Anorexia Treatment

Anorexia is a serious psychological and medical condition, requiring timely and appropriate care. Treatment can reduce the severity of the disorder, reduce potential medical complications and increase long-term recovery rates.

At Walden, patients are treated for anorexia by a multidisciplinary team of dedicated doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, dietitians, counselors, social workers, expressive therapists and mental health counselors. Together, they have helped thousands of individuals impacted by anorexia.

With New England and Georgia’s most comprehensive system of care for both adults, adolescents and children facing anorexia, Walden is able to guarantee the right level of support on your path to recovery. Our full continuum of care includes inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and outpatient treatment.

We customize anorexia treatment plans for each patient, accounting for the nature of your disorder, background and personal needs. Treatment is structured and conducted in both individual and group therapy sessions, with the goals of eliminating symptoms of anorexia and replacing distorted thoughts with full confidence in self. Walden seeks to provide the best chance for long-term recovery, which you deserve.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Helps the patient identify, interrupt and replace distorted thinking with more adaptive coping mechanism and processing skills.
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – Combines CBT techniques with mindful meditation to help you discover new ways to manage and regulate emotions, identify triggers and change negative behaviors.
• Family-Based Treatment (FBT) – Designed for adolescent patients, this type of therapy brings the family to the forefront of the clinical team. We work with parents and families to restore weight and a positive adolescent identity through a coordinated three-phase approach. Our use of family-based treatment has resulted in full weight restoration for most patients within a year.

Comprehensive Levels of Care for Every Stage of Your Recovery

Walden offers one of the nation’s only full system of care – with specialized treatment options at all levels. No matter your background or individual needs, and regardless of the complexity of your disorder, Walden will provide the personalized care and support you deserve.

• Inpatient Hospitalization
• Residential
• Partial Hospitalization
• Intensive Outpatient
• Outpatient

Getting Started: Intake Assessment

Help for anorexia is always a quick and confidential phone call away.

The first step to recovery is quick and easy. We will conduct a brief (10 to 15 minutes) telephone intake, where we’ll review your concerns, gather basic background information, medical history and insurance information. From there, we will determine whether a more detailed, in-person clinical evaluation at the Walden location closest to you, is appropriate.

The evaluation will be conducted by a member of Walden’s clinical staff, and will include a psychiatric assessment, a more in-depth review of clinical information and a recommendation for the proper level of care. Primary care referrals are not required and we will work with your insurance provider (or providers) for approval of treatment for anorexia.

Remember, this entire assessment will be confidential, and we will make it as easy and comfortable for you as possible.

Whole Health Approach to Anorexia Treatment

Anorexia is an incredibly complex condition, with many medical, behavioral and nutritional components. At Walden, we provide comprehensive treatment that addresses all facets of the disorder, while providing superior care across several areas.

• Medical Care (restoring body weight in the context of age, sex, developmental trajectory and physical health)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Family-Based Treatment (FBT)
• Mindfulness Therapy
• Individual and Group Counseling
• Nutritional Counseling
• Expressive Therapy
• Relapse Prevention

Role of Family

A wealth of research shows that the involvement of family in the treatment for anorexia can drastically increase the individual’s probability of recovery.

In treating adolescents, we use the evidence-based modality, Family-Based Treatment (FBT) that originated in the 1970’s at the Maudsley Hospital in London. Using this intervention, we focus on empowering families to become the best support system and advocate for their child. In fact, under the guidelines of FBT, parents or guardians are required to be active participants – and the greatest assets – to their child’s treatment team.

While parental involvement and use of manualized FBT varies between each level of care, basic principles of this modality are included in some capacity, at every level of care.

For most individuals, our family-based treatment for anorexia results in full weight restoration within one year.

For adults that choose Walden for the treatment of their eating disorder, we encourage a family member or close friend to come in wherever possible in order to provide our patients with the most support during and after discharge.

Insurance for Anorexia Treatment

Walden is proud to be “in network” with most insurance providers and managed care companies. This means children, adolescents and adults with anorexia can have the flexible and cost-efficient access to the treatment they need. Click here for a list of organizations with which Walden has contractual relationships.

Visit our main anorexia information page to learn more about anorexia or read our blog posts about anorexia to learn more about anorexia symptoms, treatment and more.

If You Are Ready to Regain Your Life, Walden Can Help.

If you are concerned that you – or a loved one – may have an eating disorder, we are here to help. Please call 888-305-2997 to speak with a Walden eating disorders intake specialist, or complete the form on this page, to start the road to recovery.