EATING DISORDER TREATMENT FOR ALL GENDERS
MONTE NIDO & AFFILIATES specializes in the treatment of eating disorders for all genders and includes five distinct clinical programs: Monte Nido, Walden Behavioral Care, Clementine, Rosewood, and Oliver-Pyatt Centers. Monte Nido & Affiliates programs are all Joint-Commission accredited.
For over two decades, our tenured and expert staff—which includes recovered professionals — has delivered treatment that leads to full recovery. Treatment programs at Monte Nido, Walden Behavioral Care, Clementine, Rosewood, and Oliver-Pyatt Centers focus on stabilizing the eating disorder and co-occurring presentations, reducing urges, enhancing motivation, developing alternative coping capacities, and changing the way clients think about themselves and their world. Though the programs have some nuanced philosophical differences, they share a deep commitment to helping clients regain a healthy relationship with food and their bodies.
MONTE NIDO & AFFILIATES PROVIDES:
- A full continuum of gender-affirming care — ranging from residential to day treatment programs — for adults and adolescents
- Effective, outcome-backed treatment as demonstrated by a 10-year, longitudinal, peer-reviewed study as well as ongoing research
- Thorough medical, psychiatric, clinical, and nutritional assessment and screening to guide the development of each client’s treatment plan
- High staff-to-client ratio
- Comprehensive discharge planning
TREATMENT COMPONENTS INCLUDE:
- High levels of medical and psychiatric oversight with 24-hour nursing in the comfort of a home at all of our residential programs
- Skills development through evidence-based treatments such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), plus therapies to address co-occurring presentations as indicated
- Group therapies that focus on trans-diagnostic etiological and maintaining factors
- Therapeutic opportunities, assignments, journaling, challenges, self-monitoring, and treatment exposures
- Nutritional programming that meets differing needs
- Treatment contracts with personalized goals and objectives
- Specialized mindfulness training
- Exploration of spirituality, personal values, and personal meaning to help build and sustain motivation
- Family involvement as active partners: multi-family groups, family education, and family therapy as needed
NUTRITION
Nutrition programming across all of our programs works from the same core foundations of health, freedom from eating disordered behaviors, and developmentally appropriate progression toward self-trust and internally directed eating. With this solid foundation, our clients move through the early stages of food relationship repair to the later stages of growth and expansion in a recovered life.
Our informed nutritional care reflects:
- Recognition that healthy, recovered people come in all shapes and sizes
- Recognition that all bodies deserve to be nourished and experience satiety
- Behavior-focused, rather than weight-focused, philosophies
- Belief that weight loss attempts and focus are contraindicated for recovery from all eating disorder diagnoses Kitchens that are open and accessible as in a homelike setting; at any time throughout the day, individuals can request and be provided with more food for satiety
CO-OCCURRING PRESENTATIONS
Co-occurring presentations such as substance use disorder and trauma reactions such as PTSD share common causal and maintaining factors with eating disorders that influence treatment and recovery. At many of our locations, we integrate specialized programming to address these factors. We use the concept of “healthy self” and “disordered self” dialogues as a model for build ing symptom control, self-awareness, and perspective.
Core interventions can include:
- Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), CBT, and interpersonal therapy to address substance use and support behavior change
- 12-step meetings to enrich social support and decrease risk of relapse
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an evidence-based model for addressing PTSD, that helps clients identify and process traumatic experiences and the post-trauma reactions and adaptations that may be contributing to their eating disorder
ARFID TREATMENT
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, also known as ARFID, is a recognized eating disorder diagnosis that has distinct characteristics, and requires specific interventions differing from other eating disorders.
ARFID in itself can have various presentations: from aversion to specific food textures to avoiding foods due to fear of contamination or choking. As a result, individuals struggling with ARFID have significantly limited the foods they deem “safe” and are often malnourished. Also, in the true definition of ARFID, body image and fear of weight gain are not prevalent, and individuals are often motivated to gain weight … but too afraid to eat.
At Monte Nido & Affiliates, we recognize that individuals with ARFID have specific therapeutic needs and nutritional goals, and have created an ARFID Protocol to support recovery from this disorder.
- A multi-disciplinary team of medical, psychiatric, therapeutic, nursing and nutritional professionals will partner together on treatment planning and execution.
- Clients are provided with an established, personalized meal plan to meet their metabolic needs.
- Focus is provided on increasing nutritional variety and adequacy and creating the feeling of safety around the foods clients have shunned from their diet.
- Clients are provided with individualized food hierarchies, with structured and supportive food re-introductions.
- Frequent exposures are offered with the goal of helping clients become more confident in eating different foods, and gain freedom from feeling restricted.
PROGRAMS
FOR FULL TIME STUDENTS
We understand the decision to leave academic life for treatment is a difficult one for students and their families. We believe that when effective treatment is provided, our clients can return to high school, college, or graduate school in a healthier and stronger place. When they are ready to return, we work closely with each client, their family, outpatient team, and academic institution to develop an aftercare plan that wraps around their specific needs. aftercare plans for students may include:
- Setting up outpatient treatment team and school counseling
- Setting reasonable academic and recovery goals; schedule planning
- Finding local or student support groups
- Planning of recovery-oriented adjunctive activities
- Support with the application or readmission process
- Arrangement of appropriate housing if needed