Family Therapy

When families come to us because their adolescentvchild is struggling with an eating disorder, it’s often because their home life has been disrupted by painful experiences related to the disorder’s symptoms. This disruption creates intense stress, leaving everyone feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope, which affects their ability to connect with and support one another.

Our goal is to guide families away from harmful patterns and towards conversations that encourage emotional awareness, trust, and effective communication. By doing this, we help families regain a sense of competence, transforming feelings of helplessness and disconnection into a sense of empowerment and stronger connections. This is achieved by fostering self-reflection and understanding of emotions, both within themselves and towards others.

Many families initially think that therapy will focus only on the child or adolescent struggling with the disorder. However, it’s important to recognize that an eating disorder impacts the entire family unit, and everyone is experiencing some level of suffering as a result. 

Recognizing that the eating disorder affects everyone in the family can shift the focus from blame to collective growth. Each member can contribute to the recovery journey, supporting one another in their individual and shared experiences, leading to improved relationships and family cohesion.

During the exploration phase of therapy, we will work together to identify which family members will be involved in the treatment process and what roles each person will play.

The assessment phase is a vital part of the treatment process. It includes several key components designed to gather comprehensive information about your family and your child’s needs. Specifically, this phase consists of:

• Orientation session: During this meeting, we will discuss the symptoms that led you to seek help, the severity of the situation, and why you chose this moment to reach out. We’ll determine if our program is the right fit for you and if you’re open to a family-centered treatment approach. If so, we will decide together who should be involved in the process and schedule your next appointment. By addressing these key questions from the beginning, we aim to create a collaborative foundation from the beginning. 
• Initial Family Session: This session brings everyone we have decided in the previous session needs to be involved together to discuss the family dynamics and the challenges being faced. It’s an opportunity for all family members to share their perspectives.
• Three individual therapy sessions for your child, along with nutritional and medical evaluations: These sessions offer your child a chance to express their thoughts and feelings with their individual therapist, marking the initial step in building a trusting relationship and deepening their understanding of their experiences. Additionally, during this phase, the child will undergo a nutritional and medical evaluation to assess their overall health and identify any specific needs related to their eating disorder.

Three individual sessions for parents with the family therapist: These sessions focus on understanding your role in the family dynamics and the impact of your child’s challenges on you and the family as a whole.

• Formulation and Treatment Plan: In this stage, we work together to develop a clear understanding of the challenges you and your family are facing. We gather all the information from the assessment phase to create a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. This plan will outline the steps we’ll take to address these challenges and support your progress. Our goal is to ensure that everyone involved has a shared understanding of the situation and is committed to the journey ahead.
• Psycho-education: In addition to the treatment plan, it’s essential for us to provide parents with educational resources about the eating disorder and family dynamics. The purpose of psycho-education is to help families understand that behaviors have meaning and that emotions are shaped by relationships. During this phase, we encourage you to ask questions and reflect together on the information, as it helps families to better understand certain symptoms and to jointly create a more positive environment for everyone.

• The child will begin with weekly individual sessions and bi-monthly family sessions, with the frequency adjusted as needed based on the severity of the situation.
• Aim of Individual Sessions for the Child: The primary goal of individual sessions is to provide a safe and supportive environment where the child can express their thoughts and feelings freely. These sessions focus on helping the child explore their emotional experiences, develop coping strategies, and build resilience. This personalized attention allows the therapist to tailor interventions that address the child’s unique needs and challenges, fostering self-awareness and encouraging personal growth.
• Aim of Family Sessions: Family sessions aim to enhance communication and strengthen relationships among family members. During these sessions, the therapist facilitates discussions that allow each family member to express their perspectives and feelings. The focus is on improving understanding and empathy within the family, addressing dynamics that may contribute to the child’s challenges, and working collaboratively to create a supportive home environment. These sessions also provide an opportunity for families to learn effective strategies to support their child’s recovery together.