Anorexia Therapist Explains: Your Complete Guide to Anorexia Therapy FAQs
Top 10 FAQs About Anorexia Therapy Answered by an Anorexia Therapist
You know that you are struggling and you think that you may have Anorexia. You desperately want to feel better and are considering anorexia therapy, but have so many questions! As an Anorexia Therapist, here are the answers to the top 10 most frequently asked questions about anorexia therapy.
Your top 10 FAQs about Anorexia Therapy Answered
What types of therapy are used to treat anorexia?
The top evidence-based therapies that are shown to help anorexia include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). However, I approach all of my clients as individuals, not as a diagnosis. This means that I develop an individualized treatment plan for each and every one of my clients. The way I am able to do this is through experience working with clients who have anorexia, knowledge of these therapies and tools, fostering a positive working relationship with my clients as well as creating a safe space for them. Many people who have anorexia are also struggling with other issues/diagnoses as well. I treat the person, not just the diagnosis. For example, if you are struggling with trauma, we must address that as well and I may bring in other therapeutic modalities or tools to help treat that alongside the anorexia diagnosis. I can list off every tool and modality that I may use in your treatment, but that wouldn’t be too helpful. What is most important for you to know is that your treatment plan will be customized to you in order to optimize your treatment, and therefore, your recovery.
2. How long does anorexia therapy typically last?
This is a question that is impossible to give a straight answer for. There are many factors that go into how long anorexia therapy will take. Some factors include:
How long you’ve been struggling
Your motivation to get better
How severe your thoughts and behaviors are
Your support system
Other diagnoses/struggles co-occurring in your life.
We know that the earlier anorexia is caught and treated, the better the prognosis. With that being said, I have seen some clients make incredible leaps in their recovery within 6 months (typically is when the anorexia is caught early on) and some take longer. Anorexia therapy is much more complex than other types of therapy and, therefore, often takes longer. This is not to say that you can’t make significant progress or see positive results early on in the therapy, because you can, but full recovery tends to take a bit longer than recovery from other diagnoses.
3. What can I expect during the first therapy session?
The first therapy session is the intake session which is a unique session (more on what to expect here). When I set up an intake with a new client, we already have had a prior conversation in our consultation call where I learn a bit about them and they learn about me. From there, I send them the link to get them registered online which my website will prompt you to complete some intake paperwork including reviewing and signing off on all of the practice policies as well as answering the intake questions. This allows us to make the most of our intake session together. The intake session is an hour and I take the first 15-20 minutes to review the practice policies as well as give an overview as to what the expectations are in therapy from both you as the client and myself as the therapist. I ask that you share any concerns or questions you have during this time so that we can address it. I use the rest of the time to learn more about you - what is causing you to seek out therapy, what is your support system like, what tools you currently use and what it is that you hope to get out of therapy. We’ll take some time to talk about what you hope your life will look like in 3 months, 6 months, a year, etc. This helps us to make sure we stay on track and are always clear on our goals in therapy and are able to check in on your progress.
4. Is inpatient or outpatient therapy more appropriate for me?
When I begin seeing a client for anorexia therapy on an outpatient basis, I let them know that there is always the chance that I may make a recommendation for a different level of care. I never take that recommendation lightly and it will never come as a surprise to my client. We will always maintain open communication about the possibility of a different level of care being more appropriate. If you are just starting out in your search for anorexia therapy, I would say to start with an outpatient anorexia therapist. This does not mean that outpatient therapy is the most appropriate level of care for you at this time, but an anorexia therapist can help you to figure that out as well as make recommendations for inpatient treatment centers if necessary. If you have a few sessions with an outpatient therapist before they give the recommendation to get a higher level of care, you now have a relationship with this therapist that you will be able to step-down from the higher level of care and into their care. This makes for a much more seamless transition of care. If you are having imminent health issues as a result of your anorexia, please let your primary care doctor know or go to a hospital. You will need to get medically stabilized and possibly need a higher level of care as well in order to be able to have outpatient therapy.
