Diagnoses
& Conditions
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening brain-based illnesses that affect physical, psychological and social functioning. They affect people of all ages, genders, sexuality, shapes, sizes, religions, ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses. As a field, we don’t know exactly what causes eating disorders, but we do know that with early and rapid intervention, full recovery is possible!
We treat clients with all clinical eating disorder diagnoses including:
Research shows that the shorter the length of illness and the more rapid the intervention, the better the outcomes. We are eager to prevent a full-on eating disorder whenever possible and are advocates of prevention, early detection and quick intervention to reverse consequences of malnutrition before they worsen.
Other Conditions
Subclinical disordered eating means you or your child do not meet the full criteria for a diagnosable eating disorder, but are struggling with disordered eating, thoughts and behaviors with or without weight loss. An undiagnosed eating disorder may be present if you are concerned that you or your child have an eating disorder, but have not been formally diagnosed by a clinician.
Eating disorders often co-occur with anxiety, mood disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), suicidal ideation as well as a host of other psychiatric conditions. Our team is trained and experienced in providing evidence based treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Response Prevention (ExRP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), behavioral activation, and skills for distress tolerance, emotional regulation, navigating interpersonal effectiveness.
Weight suppression is the difference between a person’s highest weight (adults) or BMI percentile (children and adolescents) and their weight or BMI percentile following weight loss. The more weight suppressed someone is, even if their BMI is in a normal range on a growth chart, the more physiological and psychological complications may be present.
Most children and teens tend to maintain a consistent growth pattern along a general percentile as they grow and develop. If your child’s growth is deviating from their “normal” pattern - higher or lower - it is worth exploring.
There is no such thing as weight maintenance during childhood and adolescence, so failure to gain annually is just as concerning as weight loss during these important developmental years.
RED-S is caused by an energy imbalance. It affects active people who burn more calories, or use more energy, than they take in resulting in low energy availability. If a diet is inadequate to cover the caloric needs of exercise, there is not enough energy left over to maintain optimal health and performance.
Prolonged low energy availability negatively affects the entire body including energy levels, growth and development, bone health, heart function, immune function, hormonal status and menstrual function, musculoskeletal function (ability to recover between workouts or from injury) and mental health. Some people with RED-S may have an eating disorder and some may be unintentionally underfueling for their activity level.
Individuals in bodies of all shapes, sizes and genders who are struggling with eating, weight, growth, body image or exercise issues! We believe all bodies are good bodies and that we all deserve to have relationships with food, movement and body that are peaceful, flexible and free of shame and negativity.
Eating Disorder Warning Signs
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Changes in your child’s growth curve (weight loss or failure to gain weight annually)
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Sudden interest in eating “healthy,” going on a diet or becoming vegetarian/vegan
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Skipping meals, counting calories or eliminating/restricting foods or food groups they used to enjoy
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Decreased appetite and getting full from less food than usual
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Eating smaller portions, taking a long time to eat, taking tiny bites, picking food apart
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Belly pain and/or nausea that make it hard to eat
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Increased attention to or distress about weight, body shape/size
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Overly focused on food, weight, body image or movement
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Excessive, secretive or compensatory exercise
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Guilt associated with eating or missed exercise
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Increased anxiety, sadness, rigidity, moodiness
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Low heart rate and/or blood pressure
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Dizziness, headaches, fatigue
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Irregular menstrual cycles (natal females)
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Inability to eat more or gain weight despite parental attempts or clinical recommendations