Eating Disorder-Impacted
Couples, Families, & Individuals
Eating Disorders impact folks over the entire lifespan. And they take a village to heal them. Here are some resources to help you and the ones you love.
Eating Disorder Resources, Helps, and Supports for you and the ones you love:
Watch this video to help you understand what someone with an Eating Disorder is experiencing, how it impacts them, the medical implications, and how we can be present to a loved one with an Eating Disorder, as well as what is involved with Recovery:
Is it an Eating Disorder? Check this out for signs and symptoms:
If you suspect that you or your loved one might have an Eating Disorder, here are some initial assessments (screening tools) you/they can do:
https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/about (see top right “Take the Quiz”)
https://www.alsana.com/alsana-assured-eating-disorder-evaluator-app-clients/
You may also call ERC and schedule to have a free assessment over the phone to get a sense of what level of care might be needed (Outpatient, Intensive Outpatient (IOP - could be in person or virtual, depending on where you live relative to a treatment center), Partial Hospitalization (PHP - which is living at home or near the center and going for treatment each day), Residential, or Inpatient):
Eating Disorder Types and Symptoms:
*Eating Disorder Symptoms, Causes, Etiology, Types, Side Effects, Consequences, Treatment, etc.: https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/conditions/eating-disorders
Find a Treatment Center:
There is a network of Eating Disorder treatment centers called the “Eating Recovery Center” (ERC) which has an attachment lens woven throughout their Eating Disorder Treatment process, and they have LOTS of resources and supports for families, seeing that families are a key part of the ED patient’s recovery (both for adolescents and for adults who are needing to heal from ED’s). They also have the gold stamp of being Joint Commission accredited. There are multiple locations of the Eating Recovery Center around the country and you can find them at: https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/recovery-centers. The Denver ERC is the flagship site and sticks most closely to the Attachment frame (as seen through the model of EFFTby Adele LaFrance), as well as staff being highly trained. They are stellar and I highly recommend the Denver team (both for adolescents and for adults). The Plano, Texas site would be a skillful second. One of the many things that is really beautiful about ERC is that the staff are trained to lead with validation, so whatever the struggle, their first response will be to help you or your loved one feel heard, seen, supported, and cared for. Safety is essential for any healing journey, so this is actually key. If you want a treatment center you can trust for ED recovery, go to ERC!
Here are virtual PHP (Partial Hospitalization, where you live at home and are in program all day for 5-7 days a week) and virtual IOP (Intensive Outpatient, which is typically something like 3 hours a day for 3 days a week) programs for adolescents and adults of all genders through Monte Nido: https://www.montenido.com/locations/virtual-treatment-php-iop
And if you don’t need residential care and are medically stable to do recovery from home, another fine option to consider is Equip.Health. They tailor treatment to your specific needs, and it is 100% virtual, so you can get help while living at home. And it flexes and adapts as you walk into recovery. One unique bonus in this program is how they include peer mentors for the patient and for the family. Check it out!
Here are some directories where you can search for other treatment centers:
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/find-treatment/
*PROJECT HEAL is a non-profit organization that offers multiple forms of support “to break down barriers to Eating Disorder healing”: treatment placement, cash assistance, case management, free meal support, and BIPOC Community care.
More resources to get help: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help/
FAQ’s - 7 Answers to Common Questionsabout Treatment, etc.
Nutrition in Recovery:
In Eating Disorder recovery, Food is Medicine! A nutritionist is an essential member of your loved one’s recovery team. Read more here, see tips, etc.:
A Word About Nutrition for the Work of Therapy…
Should you decide to engage in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy with me, there are some important things to know regarding the role of nutrition in your success .…
This journey which you are considering embarking on is a rewarding one, and it is taxing and will demand a lot of your body and emotions. It takes energy, focus, concentration, and a nourished brain to do this deep work. For that reason, I have a basic policy that if you wish to be a client in my practice, you need to be eating at least two full meals every day, and you need to have eaten at least one full meal that day already prior to session each day we meet. (The same goes for your partner for couples therapy.) You can’t do this work with a malnourished brain, and it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to try. So, if this nutritional policy is too hard for you to follow and commit to for the duration of our journey, tell me early on and do not proceed in signing up to work together. We will pause and help you find an appropriate referral. If you do get to the point of signing the Office Policy, that signifies you are committing to this component of the work as well and your crucial role in it.
If, during our journey, it comes to light that an eating disorder might be present, we will discuss necessary steps which will be required to assess your situation and see if it is possible to continue in counseling with me, if that remains clinically indicated, or pausing and referring. These necessary steps would include the essential role of you meeting weekly with a skilled Eating Disorder dietician at an appropriate level of care so that you can get on track with adequate nutrition and fueling your brain for this work. YOU matter enough and YOUR RELATIONSHIP matters enough that I place the bar here so you are set up for success and the potential of reaching secure attachment!
Family Tips and Resources:
Family tips - what to say and what NOT to say: https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/resources/support-child-eating-disorder-treatment
Caregiver Skills Videos: https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/families-overview, (with the lens of Emotion-Focused Family Therapy, not Sue Johnson’s version, but that of Adele Lafrance… still helpful since it is attachment based) along with articles and blogs
This site by Adele Lafrance and her colleagues provides extra support (and video education!) from an attachment frame for parents, caregivers, and clinicians: https://www.mentalhealthfoundations.ca/
Articles and other helpful resources: https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/resources?audience=3776
More Caregiver Education: https://www.mentalhealthfoundations.ca/ed-parent-webinar
F.E.A.S.T. is specifically for parents of those with Eating Disorders (and for families, siblings, etc.): https://www.feast-ed.org/
Resources for families on helping your loved one eat: https://www.feast-ed.org/food-is-medicine/
Information for Parents: https://www.feast-ed.org/info-for-parents/
More Resources: https://mainlinecenterforeatingdisorders.com/resources/
Educational Supports for Learning for Kids While in Treatment for ED’s
Finding New Year’s Resolutions that build up and don’t harm! Watch this video by Dr. Elizabeth Easton
Eating Disorders in Couple Relationships
Eating Disorder Relapse - Understanding, Recognizing, Catching, Preventing…
**Super helpful!: https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/resources/eating-disorder-relapse-common
Create an Eating Disorder Relapse Prevention Plan: https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/resources/eating-disorder-relapse-how-cope-recovery
Recovery:
Support Groups:
For Families and for Patients walking out of Eating Disorders: https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/support-groups
Peer-led Support Groups for those in Recovery and for Caregivers and Siblings: https://anad.org/get-help/about-our-support-groups/
Peer mentorship for those in recovery and for caregivers: https://anad.org/mentorship/
Family and Friends Education - free, virtual:
Education for Providers:
Toolkit for Coaches:
Resources - Articles, Blogs, Guides, Stories:
Helpful Guides, Blog posts, Articles - including on ED’s and Holidays, pregnancy, and more: https://anad.org/get-informed/anad-approach-guides/
ANAD Youtube videos: https://www.youtube.com/@ANADvideos
Athletes, ED’s, and Coaches: https://anad.org/get-informed/athletes-and-eating-disorders/
Neurodiversity and Eating Disorders: https://anad.org/neurodiversity-eating-disorders/ and https://www.feast-ed.org/neurodivergence-and-eating-disorders/
Stories of Healing and Support: https://anad.org/anad-stories/
Eating Disorder Hope - with information about ED’s, treatment, etc.: https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/about
More Stories: https://equip.health/patient-stories
Resource Hub: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/resource-center/
Books!
Here are some great books and resources for the person with the Eating Disorder and the loved ones and friends who want to come alongside them:
https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/resources/recommended-reading