Clockwise starting at left: adult coloring book and colored pencils, Kinetic Sand (in purple), Enso Buddha Board, scented candle (my favorite—Thymes Kimono Rose), Spek magnetic balls (in purple), good old fashioned Silly Putty, The Squeeze Aromatherapy Dough (in Lavender). We all deal with stress and have to find ways to cope with a range …
![Structuring Your Eating Disorder Recovery Environment [Image description: hand visible writing in planner] represents a client in eating disorder recovery in Los Angeles, California writing a meal plan](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/stil-flRm0z3MEoA-unsplash-768x1024.jpg)
Recovery is challenging! I am repeatedly moved and impressed by the courage of my patients as they work through recovery from an eating disorder. One strategy that can help support recovery is a careful structuring of one’s recovery environment. This applies to adults working individually in treatment as well as to families helping adolescents to recover from …
![College, COVID, and Eating Disorders [Image description: woman with mask in front of computer] represents a potential college student with an eating disorder having online therapy in California](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/engin-akyurt-WBM97UGM0QA-unsplash-scaled.jpg)
As I’ve talked about in depth, the transition to college away from home is challenging for most young adults. It is especially fraught for young adults with eating disorders. In that article, I provided an Eating Disorder College Readiness Checklist. The article provides guidance for parents of students entering college after a history of an …
In a previous post, I have discussed who is typically on an FBT team. In its traditional manualized form, the core team is a therapist, a medical doctor, and the parents. The team can also include a registered dietitian nutritionist (to guide the parents) and may include a psychiatrist. It is not uncommon for medical …
![Instagram to make Diet Ads viewable for ages 18 and over—Why They should Remove Them Altogether - Dangerous of Diet Products on Instagram and Other social media [Image description: photo of a mobile phone with instagram app open]](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/neonbrand-nZJBt4gQlKI-unsplash-1024x683.jpg)
by Carolyn Comas, LCSW, CEDS-S On September 18th, 2019 Instagram instituted an official policy that all ads promoting diet and weight loss products would only be able to be viewed by users 18 and over. Under this policy, once reported they can remove false ads. This is a huge victory in the world of challenging …
![Just say no to kids' diets in Los Angeles, California [Image description: purple scrabble tiles spelling "Just say no to kids diets']](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IMG_00192-1024x754.jpg)
Updated July 2023. Previously published in 2019 as a response to the Weight Watchers Kurbo app for kids. In January 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics released guidelines for treating children and teens in larger bodies with “intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment”–what I call a diet. In case you are tempted to go down …
![Getting ready for school with eating disorder [Image description: drawing of a boy with a backpack and lunch box and there is a purple school bus in the background] Represents a teen or child with an eating disorder in Los Angeles, California](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/My-project3.png)
It’s almost the first day of school and parents of students with eating disorders have additional concerns to address on top of the usual back-to-school frenzy. Transitions can be tough for all teens—they are especially difficult for those with eating disorders. However, there are some preparations you can make to help things go more smoothly. …
![Cutting Down on Food and Fitness Tracking in Los Angeles, California [Image description: photo of a person looking at their wearable smart watch] Represents a person in counseling for an eating disorder in Los Angeles, California](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/luke-chesser-rCOWMC8qf8A-unsplash-1024x683.jpg)
Have you been tracking your food via a calorie-counting app? Maybe you’ve been tracking your exercise through a wearable or other system. Did you know such tracking: May encourage a disordered relationship with food and your body? May actually be jeopardizing your health rather than helping you to monitor it? If you’ve noticed that you’re …
![Do I need to quit X to stay in recovery in Los Angeles, California [Image description: photo of a girl in a swimsuit looking away from the pool during a swim meet] Represents a potential teen in eating disorder recovery wrestling with whether she can continue her sport.](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/My-project10.png)
By Carolyn Hersh, LCSW, CEDS-S Clinical Supervisor A difficult decision in recovery is knowing when to let go of an activity–or even a job–that could potentially re-ignite the eating disorder. As a therapist I find myself guiding my clients through exploration of their values. Some come to realize that the sport or career path they …
![Joyful Eating in Los Angeles, California [Image description: drawing of 2 females joyfully eating ice cream] Represents potential eating disorder counseling clients in Los Angeles, California challenging diet rules and eating even when not hungry](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ice-cream-final1-1024x708.jpg)
In my work with clients with eating disorders and disordered eating, I often find that the fear of eating when not hungry is one of the most difficult bits of dogma to overcome. One of the cardinal rules of dieting is “Eat only when you’re hungry.” People with eating disorders and good dieters everywhere have …