Eating Disorders in Teens: How Can Parents Catch Them?   Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening conditions that can become chronic and cause lasting health problems if left untreated.  In spite of the critical nature of eating disorders, they often go unrecognized and undiagnosed. This week, a feature in the New York Times, “Recognizing Eating Disorders […]

There’s been a great deal of research over the last twenty years as those in the medical community seek to isolate the most effective methods for treating eating disorders.  Consistently, the research comes back to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – and specifically the newest version of CBT for eating disorders called Enhanced CBT (or CBT-E) – […]

Melissa Gerson, LCSW, the Founder and Clinical Director of Columbus Park outpatient Center for eating disorders came to the mental health field after a having fulfilled a dramatically different career course as a professional ballet dancer.  Melissa joined the Miami City Ballet Company at the age of 18 and danced as a member of the […]

Research has demonstrated that Family Based Treatment (FBT)* – also referred to as “Maudsley Treatment” – is more effective for treating Anorexia Nervosa (AN) than any other intervention for patients under 18 years old.   FBT is an intensive outpatient treatment focused on empowering parents or caregiver[s] in the critical role of feeding their sick child, […]

Eating disorder sufferers experience distress before mealtime, during mealtime, after mealtime… In other words, when in the throes of an ED there is little reprieve from food-related fear, anxiety, and preoccupation. With treatment there can be relief from these all-consuming thoughts and feelings. Supported therapeutic meals can be a powerful tool – in conjunction with behavioral […]

The most important question consumers should ask when seeking treatment for eating disorders is: “What are your results and how do you measure them?” Consider for a moment, treatments for cancer…  If you were to interview an oncologist about his/her recommended treatment course, most likely you would ask about prognosis: “What is the chance of recovering?” […]