Parent Coaching for Eating Disorders

For many teens and young adults with eating disorders, Family-based Treatment is the ideal treatment method for healing and recovery. Parent Coaching assists parents in re-directing eating disorder and other problematic behavior while creating an environment for their teen to meet treatment goals such as weight restoration, re-exposure to restricted foods, development of healthy relationships with food and exercise, improved emotion regulation, development of healthy sense of self and improved relational functioning.

Parents are often the key to healing this life threatening illness. As a specialist treating teens and young adults in intensive family-based therapy for eating disorders since 2009 and after transitioning my practice to telehealth in 2017, I have found that Family-based Treatment and individualized Parent Coaching through online psychotherapy sessions can be a highly effective method of care. Online Psychotherapy Services offer the benefit of ease of scheduling for busy families, allowing parents to join sessions even if they are at different physical locations throughout the day. Parent Coaching often includes:

• Education on eating disorders, treatment approaches and options
• Consultation on treatment recommendations and referrals
• Coping and support for the range of emotions parents experience from confusion and overwhelm to fear and anger
• Empowerment to intervene in the battle for recovery
• Coaching on how to facilitate weight restoration and supervision of eating disorder behaviors
• Skills for settling limits with the illness while staying connected and supportive to the teen
• Guidance throughout the many stages of treatment and recovery
• Direction on how to respond to emotion dysregulation 
• Relief for self-blame, guilt and shame
• Development of self care practices and bolstering of parental morale 
• Management of stress within the marital relationship 
• Establishment of a co-parenting plan that supports treatment goals
• Reduction of inadvertent parental collusion with the eating disorder
• Coordination and case management of the treatment team and plan
• Advocacy in becoming a vital ally in the teen's healing and recovery 

Please contact me for more information or to schedule a consultation.