Understanding CBT-E Therapy and Family-Based Treatment for Eating Disorders

Eating disorders require specialized, evidence-based treatment. Whether you are an adult seeking support or a family member concerned about an adolescent, understanding your treatment options helps you make informed decisions about care. CBT-E and Family-Based Treatment offer structured, research-backed approaches to recovery.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy-Enhanced (CBT-E) is specifically designed for adults with eating disorders seeking outpatient treatment. CBT-E works for all types of eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED).

This approach is for adult individuals wanting to decrease the behaviors attached to their eating disorder. Treatment involves an initial assessment determining how and where the eating disorder shows up in your life, setting the stage for ongoing therapy. As sessions continue, you review the thoughts or behaviors getting in the way of treatment, learn to tolerate the distress that comes with changing eating disorder patterns, and move toward the life you want to live.

CBT-E addresses the maintaining factors of eating disorders: the core beliefs about self-worth, control, and body image that keep the disorder in place. Rather than just focusing on food and weight, CBT-E examines the underlying thoughts and emotional patterns driving the eating disorder behaviors.

Learn more about CBT-E treatment approach and finding CBT-E therapists.

Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is the gold standard evidence-based treatment for adolescents with eating disorders. Due to the adolescent brain's ongoing development, insight into the severity of illness is often low. Adolescents need family support to help decrease the harmful behaviors of eating disorders while their capacity for independent recovery develops.

FBT empowers families to support their adolescent's recovery at home. Rather than viewing the family as contributing to the eating disorder, FBT recognizes families as essential resources for healing. Parents take an active role in meal support and interrupting eating disorder behaviors, gradually returning autonomy to the adolescent as recovery progresses.

This treatment works best with collaborative care. Working closely with a dietitian trained in FBT provides comprehensive support for both nutrition rehabilitation and the behavioral components of recovery. Recommendations for FBT-trained dietitians are available, or you can bring your own private dietitian for collaborative work.

Learn more through training resources for eating disorder treatment.

Research shows the correlation between early treatment for eating disorders and faster recovery. Time matters significantly. The longer an eating disorder goes untreated, the more entrenched the patterns become, both neurologically and behaviorally.

Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental health diagnosis. This stark reality underscores why receiving support once you or your loved one has been diagnosed with an eating disorder is imperative. Early intervention can prevent medical complications, reduce the duration of illness, and significantly improve long-term outcomes.

If you or your loved one struggles with disordered eating (patterns that do not yet meet full eating disorder criteria), this increases chances of developing a full eating disorder. Early intervention at the disordered eating stage can prevent progression to a diagnosable eating disorder.

Treatment follows a Health At Every Size (HAES) approach, embracing body and food neutrality principles. This means focusing on healing your relationship with food and body rather than pursuing weight change. The goal is recovery and well-being, not conforming to a particular body size.

In Saskatoon, there are limited eating disorder treatment options, making it imperative to find a professional trained in the complexities of eating disorders. Eating disorders require specialized knowledge. Well-meaning therapists without this training can inadvertently reinforce eating disorder thinking or miss crucial medical or behavioral concerns.

Look for professionals willing to collaborate with your care team. Eating disorder treatment works best when therapists, dietitians, physicians, and other providers communicate and coordinate care. This collaborative approach ensures all aspects of recovery, psychological, nutritional, and medical, receive attention.

For families supporting an adolescent with an eating disorder, finding both an FBT-trained therapist and dietitian creates the foundation for effective treatment. For adults, CBT-E training and a HAES-aligned approach indicate the therapist understands current best practices in eating disorder treatment.

Whether for yourself or your family member, do not hesitate to ask potential providers about their training, approach, and willingness to work collaboratively. You deserve specialized care that honors the seriousness and complexity of eating disorders.

What is CBT-E for eating disorders?

CBT-E (Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is an evidence-based outpatient treatment specifically designed for adults with all types of eating disorders. It focuses on decreasing harmful behaviors while addressing the thoughts and patterns that maintain the eating disorder.

What is Family-Based Treatment (FBT)?

Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is the gold standard evidence-based treatment for adolescents with eating disorders. Because adolescents often have limited insight into their illness severity, FBT involves family support to help decrease harmful eating disorder behaviors while the adolescent's brain continues developing.

Why is early treatment for eating disorders important?

Research shows that early treatment for eating disorders leads to faster recovery. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental health diagnosis, making prompt professional support imperative once an eating disorder is diagnosed. Early intervention significantly improves outcomes.

Do you work with dietitians for eating disorder treatment?

Yes, collaborative care with dietitians trained in eating disorder treatment is essential. Working closely with FBT and CBT-E trained dietitians ensures comprehensive support. Clients can work with recommended dietitians or bring their own private dietitian for collaboration.

What approach do you take to eating disorder treatment?

Treatment follows a Health At Every Size (HAES) approach with body and food neutrality principles. This non-diet, weight-neutral framework focuses on healing your relationship with food and body rather than pursuing weight change.

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions requiring specialized, evidence-based treatment. Whether through CBT-E for adults or FBT for adolescents, recovery is possible with the right support, collaborative care, and commitment to the process.

Early intervention, specialized training, and a HAES-aligned approach create the foundation for effective eating disorder treatment in Saskatoon.