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There are a variety of different treatment options available, but it is
important to find what works for YOU.
Group Support
Group Support
Group support or therapy can take place within an inpatient program, an outpatient
program, a therapists office, or within an independent support group. Support groups
can vary in their objectives and it is important to find out the goals and methods
of the group you wish to attend.
Group therapy is usually facilited by a professional therapist. Support groups can
be facilited by a professional therapist, intern, recovered person, loved-one of a
person living with an Eating Disorder, or someone else interested in working to help
others (and maybe themselves) recover.
There are many different types of groups... some will be held in private homes, others
in a rented or donated space, and some in a treatment center, hospital, university,
highschool, or therapist's office. Some support group topics may include:
spirituality, art therapy, coping strategies, family issues, general discussion,
communication, inner-child work, body image, nutritional groups, or any combination
of the above. Find what appeals to you most and what you think will help you on your
road to recovery.
Therapy
There are different types of people who can provide you with therapy... Counselors, Social Workers,
Psychologists, and Psychiatrists. Most of them should have some kind of degree representing the type
of education they have received. The therapist may or may not be licensed, but should have a degree in
the theories of psychology, psychotherapy, social work or counseling. Whether a license is important or not comes
down to your own decision. There are many good counselors and social workers who are not licensed
medical doctors, but who can still provide you with good therapy. As long as they have a degree, the only technical difference is that they cannot prescribe or administer medications.
What is most important is that you are in a
comfortable and safe environment, condusive to recovery, and with someone who can counsel you
effectively.
Psychiatrists (Ph.D) are generally more expensive and tend to focus on admissions, diagnosis,
evaluations and medication adminstration.
There are psychiatrists who do and do not provide psychotherapy.
Not all psychiatrists are trained in practical psychotherapy unless they have sought some kind of
post-graduate education.
Psychologists (Psy.D. or Ph.D.) are the ones who are trained in the theories of pyschotherapy.
A licensed psychologist can prescribe and administer medication if it is necessary.
Marraige, Family and Child Counselor (MFCC), Marraige and Family Therapist (MFT) and Licensed
Marraige and Family Therapist (LMFT) are not very
different from psychologists depending on the state you live in (licensing issues vary from
state to state). Most can provide the same level of counseling as a psychologist.
Marraige, Family and Child Interns (MFCI) or Marraige and Family Therapist Interns (MFTI) are
exactly that... interns. They are working in clinical practice to fulfill requirements they need
to be licensed. They can see clients and all work is usually supervised by someone already
in a licensed position.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCW) has a degree in social work with a strong clinical
focus. They can make very good therapists because of the strong focus on psychoanalytic and pyschodynamic
theories in their education.
A Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in some states, is equivalent to a
MFCC or LMFT, and is trained in counseling.
Types of Counseling Your Therapist Can Provide
Individual Counseling -
The ultimate goal of your therapy should be to recover! To learn to be
more confident in yourself, to make your voice heard through communication, to validate your own
emotions, to learn to love yourself, and to learn better ways of coping with anger, sadness and stress
(and not rely on your Eating Disorder).
You will spend many hours talking to your therapist about your childhood, your experiences, and your
day-to-day life, and all of this is important to your recovery.
There are many ways a therapist can work with you individually,
and different therapists have different methods. The name of the approach is not as
important as the methods used, so it will be important for you to discuss with your
therapist your goals in working towards recovery.
Psychoanalytic:
This is a clinical approach through interpretation, dream analysis, free association,
analysis of resistance and transference. This all assists the client in gaining access to
their subconscious, to the internal conflicts they may not be aware of, and in gaining new
insights. There is a strong focus on repressed conflicts and less focus on social,
cultural and interpersonal factors.
Nonpsychoanalytic (Jungian) Therapy:
Self realization and learning to accept yourself as an individual, and to BE an individual is
part of what this type of therapy is all about. It incorporates the idea of spirituality as
an important role in discovering who you are. Generally, this approach is about making
connections with your feelings and motivations and learning who you are. There is more a
focus on the "big picture" and less of a focus on each day-to-day problem.
