menu
Blog posts are provided for informational purposes only, and are not a substitute for individualized healthcare. In case of emergency, dial 9-1-1.
filed under:
Hey there! If you’re googling “Family based treatment for eating disorders,” it’s likely your child or teenager has been diagnosed with an eating disorder (or you think they should be). We know that this is an overwhelming time, which is why we’d like to encourage you to take a deep breath, and pause or come back to this article as needed.
Family based treatment (FBT) is exactly what it sounds like – a treatment approach that recognizes your family’s incredible potential to help your child recover from an eating disorder.
Unlike traditional approaches that might separate teens from their families during treatment (or focus mainly on separate therapy sessions for teens and their families), FBT brings everyone together.
It’s based on a simple but powerful idea: parents and families are the best resource for helping their kid get better.
Instead of putting all the pressure on your child to manage their own recovery, FBT brings together a whole crew of support.
At the heart of it are you – the parents – working alongside your child with understanding and compassion. FBT is focused on empowering parents to take a very active role in supporting their child’s recovery – from attending therapy sessions to taking the lead at mealtime in the beginning.
Your treatment team typically includes: a therapist who specializes in eating disorders, a medical doctor to monitor your child’s health, and a dietitian who can monitor meal plan adjustments and food-related questions.
With FBT, the focus is generally on helping resolve symptoms in the here-and-now, as opposed to pausing to examine why the eating disorder developed. This can come later, but medical stability is the priority.
Our focus is super practical: getting your child back to eating enough and feeling stronger. Think of it this way – when your kid has a high fever, you treat the fever first, right? Same idea here.
One thing that makes FBT different is that we see you, the parents, as the experts on your child. Our job isn’t to take over or tell you what to do – it’s to work alongside you, sharing tools and strategies that have helped other families while learning what works best for yours.
We also talk about the eating disorder as something separate from your child – like an unwelcome intruder that’s trying to cause trouble. This helps everyone remember that your child isn’t choosing this and isn’t at fault. Instead, you can all team up – parents, child, and treatment team together – against the eating disorder itself.
The really important thing to know? Parents take an active role in helping their child eat and stay healthy during recovery. This isn’t about being the food police – it’s about being a steady, supportive presence while your child’s healthy self gets strong enough to take back control from the eating disorder.
FBT unfolds in three main phases, each moving at your family’s own pace – we like to think of them as chapters in a story.
This first phase is all about the basics – helping your child eat enough and start feeling physically stronger.
As parents, you’ll be super involved with meals and snacks during this time. It’s often the most intense part of treatment, but don’t worry – we’re right there with you.
Once your child is feeling stronger, we start working on carefully shifting food decisions back to them. Think of it like slowly releasing the training wheels – you’re still there, watching and supporting, but your child starts making more choices about their eating. We take this nice and slow, celebrating small wins along the way.
The final phase is pretty cool – it’s when we get to focus on normal teenage stuff again. We’ll work through things like handling stress, building confidence, and navigating relationships, all while making sure your child feels solid in their recovery.
This is when families often feel like they’re getting their kid back, with all their personality and dreams intact.
On average, FBT lasts for 6-12 months with sessions starting out weekly and spreading out as things improve. But remember, every family moves at their own pace, and that’s totally okay. It’s not a race; it’s about getting to the finish line together.
Yes! There’s plenty of research to show that an FBT-inspired plan is the most effective option to treat your child’s eating disorder. It’s often referred to as the “gold standard” for eating disorder treatment in teens.
FBT typically works best for teens and younger kids who’ve been dealing with an eating disorder for less than three years.
But honestly? The most important factor is having parents who are ready to roll up their sleeves and dive in – so if you made it this far into the article, it’s worth finding out more about how FBT and FBT-inspired approaches could help your family.
At Grow With Gabi Therapy & Healing, our therapists & dietitians use a mixture of FBT-inspired and other approaches to create individual plans for each family. We offer in-office services in Houston, TX and nationwide through telehealth in select states.
Learn more about our therapy services for teenagers here and our nutrition counseling services here.
hey there!
01
Your story deserves to be told.
02
Your story deserves to be heard.
03
You deserve a say in your story.
The Grow With Gabi team specializes in therapy & nutrition care that meets you where you are and lets you set the pace. When you're ready (or ready enough), we're licensed to provide virtual care in several states across the US, and would be honored to be part of your story.
About Us
About
Home
Anxiety & depression
kids & teens
Eating Disorders
Life transitions
2500 East T C Jester Boulevard, Suite 272
Houston, TX 77008
Telehealth available for residents across numerous states.
Contact us
client portal
Read the Blog