![Eating on a date with ARFID [Image description: a man and a woman smiling at each other seated at a table. The man holds a glass and the woman has food in front of her] Depicts a potential couple on a date where one of the members has ARFID](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/happy-valentines-day-1807617_1280-1024x682.jpg)
by Carly Poynter, Psy.D. & Emily Walker, AMFT Dating under normal circumstances is hard. Nerves are high. Palms get sweaty. And you wonder nervously, ‘Does this person like me?’ Many people find dating challenging, even though common dating activities are supposedly fun. Many first dates revolve around meeting over food or drinks — grabbing a …
![Private equity and eating disorders [Image description: an empty boardroom with windows] depicts a potential private equity firm investing in eating disorder centers](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/benjamin-child-GWe0dlVD9e0-unsplash1-1024x683.jpg)
In case you haven’t been paying attention, the economics of eating disorder treatment centers have been evolving. And it is doing so in ways that may be harmful. Today, a very small number of large entities own and run most of the country’s residential treatment and day treatment centers. Private equity firms now back most …
![Family having dinner and unhappy in FBT [Image description: family of 2 adults and two kids and the teen girl looks very unhappy about eating] Represents a potential family in California doing FBT for their teen's eating disorder](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/pexels-cottonbro-studio-6603140-1024x682.jpg)
In Family-Based Treatment (FBT), we charge families with nourishing their teens back to health through meals at home. Because FBT is a parent empowerment model, parents are often given little specific guidance about how to do this. If you are like other families with whom I’ve worked, now that you understand this important point, you …
![Eating Disorder Group Therapy in California and Online [Image description: purple scrabble tiles spelling "Eating Disorder Group Therapy"]](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_07323-1024x654.jpg)
What is Group Therapy? Group therapy is when several patients are treated together in the same room—or as is often the case today, the same zoom meeting—as other patients with the same problem, usually with one or two leaders or therapists. Group Therapy can be helpful for people with eating disorders and their supportive loved …
![Paying for eating disorder therapy [Image description: a man's hands pulling money out of a wallet] Represents someone paying for therapy in California](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/pexels-karolina-grabowska-43864332-683x1024.jpg)
How Can I Afford Eating Disorder Therapy? When seeking treatment for an eating disorder, two of the first questions that often arise are: “How much will treatment cost?” and “How will I pay for treatment?” The answers to these seemingly simple questions depend on a great many variables. Eating disorders are complex illnesses that present …
![Are you ready to begin eating disorder therapy [Image description: a man wearing a purple sweatshirt is looking at his calendar on a wall] Represents a person beginning eating disorder therapy in California](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/DALL·E-2023-10-21-19.40.45-a-drawing-of-a-person-viewed-from-the-rear-and-they-are-looking-at-and-holding-a-purple-calendar2.png)
Maybe you’ve been thinking about getting help for a while but haven’t known where to look. Or perhaps someone has recently confronted you about your eating and you’re feeling pressured to get help now. Or maybe your problems have recently begun to feel worse. Even so, you’re still not sure it’s the right time. It’s …
Post by Carly Poynter, Psy.D., staff therapist What is Orthorexia? Orthorexia is an eating disorder in which an individual is fixated on the quality of food and avoidance—in the pursuit of health—of foods labeled as “unhealthy” or “bad.” The person continues to pursue “health” despite experiencing considerable negative health consequences and an impact on psychological …
![Help for night eating syndrome in Los Angeles, California [Image description: drawing of a person standing near a refrigerator and the moon is in the background] Represents a potential person with night eating syndrome seeking counseling in Los Angeles, California](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/DALL·E-2023-06-10-16.36.12-a-drawing-of-a-person-in-purple-pajamas-holding-open-a-refrigerator-door-and-that-person-is-looking-inside-the-refrigerator-and-it-is-dark-and-the-onl2.png)
Do you find yourself eating late into the night? Do you wake up and eat large meals before going back to sleep? Have you wondered whether this is an eating disorder? Read on to learn more about the problem and how we can help. What is Night Eating Syndrome? Night Eating Syndrome (NES) is a …
![Return to exercising during FBT for teen eating disorders [Image description: drawing of a teen running on a treadmill] Represents a potential teen undergoing FBT for an eating disorder in Los Angeles, California](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/DALL·E-2023-06-08-19.23.06-a-drawing-of-a-teen-girl-wearing-a-purple-shirt-and-running-on-a-treadmill1.png)
Excessive exercise is often a component of various eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, atypical anorexia, OSFED, and subclinical eating disorders. It is a symptom that affects up to 80% of those with an eating disorder (Quesnel et al., 2023). By expending energy, exercise may contribute to the negative energy balance that may trigger …
![Eating Disorder Recovery Journey [Image description: drawing of a happy woman driving in a purple car] Represents a client in eating disorder recovery in Los Angeles, California](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/DALL·E-2023-06-05-12.41.25-a-drawing-of-a-purple-car-driving-on-a-road-and-there-is-a-happy-woman-leaning-out-of-the-drivers-window.png)
Relapse Prevention Plan A relapse prevention plan is an important tool for maintaining recovery. Complete this worksheet created by EDTLA’s therapist, Carly Poynter, MA. Recovering from an eating disorder takes time. You did not develop your eating disorder overnight and it will not go away that quickly either. It is important to remember that recovery …