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy:
This type of therapy works on the premise that thinking, questioning and doing (with practice)
leads to the changes needed for recovery. Learning to change the way you think about yourself
will result in changing the way you treat yourself. There is an eclectic combination of cognitive,
behavioral and emotional techniques: changing negative thoughts to positive, and pessimistic
words to optomistic words. Using humor, role playing, and homework and word-work in attacking
shameful feelings and feelings of guilt are combined with the effort to make changes in thinking
and behaviors. The focus with cognitive-behavior therapy is that it is a "move-forward"
approach and often lacks exploration of the deeper emotional issues that led to negative
behaviors and thoughts in the first place. There can also be Behavior Modification Therapy
on it's own where as the client focuses on changing behaviors through practice.
Eclectic Approach - Combining All Theories:
This is my personal favorite because it combines many aspects of all the above theories.
A therapist that uses this approach will be able to attack many different issues over your
course of recovery, including self-esteem work, past and present emotional issues, and
day-to-day coping strategies. This is also the most commonly used approach in practice
today by therapists.
Marraige and/or Family Counseling may also play a role in your recovery depending on
how important it is overall to involve your loved-ones. Some level of counseling can
help you all learn to communicate with one another so that you will feel heard, and
to be able to express your emotions to each other in a safe environment. Once you have
started your own therapy you may wish to discuss these options with your therapist and
whether or not you both feel it will be important.
Link: Click Here for More Contemporary Therapy Models
Link: Click Here to Begin Searching for a Therapist
Dieticians
A Nutritionist and Dietician are sometimes referred to as the same thing. A Nutritionist may be
someone who has completed some level of education in the area of Nutrition. A Dietician (or
Registered Dietician, RD) has completed a 4-year college degree in nutrition and dietetics,
has completed an internship, and has passed the
American Dietetic Association's test for
registration.
The goal of the Dietician will be to help improve your health
and eating habits through nutritional counseling services. They will help you to
incorporate healthy behaviors into your everyday life. There goal should not be
to "change" your habits overnight, but to teach you over a period of time how to promote
a healthier relationship with the food you consume.
Dieticians can also play a role in the amount of exercise you do. They may work with
you to slowly introduce more into your life, or to help you in realizing that you are
overdoing it.
It is important to find a Dietician who has had experience in treating people with
Anorexia, Bulimia and/or Compulsive Overeating. They should be sensitive to the issues
that you are facing and should be aware of your history. It is usually best to go into
a relationship with a Dietician under a "team approach", meaning that your therapist,
medical doctor and dietician are all in contact with one another, either directly or
indirectly, about your progress.
Inpatient and Outpatient Facilities
Places like Renfrew, Rader Programs, and The Remuda Ranch
are all good examples of facilities
that offer inpatient and outpatient facilities. Many of the larger Eating Disorders
treatment centers can offer both, or may just specialize in one or the other. It is
important to understand that each treatment facility is different, and not all programs
consist of the same things, but the below descriptions will give you a general idea
of what to expect from inpatient and outpatient services.
Inpatient: - When a person is "inpatient" it means that they will be living at the
facility for a certain period of time. This can range from a couple of weeks to several months.
The facility usually has medical doctors, registered nurses, therapists, dieticians and
volunteers on staff to work with the people in recovery on a daily basis. It is intended to
provide a safe environment in which to recovery from an Eating Disorder. Depending on the
facility, the routine can vary, but it may include the following: group sessions,
one-on-one therapy, medical evaluations, weigh-ins,
nutritional counseling, art therapy, medication administration,
spiritual exploration and prayer, meal times, and social or leisure activities. You make have weekly
sessions with nurses, medical doctors, social workers, case managers and/or nutritionists.
There may be involvement in projects, or times alloted for continuing education. Some programs
may be more restrictive than others in their allowances for free time, and some may focus
very highly on individual care (as opposed to a group approach). You will have to get
information from each treatment center to find what works for you. Most programs
will expect you to be somewhat medically stable before entering, meaning that if your
health is extremely poor, you may require hospitalization before admittance.
Outpatient: - "Outpatient" means that the patient does not live at the facility.
Outpatient programs are sometimes run by centers that do inpatient care, but can
also be offered at Eating Disorders Clinics or Mental Health Clinics. Again, there is
often a "team approach" with medical doctors, therapists, and dieticians on staff, with
scheduled daily or weekly sessions depending on each individual's needs. One-on-one
therapy and group sessions, daily activities and classes, art therapy, medication and medical evaluation,
and weigh-ins may all be part of your schedule depending on the facility. You
will have to get information from each treatment center to find what works for you.
