There are no words that can describe the level of shock & grief that a parent feels when they recognize their child may have an eating disorder or disordered eating patterns. For many parents, this is uncharted territory. There is no part in the parenting manual that addresses what to do when your child quits eating. No parent asks, expects, or invites an eating disorder into their child's world. The parents we work with often initially ask "how did I miss this?", "is it too late?", "can my child get better"?
When we look at the research, we have good reason to believe that adolescents, especially those who receive appropriate treatment early on, can make a full psychological and weight recovery (Locke et al. 2010).
At Murray Nutrition, we agree that because of this evidence, that "the bar for recovery should likely be set high for this age group" (Locke et. al 2010).
So how do we do this? For kids and teens presenting with Anorexia, Bulimia, OSFED, and sometimes ARFID, we use a protocol called Family Based Treatment (FBT).
FBT takes an agnostic stance against the cause of the eating disorder, and instead, focuses on the task of healing that lies ahead. FBT assumes that parents and families are an invaluable treatment resource, with the goal of empowering parents and family members to help feed their child back to health.
Our clinicians help demystify the recovery process, and walk your family through the progression of what and how to feed your child with an eating disorder, as this process is not intuitive.
The "what" includes specific meal plan for nutrition stabilization and re-feeding period, based on historical growth records, calculated nutritional needs, and goals of care. This also includes establishing a normalized relationship with food and eating, adapting an "all foods fit" mentality. We will also provide appropriate referrals to multi-disciplinary treatment team members {psychotherapist, doctor}, as this is best practice.
The "how" includes parent education, emotion-coaching and support, as feeding a child with an eating disorder is often met with a level of resistance. When possible, we will also align with the child/teen and involve them in the recovery process, helping them externalize their eating disorder, re-connect with their healthy self, and return to normal adolescent development.
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In our first session, we’ll begin an in-depth nutrition assessment including your mental and physical health history, relationship with food and body, food preferences, and answer any questions you may have. Together, we collaborate to craft the beginnings of an individualized nutrition strategy that you can start implementing right away.
75 MINUTES | $215-285
In follow-up appointments, we will teach you tools, skills, and concepts to help you meet your recovery goals. We provide support, accountability, and a safe space to discuss the challenges you’re facing. It really is nutrition counseling with us, and there's a concentrated focus on helping you move through the mental and emotional barriers of recovery.
*5 min of appointment reserved for payment and scheduling purposes
Investing in your recovery is a value we take very seriously, and we make sure that each session is worth your while. Care coordination with your other providers and intermittent email support between sessions is included in the cost of care. If you are concerned about the cost of nutrition therapy, talk with us. We do have a number of reduced rate scholarship spots available through our partnership with Project Heal.
We are happy to provide you with a Good Faith Estimate for the total cost of nutrition therapy at your request.
Murray Nutrition does not currently accept insurance. We do accept HSA/FSA cards, checks, and cash, and can provide an itemized superbill to submit to your insurance company upon request.
No Surprises Act: Out-of-network providers are required by law to estimate direct service costs. If you would like an individualized "good faith estimate" of treatment for the next year, please contact us and we will discern this with the best of our abilities.
We're ready to help you begin your path to recovery. Submit an inquiry and our office manager will reach out with scheduling details.
