TL;DR
Online Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is a highly effective therapy for teens with eating disorders, emphasizing parental involvement in treatment. Delivered via telehealth, it allows families to participate from home, making it accessible for busy schedules. Research shows that online FBT can lead to significant improvements in weight, eating disorder symptoms, and overall mental health, especially in areas with limited treatment options. Unlike individual therapy, which often falls short for teens with eating disorders, FBT empowers parents to play a crucial role in their child’s recovery. This method has gained traction, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, proving to be a valuable resource for families in need.
Why Choose Online Family-Based Treatment (FBT) in Los Angeles?
Online Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is an excellent option for busy families. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, our therapists were delivering FBT by telehealth. We continue to do so. Read on to learn why this is such an amazing potential treatment for your family.
What is Family-Based Treatment?
Family-Based Treatment (FBT) has emerged as a leading therapy with empirical support for the treatment of teens with anorexia nervosa who are medically stable. It also shows support for adolescents with bulimia nervosa and young adults with anorexia nervosa. FBT makes the role of parents central to challenging their adolescents’ eating disorders. The hallmark of the treatment is family meals, which parents plan, prepare, serve, and supervise. If purging is an issue, they supervise after meals. They implement strategies to prevent purging, excessive exercise, and other eating disorder behaviors. I often say that FBT is like providing residential treatment in your house for only your child.
FBT is a manualized treatment and usually takes place in approximately 20 weekly sessions with an FBT therapist over a period of about 6 months. A teen should also be monitored by a medical doctor, and a dietitian may be involved in helping the parents with meal planning. Fortunately, online family-based treatment sessions are possible. Our practice owner, Dr. Muhlheim, wrote a leading book on FBT.
What is Telehealth or Video Therapy?
Telehealth is the delivery of medical or mental health treatment over live video. There are numerous HIPAA-compliant platforms that treatment professionals use, such as Doxy, Zoom, and Vsee.
Aside from a reliable internet connection and a private setting, there are no additional requirements for telehealth-delivered mental health care. Telehealth interventions have been used in various forms since 1972. In general, the research shows that therapy delivered via telehealth can be effective for a variety of problems. Telehealth has been successfully applied to both family therapy and the treatment of eating disorders.
The Switch to Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic
One of the most significant impacts of social distancing was a change in the mode of delivery of psychological treatment. Most outpatient therapists, dietitians, and medical doctors moved entirely to telehealth sessions (over the computer). Even many intensive outpatient (IOP) and partial hospitalization (PHP) programs shifted to a telehealth delivery model. Admissions to residential treatment centers were often limited to only the most severely medically compromised patients.
As a result of more stringent admission standards, as well as travel restrictions and the transition to online sessions, it appears that a larger number of eating disorder patients will be in the home. Fortunately, online Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is a treatment naturally poised to fill the gap created by the Coronavirus.
Research on Online Family-Based Treatment
Kristen Anderson, LCSW, and colleagues did a study of FBT for adolescent anorexia utilizing telehealth. They utilized the same treatment manual used in outpatient studies of FBT with minor variations. For example, instead of weighing the patient in the therapist’s office prior to appointments, the parents weighed the patient at home prior to the session and shared the weight with the therapist. The structure of the sessions was the same, with all family members in attendance. The therapist initiated therapy sessions by video conference and met individually with the patient for a few minutes first, followed by a meeting with the entire family for the remainder of the therapy hour.
Anderson and colleagues found that online family-based treatment was feasible. There were no dropouts over the course of the study, and the average number of treatment sessions attended was 18.4. Parents found the treatment to be extremely helpful, and participants’ weight increased significantly. Meaningful improvements were also noted in eating disorder symptoms, as well as depression and self-esteem. Anderson and colleagues concluded, “these findings suggest that this method of delivering FBT may be effective for meeting the treatment demands of adolescents living in areas of the country where there are inadequate treatment resources, such as nonurban or rural settings.”
Little did they know that throughout the world, social distancing would create a need for online family-based treatment (FBT)!
