![ARFID and Diet Culture in Los Angeles, California [Image desciption: photo of a woman buying bread] Represents a potential eating disorder client in Los Angeles, California standing up to diet culture](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/pexels-uriel-mont-62803981-1024x683.jpg)
by Carolyn Comas, LCSW, CEDS-S, Clinical Supervisor People diagnosed with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) struggle with consuming adequate nutritional intake due to either 1) fear of aversive consequences (i.e choking), 2) low interest in food altogether, or 3) sensory sensitivity to food textures, smells, or appearance. Usually, people with ARFID do not report …
![Health at Every Size and Eating Disorder [Image description: black larger bodied woman eating a donut] represents a potential client receiving Health at Every Size Counseling at Eating Disorder Therapy in Los Angeles, California](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/bodyliberationstock-82137_ccexpress-1024x683.jpeg)
Eating disorders are not only about body image. Nor have they only recently arisen in response to societal pressures to be thin. In fact, eating disorders date back to at least the 13th and 14th centuries, when it was observed that women were fasting to demonstrate religious devotion. However, today eating disorders do occur in …
![ARFID Parent Group for parents in any location over Zoom [Image description: purple scrabble tiles spelling: "ARFID Parent Group"]](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/IMG_2732-1024x747.jpg)
We welcome parents of children and teens 10 to 20 with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) to our virtual support group. Parenting a child or teen with ARFID is challenging. Feeding a child or teen with ARFID is extremely challenging. Meals may feel like a constant struggle. It’s likely you’ve been given conflicting advice …
![What Parents Need to Know About Diet Culture [Image description: a larger woman smashing a scale] Represents a potential parent of a teen receiving eating disorder counseling in Los Angeles, California](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bodyliberationstock-51970_ccexpress.jpg)
Parents and Diet Culture Many parents experience guilt when their teen is diagnosed with an eating disorder. Nearly every parent can point to a time they themselves dieted, opted not to have a dessert they really wanted, expressed a preference toward thinness, or discouraged their child from keeping eating. You may have done things to …
![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](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/My-project1.png)
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 …
![Easing Grief Through Connection (Coping Strategy for the Holidays) [Image description: jar of dimes]](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/dimes-smaller-1018x1024.jpg)
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 …
![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](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/stil-flRm0z3MEoA-unsplash-768x1024.jpg)
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 …
In a previous post, I have discussed who is typically on an FBT team. In its traditional manualized form, the core team is a therapist, a medical doctor, and the parents. The team can also include a registered dietitian nutritionist (to guide the parents) and may include a psychiatrist. It is not uncommon for medical …
![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](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/john-mark-arnold-mvNRuUKs6NA-unsplash_small-1-1024x683.jpg)
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 …
![Meal support for Eating Disorder Recovery in Los Angeles, California [Image description: 2 Asian young women eating together] Depicts a potential young adult supporting a friend in eating disorder recovery in Los Angeles, CA via meal support](https://www.eatingdisordertherapyla.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/My-project2.png)
Family-Based Treatment–Not Just For Teens–For Adults Too! Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is the leading evidence-based treatment for teens with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. One of the common misbeliefs I hear is that it’s “only for kids or younger teens.” However, I think it has much wider applicability. In fact, I would say that my FBT …