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By Megan Samuels, MSW, LMSW, Outreach Coordinator  Reaching out for help can be scary! As a team of clinicians and administrative staff who are either personally recovered or who have helped a loved one through recovery, we get that. We work to make the intake process as easy and straight forward as possible. Our clinicians are all eating disorder and body image specialists. In addition to being able to work with anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and trauma, our clinicians have extensive experience and training working with people struggling with eating disorders. Check out this blog on the benefits of seeing an eating disorder specialist when you are struggling. How do I reach out for help? The first step to reaching out for help with us, is to fill out this contact form on our website. This will give us some information about you, your contact information, where you are located, and what you are looking for help with. After that form is submitted, you will receive an email from us that gives you more information about The Eating Disorder Center and what to expect. If you haven't seen our email by the end of the day, please check your spam, promotions, and quarantine folders. The next step is to reply to the email from us. When you reply to our email, an administrative assistant will respond to help coordinate who on our team may be the best fit for you. The administrative staff are happy to discuss fees and questions about each of our clinicians and services with you. The administrative assistants at the center know about all of the clinicians and the clinician speciality areas. They will be able to match you with a clinician - based on your goals, location, age, and availability. You are also happy to check out our website and see which clinicians may be a good fit for you! Check out this blog on what recovery coaching is and the benefits of this amazing service. How do I get connected with a clinician? After you contact us and respond to our admin team, the therapist or coach will be provided with your contact information. They will reach out within a few business days to schedule an initial session or a consultation. If you and the clinician decide to proceed with an initial session, new client paperwork will be made for you. A unique link will be sent to the email address that we have been using to communicate directly with you. Using this secure link, you can fill out the new client paperwork needed to confirm your appointment. The paperwork must be completed before your session, and we can help answer questions that come up for you. Need help? Our administrative assistants are here to help this process. Feel free to email us at info@theeatingdisordercenter.com or give us a call at 301 246 6856. They will be more than happy to assist you. Then, you are all set until you meet with your clinician! If it’s a virtual session, they will send you a link for secure telehealth visits before the start of your session. We are honored that you have started your healing journey with us! Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD, VA, NY, FL, or recovery coaching worldwide. Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
By Megan Samuels, MSW, LMSW, Outreach Coordinator  Content Warning: This blog post discusses trauma. Please take care of yourself, in whatever way that looks like for you. There is often a high prevalence of people who struggle with an eating disorder and symptoms of trauma. There are some overlapping symptoms, such as changes in eating habits and changes in mood, just to name a few. I define trauma as any experience that overwhelms one’s self or nervous system to the point where they are unable to cope effectively. There are so many examples of trauma, as every human responds to situations differently. When we think of trauma, we tend to think of abuse, neglect, natural disasters, adoption, etc. However, I think it’s important to expand our definition of trauma, to include diet culture, racism, colonialism, sexism, ableism, transphobia, the COVD-19 pandemic, bullying, and not having a secure attachment style with a primary caregiver. These are just a few of the many examples of trauma that people experience. I also believe that having an eating disorder can be seen as a trauma. When we think about eating disorder symptoms, such as restricting, purging, or binge eating - those can have health impacts on our bodies that can be seen as a trauma to our bodies. Part of eating disorder recovery can include healing our relationship with our bodies in a way that our bodies can trust ourselves to work with, instead of against, our bodies. As eating disorder therapists and coaches, there is a high likelihood that our clients have experienced trauma. Here are some reasons why having trauma-informed care in eating disorder recovery is important:
The bottom line: Trauma-informed care in eating disorder recovery is something that I am very passionate about, and that I think it critical in the treatment of eating disorders. Here are some questions to ask your providers to assess if they are trauma-informed:
Looking for more? The therapists and coaches at The Eating Disorder Center are trauma-informed providers for the treatment of eating disorders. Our center acknowledges that trauma is a wide spectrum and we are continuously receiving further training and supervision on how to support our clients in a trauma-informed way. Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD, DC, VA, NY, FL, or recovery coaching worldwide. Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Washington DC, Florida, and California. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
