Eating Disorder
Treatment
We understand the complexities you or your loved one may be facing with an Eating Disorder. We address the emotional, behavioral, and physical components of an eating disorder on an outpatient basis.
Our experienced multi-disciplinary eating disorder treatment center includes therapists specializing in eating disorder treatment, registered dietitians, and psychiatrists. We also collaborate with the client’s medical doctor for coordination of care to ensure client safety.
Eating disorder treatment includes:
Weekly individual therapy
EMDR and somatic experiencing
Art therapy
Experiential therapy
Nutritional counseling
Genetic testing
Diagnostic testing
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) groups
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) groups
Family nutrition education group
Psycho-education groups
Self-esteem/body image groups
Multi-family groups
Meditation and mindfulness group
Trauma group
Food normalization: all food fits, balance, acceptance
Developing mindful awareness to build trust in oneself
Supported meals and snacks
Medication evaluation/management
Intensive case management
Challenging ED beliefs, behaviors with structure and accountability
What Is An Eating Disorder?
Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder include extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues. They are serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences. Although eating disorders appear to be centered on food, eating disorders are not necessarily about food. Perfectionism, control, unmet emotional needs, trauma, and unexpressed emotions are often at the core of an eating disorder.
Anorexia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa
Binge Eating Disorder
Orthorexia
Other Specified Eating or Feeding Disorders (OSFED)
Atypical Anorexia
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by weight loss; difficulties maintaining an appropriate body weight for height, age, and stature; and, in many individuals, distorted body image. People with anorexia generally restrict the number of calories and the types of food they eat. Some people with the disorder also exercise compulsively, purge via vomiting and laxatives, and/or binge eat.
Symptoms Include:
Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for height, body type, age, and activity level.
Intense fear of weight gain or being “fat”
Feeling “fat” or overweight despite dramatic weight loss
Extreme concern with body weight and shape
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by a secretive cycle of binge eating followed by purging. Bulimia includes eating large amounts of food (more than most people would eat in one meal) in short periods of time, then getting rid of the food and calories through vomiting, laxative abuse, or over-exercising.
Symptoms Include:
Recurrent episodes of binge eating
Feeling out of control during a binge and eating beyond the point of comfortable fullness
Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior
Extreme concern with body weight and shape
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge Eating Disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States. It is characterized by eating an amount of food greater than most people would eat in a short period of time with no compensatory purging behaviors. Binge episodes lead to significant physical discomfort along with feelings of guilt and shame. Binge Eating Disorder is a potentially life threatening and it coincides with common mental health disorders.
Symptoms Include:
A sense of lack of control over eating during the binging episode
Marked distress, guilt, or shame regarding the binge eating
Eating more rapidly or eating until uncomfortably full, eating when not hungry, eating alone or feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed or guilty
Orthorexia
Orthorexia is an obsession with eating foods one considers “healthy” in spite of the physical and social repercussions. The individual often categorizes food in rigid good and bad categories based on food quality and purity. Individuals presenting with Orthorexia go to great lengths to avoid specific foods perceived as unhealthy and in the process begin to experience health issues and diminished quality of life.
Symptoms Include:
Have obsessive thoughts over the effects of the food you eat on medical conditions
Severely restrict the types of food you eat because you deem so many foods acceptable to your diet
Use significant amounts of probiotics, herbal remedies, and other supplements
Have irrational concerns about preparation of foods, relating to food washing techniques and sterilization of utensils
Experience strong emotional reactions to food
Other Specified Eating
Other Specified Eating or Feeding Disorders (OSFED) are characterized by variations of disordered eating that do not meet criteria for anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder. Individuals with symptoms can have severe health consequences or they can have eating disorders that have not progressed to a full diagnosis of anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder.
Symptoms Include:
In general, behaviors and attitudes indicate that weight loss, dieting, and control of food are becoming primary concerns
Dramatic weight loss
Dresses in layers to hide weight loss or stay warm
Is preoccupied with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting
Refuses to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food (e.g., no carbohydrates, etc.)
Atypical Anorexia
Atypical Anorexia is a common OSFED. Atypical Anorexia usually occurs when an individual engages in restriction to the point of malnourishment to manage or lose weight. Individuals with Atypical Anorexia have often lost a significant amount of weight and continue to manage weight through food restriction.
Symptoms Include:
Intense fear of weight gain
Continuing to fear gaining weight even after losing weight
Distorted body image
Using extreme measures for weight loss such as fasting or excessive exercise
Disordered eating and weight-control measures interfere with everyday functioning
Unrealistic idea of weight
Serving Los Angeles and Orange County Areas