Families do not cause eating disorders and there is strong evidence that their involvement in treatment enhances recovery.
Dr Aileen Whyte, clinical psychologist, talks about FBT
What’s involved?
Therapy sessions are focused on supporting you and your family.
In FBT and FT-AN, both parents and the young person attend for weekly appointments at the beginning. Brothers and sisters attend some of the therapy sessions. The focus is on empowering parents to refeed their child, communication about food and meals, restoring sibling relationships and eventually restoring adolescent independence.
The child or adolescent is weighed each week by their therapist in order to discuss what is working or not working in the refeeding plan. A family meal also takes place early on, usually in clinic, in order to help the therapist understand what is happening at mealtimes for the family.
In FBT, Parents use an FBT Manual alongside the treatment so that they can gain further understanding.
Dr Aileen Whyte talks about what to expect in FBT
Does it work?
Yes!
There is good research evidence that family therapy for eating disorders is effective for children and adolescents with Anorexia nervosa and to a lesser extent adolescent bulimia nervosa. It is regarded as the first-line treatment for Anorexia Nervosa in teenagers and younger children.