5. What are the qualifications of a good anorexia therapist?
Finding a therapist can be difficult as it is and then finding an anorexia therapist is even harder. I have resources all over my website to help you to know what to look for and how to seek out a therapist experienced in treating anorexia. To start, I would limit your search to therapists who have an LMHC, LCSW, PsyD or Ph.D after their name (note that in some other states, you may find the letters are a bit different, I would also add in LPC here.) From there, it gets trickier. Most therapists will say that they treat eating disorders, however, most therapists do not have the proper experience to treat eating disorders properly. It is crucial to get help from a therapist who has experience working with anorexia. I have had clients with anorexia who have gotten therapy from other therapists, prior to me, who didn’t have experience treating anorexia, and they had some setbacks as a result. This is the fault of our education since, even when getting educated to become a counselor, eating disorders is not really talked about so much. To be able to properly treat eating disorders, it requires experience in working with them under eating disorder specialists as well as education through other means which we have to seek out on our own. If a therapist specializes in eating disorders, you can get a good idea from their website about how knowledgable and experienced they are. From there, most therapists will have an initial consultation call with you and this is a great opportunity to ask them some questions about their experience working with clients who have anorexia and if they believe they are competent to help you.
6. What if I’m afraid to gain weight in therapy?
I hear this objection regularly. One of the first things we work on in therapy is recognizing that the anorexia had essentially taken on a voice of its own. This voice is like the little devil on your shoulder and will tell you anything and everything to preserve itself and one of the best ways to do that is to stop you from getting help. This means that your anorexia voice will say things that will make you fearful of therapy and what the “consequences” of therapy are. When you start anorexia therapy with me, I ask that you try to put this objection to the side. The goal of anorexia therapy isn’t to make you gain weight. The goal of anorexia therapy is to help you start feeling better. Remember that anorexia is a mental health disorder first and foremost, and as an anorexia therapist, that is what I am treating. Your fears of weight gain, of course, will be addressed and challenged in therapy, along with all of your other fears and thoughts that perpetuate your anorexia. It is true that weight restoration may be needed for full anorexia recovery, however, that will be addressed with your therapist along with the other professionals on your treatment team which likely will include a nutritionist and a doctor. This is a process. Please do not let the fear of gaining weight stop you from at least getting the support that you really need.
7. How can I manage my anxiety and negative thoughts during recovery?
In anorexia therapy, your therapist will work with you to develop healthy coping skills, new ways of thinking as well as ways to challenge your negative thinking. As I mentioned in the prior response, your anorexia has developed a voice of its own. Alternatively, I work with my clients to find their healthy-self voice, which is the part of you that wants to get better, shows up in therapy and the part of you reading this post. The more we strengthen this voice, the more we can challenge the anorexia voice. Other ways to cope include:
Finding relaxation techniques that work for you such as breathing exercises, gentle stretching and meditation.
Finding distractions that work such as reading, crafting, playing with a pet or talking to someone.
Finding your support system and using this support.
Being kind, gentle and non-judgmental with yourself on your recovery journey.
Being honest with your therapist so that they can help you find personalized ways to deal with the anxiety and negative thoughts in recovery.
8. What if I feel like I’m not making any progress in therapy?
First and foremost, be honest with yourself and your therapist about this concern. There are many reasons why you may be feeling this and depending on the reason, there are different ways to approach it. Let’s explore these reasons and what course of action is recommended:
You’re being too hard on yourself: Are you thinking “I SHOULD be further in long recovery” or “this SHOULDN’T bother me so much” ? This is just another way that the little devil on your shoulder is popping up. Recovery isn’t easy and it’s a lot of hard work. Try being kinder to yourself and respond to these thoughts with new and encouraging thoughts such as “this is hard work and you’re doing good.” Now is also a great time to remind yourself of the progress you’ve made so far even if it seems minor to you. Be kind, gentle and patient with yourself.
