Recovery from an eating disorder requires comprehensive multi-disciplinary treatment. Individuals benefit most from a combination of intensive therapy, nutritional counseling, and ongoing care by their physician.

Since the majority of a person's recovery is dependent on therapy, finding the right therapist is essential. There are a wide variety of therapies that are available to those seeking treatment, each one with a different focus. It is important to be aware of the therapeutic options that are available to you so that you can decide which treatments are right for you. Before beginning therapy, make sure to ask you therapist what their orientation is so that you know what type of therapy you are going to be provided.

The following are brief descriptions of the most common type of therapies offered for treating eating disorders:

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT focuses on identifying and altering the thoughts and beliefs that are contributing to an individual’s eating disorder. This type of treatment is direct and active, requiring intensive work from the patient.

Family Systems Therapy
Family Systems Therapy focuses on the family (primarily the parents) being an important agent in the patient’s recovery process. Within this framework, family members assist in the monitoring and feeding of the patient and engage in discussions regarding the influence of their relationship on the patient's eating disorder.

Family Based Treatment - Maudsley Approach
This is outpatient treatment where parents play an active and positive role in three phases: Help restore their child's weight to normal levels expected given their adolescent's age and height; hand the control over eating back to the adolescent, and; encourage normal adolescent development through an in-depth discussion of these crucial developmental issues as they pertain to their child. This is done with the supervision of the therapist. This treatment has been found to be less effective for older adolescents and for adults, along with chronically ill patients, and those who binge and purge.

Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
DBT is mostly a treatment option for those suffering from bulimia, often with comorbid Borderline Personality Disorder. This form of treatment focuses on radical acceptance of the patient’s feelings and experiences while offering adaptive problem solving techniques.

Psychoanalytic Therapy
Psychoanalytic Therapy focuses on how early experiences in the patient’s life influenced the development and maintenance of their eating disorder. Resolution of these early experiences is thought to aid in the patient’s recovery process.

Client Centered Therapy
Client Centered Therapy is viewed more as a supportive therapy in which the individual seeking treatment is provided a supportive, nurturing, and non-threatening environment in which they can share their thoughts and feelings. In this type of therapy, the therapist offers little direction and lets the client find their own pathway towards recovery.

Medication
Medication is sometimes recommended by doctors to treat the anxiety and depression that is often associated with eating disorders. More commonly, doctors prescribe medication to help those suffering from bulimia with their binge eating and purging. Medication is often used in conjunction with therapy. For more information on pharmacological treatment options for eating disorders, please consult your physician.

Nutrition Counseling
Recovery from eating disorders is tremendously aided when therapy is used in conjunction with nutrition counseling. Nutrition counseling to help deal with all aspects of food should be provided by a nutritionist who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders.

Ongoing Medical Care
It is important that those suffering from eating disorders remain under the care of a physician in addition to having nutrition counseling and therapy.