Clinical director touts Family-Based Treatment for adolescent eating disorders

The new clinical director at La Ventana Treatment Programs in Santa Barbara, Calif., is an expert in the Family-Based Treatment (FBT) approach that has demonstrated efficacy over individual therapy in the treatment of adolescent eating disorders. Andrea Kulberg, PhD, has more than 20 years of experience in treating eating disorders in children and adolescents.

FBT was designed in the 1980s at the Maudsley Hospital in London and is also known as Maudsley family therapy. It is described as a three-phase process involving weight restoration, the returning of control over eating to the youth, and the establishment of a healthy youth identity. It emphasizes significant parental involvement in the course of treatment.

“We want to educate and partner alongside parents, giving them the tools they need to understand these disorders so that they are fully equipped to guide their child through the recovery process,” said Kulberg, who hosts a weekly parent community group at the Santa Barbara center.

Kulberg also will host a continuing-education presentation titled “When OCD Gets Stuck on Food and Body Image … and How to Fix It!” in Santa Barbara on Oct. 11. The event is open to professionals and members of the community.