Family based treatment Archives

Five Reasons Parents Should be Included in the Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Eating Disorders

May 20, 2020February 19, 2016 by drmuhlheim

I had the honor of presenting a workshop yesterday along with Therese Waterhous, PhD/RDN, CEDRD. and Lisa LaBorde, Outreach Director for Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders (FEAST) at the IAEDP Symposium 2016. Our workshop was entitled, From “Worst Attendants” to Partners in Recovery: Empowering Parents as Agents of Change for Children and Adolescents …

For Teens With Bulimia, Family Based Treatment is Recommended

March 26, 2023December 1, 2015 by drmuhlheim

My original eating disorder training began in 1991 with learning Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for bulimia nervosa (BN) under G. Terence Wilson, the co-author with Dr. Christopher G. Fairburn, of the treatment approach that preceded CBT-E. In 2010 I underwent training in Family Based Treatment (FBT) for Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and became certified in …

Is Your Young Adult with an Eating Disorder Ready for College?

February 17, 2024October 10, 2015 by drmuhlheim

Is My Young Adult With an Eating Disorder Ready for College?

College Readiness When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder How do you know whether your child with an eating disorder is ready for college? Sending a child to college usually raises anxiety for most parents. And you may have even more anxiety if your young adult has or has struggled with an eating disorder. Dr. …

Presentation at NEDA 2015 conference

May 20, 2020October 4, 2015 by drmuhlheim

Katie and I had the honor of presenting in the Individual, Family, and Friends track at the National Eating Disorder Association Conference in San Diego yesterday. The title of our talk was: Family Based Nutrition Therapy: Creating A Supportive Environment. It was a chance to share the way we work to support families who are …

FBT Insights from the Neonatal Kitten Nursery

May 20, 2020July 6, 2015 by drmuhlheim

I recently began volunteering at the Best Friends Neonatal Kitten Nursery. Best Friends Los Angeles opened its neonatal kitten nursery in February 2013. The nursery is staffed with a dedicated coordinator and supported by volunteers who sign up for two hour feeding shifts 24 hours a day to help the kittens grow and thrive. If …

Parental direction works, but don’t expect your kid to be happy about it: Research on The Family Meal in FBT

December 2, 2023July 16, 2014 by admin

family at family meal in FBT [Image description: a family with their backs to us sits around a table] Represents a potential family in California receiving FBT for their teens eating disorder

Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is the best-researched outpatient treatment for teen eating disorders, including anorexia. In FBT, the family plays a central role in treatment. Through family meals, parents restore their teens to health and interrupt eating disorder behaviors. In FBT, parents plan, prepare, serve, and supervise meals. Usually, parents are left wondering 1) how to …

Recognizing and Managing the Subtler Signs of Starvation in Children with EDs

May 20, 2020June 1, 2014 by admin

This interaction on twitter caught my eye: Watching cooking shows, collecting and reading recipes, and cooking for others (but not eating it oneself) are some of the earliest signs of anorexia that are often missed and misinterpreted by parents. In Keys’ landmark study “The Biology of Human Starvation” male volunteers were put on starvation diets. …

Highlights from #ICED2014: The FBT Debate

January 7, 2020April 6, 2014 by admin

ICED 2014 in New York provided a wonderful opportunity to connect with colleagues from around the world who share a commitment to providing treatment to those suffering from eating disorders. Among the highlights for me were the well-attended, first-ever tweetUP and my official appointment as Board Director for Outreach of the Academy for Eating Disorders. …

FBT Meal Strategies Gleaned from Ziplining

January 4, 2020December 30, 2013 by admin

Understanding and Responding to Your Youngster’s Fear: A Metaphor I often explain to parents that for a youngster suffering from an eating disorder, a meal can feel dangerous – like jumping out of an airplane. A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to (almost) live out this metaphor on a family vacation. This …

Traveling With a Teen With Anorexia

June 24, 2023April 11, 2012 by admin

By Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D. and Therese Waterhous, Ph.D. Traveling with a Teen With Anorexia can feel like you are literally “traveling with anorexia” –like a monster has joined your trip. Learn more about the risks and consider carefully before proceeding. Traveling With A Teen With Anorexia in Phase 1 Families often ask whether they should …