Eating disorder treatment for children and adolescents
The Smith Counseling Group is a collective of professionals who are dedicated to providing evidence-based mental health care to individuals and their families. With over 30 years of experience in the field, our approach is warm, direct, and based in science, with a focus on results that should be evident within the first few weeks of treatment.
How do I know if my child needs help? It is often difficult to identify when adolescents are struggling with an eating disorder, particularly in a culture where it is “normal” to talk negatively about one’s body. Parents often miss the early warning signs of an eating disorder, because it may seem like their child is just “eating healthy”. Below are questions that will help you decide if an eating disorder specialist is right for your family.
Questions to help determine if you should seek out specialized treatment:
Is your child dieting or obsessed with food, shape or weight?
Does your child seem driven to exercise, even when it isn’t convenient or comfortable to do so?
Is your child withdrawing from usual social or extracurricular activities and avoiding meals with others?
Are you noticing unusual eating behaviors, such as odd food combinations, sudden food aversions or restrictions, eating slowly, eating large quantities of food in private or food hoarding?
Has your child experienced noticeable changes in their mood, including greater irritability, mood swings, anxiety or depression?
Have you noticed a sudden change in their weight?