Leading Anorexia Treatment Center

Learn more about treatment for anorexia at The Refuge, A Healing Place

Your healing journey at The Refuge starts with a thorough assessment so that we can begin to shape your personalized treatment plan. Our expert staff will analyze your medical, social, and psychiatric history, review any past treatment experiences, and take a thorough inventory of your presenting concerns. We’ll identify the presence of any co-occurring conditions that could complicate the treatment process, and craft a plan of care that reflects your goals for recovery from anorexia.

The length of time you spend at our anorexia treatment center, and the level of care you require, will be based on your unique circumstances, as well as how quickly you progress in treatment. Our goal is to connect you with the treatment modalities and interventions that will help you achieve long-term success. We’ll begin planning for your eventual discharge from day one, and you’ll work towards harnessing the strength and building the coping tools that will help you throughout your recovery journey as you overcome anorexia.

Why consider The Refuge as a treatment center for anorexia

Left untreated, anorexia nervosa can take a damaging toll on your physical, mental, and emotional health. It can even put your life at risk. All eating disorders are progressive diseases, meaning that without professional help, these disorders will increase in severity over time.

Struggling with anorexia often leads to painful loss in many forms. You may no longer be able to engage in activities you once enjoyed. You may find yourself becoming distant from friends and loved ones, feeling the need to hide your condition. You may be unable to work, or to perform to your ability level in school. As your physical health deteriorates, you might be wracked with feelings of shame and isolation, which can make you lose hope of regaining your strength.

Fortunately, with help from The Refuge, you can prevent this damage from occurring or progressing, and can regain control of your life. Recovery from anorexia takes incredible fortitude and a steadfast commitment to change. But with our support, you can live the healthy, full life you deserve.

Our treatment center’s philosophy and benefits

At The Refuge, you’ll never be viewed as the sum of your symptoms. Rather, you’ll be embraced as a unique individual who is worthy of living a fully recovered life. We believe that anorexia is often rooted in trauma, and we’ll support you as you work to unveil your trauma history, and create your new story in the present.

In addition, we believe that for lasting recovery to occur, you must address all aspects of your physical, mental, and emotional health in treatment. Our comprehensive programming addresses the underlying issues that may have driven your behaviors, fostering healing on a deep level.

Types of anorexia treatment offered at The Refuge, A Healing Place

The Refuge features a wide range of options for clients who are struggling with anorexia nervosa. When you’re admitted to our residential treatment center, you will undergo a number of assessments to ensure that our treatment team understands how best to treat you. Our medical examination will determine if you are struggling with medical complications, while our psychiatric evaluation will assist our clinicians in diagnosing any co-occurring disorders that may be present.

Your anorexia treatment team will take the results of these assessments and work with you and your loved ones to create a plan of care for your stay with us.

Medication may be used at the beginning of your stay if it can help ease or alleviate certain symptoms. The type of medication you are prescribed, and the amount of time you continue to receive it, will be based solely on what’s best for you. Your medication usage will be closely monitored by your anorexia treatment team, and will be modified as needed to ensure you’re receiving the maximum benefit.

Individual therapy is provided to address personal issues related to your struggles with anorexia, and to identify links between the anorexia and any co-occurring disorders. Our therapists use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which addresses errors or distortions in thinking. CBT can help you replace maladaptive thoughts with healthier ways of evaluating and responding to your environment. Our other clinical specialties include dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), accelerated resolution therapy (ART), eating disorder intuitive therapy (EDIT), and trauma-informed yoga.

Group therapy is a common type of therapy for individuals who are healing from anorexia at our treatment center. Among its many benefits, group therapy can help you form productive relationships with others who are receiving care for anorexia, learn to work together to solve problems, and develop healthy ways of processing difficult emotions. While you are in treatment for anorexia at The Refuge, you’ll take part in several types of group therapy. For example, process groups discuss issues related to a common theme or co-occurring problems, such as trauma, substance abuse, or suicidal ideation. Our skills-based groups focus on topics like developing new coping strategies, re-entering social situations, avoiding risks for triggering anorexia relapse, and identifying strategies for dealing with co-occurring conditions.

Family therapy is an important aspect of anorexia treatment at our center. We understand that your struggles with anorexia may have impacted your family and friends. We also appreciate the important role that your loved ones can play in the healing process. During family sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss how anorexia has affected you, your treatment, and the progress you’ve made. Your loved ones will have the chance to discuss ways in which anorexia has affected their lives as well. They’ll also learn how best to support you during and after your anorexia treatment.

Nutritional support is provided by registered dietitians who have extensive training in the treatment of anorexia nervosa, and all programming is reviewed by the attending physician. Our clients attend weekly meetings with registered dietitians to assess their nutritional improvement. Our intensive culinary program is designed to reshape your relationship with food, which will evolve and improve throughout your course of treatment.

Our anorexia treatment center also offers a variety of evidence-based methods designed to complement traditional therapies. Based on need and availability, these therapeutic methods may include the following:

• Detoxification (as needed)
• Psychiatric support and medication management
• Individual, group, and family therapy
• Medical and psychiatric supervision
• 24/7 nursing support
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Exposure outings
• Supportive meals and meal preparation
• Group shopping trips
• Nutritional counseling and education
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• 12-Step education and support
• Therapeutic massage
• Art therapy

Continuing care and levels of treatment for anorexia at The Refuge, A Healing Place

The discharge planning process begins very early in your time at The Refuge. We place great importance on documenting your successes during your time in our care, and preparing you to build upon that progress after you have completed treatment for anorexia.

When your stay with us nears its conclusion, you’ll receive a detailed plan to guide the post-treatment phases of your recovery from anorexia nervosa. Depending upon your needs, your discharge plan may include a referral to a step-down program or traditional outpatient therapy, connections with community-based services, and information about all other relevant sources of support. In addition, we offer one year of aftercare support via biweekly calls, assistance in finding therapists and support groups, and connections to The Refuge’s robust alumni network.

From the day you arrive on our campus until long after you have returned home, our goal is to ensure that you have access to the help you need to overcome your challenges and truly recover from the symptoms of anorexia.