What we specialise in
If your young person is struggling with their eating, we can work with your family to support their recovery.
Our dietitians work with young people who are struggling with behaviours such as:
- Skipping meals or trying to go longer between eating
- Cutting out particular foods or food groups
- Deliberately eating less food to make up for eating
- Fasting (aside from religious or spiritual reasons)
- Going on a ‘cleanse’ or ‘detoxing’
- Overeating or binge eating
- ‘Purging’ to make up for eating
- Undereating related to medication that affects appetite eg. medication for ADHD
- Undereating related to sensory (eg. taste) aversions
Expert eating disorder dietitians
Our dietitians have the knowledge and skills to provide expert care to young people with eating disorders. Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions which can affect people of any age, gender, body size and cultural backgrounds. While there are common features of the different eating disorders, everyone’s experience of living with an eating disorder is unique. Your dietitian will take the time to understand your young person’s needs and what you want to get from working with them.
We see young people with the following eating disorder presentations:
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Bulimia Nervosa
- Binge Eating Disorder
- OSFED, including ‘Atypical’ Anorexia
- ARFID
If you think your young person might have an eating disorder, you can get support right now by calling 1800 ED HOPE. This free and confidential helpline runs 8 am – midnight (AEST), 7 days per week and is staffed by qualified mental health professionals.
FAQs
What will the work look like?
The first thing you’ll work on is getting your young person eating regular and adequately. Your dietitian will talk with you and your young person about structuring meals and snacks to provide your body with the nourishment it needs. This will allow your young person’s body to stabilise at a healthy point, so their brain can work on the ‘food psychology’ part of recovery.
Our dietitians bring an understanding of both FBT and CBT-E to their work with young people and their families. Our dietitians are also parents themselves and they understand the day-to-day realities of parenting and managing the different food & mealtime tasks that come with having a family. Our overall aim is to support your family to return to normal life by getting your young person well again.
How often will we meet with with our dietitian?
The level of ongoing involvement your dietitian has with your young person’s recovery will mostly depend on the type and availability of the treatment approach your family wants to take. Not all treatment models are right for every family, so understanding what’s involved can help you decide how to go ahead. Some families prefer not to commit to a specific treatment model, and instead work with their chosen eating disorder clinicians in an approach that best suits where the young person is currently at.
Do we need a referral?
You don’t need a referral to work with us, however you’ll need a referral if you want to claim rebates from Medicare. We suggest making an appointment* with your GP to discuss your young person’s eligibility for an Eating Disorder Plan (EDP). An EDP will allow you to claim a rebate for up to 20 sessions. If your young person isn’t eligible for an EDP, they might be eligible for a Chronic Disease Management Plan.
*Please book a longer appointment
Is there a waitlist?
Our dietitians are in high demand, which means that new clients may need to go onto our waitlist. Our admin team will let you know how long the waitlist currently is when you get in touch
How do we get started?
If you’d like to on of our to support your family, please use the form below to get in touch.