Residential Housing: - The focus of residential care is usually to help with
integration back into daily life. There is usually a required weekly time to meet with
a therapist, social worker and/or case-manager, and for group sessions.
There may be time alloted for schedule appointments with a dietician. Some programs
offer the ability to get involved with volunteer projects and part-time jobs. The ultimate
goal of residential housing is to help make the transition back into day-to-day life
a little easier for those in recovery.
12-Step Programs
Twelve-Step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Overeaters Anonymous,
are based on twelve "quotes" that are accepted and believed in moving
towards recovery. The groups are typically spiritually based in nature
and follow a tradition of finding "sponsors" who work
as support-towards-recovery mentors. It is a group atmosphere that may meet once
or more per week.
The Twelve Steps are (this is a generalization): 1. admitting powerlessness - that life is
unmanagable; 2. believing that a greater power could restore sanity; 3. deciding to
turn will and life over to the care of God; 4. making a searching and fearless
moral inventory or self; 5. admitting to god, self, and another human being the
nature of our wrongs; 6. being ready to have God remove all these defects of
character; 7. humbly asking God to remove our shortcomings; 8. making a list of persons
harmed and being willing to make amends with them; 9. making amends with people hurt except
when doing so would hurt them or others; 10. continuing to take personal inventory and
admitting our wrongs; 11. improving the relationship with God through meditation and prayer and
praying for knowledge of the will to carry out the power of His knowledge; 12. having a
spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, and carrying the message to other addicts
to practice these principles.
Twelve-Step groups are help all over the world, for all different types of addictions.
A twelve-step program may or may not be for you... as with anything else, it's not
for everyone. Visit the link below for more information on Twelve-Step recovery.
Link: Grant Me The Serenity...
Additional Alternative Methods
Physical Therapy: Physical therapy consists of the evaluation and treatment of injuries and disease with the goals of pain relief, restoration of function and the return to your fullest level of activity in school, work, recreation and sports. The initial evaluation examines your posture, biomechanics, ROM and flexibility, strength and balance. The treatment is based on this evaluation and includes an individualized program of progressive exercises and activities, in conjunction with the use of physical modalities as needed.
Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapists (OTs) help people improve their ability to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments. They work with individuals who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling. They also help them to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills. Occupational therapists not only help clients improve basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also compensate for permanent loss of function. Their goal is to help clients have independent, productive, and satisfying lives.
Art Therapy: Art therapy is a human service profession which utilizes art media, images, the creative art process and patient/client responses to the created art productions as reflections of an individual's development, abilities, personality, interests, concerns, and conflicts. Art therapy practice is based on knowledge of human developmental and psychological theories which are implemented in the full spectrum of models of assessment and treatment including educational, psychodynamic, cognitive, transpersonal, and other therapeutic means of reconciling emotional conflicts, fostering self-awareness, developing social skills, managing behavior, solving problems, reducing anxiety, aiding reality orientation, and increasing self-esteem. (more...)
Movement Therapy: Based on the assumption that body and mind are interrelated, dance/movement therapy is defined by the American Dance Therapy Association as "the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process which furthers the emotional, cognitive and physical integration of the individual." Dance/movement therapy effects changes in feelings, cognition, physical functioning, and behavior. (more...)
Yoga: Yoga is taking on a wider role in modern life; an expansion beyond the Yoga classroom into all areas of our community as a vehicle for wellness, healing and personal transformation. Trained Yoga professionals help bring the ancient insights of Yoga into mainstream wellness programs. Because health is seen as a unity of body, mind and spirit, Yoga is a vehicle for deepening this experience of Unity and bringing it into the world as a resource for personal growth, healing and awakening. (more...)
Spiritual Guidance: This can be anything from counseling with a priest or pastor or exploring your beliefs with the help of someone versed in your spiritual area of interest. Spiritual Therapy assists you in this process of inner healing and spiritual growth. It leads you on the path from self-doubt to self-empowerment. It involved your beliefs surrounding the meaning of life, a higher-power and your own faith.
