• Parental Empowerment: Parents are not blamed but are seen as key resources in helping their child recover.
• Eating Disorder as External: The illness is treated as separate from the child (“the eating disorder is the enemy, not your child”).
• Symptom-Focused First: Medical stability and nutritional restoration take precedence before addressing deeper psychological issues.

Phase I: Weight Restoration :

• The therapist coaches parents to take control of all meals and snacks.
• Meals are often supervised at home and sometimes during sessions.
• No blame is placed on anyone; the focus is on “fighting the eating disorder.”

Expect:

• High parental involvement.
• Resistance from the adolescent (crying, anger, refusal).
• Therapist offering practical tools (e.g., meal structure, language to use).
• Weekly weighing to monitor progress (typically done in session).

Phase II: Returning Control:

• As the adolescent gains weight and medical markers stabilise, eating control is gradually returned.
• Parents and adolescent collaboratively decide how to transfer responsibility (e.g., letting them prepare breakfast).

Expect:

• Evaluation of readiness—physical, emotional, and behavioural.
• More adolescent input and exploration of emotional regulation.
• Discussions about peer pressure, body image, and coping skills.

Phase III: Identity and Family Issues

• Focus shifts to adolescent development, self-esteem, autonomy, and healthy family communication.
• The family discusses how their roles may have shifted during the illness and how to return to normalcy.

Expect:

• Addressing emotional or relational issues, often with more equal focus on each family member.
• Building relapse prevention plans and fostering independence.
• Affirming a recovered identity beyond the eating disorder.

• The emotional toll of refeeding—parents may feel overwhelmed or helpless.
• Initial pushback from the adolescent.
• Keeping consistent structure at home (especially with siblings or other stressors).
• Accepting the intense focus on food early in treatment.

• For adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa, FBT shows full remission in up to 60–70% of cases within a year.
• For Bulimia Nervosa, results are promising but often require adaptations (e.g., integrating CBT techniques).
• Long-term success is strongly tied to early intervention and parental engagement.

This form of therapy may not be appropriate for all family systems. We will work with you to determine what is the is the best approach to ensure supportive care for your child and your family. Enquire with us confidentially.