Eating Disorder Treatment for Teens
The transition from childhood to adulthood is one of the most complex phases of development and serves as one of the major risk factors for the emergence of an eating disorder. With this transition comes emerging physical and hormonal changes, emotional highs and lows, peer pressure, gradual distancing from family, and an overwhelming need for approval, acceptance and attention.
Because adolescence is such a unique stage of life, it is critical that teenagers struggling with eating disorders receive specialized treatment to meet their needs. With this in mind, Renfrew has created an age-specific Residential treatment program designed around the distinctive circumstances and emotional needs of the adolescent population.
What Does the Adolescent Program Include?
Our team of psychotherapists, psychologists, nurses, dietitians, psychiatrists, and physicians utilize an evidence-based, emotion-focused treatment approach to help teens move towards better emotional well-being, health and recovery. Highlights of the Residential program include:
- A multidisciplinary team, trained specifically to treat teens
- Groups and services focusing on peer dynamics, relationship issues, sexuality, and body image
- Teens only share bedrooms with other teens
- Exclusive space for adolescents to socialize with their peers
- Student Education Support Services
- Family therapy, multi-family groups and family day program
The Renfrew Center’s Adolescent Program
The Adolescent Program was developed with the belief that eating disorder treatment warrants the creation of individualized goals and expectations. Each patient presents with a unique set of circumstances — developmental growth, personality traits and family dynamics.
Family Involvement
Families are an integral part of treatment and a pivotal force in recovery. Through Renfrew’s Unified Treatment Model for Eating Disorders®, parents/caregivers learn how to constructively handle emotions and behaviors that perpetuate the eating disorder of their loved one. This model helps them identify important family patterns and roles, as well as better recognize and understand their own emotional responses.
Personalized Treatment
Eating disorder symptoms in adolescents are often linked to concerns about independence, academics, social relationships, family difficulties and, for many, the physical changes associated with maturation. Interventions and support services cover educational and academic concerns, peer and relationship issues, sexuality, body image, and more. Additionally, teenaged patients may also participate in age-specific experiential programming such as art therapy and dance movement therapy.
Education Support
While treatment and recovery of our patients is our highest priority, we also understand the educational needs of teenagers. Our Student Education Support Services staff helps patients fulfill their academic commitments by serving as liaisons to schools, evaluating academic expectations and arranging special help.
- Education consultation
- School point of contact
- Family liaison
- Supervised study time
- Tutoring
A Community of Support
Renfrew encourages adolescents to integrate with the general adult community and participate in groups designed for both teens and adults in addition to the age-specific groups and support services, so they can benefit from the experience and support of the more mature residents.
Alumna Testimonial
The Renfrew Center helped our daughter through her newly diagnosed eating disorder by providing holistic wrap around support and care. They helped to validate her feelings and taught her important coping strategies she uses daily. For my husband and me, the support is what helped us the most. The support we received through family therapy, multifamily group and – what we found the most helpful to us – the support group for parents/guardians who are trying to help their child, but don’t know what to say or do. This is the first program that supported all of us, not just our daughter, and helped us not feel so alone in our quest to save our daughter.
Carrie • Mother of an Alumna, The Renfrew Center of Philadelphia-Center City
Reach Out to Us
Talk with a Program Information Specialist at the number above to learn more about our
services and to schedule an assessment. Or, fill out the information below and we will contact you.