Clinical Strategies for Treating Adolescent Eating Disorders

Course overview

This continuing education course is designed for licensed psychologists seeking an advanced understanding of eating disorders. The course provides a thorough exploration of the diagnostic criteria, clinical features, and subtypes of eating disorders, including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge-Eating Disorder, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED), as outlined in the DSM-5-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). Special attention is given to distinguishing between diagnosable eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors that may fall below diagnostic thresholds but still require clinical intervention. The course examines the multifactorial etiology of eating disorders, including biological, psychological, and sociocultural influences, with a particular focus on trauma histories, emotional dysregulation, and perfectionistic tendencies. Participants will also explore comorbid mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the implications for diagnosis and integrated treatment planning. Evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions will be reviewed, with in-depth coverage of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Family-Based Therapy (FBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Clinical considerations, including assessment tools, multidisciplinary collaboration, and professional roles, will be addressed. Finally, the course explores critical medical and ethical issues, such as recognizing medical instability, criteria for higher levels of care, managing involuntary treatment, and fostering stigma-free clinical environments.