Externalizing an Eating Disorder: When, Why, and How Do You Do That and Who is “Ed” Anyway?

Externalizing your eating disorder in Los Angeles, California [Image description: a drawing of a girl facing a monster] Represents a potential teen with an eating disorder in Los Angeles, California externalizing her eating disorder

Externalizing an eating disorder is a therapeutic strategy. Jenni Schaefer’s book Life Without Ed, co-written by her therapist Thom Rutledge, popularized this strategy The book summarizes Jenni’s recovery from an eating disorder. Jenni describes how in her treatment she learned to personify the eating disorder as “Ed,” an abusive boyfriend. As explained in the blurb …

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How do I Parent My Teen During Family-Based Treatment? When to Set Limits

Parenting During FBT [Image description: photo of one teen pushing another in a shopping cart] Represents a potential family with teens getting help for an eating disorder in Los Angeles, California

Parenting during FBT is a different type of parenting. Parents doing Family-Based Treatment (FBT) often struggle with “normal parenting concerns” and setting limits while doing FBT. They’re refeeding their teens at home, doing the hard work often done by professional staff at treatment centers, but they still have to parent. It’s exhausting. Their teens who …

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Low-Cost Eating Disorder Psychotherapy Available

Low-Cost Eating Disorder Counseling in Los Angeles, California

We are excited to announce our low-cost eating disorder therapy program. Southern California Association of Psychology Training Programs (SCAPT) designated us as a practicum site. Thus, we now provide training to advanced graduate students in psychology. We train students in evidence-based treatment for eating disorders. This allows us to further our mission of helping to …

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Supporting Your Loved One with ARFID

Supporting a Loved One with ARFID [Image description: woman looking disgusted at bowl of cereal] Represents a potential client with ARFID seeking treatment in Los Angeles, CA

by Carolyn Comas, LCSW, CEDS-S There’s an eating disorder that often gets overlooked amongst the better-known eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder that can involve difficulty tolerating certain foods due to textures, tastes, or smells. It can also manifest as …

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Easing Grief Through Connection (Coping Strategy for the Holidays)

Easing Grief Through Connection (Coping Strategy for the Holidays) [Image description: jar of dimes]

By Carolyn Comas, LCSW, CEDS-S Grief can be complicated and a painful process. This holiday season many of us are experiencing the loss of the past year we were supposed to have. For those who have lost someone special, this can compound the difficulty of this year’s holiday season. 2020 has not been easy for …

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How We Set Recovery Weights

How we set recovery weights [Image description: Drawing of a doctor weighing a teen patient] depicts potential person with an eating disorder receiving therapy in Los Angeles, California

If you have an eating disorder, or your child has one, there is a good chance that weight gain will be an essential part of the recovery process. This is true not just for people in objectively small bodies, but also for people in larger bodies who are diagnosed with Atypical Anorexia, a weight-biased diagnostic …

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Structuring Your Eating Disorder Recovery Environment

Structuring Your Eating Disorder Recovery Environment [Image description: hand visible writing in planner] represents a client in eating disorder recovery in Los Angeles, California writing a meal plan

Recovery is challenging! I am repeatedly moved and impressed by the courage of my patients as they work through recovery from an eating disorder. One strategy that can help support recovery is a careful ​structuring of one’s recovery environment. This applies to adults working individually in treatment as well as to families helping adolescents to recover from …

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College, COVID, and Eating Disorders: What You Need to Know

College, COVID, and Eating Disorders [Image description: woman with mask in front of computer] represents a potential college student with an eating disorder having online therapy in California

As I’ve talked about in depth, the transition to college away from home is challenging for most young adults. It is especially fraught for young adults with eating disorders. In that article, I provided an Eating Disorder College Readiness Checklist. The article provides guidance for parents of students entering college after a history of an …

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Coping With Anxiety During Anxious Times

Anxiety During Anxious Times in Los Angeles, California [Image description: image of the back of a person looking at a calm body of water] Represents a person getting counseling for anxiety in Los Angeles, California

by Carolyn Comas, LCSW, CEDS-S With the global COVID-19 pandemic shutting down not only towns and states but entire countries, our world has entered into an abnormal time. The lives of everyone have been interrupted and disrupted by a virus that can have devastating effects. During this time many people are reporting feeling levels of …

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Online Family-Based Treatment

Online Family-Based Treatment or Video FBT Therapy in Los Angeles, California [Image description: drawing of a teen and her parents in front of a computer screen] Represents a potential teen with an eating disorder and her family receiving online FBT in California

Online Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is an excellent option for busy families. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, our therapists were delivering FBT by telehealth. We continue to do so. Read on to learn why this is such an amazing potential treatment for your family. What is Family-Based Treatment? Family-Based Treatment (FBT) has emerged as a …

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