Therapist for teen with eating disorder
We are desperate for an in person therapist (with Covid Safe precautions)for our 15 year old daughter.
She has had an eating disorder for 3 years due in part to severe fat shaming from peers in elementary school. She never told us about the bullying until after we discovered her eating disorder.
She has been failing her classes and has been very manipulative with us and her teachers. Pretending to do homework and just got in trouble for plagiarism in one class.
We greatly diminished screen time. We don’t want to completely isolate her from friends so she gets one hour a day.
We have now discovered cuts on her inner thighs and are so saddened and lost about what to do.
She has been in therapy but ended up not liking the therapist.
We need someone who can smell bullshit because she has a tendency to lie for no good reason.
Parent Replies
UCSF and Stanford have excellent ED programs. Also please go to aroundthedinnertable.org for a parent forum of eating-disordered kids that will provide support for you and ideas to help your daughter. It's important to recognize that none of this is your fault as parents, and also none of it is HER fault either. She doesn't choose this; it's a brain disorder. The lying and even the self-harm are not at all unusual for eating disordered teens, and again, she isn't "choosing" this. School is not a priority right now; she is not in her rational mind. Good luck.