informed) for children, teens and young adults struggling with eating disorders.
FBT is an evidenced-based treatment which has been proven to work faster and more effectively (full remission) than individual psychotherapy alone. FBT requires the active participation of parents or “carers” and is a carer-empowerment model that supports caregivers in disrupting the harmful physical and psychological symptoms that maintain an eating disorder. The primary focus of FBT is to make sure that the child receives adequate nutrition at the outset of therapy so that their brains and bodies can heal and ultimately function more optimally allowing for more cognitive therapy later on.
What does Family Based Treatment at Mindsoother look like?
Carers are expected to attend twice-a-week therapy sessions (in-office or telehealth) during the beginning stage of their child’s treatment (or Phase 1) for support and psychoeducation. Concurrently their child will be attending a weekly DBT-skills group or DBT Skills 1:1 with one of our therapists. When appropriate, therapy sessions will include both carers and client, and eventually treatment will be focused primarily on the client’s social, cognitive and emotional health via individual and/or family therapy.
What if my child doesn't want to do FBT?
FBT does NOT require your child to agree to treatment. In fact, it is expected that they will not want to participate because we will be confronting their eating disorder head-on. With a diagnosed eating disorder, it is likely that your child’s brain is under-nourished and therefore incapable of making wise and healthy decisions.
Your participation in FBT might cause discomfort for your child (and you) in the short term, but will bring about change more quickly and completely.The team at Mindsoother will help you learn effective coping strategies that will help you manage stress, discomfort and distress
What are the main features of FBT?
FBT is a behavioral approach to eating disorders.
In FBT, there is not a lot of exploration as to the how/why the ED developed. The goal of FBT is weight and health restoration so that the client can think and function optimally prior to beginning any deeper psychological work. FBT takes an agnostic stance. Neither the carers, nor the client are blamed for the ED.
With Mindsoother’s support, carers will create a “treatment center” in their home so clients can remain at home and build their “life worth living”
FBT endorses that clients function better at home and therefore the goal is to help carers learn to intervene in restoring their child’s weight and eliminate ED symptoms. In fact, FBT espouses it IS imperative that carers do this and they CAN do this with Mindsoother’s support.
Phases of FBT-Informed Treatment:
Phase 1: In the initial phase of FBT, it is understood that your child is unable to make decisions about food, weight and activity due to their illness. With the support of your therapist, you as carers will make these decisions until your child regains mastery over these aspects of their life.
Phase 2: involves the gradual transition of control of eating from carers to clients. They will be close to weight-restored and able to eat a wider variety of “fear foods”. If they haven’t started already, they will begin individual psychotherapy and carers’ sessions will be less frequent.
Phase 3: is about getting your child back to whatever aspect of their lives that were hijacked by their ED. Their therapist will work with them on relapse prevention skills. And will also help them assimilate their recovery into “their story” without shame and judgment and support them in creating their life worth living!
Eating Disorder Recovery Transition Program:
My child is returning home from a higher level of care (i.e. Residential, Partial Hospitalization Program, Intensive Out-Patient Program) What do I need to know and do?
Your child’s smooth and effective transition from a higher level of care to outpatient is imperative to their continued progress!
We have seen all too often the immediate or gradual decline of functioning or return to ED symptoms with change of structure or diminished external supports such as daily check-ins, therapy sessions, groups and appointments with care team professionals.
With this in mind, Mindsoother offers a TPP (Transition Preparedness Program) to help you and your family prepare for your child’s return home. We collaborate with your current care team to create a transition plan that is effective for your family AND offer a continuous system of support in the short or long terms to increase likelihood of sustained recovery.
TTP offers psycho-education and therapy to help your child and/or your family:
Understand how the ED thinking and behavior has shifted and the potential impact of this on the client and family system
Explore the dynamics that might negatively impact functioning and find healthy ways to practice self-expression and communication in a safe and non-judgmental space that fosters future growth
Maintain the variety of food and frequency of meals and snacks
Understand the role that diet culture and family relationship to food, eating and weight impacts your child’s recovery
Create opportunity for the entire family, including siblings, to participate in healthy exchanges around and away from the meal table
Establish and maintain realistic expectations about re-entry back into pre-higher level of care life and assist your child in re-integrating into home, school and social lives
Recognize the warning signs of relapse or setbacks and to establish effective responses in advance
Cope with the re-entry process - whatever that might look like for your family