By Megan Samuels, MSW, LMSW, Outreach Coordinator  Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT for short, is a treatment modality that has research to support its effectiveness for the treatment of suicidality, borderline personality disorders, eating disorders, and self harm behaviors. It has four sections, also known as modules, which are mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, and emotion regulation. All of these components are helpful to the process of recovering from an eating disorder. Below, I have listed the four modules of DBT, including a brief description about its relevance to eating disorder treatment. I have also listed some practice exercises if you are interested in engaging with any of these modules. Mindfulness
Let’s Practice:
Distress Tolerance
Let’s Practice:
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Let’s Practice:
Emotion Regulation
Let’s Practice:
Hopefully, these descriptions and exercises gave you a sneak peak at what DBT can help with. If it was difficult to do any of these exercises, please be gentle with yourself. These are skills that work best when they are reinforced and practiced regularly. Want more? The majority of the therapists at The Eating Disorder Center has extensive training and experience in using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) as an effective treatment modality for eating disorders. Contact us for a free 15-minute consultation today! References: DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition by Marsha M. Linehan. Copyright 2015 by Marsha M. Linehan. *Disclaimer: The information is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for your independent medical decision-making nor a recommendation or endorsement for any particular treatment plan, organization, provider, professional service, or product. You assume all responsibility and risk for any use of the information. Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD, VA, NY, FL, or recovery coaching worldwide. Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California, serving those in cities including Palo Alto, San Francisco, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, San Jose, and Beverly Hills. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
 Rachel Steinhardt, LMHC is an eating disorder therapist in Brooklyn, New York and is accepting new clients as part of The Eating Disorder Center Team-expanding their eating disorder therapy services to Brooklyn, New York. Rachel has many years of experience working in a residential eating disorder facility and outpatient therapy setting, working with individuals struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, orthorexia, and OSFED. Rachel provides therapy to clients with eating disorders virtually via video to adults ages 18+ throughout New York-including those residing in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Gramercy, Chelsea, and Lincoln Square. Contact us: https://www.theeatingdisordercenter.com/contact.html Eating disorder therapy in NYC, Serving Manhattan, Brooklyn, Gramercy, Chelsea, Lincoln Square. Virtual eating disorder therapy throughout New York. Specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, as well as anxiety, depression, and trauma. Virtual eating disorder therapy in New York. The Eating Disorder Center now has eating disorder therapists serving Boca Raton, Florida!
You don't have to continue to feel so trapped by constant thoughts about food and your body. We can help. We have a couple therapists-and one coming soon who are licensed in Florida and are providing virtual therapy to individuals throughout Florida-including Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Pinecrest, Parkland, Naples, Miami Shores, Palmetto Bay. Contact us: https://www.theeatingdisordercenter.com/contact.html Eating disorder therapy in Florida, Serving Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Palm Beach, Pinecrest, Parkland, Naples, Miami Shores, Palmetto Bay. Virtual eating disorder therapy throughout Florida. Specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. Virtual eating disorder therapy in Florida.  Around the New Year we are inundated with diet-culture messages that emphasize a focus on “fixing yourself.” Each New Year many people resolve to “lose weight." There seems to be an increased focus on joining the gym, dieting, and “lifestyle changes” (aka diets in disguise). For individuals in recovery from an eating disorder, the New Year can be a particularly challenging time. With everyone around you racing to join the nearest gym and obsessing about their new “clean eating plan,” it may be difficult to maintain focus on recovery and being kind to your body. The following are three quick tips for navigating the New Year and staying on track in your eating disorder recovery. 1. Do a social media cleanse. Food related “cleanses” are a ridiculous waste of time and money. There is simply no scientific evidence to support the need for a “detox." If you’ve got a functioning liver and kidneys, they are already doing this job for you. However, there is one kind of detox that I support, which is a social media and diet-culture detox. Essentially, the first step is to go into your social media and unfollow or unfriend anyone that causes you to feel badly about yourself. Make sure that you remove any social media accounts that talk about weight loss, changing your body, dieting, “lifestyle changes,” and promote an unhealthy fixation with food and exercise. Next, you can go ahead and add in some body-positive and eating disorder recovery accounts. While you cannot effectively remove all aspects of diet-culture and anti fat bias from your life, you can work to make your social media feed pro-recovery and body-positive. 