![Should you let your teen become vegetarian [Image description: purple scrabble tiles spelling "vegetarian" above a plate with raw vegetables]](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_07351-1024x767.jpg)
By Katie Grubiak, RDN, and Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D. We acknowledge that vegetarianism can offer benefits for both individuals and the environment. We also recognize that vegetarianism is embedded in some cultures and religions, and most children and teens raised in these cultures thrive. This article does not aim to debate the ethics of vegetarianism. Instead, …
![What Parents Need to Know About Diet Culture [Image description: a larger woman smashing a scale] Represents a potential parent of a teen receiving eating disorder counseling in Los Angeles, California](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bodyliberationstock-51970_ccexpress.jpg)
Parents and Diet Culture Many parents experience guilt when their teen is diagnosed with an eating disorder. Nearly every parent can point to a time they themselves dieted, opted not to have a dessert they really wanted, expressed a preference toward thinness, or discouraged their child from keeping eating. You may have done things to …
![Externalizing your eating disorder in Los Angeles, California [Image description: a drawing of a girl facing a monster] Represents a potential teen with an eating disorder in Los Angeles, California externalizing her eating disorder](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/My-project1.png)
Externalizing an eating disorder is a therapeutic strategy. Jenni Schaefer’s book Life Without Ed, co-written by her therapist Thom Rutledge, popularized this strategy The book summarizes Jenni’s recovery from an eating disorder. Jenni describes how in her treatment she learned to personify the eating disorder as “Ed,” an abusive boyfriend. As explained in the blurb …
![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 …
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 …
![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. …
![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 …