Family-Based Treatment (FBT) for Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents

• FBT is the gold-standard and most evidence-based treatment for anorexia nervosa and restrictive eating in children and adolescents. There is also increasing research to show FBT may be effective in the treatment of adolescents with bulimia nervosa.

• FBT is a weight restoration treatment that empowers parents/caregivers to take charge of their child’s treatment. 

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy-Enhanced (CBT-E) for eating disorders

• CBT-E is the most evidence-based treatment for adults with eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder and other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED).

• CBT-E involves educating clients about the factors contributing to their eating problems, the dangers of disordered eating behaviors and ways to change behaviors and thinking patterns to correct these problems.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (CBT-AR)

• CBT-AR focuses on educating clients and their families on the importance of normalizing eating and discontinuing reliance on nutritional supplements.

• Weight restoration is a part of this treatment if clients have fallen off of their growth curve.

• Exposure and response prevention techniques are also used to target fears around eating (e.g., choking or vomiting), sensory sensitivities or lack of interest in food.

Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size (HAES)

• Intuitive eating and HAES are anti-diet approaches to your physical and mental health.

• Intuitive eating refers to the practice of honoring your body’s internal signals around eating, food and hunger and integrates natural intuition, feelings and rational thought.

• HAES believes that all bodies are deserving of respect. This approach aims to reduce weight bias and body stigma and de-couple body size and the number on the scale from health.

• Both approaches aim to reduce stigma against individuals who are overweight or obese.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• CBT is a treatment that has been shown to be effective in clinical and research trials for anxiety, depression and severe mental illness, leading to improvements in symptoms, functioning and quality of life.

• CBT works to directly target and change unhelpful thinking patterns, unhelpful behaviors and ineffective coping strategies to relieve symptoms.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

• ERP is the gold-standard treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, specific phobias, social phobia, panic disorder, agoraphobia and illness anxiety disorder.

• ERP involves facing fears and anxiety, rather than avoiding or neutralizing. This is done with the guidance of a therapist in an individualized and gradual way.

Prolonged Exposure (PE) for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

• Prolonged exposure for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a type of CBT treatment that helps clients learn to gradually approach and tolerate trauma-related memories, feelings and situations.

• This treatment is done with the guidance of a trained therapist who will help you stop avoiding situations and thoughts about your trauma, leading to a decrease in your symptoms.

Acceptance and Mindfulness-Based Treatment for Anxiety

• Acceptance-based treatment for anxiety aims to change how you relate to your anxiety and stop the judgments you hold about having anxiety.

• Mindfulness strategies are used to gain a new awareness and understanding of anxiety symptoms in the present moment and stop fighting your emotional experience.