Resources
Resources for Caregivers:
There are a lot of myths out there about Eating Disorders, like, it only affects girls, it’s a choice, it’s only about control or you have to LOOK like you have one. While those are all untrue, the one we are really tired of hearing the most is that ‘parents are to blame’.
While this theory was put to rest A WHILE ago, with actual data and research, the problem is a lot of treatment providers continue to follow that damaging idea by leaving parents out of treatment.
At Align we believe caregivers are the key to their child’s recovery.
Having a child with an eating disorder is extremely stressful and can make any parent and caregiver feel out of control, helpless and completely ineffective. We understand that dilemma and came up with a NEW way to deliver treatment at a residential level of care.
We know:
Caregivers unconditionally love their child.
Caregivers want the best for their child.
Caregivers are the BEST resource to help their child recover.
We also know that this battle can be messy, exhausting, relentless, unfair and extremely isolating. At Align we are here to help you feel heard and understood while also teaching you evidence based interventions to make you feel empowered against the disorder.
Recovery is never linear and there will be bumps on the way. Lots of ups and downs, lefts and rights. We want you to feel ready, prepared and better equipped to deal with those challenges head on. At Align our goal is to make residential eating disorder treatment an effective part of your child’s journey towards recovery. By partnering caregivers and clinicians we know full recovery is possible and are excited and eager to take the first step with you.
School Program
At Align we understand that while your child’s medical and psychiatric wellbeing is paramount you also have questions and concerns about their academics when they admit for treatment.
We work with Escondido Unified and their Home Hospital team to have a teacher(s) on site one hour M-F to work with your child on credit/coursework completion. As we understand falling behind in school can add even more stress. We incorporate more homework completion time daily so your child can do their best to stay on top of their studies while also focusing on their health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy assumes your child is doing their best AND needs to learn and apply coping skills to more effectively manage their distress instead of turning to maladaptive behaviors like their Eating Disorder. DBT is broken down into 4 sections and we will be teaching your child the basics of Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance and Interpersonal Effectiveness skills so they can be more equipped at resisting their urges. We will also teach you these skills so you have an understanding of what your child is learning as well as to utilize yourself to increase your own self care.
Parent Management Techniques were originally evidence based for Oppositional Defiant Disorder. We teach them to you because when we challenge the eating disorder we often see an increase in non-compliance, aggression, resistance and willfulness. Learning these skills are essential for caregivers to be effective in their communication with their child and will teach you the balance of providing kindness and validation and also being firm and utilizing contingencies.
Family Based Therapy (FBT) or sometimes referred to as Maudsley Family Therapy, is an evidence-based approach to the treatment of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa whose efficacy has been supported by empirical research. Based on a study that highlighted the benefits of family therapy over individual therapy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa, Chris Dare and his colleagues at the Maudsley Hospital in London directly challenged the idea that parents were a part of the problem and should be left out of treatment. Rather, FBT not only eliminates blame on the parent but the aim is to empower parents to directly help their child recover.
At Align we bring FBT to a residential level of care and partner clinicians and caregivers in the battle against Eating Disorders. We create a safe, validating, skill based environment to help your child find the motivation and will to start their journey towards recovery while at the SAME time providing parents with the psychoeducation, support, skills and strategies to more effectively challenge the eating disorder when a child returns home.
Our Trusted Resources
We are big believers in sharing credible and supportive information for those on this journey…
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders. NEDA supports individuals and families affected by eating disorders, and serves as a catalyst for prevention, cures and access to quality care.
F.E.A.S.T. is an international non-profit organization of and for parents and caregivers of loved ones affected by eating disorders. Our free programs and services offer families much needed support, information, skills, and tools to help them on their journey. F.E.A.S.T. is about parents helping parents, about paying it forward…
At least 135 million people worldwide will suffer from severe problems with emotion regulation in their lifetime and need Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Behavioral Tech is committed to making effective treatment easier to access by working to increase the number of trained professionals who can deliver DBT…