Have you ever wondered what online eating disorder treatment is and if it will work for you?
Eating disorder treatment, be it online or in person, has the same team members involved. Eating disorder treatment has 3 team members involved to help you.
Medical Provider:
When doing eating disorder treatment you will be asked to work with a medical provider (MD, NP, PA) who has specialized training in working with individuals who have an eating disorder. This person will order essential labs, take your vitals, and often order an EKG. They will help in addressing any abnormalities and overseeing the risks that come with an eating disorder.
This part of your treatment will need to be in person and could have a virtual option depending on where you are in the recovery process. If we cannot find a person who does understand eating disorders well, then your other team members can contact your medical provider to give them resources that specify protocols they need to follow as designated by the Academy of Eating Disorders which does the research on all things medical.
Therapist:
You can work with a therapist who is exclusively online or offers a hybrid option or who is only in person. Most providers, be it in-person sessions or online sessions, use virtual systems to do all paperwork & ongoing assessments as needed. This is 100% up to your preference for what works best for you. There is no right or wrong on this front, it truly is a personal decision. If you feel like virtual sessions will allow you to attend therapy in a private, and safe environment that works better for your schedule then this may be a great option for you. If you feel like you can open up equally well or even better in a virtual setting vs in person, then definitely consider this option.
However, if you feel like the screen will be a barrier or you have a hard time getting in touch with your feelings and need someone in the room with you to do so, then you probably would do best with in-person team members. I have had clients who do feel they can open up well online, but honestly just prefer to be in person for a variety of reasons. There is no right or wrong answer here, so do what is best for you and or pivot if you try online and decide it’s not your thing. Your therapist will understand and help you to find a skilled provider who offers in-person sessions.
Dietician:
The dietician can also be in person, offer a hybrid, or be fully online. Typically in eating disorder care, providers will use data points to assess process & medical stability. The dietician will typically want to track food intake, which we often do via a recovery app, and get regular weights at the start of treatment. If your dietician is fully online, then he/she may recommend you get a scale that does “blind weights”. A blind weight is a term we use to describe the process where a person is weighed but does not see the number on the scale, since weight metrics are often triggering to our clients and or fuel the eating disorder into more extreme measures.
So, the dietician will recommend a few options where you step on a scale that does not show you your weight but has a system set up that the weight can only be viewed by the treatment team. This allows you to participate fully in treatment as if it were in person, with the convenience of doing so from home and saving your travel time from going into an office for dietary appointments or seeing an MD for that data point.
All team members collaborate via phone, email, or online connection to collaborate in your care. The frequency of collaboration will vary depending on where you are in the recovery process.
Begin Online Eating Disorder Treatment in Provo, UT
If you have questions if online eating disorder treatment is for you, please reach out to our team. We’ll be happy to help you see if it’s a good fit. If it isn’t, we will be happy to connect you with personal providers, we just want you to get the help you need in the best way for you. You can start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these steps
Give us a call 801-699-6161
Meet with a caring therapist
Start receiving the support system you deserve!
Other Services Offered with Inside Wellness
We understand that you may experience more than one mental health concern at a time. This is why our team is happy to offer support with a variety of services including eating disorders, body image counseling, anxiety treatment, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog for more helpful information today!