Online Family-Based Treatment May be Effective When Individual Teen Therapy Over Video Was Not
Many parents reach out to us after finding that a teen’s eating disorder did not improve via individual therapy (often delivered over video). They believe the problem was the video platform and that their teen needs to see a therapist in person. Rather than blaming the platform, perhaps it was just that individual therapy for teens with eating disorders is not that effective. In most cases, teens with active eating disorders will not benefit from individual therapy (whether it is online or in person). Online family-based treatment through EDTLA in Los Angeles can be effective when individual therapy for a teen’s eating disorder was not helpful. That’s because FBT leverages the parents to change behaviors.
Get Virtual Help for Your Teen’s Eating Disorder With Online FBT in Los Angeles, CA
If you’re looking for expert, evidence-based support without the barriers of travel or scheduling challenges, online family-based treatment (FBT) offers a flexible and effective option. Virtual FBT allows parents to stay actively involved in their teen’s recovery while receiving real-time guidance in the very environment where meals and daily challenges occur.
You don’t have to navigate eating disorder recovery alone—or wait for in-person availability to begin. Through secure, structured online sessions, families receive the same research-supported FBT model that prioritizes weight restoration, parental leadership, and emotional stabilization. At Eating Disorder Therapy LA, our therapists specialize in delivering virtual FBT for adolescents with anorexia, bulimia, and related eating disorders, helping families build confidence and momentum from home. Getting started is simple:
- Contact EDTLA to learn more about online FBT options
- Complete our Google form so we can match your family with a Los Angeles therapist experienced in virtual FBT
- Begin supporting your teen’s recovery with convenient, evidence-based care
Other Services EDTLA Offers in Los Angelea, California
Beginning family-based treatment (FBT) can feel daunting, especially when your teen is struggling and access to care feels limited. With virtual FBT, families can receive structured, evidence-based guidance from home—empowering parents to restore nutrition, support medical stability, and help their teen build a stronger, more secure relationship with food and recovery.
At Eating Disorder Therapy LA, we provide comprehensive, evidence-based treatment for children and adolescents, college students, adults, and caregivers. Our clinicians specialize in the full spectrum of eating disorders and related challenges. In addition to online family-based treatment, we offer therapy for Anorexia Nervosa, Atypical Anorexia, Bulimia Nervosa, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and Binge Eating Disorder. We also address concerns such as excessive exercise, body image distress, and phobias related to swallowing, choking, or vomiting.
To ensure flexible and accessible care, our Los Angeles–based practice offers virtual individual therapy and online eating disorder group therapy. We also provide Small Group FBT and ARFID consultations, professional speaking and training engagements, and educational and school-based programs. Additionally, we offer clinical supervision for therapists seeking advanced training in eating disorder treatment.
For further education and support, we encourage you to explore our Eating Disorder Blog and Dr. Muhlheim’s books, When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder and The Weight-Inclusive CBT Workbook for Eating Disorders (available in 2026). To connect with our team, call (323) 743-1122 or email Hello@EDTLA.com. We look forward to supporting your family with convenient, evidence-based virtual care.
About the Author
Dr. Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D., FAED, CEDS-C, is the founder of Eating Disorder Therapy LA and a licensed psychologist. She has extensive experience delivering evidence-based eating disorder treatment both in person and through telehealth. Her clinical work centers on family-based treatment (FBT), helping parents take a confident, active role in restoring nutrition and supporting recovery at home. An approach that translates effectively to virtual care. She treats anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and related concerns. Notably, she is one of the few FBT-certified therapists in Los Angeles. Dr. Muhlheim is the author of When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder and The Weight-Inclusive CBT Workbook for Eating Disorders. She also developed one of the only FBT training programs for dietitians. Licensed in California, Indiana, New York, and Oregon, with a Florida telehealth license, she is widely recognized for her leadership in family-centered, weight-inclusive care.
FBT Resources for States Other Than California, New York, Florida, Indiana, and South Carolina
If you are looking for online family-based treatment in other states and countries, please check out the following websites:
The Training Institute for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders
Eva Musby’s List of Therapists Providing Telehealth
Sources:
Anderson, K.E., Byrne, C., Goodyear, A. et al. Telemedicine of family-based treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa: A protocol of a treatment development study. J Eat Disord 3, 25 (2015).
, , , . Utilizing Telehealth to deliver family‐based treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord. 2017; 50: 1235– 1238.