Family-Based Treatment (FBT)-Parent Support Group

If your teen (or young adult) has an eating disorder—including anorexia or bulimia—you may feel helpless, worried, or uncertain about how you can best support them. Our monthly parent support group— based on principles of FBT—can help.

Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is the leading treatment for teens with eating disorders and it centers the role of parents. Our group provides actionable effective strategies caregivers can implement to support their teens.

As a parent, feeding your child is a fundamental act of love—it has been from the start! However, in the presence of an eating disorder, parents usually lose confidence in performing this basic task. We will help you regain the confidence needed to support your teen and help them recover!

Who Leads the FBT Parent Support Group?

Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D., CEDS-C, practice owner and author of the FBT-based book, When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder (New Harbinger, 2019) is certified in FBT and known internationally for her work supporting parents supporting teens with eating disorders.

Carly Poynter, Psy.D., a postdoctoral fellow at EDTLA, has worked at an eating disorder residential treatment center and also spent three years training under Dr. Muhlheim. She presented her dissertation research on Family-Based Treatment at the International Conference on Eating Disorders in New York in 2024.

What Happens During Our FBT-Parent Support Group?

Each meeting will begin with a 10-minute psychoeducation topic and then be followed by time for caregivers to respond to the presenters and one another, ask questions, and receive feedback.

Topics Covered:

• How to separate your healthy teen from the eating disorder
• The impact of starvation and why food is medicine
• How to manage mealtime distress
• Navigating return to school and athletics
• Transitioning between FBT phases
• Communication strategies
• Preventing burnout
• Preventing relapse

Who May Attend our FBT-Parent Support Group?

Parents or caregivers of teens (or young adults) with eating disorders who are interested in or using FBT principles to support their loved one with an eating disorder may attend. This includes parents and family members in any location around the world. Please be aware that our meeting is in the Pacific time zone.

When Does the FBT-Parent Support Group Meet?

The group meets over Zoom monthly, usually on the second Tuesday of the month at 11 am pacific time. We usually do not meet during July and August.

To Register for Our FBT-Parent Support Group

For more information about the group, please contact Hello@EDTLA.com or you may register for the monthly group (priced at $40) on our group registration page. Scholarships are also available. Please email Hello@EDTLA.com to ask for a scholarship.