2. Set some pro-recovery, body-positive, and self-compassion related intentions. I’ll be honest in that I’m not really into the idea of New Year’s resolutions. First off, here’s simply not a lot of data to support that people actually stick to their resolutions. Additionally, I think that it’s helpful to utilize goal setting throughout the year. The New Year is a fresh start and a time to really think about your priorities and values. It can be helpful to use this time to set some intentions that support your recovery. However, rather than setting goals for the whole year, I think that it can be more useful to set them for the next month or so. This feels less overwhelming to some people and can make it easier to stick to the intentions that you have set for yourself. Some ideas for pro-recovery goals to set could include challenging yourself to certain “fear foods,” working on practicing body-appreciation, and developing a more compassionate approach to yourself through your self-talk and self-care. 3. Reach out to your support system if you start to feel activated. It’s important to practice self-compassion if you start to feel triggered around the New Year. Eating disorder recovery is tough, especially when everyone around you is racing to join the nearest gym and ranting about their new “diet” plan. However, with time and practice you can learn how to effectively manage your triggers and use healthy coping strategies. If you are starting to feel triggered to return to disordered behaviors, it’s crucial to reach out to members of your support network, which could include family, friends, your therapist etc. Eating disorders thrive on shame and secrecy, thus it is important to be open with the people in your life about what you are experiencing. No one should have to struggle alone and you deserve to have some support. The Bottom Line The New Year is an exciting fresh start and a great opportunity to refocus on your values and priorities. However, it can also be a triggering time for those in recovery from an eating disorder. Work to practice compassion for those who are still stuck in body-hatred and the diet cycle. When they say that they want to “lose weight,” often this is simply masking their true aim, which is to feel loved, accepted, and joyful. Remind yourself that your worth is not found in your weight, eating habits, or your body. Additionally, people of all shapes and sizes are worthy of love and belonging. If you must make a resolution this New Year, the following are some things that you can work to lose (instead of weight).
You are enough, just as you are. Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD and VA or New York or recovery coaching worldwide.
Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California, serving those in cities including Palo Alto, San Francisco, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, San Jose, and Beverly Hills. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com By Megan Samuels, MSW, LMSW, Outreach Coordinator  Eating disorder treatment can look different from other mental health treatments because people may benefit from different levels of care, aside from traditional once-a-week therapy. People who are struggling more with eating disorder symptoms may also benefit from a higher level of care. What’s a higher level of care? A higher level of care would be any program or treatment that is more intensive than seeing a therapist once a week. There are a few different types of higher level of care treatment programs that are pretty standard in the eating disorder community. Inpatient: Clients stay in a hospital-like setting for medical monitoring. This may include people who have some lab imbalances or EKG abnormalities that doctors will need to monitor. The average length of stay for inpatient depends on a number of factors, like insurance authorization, overall functioning, co-occuring disorders, and medical stability. There may or may not be therapy and nutrition groups at an inpatient hospital. Residential: This setting is typically for clients who are medically stable, but who may have other impacts of the eating disorder or other co-occuring disorders that can not be treated at a Partial Hospital Program (PHP) or Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) level of care. Residential treatment can be a step down program to inpatient or a step up for someone in Partial Hospital Program (PHP) or Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) who is not responding to treatment as expected. Usually, clients will stay overnight in a residential facility for a minimum of four weeks. However, the duration of stay can depend on insurance coverage and other factors. Partial Hospital Program (PHP): PHP is a treatment program for clients who are medically stable and do not not need to be constantly monitored but who may need a daily check-in and evaluation. Often, clients go to a treatment center five days a week for most of the day to engage in supported meals, individual therapy, nutrition therapy, psychiatry, and group therapy to treat the eating disorder and any other co-occuring disorders, if appropriate. Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): This setting is often a step down from PHP or a step up from traditional outpatient services. IOP typically looks like group and some individual therapy or programming three days a week for a few hours each day. This setting is appropriate for clients who do not need a daily evaluation and who are medically stable. Someone may benefit from IOP services if they have been working with an individual outpatient therapist for awhile and have noticed that the eating disorder symptoms are getting worse. Outpatient: That’s us! Outpatient treatment typically includes meeting with a therapist once or twice a week to treat symptoms of the eating disorder and any other co-occurring disorders. This may also look like meeting with a recovery coach once or twice a week. Other team members could include a psychiatrist or a registered dietitian. How do I know where to start? That’s a great question; all of this can be difficult to navigate. The therapists at The Eating Disorder Center provide level of care (LOC) evaluations. What that means is a therapist will meet with you one or two times to discuss symptoms, level of functioning, and potential health complications and make a recommendation of a level of care that may be appropriate. It may also be helpful to schedule a physical with a doctor to get lab work done and an electrocardiogram (EKG) to determine if there are any medical complications from symptoms of eating disorders. This can help to determine medical stability, which is a qualification for some of the levels of care. Also, if we can’t help, we are very familiar with higher level of care treatment centers in the area who may be able to help! Please reach out to us and we would be happy to make a referral. More information on treatment centers can be found here. *Disclaimer: The information is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for your independent medical decision-making nor a recommendation or endorsement for any particular treatment plan, organization, provider, professional service, or product. The information may change without notice. You assume all responsibility and risk for any use of the information. Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD and VA or recovery coaching worldwide. Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California, serving those in cities including Palo Alto, San Francisco, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, San Jose, and Beverly Hills. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
 Rachel Steinhardt, LMHC is an eating disorder therapist in Brooklyn, New York and is accepting new clients as part of The Eating Disorder Center Team-expanding their eating disorder therapy services to Brooklyn, New York. Rachel has many years of experience working in a residential eating disorder facility and outpatient therapy setting, working with individuals struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, orthorexia, and OSFED. Rachel provides therapy to clients with eating disorders virtually via video to adults ages 18+ throughout New York-including those residing in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Gramercy, Chelsea, and Lincoln Square. Contact us: https://www.theeatingdisordercenter.com/contact.html Eating disorder therapy in NYC, Serving Manhattan, Brooklyn, Gramercy, Chelsea, Lincoln Square. Virtual eating disorder therapy throughout New York. Specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, as well as anxiety, depression, and trauma. Virtual eating disorder therapy in New York.  The Eating Disorder Center has some of the top eating disorder recovery coaches who can help you or your loved one to find freedom from anorexia, bulimia, OSFED, orthorexia, compulsive exercise, and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder. Our coaches have backgrounds as licensed therapists (or registered dietitians) and are passionate about lending their talents to recovery coaching for tweens, teens, and adults. Our eating disorder recovery coaches work with individuals worldwide via Zoom. Additionally, they practice from a health at every size and "all foods fit" perspective. Our eating disorder recovery coaches have had great success in helping clients to recover from eating disorders and live according to their true values. Schedule a free 15 min phone consult with an eating disorder recovery coach Jennifer and her team are nothing short of excellent and are highly skilled therapists and coaches that lead with the utmost compassion and professionalism. As a professional counselor for over 12 years, I have become very discerning whom I refer clients to for mental health care. The Eating Disorder Center continues to be up to date on the best methods and treatment of EDs and co-occurring issues and is a leader in the ED recovery world. I trust anyone on this team to help in the best way possible. -Erica Wilcox, LPC, Founder of Wilcox Wellness We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via video to folks worldwide. Eating disorder recovery coaching serving clients in all states including, Maryland, Virginia, New York, California, Washington D.C., Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, New Jersey and Michigan. By Megan Samuels, MSW, LMSW, Outreach Coordinator  The holiday season can be a stressful time for someone in recovery from an eating disorder. I have outlined three challenges that I see clients struggling with during the holiday season: change in routine, being with family, and maintaining recovery. I go into more detail below about each of these challenges and some strategies to help cope with them.
The bottom line: Holidays are tough! Especially for people in recovery from an eating disorder. You are not alone in this struggle. Rely on your treatment team and your support system to ensure that your eating disorder doesn’t take control. You got this! Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD and VA or recovery coaching worldwide. Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California, serving those in cities including Palo Alto, San Francisco, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, San Jose, and Beverly Hills. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
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The Eating Disorder CenterWe are a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center in Rockville, Maryland. Archives
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