Outpatient Counseling Services

Outpatient Counseling Services are available for adolescents, adults, couples and families. Clinicians at Water’s Edge CHC are skilled and experienced in the treatment of:

• eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating)
• depression
• trauma/post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• insomnia
• generalized anxiety disorders
• social anxiety
• obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• panic disorder
• adjustment issues
• grief
• marital discord and parent-adolescent issues.

All individuals seeking treatment will receive a comprehensive psychological assessment to assist in creating an individualized treatment plan to meet your needs.

Outpatient Eating Disorder Services

Water’s Edge CHC Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment Program is a multidisciplinary treatment program for adolescents and adults created to meet the individual needs of each client. Therapists and dietitians work together to provide the most effective treatment for the client. Therapists at Water’s Edge CHC also have experience in working clients with eating disorders and trauma. Collaborative consultation with medical providers and other relative treatment providers is a high priority of all providers at Water’s Edge CHC.

Treatment is available for:

• Anorexia nervosa
• Bulimia nervosa
• Binge-eating disorder
• Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

Client’s are individually assessed and may participate
in the following services:

• Individual psychotherapy
• Dietitian consultation
• DBT based group therapy
• Family therapy
• Intensive Outpatient (Day) Treatment (IOP)
• Body Image Individual or Group therapy

Group Therapy

Group therapy is an additional treatment option and provides opportunities for individual’s experiencing eating disorders to work on recovery with the support and understanding of others who are experiencing similar struggles. Group therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment option, often in conjunction with individual therapy, for eating disorders. Water’s Edge CHC group therapy program offers unique and effective treatment components that can assist in the recovery process.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)  (Adolescent Eating Disorder Group)
This DBT group is oriented specifically for adolescents (ages 13-18) with eating disorders. Participants in this group will learn to apply DBT principles to help them cope with urges and emotions arising from and/or triggering eating disorder behaviors. Because this group involves the active learning and practice of behavioral skills geared to assist in coping with emotions, parental involvement is required. One parent per adolescent is expected to attend every group, so that they can learn the skills and coach their adolescent in skill use. This parental involvement has been found to be an essential piece for adolescents’ successful learning and use. Participants will be asked to commit to attending the group regularly for 6 months to ensure effective learning and use of skills.


Body Image Therapy Group (Rotating Adolescent and Adult Group)
The Body Image Therapy Group is oriented for individuals with a history of eating disorder symptoms. Come discover the tools to having a positive, loving relationship with your body. Work to create a long term plan for maintaining a healthy body image. This integrative approach will explore healthy body image using traditional Cognitive/Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Narrative Therapy modalities. Other therapeutic approaches such as art, movement, poetry, journaling, video, and discussion will also be used.


Bulimia/ Binge Eating Disorder Therapy Group: I
This group follows treatment guidelines that have been shown to be highly effective in reducing binge eating and other eating disorder symptoms. Each week, group members participate in a mindful eating experience, skills teaching and process/supportive therapy. During the mindful eating experience, participants practice reading internal cues to distinguish feelings of hunger and satiety. The skills teaching component focuses on evidence-based skills to help participants cope with the urges and emotions arising from and/or triggering eating disorder behaviors. These include Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT; Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance skills), as well as Cognitive-Behavioral, Behavioral, Narrative, and Experiential coping skills. In the final component of the group, participants obtain support from other group members in using skills, fighting the eating disorder, and coping with shared difficulties. This is an ongoing, open group. Participants are asked to commit to attending the group regularly for a minimum of 16 weeks.

Bulimia/Binge Eating Disorder Therapy Group: II
This group is for adults (age 18 and older) who have been able to reduce the frequency of their eating disorders symptoms, though continue to struggle with urges and recurring lapses of increased symptom usage. As in Group I, participants will engage in a mindful meal experience followed by exercises to practice general mindfulness and relaxation skills. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills and other effective coping skills are regularly reviewed for ongoing study and integration in participants lives. Each week participants are given opportunities to share their successes and trials and to receive support and encouragement from other group members and the group facilitators.

Anorexia/Bulimia Eating Disorder Therapy Group 
This group is oriented specifically for adults (age 18 and older) who struggle with restricting food intake and/or binge/purge behaviors. Each group includes an interactive learning component, a supportive meal, and supportive/process therapy. Group Leaders (two therapists and a registered dietitian) meet with participants to teach evidence-based skills to help participants cope with the urges and emotions arising from and/or triggering eating disorder behaviors. These include, but are not limited to, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT; Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Tolerance skills), as well as Cognitive-Behavioral, Behavioral, Narrative, and Experiential coping skills. During the supportive meals, staff are present to support and coach participants on portioning food and eating while avoiding eating disorder behaviors. Meals are catered, allowing participants the opportunity to challenge themselves with a variety of food, and to “reclaim” foods previously “forbidden” by the eating disorder. In the final segment, participants obtain support from other group members in using skills, fighting the eating disorder, and coping with shared difficulties. This is an ongoing, open group. Participants are asked to commit to attending the group regularly for a minimum of 16 weeks.
 

Intensive Outpatient (Day) Program (IOP)

Water’s Edge CHC IOP is designed for individuals (ages 18 and older) who have been unable to normalize eating and/or unable to interrupt eating disorder symptoms with less intensive treatment. The program will also benefit individuals needing ongoing support during the transition from more intensive levels of treatment, such as inpatient or residential stays, to the outpatient setting.

The program is multiple days per week. A step-down design allows individuals to participate in an individualized treatment program specific to the intensity of their symptoms and support needed.

Water’s Edge CHC IOP is multi-modal and holistic in its treatment approach. Treatment components include meal support, nutritional counseling, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), group therapy and a spiritual health group. Yoga, self-accupressure and Qi Gong are taught as additional ways to cope with stress.