Adolescent Eating Disorders

I pride myself on being an expert in adolescent eating disorders. I have trained, worked with, and learned from some of the best clinicians, doctors and nurses within the eating disorder community. I have seen what eating disorders can do to an adolescent and their family and I have made it my professional purpose to work with this population. Within my 13 years of clinical eating disorder care, 10 of those years have been entirely within the treatment of adolescents and their families.

Eating Disorders are increasingly affecting adolescents and continues to be increasing in adolescent females. In my clinical practice diagnosing an eating disorder for an adolescent would involve the assessment of unhealthy weight control, obsessively thinking about food, weight, shape and exercise. Eating Disorders in adolescents should be considered if the teenager is failing to reach or maintain a healthy weight, height, or stage of development; reaching puberty.

The medical complications within adolescents can be great and possible irreversible growth development, puberty delay, and lack of bone growth could all be impaired with an eating disorder. Nutritional rehabilitation, as well as proper medical care improve and many times erase the medical complications that an adolescent may have and potentially reverse the potential complications the eating disorder may bring.

Because of the seriousness of eating disorders, I work closely with dieticians and doctors as a team to support recovery. I always say that I am unable to do my job properly without the support of the dietitian and doctor. These professionals have knowledge around meal plans and medical complications that I have a full working knowledge of, however I am not a Dietitian or Doctor. My specialty is the therapeutic work we do together.

Eating Disorders can inhibit the natural developmental stage of adolescents and inhibit the proper healthy functioning growing into adulthood. Within my practice I work diligently to assess the eating disorder and how it may be disrupting friendships and tension within the family.

All adolescents with an eating disorder are assessed for co-morbid psychiatric illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, issues related to self-esteem, natural separation from the family, as well as substance abuse.

I work closely with not only the individual struggling with the eating disorder, but with the family as well. Adolescents living at home with their parents and siblings interact with them on a daily basis, and assessing how the eating disorder has changed the relationships within the family is important to assess as well. Many times, the eating disorder starts taking up much space in the family and relationships change because of the eating disorder. I specialize in working with the whole family system when it comes to adolescent eating disorders and research has shown that adolescents that attend therapy with the support of the family had greater chances of full recovery, less relapse, recurrence, and crossover to other mental health issues than if the adolescent attended individual therapy alone.

Treatment for adolescents requires continual ongoing evaluation of their psychological, social, and medical picture. I work as a team with your dietitian and doctor to fully support you and your family. I have expertise in adolescent eating disorders and continually assess for the proper level of care for my adolescent clients.