Effective Evidence-Based Treatment (EBT)
Counseling Backed By Science
Historically, counseling and psychotherapy have, until recently, been considered a “soft science”. While, intuitively, we know it helps to talk through our issues or problems with someone who is considered an “expert”, it was never fully understood how or why it works. While we still have a long way to go in our understanding of the science behind mental health, psychology and neuroscience have advanced our understanding of what types of treatments consistently result in positive treatment outcomes.
What is Evidence Based Treatment?
The field of evidence-based treatment, or EBT, emerged from the merging of “practicing medicine” with the rigor and replication required of the hard sciences. The medical sciences searched for treatment protocols that consistently lead to positive patient outcomes.
In the field of psychology, a scientific movement toward identifying EBTs began in the 1980’s and is now considered the “gold standard” of clinical research. If a treatment is considered evidence-based, that means that the following standards have been met:
Consistent evidence conducted with the highest standards of research, using a control group versus treatment group to measure outcomes.
The study was conducted with clinicians who have been similarly trained to the highest levels of clinical expertise.
Participants of these studies were chosen based on research criteria that attempted to filter any variable that might detract from measuring the effectiveness of the treatment.
The results have been replicated in various settings with diverse populations.
A treatment is not considered evidence-based until all these criteria have been met and shown to consistently produce positive treatment outcomes.
Effective Treatment for Eating Disorders
Currently, only a few treatment methods have held up against the rigorous criteria of EBTs. For Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Binge Eating Disorder (BED), Eating disorder specific Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-ED) has consistently led to positive outcomes, particularly in adult populations.
For young adolescents who struggle with Anorexia Nervosa, finding effective treatments that are evidence-based has been particularly challenging. One treatment, coming of structural family therapy, emerged as the only evidence based treatment that has held up to rigorous studies. Family Based Treatment, or FBT, has shown the most positive outcomes over the past twenty years and is now considered the gold standard for treatment of young adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa. Emerging evidence is also showing that FBT is also helpful for other eating disorders, specifically Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) and Bulimia Nervosa.
The Smith Counseling Group is a collective of professionals who specialize in the treatment of eating disorders, as well as other co-morbidities, such as trauma and mood disorders. We have gone through rigorous training regiments to become experts in the fields of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-ED) and Family Based Treatment (FBT).
Frequently Asked Questions:
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It may be time to reach out to a professional for eating disorder, if you or your child exhibit the following behaviors:
Exhibiting an unhealthy obsession with food and dieting.
Exhibiting an unhealthy obsession with one’s weight or body shape. This can take the form of behaviors like body checking.
Withdrawing from social activities to avoid food.
Unusual eating behaviors like odd food combinations, sudden food aversions or restrictions, eating slowly, eating large quantities of food in private or food hoarding.
Noticeable changes in their mood, including greater irritability, mood swings, anxiety or depression.
Sudden change in weight.
If you notice any of these behaviors, receive effective evidence-based care with the Smith Counseling Group.
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Eating disorders can be hard to treat for many reasons:
Losing weight typically results in positive feedback, which causes a higher resistance to treatment.
Body dysmorphia warps the patient's perception of their own bodies, this can make it very difficult to convince them that they need treatment.
Eating disorders are hard to notice at first glance so it is harder to tell that someone is struggling early on
Many treatments of eating disorders do not address the underlying reason as to why it began. The Smith Counseling Group offers evidence-based care which not only treats the eating disorder itself but also the underlying reasons.
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CBT-ED is the most effective treatment for eating disorders in adults, because it focuses on addressing and changing the underlying mental frameworks that led to disordered eating.
CBT-ED involves looking at how your thoughts and feelings shape your behavior, identifying thoughts that lead to unhealthy behavior, and developing strategies to change those thoughts.
During CBT-ED treatment, The Smith Counseling Group will work with you to identify why you are having these thoughts, and work to address the underlying issues causing them. -
Family based treatment is most effective when dealing with minors because it was designed with adolescents in mind. It focuses on having the family in a major support role as minor’s eating habits and point of view are typically heavily influenced by their family.
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Typically the process of getting diagnosed with an eating disorder involves visiting your health care provider to rule out any medical explanations for changes in weight or eating habits, as well as a mental health evaluation.
During this mental health evaluation, the mental health provider will ask questions regarding the patient’s relationship with food and their body, and assess the patient’s behavior towards food, as well as other psychiatric symptoms that are often exhibited in individuals with eating disorders.
If you believe you or a loved one may be suffering from an eating disorder, take the first step towards treatment - reach out to the Smith Counseling Group to book an appointment for a mental health evaluation.