Eating Disorder and Anxiety Therapy
We specialize in the treatment of eating and anxiety disorders for children, adolescents, and young adults as well as parent treatments focused on improving their child’s mental health. Treatments are delivered through individual therapy, family therapy, and/or parent-only sessions.
Family-Based Treatment (FBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Temperament Based Therapy with Support (TBT-S)
TBT-S helps clients and their supports understand their neurobiologically-influenced temperament and personality traits and use a strengths-based approach to work with these traits in ways that promote recovery. Both clients and their supports learn about trait-based research findings, identify tools and strategies that align with the client’s temperament, and practice putting them into action to work toward their recovery goals. I am very fortunate to have been trained by the developers of TBT-S at the UCSD Eating Disorders Center.
Exposure & Response Prevention (EXRP)
EXRP is a proven behavioral treatment for anxiety disorders (social phobia, OCD, specific phobias, panic disorder and agoraphobia, separation anxiety) that can also be used to treat specific eating disorder symptoms (e.g., body dysmorphia, fear of internal body sensations, fear of weight gain or specific foods). The more we avoid something, the more anxious we feel about it. Over time, this can result in a cycle of anxiety and avoidance that can be very life-interfering. Exposure and response prevention helps people face their (objectively safe but very scary and intimidating!) fears. When this is done repeatedly, clients learn they won’t die, “go crazy”, or never stop feeling anxious, can tolerate so much more than they think, and, potentially, the worst things they feared would happen didn’t actually come true. Over time, clients might find that they feel more comfortable facing these faces or can better manage the anxiety that arises when they do.
Family & Support Involvement
An eating disorder is a crisis for the entire family. Many clients come to treatment feeling scared, guilty, or ashamed. Their family supports blame themselves, walk on eggshells around their loved one, and aren’t sure how to help. We know eating disorders thrive in isolation, and our first goal is to help clients and their supports speak openly about their experiences and concerns. Bringing families together in treatment can reduce the shame, guilt, and blame that both clients and supports may feel, help supports better understand the eating disorder, and allow the family to work together. Adult clients may wish to involve family members, partners, friends, coaches, or trusted mentors in their treatment. In addition to family therapy, we also offer parent consultations and individual therapy for siblings affected by the eating disorder.
Parent Coaching
Group Therapy
“What is most personal is most universal. When we share deeply, we touch others in ways that heal.” – Carl Rogers
Mental illness can be an extremely isolating experience. In group therapy, you discover you’re not alone; your struggles are shared, and connection becomes a powerful part of healing. We find that group members benefit from learning from and being supported by one another, processing and applying new information and strategies together, and building a safe and trusted community of supports that often lasts beyond the duration of group therapy.
FBT Informational Group for Parents
Do you have a child you suspect may have an eating disorder or who just received an eating disorder diagnosis? Perhaps your child has been in therapy but doesn’t seem to be getting better? Join us for an informational session on Family-Based Treatment. During the session, we will outline what FBT is and who it works best for, what you can expect from an FBT therapist, the importance of family involvement, phases of treatment, and FBT treatment goals. Parents are encouraged to bring their questions and will have ample time to speak with the group leader.Â
*Please note that this is not a therapy group.*
First Tuesday of the month from 5:00-5:45 PM
Location: Zoom
Cost: FREE
Family-Based Parent Skills Group
New round starting January 2024!
Caring for a child with an eating disorder can be challenging, confusing, and scary, but full recovery is possible and probable when parents feel empowered to take charge. Through a combination of psychoeducation, skill building, and experiential activities, this group aims to help parents better understand their child’s eating disorder from the inside out, seek support from other parents with lived experience, learn tangible skills for supporting their child through recovery (including those difficult meals!), and build their own coping strategies to decrease burn-out and stress.
Group Leaders: Terra Towne, Ph.D. & Eva-Molly Dunbar, Ph.D. (my colleague from the UCSD Eating Disorders Center)
Time and Day: TBD
Location: Zoom
Investment: $850 per family ($85 per session for 10 weeks), sliding scale spots available
Sibling Support Group
Starting January 2024
Being a sibling of someone with an eating disorder is a unique experience. Most siblings want to help, but they are also coping with numerous ways their lives have been affected by the eating disorder. Perhaps their relationship with their sibling with an eating disorder has changed, they worry constantly about their affected sibling, family meals are a source of dread, or they feel overlooked by their parents, who are dedicating all of their time and energy to fighting the eating disorder. This support group aims to provide a space for siblings to process uncomfortable and complicated feelings about their experience, identify their role in their sibling’s eating disorder journey, and learn and apply skills on effective communication, self-care, and stress management.
Time & Date: TBD
Location: 5252 Balboa Ave Suite 408 San Diego, CA 92117
Investment: $600 per person ($60 per session for 10 weeks)
Teen Body Image Group (Ages 14-17)
Starting January 2024
This group is for teens who have reached or are approaching physical recovery but continue to struggle with their body image. Body image disturbance can be one of the most debilitating eating disorder symptoms and is one of the last symptoms to remit for many of our clients. This group will address a wide range of body image topics (e.g., societal and cultural influences, diet culture myths, social media consumption, thinking styles and cognitive lenses, body neutrality, and body checking, comparisons, and avoidance behaviors) and utilize interventions from cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, exposure and response prevention, and self-compassion. The group is best-suited for clients who are actively pursuing recovery and are excited to explore these topics.
Location: 5252 Balboa Ave Suite 408 San Diego, CA 92117
Investment: $600 per person ($60 per session for 10 weeks)
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Self-Help
Coming very soon!
When working at the UCSD Eating Disorders Center, my mentors, Drs. Walter Kaye and Stephanie Knatz Peck, and I received funding from the National Eating Disorders Association to create a comprehensive self-guided treatment resource for parents of youth with anorexia nervosa. This 7.5 hour video course is designed to cover all of the information, skills, and strategies that your family would receive in specialized eating disorder therapy for a fraction of the cost. We have been working on this course for quite some time and can’t wait to share it with you!
Learn more about our virtual parent course here:
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