Parenting a teen with an eating disorder can be a struggle. An unhealthy relationship with food can cause problems in a number of areas in a teen’s life, which in turn effect the family as a whole. Often, food issues are indicative of a bigger emotional issue, one that is best treated professionally. A clinically based, professional eating disorder treatment program can provide your teen with the tools they need to address and overcome their eating disorder. 
It can seem difficult or even overwhelming to find an eating disorder treatment program that best fits the needs of your teen. Knowing what to look for in a high quality treatment center can help you to select the best treatment center for your teen and your family.
Adolescent Focus
One of the most important factors in choosing a treatment facility should be their area of focus. Adolescents with eating disorders have needs that are completely different than adults with similar issues. Treatment centers that specialize in treating the unique needs of adolescents provide the best setting for adolescents to feel comfortable. Additionally, a treatment center that focuses on teens provides an environment for your child to form bonds with their peers who are experiencing similar issues.
Treatment Plan
No two individuals are exactly the same. Therefore, each client should have a treatment plan that is specially designed to address their specific issues, goals and objectives. Standardized approaches to treatment are often unsuccessful and can leave the client feeling dissatisfied with their treatment. By involving each teen in the creation of their treatment plan, the teens are more likely to be successful and more likely to be engaged in their treatment.
Family Involvement
Family involvement is extremely important in the lives of adolescents. Because of this, parental involvement is often a requirement of admission. The ideal treatment program will have sessions that focus on the specific needs of the adolescent as well as group and family therapy. It is important that treatment includes helping to rebuild the family unit. Additionally, family therapy should help families identify areas in dysfunction and to address them as they occur. These two things combine to create a positive, more successful home environment.
Treatment Options
Adolescents can have vastly different requirements for successful treatment of their eating disorders. Some may require a stay in a residential treatment program. Others may benefit from outpatient treatment or day school. Selecting a center that can treat adolescents in a number of ways can help to facilitate success.
Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers
With locations throughout southern California, Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers focus on providing individualized care to adolescents with mental health issues, addiction issues or eating disorders. They pride themselves in creating a culture of clinical excellence and have the goal of providing each adolescent with the specific tools they need to be successful in treatment.
Although each client of the eating disorder treatment program has a unique treatment plan, there are multiple goals that apply to all clients: 
- Encouraging and motivating program participants to achieve a healthy relationship with food and to maintain that healthy relationship.
- Providing the tools to develop coping and problem solving skills that do not control eating in an attempt to regular another area of life.
- Helping each client to see the real effect their eating disorder had on their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
- Establishing benchmarks so that teens can recognize situations that are unhealthy and to adjust those situations to avoid a relapse.
- Partnering with each teen’s family in order to further support treatment and to begin to heal as a family unit.
- Developing an aftercare plan that continues treatment using resources in the community.
For additional information on the eating disorder treatment programs available at Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers, please contact them today. Please click below to schedule your consultation or call us at 866-889-3665.
Originally posted on September 3, 2014 @ 8:58 am