Sensory Integration: The senses work together. Each sense works with the others to form a composite picture of who we are physically, where we are, and what is going on around us. Sensory integration is the critical function of the brain that is responsible for producing this composite picture. It is the organization of sensory information for on-going use. Sensory Integration Therapy seeks to encourage the nervous system to process and integrate sensory input in more organized and meaningful ways, which will ultimately enhance the ability of the nervous system to function with more efficiency. Each adaptive response, as it provides feedback into the nervous system, encourages maturation and organization of the nervous system at increasingly higher levels. Ultimately the individual is able to interact with his/her environment in more successful and adaptive manners. (more...)
Reiki Healing: Healing is not the popular conception of removal of symptoms. Healing is full and complete resolution of the causes of the disease. Healing is returning to a state of alignment with your Higher Self or true way of being. In its simplest form using Reiki is simply the practitioner placing their hands on the recipient with the intent of bringing healing, and willing for Reiki energy to flow. There is a set of hand positions traditionally taught which give good coverage over the recipients entire body. It is not necessary to follow those positions, they are merely taught as a starting position from which the practitioner can learn. If there is a specific area of concern the practitioner can keep his/her hands right there for as long as necessary. (more...)
Meditation: Meditation Therapy is a bold approach to finding lasting solutions to our deepest problems and concerns. Combining the power of deep meditation practice with the insights of psychology, Meditation Therapy will help you to experience healing transformation in powerful and lasting ways. Genuine healing occurs only when we are willing to examine the deepest parts of ourselves and create positive new patterns of responding to life. You will learn how to transform your mental attitudes and activate your own innate healing power. (more...)
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): It is an innovative clinical treatment that has successfully helped over a million individuals who have survived trauma, including sexual abuse, domestic violence, combat, crime, and those suffering from a number of other complaints including depressions, addictions, phobias and a variety of self-esteem issues. EMDR is a complex approach to psychotherapy that integrates many of the successful elements of a range of therapeutic approaches in combination with eye movements or other forms of rhythmical stimulation in ways that stimulate the brain�s information processing system. With EMDR therapy it is unnecessary to delve into decades-old psychological material, but rather, by activating the information-processing system of the brain, people can achieve their therapeutic goals at a rapid rate, with recognizable changes that don�t disappear over time. (more...)
12-Step: See above
Life Coaching: A Life Coach listens to you when you most need it and will give you non-judgemental support and the tools to guide you to achieve the following: Change your lifestyle, Love the life you are living, Find your unique purpose in life, Identify your true vocation, Find the tools to relax and enjoy life, Bring out your spirituality. A Life Coach will help you discover what's really most important to you in your life, then help you design a plan to achieve those things. They'll work with you to eliminate any obstacles or blocks that stand in your way and partner with you all the way to success. (more...)
Touch Therapy: Through both light touch and the clearing of your energy system without touch, you are assisted in the release of stress and anxiety. You are also provided a safe and relaxing healing space. Touch Therapy is a wonderful assistance in your personal growth and self fulfillment. The positive effects of this type of therapy have been experienced by many people worldwide. (more...)
EEG Biofeedback: Neurofeedback, also known as EEG Biofeedback, is a learning procedure that enables participants to improve mental performance, normalize behavior, and stabilize mood. Neurofeedback is a technique in which we train the brain to help improve its ability to regulate all bodily functions and to take care of itself. When the brain is not functioning well, evidence of this often shows up in the EEG (Electroencephalogram). By challenging the brain, much as you challenge your body in physical exercise, we can help your brain learn to function better. A better functioning brain can improve sleep patterns. When you sleep more efficiently, you are more alert during the day. It can help with anxiety and depression, and with syndromes like migraine or chronic pain. Secondly, it can be helpful in managing attention - how well you can persist even at a boring task. Thirdly, it can help you manage the emotions. Emotions may feel like the real you, but your brain has a lot to say about how you feel and react. If the emotions are out of control, that's trainable. If they aren't there---as in lack of empathy, for example---that, too, is trainable. (more...)
:: :: Reaching In :: YOU :: Coping :: Motivations :: :: Affirmations :: Body Image :: :: Questions :: How Will I Pay :: Helpful Books :: :: Treatment Finder :: Recovery Stories ::
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