Recovery is messy: Going into anorexia therapy, people seem to have this idea that it is the start of a linear and straight-forward recovery. Let me tell you that recovery does not look like an inclining line graph. It’s messy, there are ups and downs, progress and set-backs. This is what recovery looks like, so don’t continue comparing your recovery to what your expectations of recovery were or are.
You’re not doing the work: No judgment here, but it is important to get really honest with yourself in a kind and gentle way. Recovery is hard work and your anorexia voice may be pushing you to avoid doing the work or to avoid being honest with your therapist. If this is the case, you have a choice to make - continuing on in therapy without being honest or doing the work which isn’t going to change anything for you or start talking to your therapist and being honest with them so that you both can figure out a plan of action that is best for you and your recovery.
Your therapist doesn’t specialize in treating anorexia: As mentioned in my previous response to question 5, it is imperative that you find a therapist that specializes in treating anorexia. It is not enough to have a therapist if that therapist isn’t a specialist in this disorder. It’s time to have a conversation with your therapist about your concerns and see if they can help put you in touch with a specialist or start doing the research yourself to find the right care for you. Do not worry about your therapist feelings - your therapist is there to help you and as therapists, we are not all the right fit for everyone. It’s nothing personal and they will not take it that way.
You’re in the wrong level of care: If none of these reasons seem to resonate with you - you want to get better, you’re trying to do the work, you have the right therapist and after being honest with yourself, you’re still not making progress. This means that it’s probable that you need a higher level of care. It’s time to have a real and raw conversation with your therapist about if a higher level of care would be best for you at this point.
9. How can I support a loved one with anorexia who is hesitant to seek therapy?
It is so difficult to watch a loved one suffer and feel completely helpless to help them. If they are hesitant to get help, try to be kind and help them to explore why they are resistant to help. Offer a listening ear and supportive, kind words. Let them know that you are there for them, that you are concerned and continue to encourage them to seek help. Keep doing your research and provide them with resources to look into which may help to start opening them up to the idea to get help. If they are open to it, see if you can get them to agree to a free consultation call with an anorexia therapist who can hear their concerns and help overcome fears that may be holding them back from getting help in the first place. During this, make sure to not neglect yourself. Being a loved one of someone who is struggling with anorexia is difficult. Consider attending support groups or getting therapy for yourself as well as making sure that you continue to take care of yourself and your needs.
10. Is medication ever used in conjunction with therapy for anorexia?
Medication sometimes is used in conjunction with anorexia therapy. However, as an anorexia therapist, I understand that some of my clients are hesitant to the idea of medication and whenever I do make the recommendation to speak to a psychiatrist, I do not take that recommendation lightly. I believe that we can make tremendous progress in anorexia therapy without the use of medication. However, medication sometimes is needed when the person struggling is unable to make progress due to certain factors that medication can help. For an example, if the person struggling is unable to challenge their anorexia in certain ways due to paralyzing anxiety and alternate coping skills are not working, medication may be needed in order to help the person’s anxiety get to a level where we can work on their anxiety and their anorexia and actually make progress. Ultimately, the goal would be to develop the skills needed for recovery and to get off the medication at that point.
Ready to get help from an Anorexia Therapist?
Making the decision to get anorexia therapy is a big one. Like I said, the earlier on anorexia is caught and treated, the much better the outcomes. If you are struggling with anorexia, or believe it’s possible that you’re struggling with anorexia, it’s time to reach out to an anorexia therapist for help. If you are ready to start feeling better, click here to submit a contact form in order to set up your free 15-minute phone consultation call with me, an Anorexia Therapist, to see how I can help you recover from Anorexia.
*Disclaimer* - I am not a medical doctor and this post does not constitute as medical advice. This post is derived from my experience working with clients who struggle with Anorexia, research and collaborating with medical professionals.