Note: This was originally posted in Psychology Today.
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Key Points
Dear families,
When your adolescent is struggling with an eating disorder, finding treatment options can feel overwhelming. Chances are you've already done some late-night Googling, trying to figure out what to do next. As a parent, you may feel the weight of wanting to "fix" the problem, but not knowing how. One question I hear again and again is, "What treatment options truly help and give them the best chance to recover fully?" One approach I often educate families about is Family-based Treatment (FBT).
This treatment can sound intimidating, but it can be a game-changer for your teen's recovery.
What Is Family-Based Treatment?
Family-based treatment - often referred to as the Maudsley approach - is positioned by science as the gold-standard outpatient treatment for adolescents with eating disorders, especially anorexia nervosa. Instead of sending your teen off to a treatment center, FBT centers the family as the most powerful resource in helping your teen recover. And the beauty of FBT is that you can do it from home with the support of a care team.
This might sound like a lot of pressure. But the great part about FBT is that it empowers you as caregivers to do what you know is best for your child - and you get to be an active participant in your children's healing.
FBT is built on the idea that eating disorders are not a choice, and families are not to blame. Families are essential to the solution, and it is up to the family to unite, in the service of their teen's best interest, against the eating disorder that has overtaken their child.
The 3 Phases of Family-Based Treatment
Family-based treatment unfolds in three predictable phases.
Phase I: Weight Restoration and Refeeding (Parents in the drivers seat, with therapy and nutrition support)
In the first phase, the primary goal is medical and nutritional stabilization. That means ensuring your teen is eating enough to restore their health. You, the parents, take full responsibility for meals — what is eaten and how much.
You might be thinking, "But they'll hate me," or "There's no way I'll be able to get them to eat." That's okay. Your teen's brain, at this stage, is so often impacted by the eating disorder that it's hard for them to make recovery-focused choices on their own. Your job here is compassionate but firm leadership. And you'll have a therapist that will guide you with strategies to effectively manage eating disorder behaviors and help your child restore their health.
Think of it this way: If your child had cancer, you wouldn't let the illness decide whether or not they received chemotherapy. You'd step in with love and grit. You would say, "I know chemo is so hard and scary and it sometimes makes you sick. And we have to take you to this treatment because it's what's saving your life." FBT is based on the same principle. Food is the medicine for eating disorders. And given the seriousness of eating disorders, teenagers often don't have time to wait to feel ready to start treatment.
Phase 2: Returning Control to the Teen (Trusting the process)
Once your teen is medically stable and eating more consistently, you'll gradually hand some responsibility back to them — first with snacks, then with meals, and eventually with broader decisions around food. They may return to physical activity and normal teenage activities. This is done carefully and collaboratively, always with the support of your therapist.
You're not letting go all at once. Instead, you're practicing trust while still staying attuned to signs of relapse. It's like slowly letting your teen ride their bike without training wheels — but you running right alongside.
This phase is often emotional and joyful. It's where the hard work really blossoms, and you start to see your child come out from the dark cloud of the eating disorder.
Phase 3: Rebuilding Identity and Family Life (recovery beyond food)
In the final phase, you shift focus to helping your teen reclaim their full identity beyond the eating disorder. Who are they becoming? How are friendships, schools, hobbies, and family dynamics recovering alongside their physical health?
This phase often involves more individual therapy work and helping the teen with normal life adjustment post-eating disorder.
Why Parents Choose FBT
Parents choose FBT because it works. It is supported by decades of peer-reviewed research and is considered the gold standard treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Studies show that teens in FBT are more likely to recover faster and stay out of the hospital compared to those receiving individual therapy. A hallmark study demonstrated that FBT effects last longer than other treatments.
Parents also choose FBT because it centers love and accountability. It's not about blame. It's about reclaiming your role as a parent — not to control, but to protect your child from the whims of the eating disorder.
Lastly, parents like FBT because it allows your teen to recover at home. FBT is outpatient-based, meaning your teen can stay at home and continue school and life while healing. It weaves recovery into daily life rather than placing it in a distant facility. It also has lower rates of relapse (according to a 2010 study, the risk of relapse was 10% in FBT, compared to 40% in other treatments).
Is FBT Right for Every Family?
FBT is not always right for every family. FBT requires a high level of parental involvement, and not all families have the bandwidth, stability, or setup to do this safely or effectively. If you have concerns, talk to a therapist for guidance on what will be the best fit for your family.
But if you're ready to pull up a chair to the dinner table and say, "We're in this together," and "we will help you recover," then FBT might be the lifeline your family needs.
In Conclusion
Stepping in early is a vital step in your teen's recovery. Even when your heart races at every meal and the anxiety feels endless, you are choosing to fight the eating disorder at home together, with love and structure. FBT gives your child the best chance for faster medical stabilization, lower risk of hospitalization and medical complications, and a recovery that lasts.
If you'd like guidance on how to find an FBT therapist, or how to talk with your treatment team about implementing FBT at home, I'd love to help.