Whole-Person Treatment of Eating Disorders

It takes a village to raise a child, as the old adage says. Sometimes it takes a village to heal a child. Eating disorder treatment has often been seen through either the medical lens of a physician, or the psychological lens of the therapist, with little coordination between the two.  An eating disorder, however, is a complex amalgamation of a variety of factors. Dr. Gregory Jantz discusses why it takes more than a single professional to support recovery from an eating disorder.  Eating disorders will be viewed from a multi-causal perspective – looking at how emotional, relational, physical and spiritual factors are involved in both the genesis of the disorder and the path to recovery.  The need for an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach will be presented, as well as strategies for long-term recovery from persistent eating disorder behaviors and conditions, including nutritional strategies and the role of spirituality.