UCSF Eating Disorder Intensive Family Treatment Program

CREDENTIALS/DISCIPLINE: PhD in Clinical Psychology.

BOARD CERTIFIED: Yes

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Number of years treating patients with eating disorders: 10+ years

Number of patients with eating disorders we treat annually: 15+

EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERTISE: The UCSF Eating Disorders Program is a leading center for evidence-based treatment for adolescent eating disorders. Our team at UCSF has spent decades developing, testing, and refining treatments that capitalize on family’s strengths in guiding their child through recovery. We have led many research studies showing that families are the best resource to help adolescents recover from an eating disorder. Internationally renowned Program Director, Dr. Daniel Le Grange, is at the forefront of clinical research on family-based treatment (FBT), which is the gold-standard treatment for adolescents with eating disorders. Dr. Le Grange has authored or co-authored more than 500 publications, among them Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder. Based in FBT principles, ED-IFT capitalizes on decades of cutting-edge research and clinical expertise to provide adolescents and their families with a unique, intensive treatment program that integrates effective treatment modalities. Psychologists who lead this program have decades of experience in eating disorders and family-based approaches, as well as complementary treatment approaches.

TREATMENT PHILOSOPHY: Intensive family treatment for eating disorders (ED-IFT) is a five-day immersive program for adolescents with eating disorders and their families, conducted in a multi-family format. Through a variety of interactive activities, ED-IFT provides adolescents and their families with a deeper understanding of eating disorders, teaches effective coping strategies, and improves communication skills. This program provides caregivers with information about effective parenting strategies for navigating recovery from an eating disorder, including crafting an individualized recovery plan. Additionally, we incorporate mindfulness-based approaches to foster healthy coping skills for the entire family, including values-based work from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills. This unique program is designed for families who would like to accelerate the recovery progress, overcome difficult challenges in current treatment, and/or plan for sustained recovery. It is particularly effective for families who do not have access to specialty eating disorders treatment in their local communities, or whose affected child is not progressing well in treatment.

FEES: Credit Cards.

UCSF is contracted with most major insurance companies for ED-IFT. Our Program Coordinator can provide you with more information about coverage under your health insurance plan, including verifying your benefits, providing you with a courtesy financial consultation to review specific costs, and discussing the option to pursue an individual agreement with your insurance provider if applicable.

  • Contact by phone or e-mail
  • Wheelchair accessible

LANGUAGES:

  • English

POPULATION SERVED:

  • Adolescents
  • Young Adults
  • Families

CONDITIONS TREATED:

  • Anorexia Nervosa
  • Restricting type atypical eating disorder

TREATMENT APPROACHES:

  • Family therapy (informed by family-based treatment with a focus on communication and parenting skills)
  • Group therapy
  • Mindfulness-based approaches (incorporating values work from acceptance and commitment therapy and skills from dialectical behavioral therapy)
  • Psychoeducation

TREATMENT SETTINGS:

  • Partial Hospitalization