Which is Better for Me? In-Person vs. Online Eating Disorder Treatment
By: Lindsay Hodgson, MSN
Seeking outpatient eating disorder treatment can feel daunting. It takes strength to reach out for support, and there are a lot of emotions that might surface as you embark on your eating disorder recovery journey.
At the same time, you may be overwhelmed with the logistics. It’s very common to wonder, how will I fit treatment into my life?
One of the first decisions you might face when seeking eating disorder care is whether you’d prefer virtual or in-person treatment and this can feel daunting to decide what’s best. While there is no “right” answer regarding what would be the best fit for you, the most important thing is that you make choices that suit your needs and will serve you throughout the process.
If you are on the fence about whether to do virtual or in-person outpatient eating disorder treatment, here are some questions you can ask yourself to guide your decision:
In what setting am I most comfortable?
Talking about food and body image concerns is vulnerable and so you should feel comfortable in the space where you open up about these topics. In this way, privacy is an important factor you want to consider when doing virtual work. Privacy is often taken for granted when you attend in-person nutrition counseling, as the office is a safe, confidential space.
Some questions to consider for virtual eating disorder treatment are: Do you live with your family, partner or roommates? If so, do you have a room/space where you would be able to attend online sessions alone and uninterrupted?
Additionally, virtual work may be optimal because you are most comfortable in a familiar space, such as your home, office, or car to explore your relationship with food and body. Through treatment, you’re prioritizing your well-being, so consider where you will be able to feel most calm and present.
What kind of flexibility do I have in my schedule and ability to get to an office?
If you have a hectic work or family schedule you might find virtual nutrition counseling more accommodating because you don’t have to account for a commute time to get to and from sessions. Other things to consider are: Do you have variable access to transportation? Do you travel often? Virtual nutrition counseling might be optimal for you because you can sign-in to your session wherever you are in a given week.
At the same time, setting up recurring in-person nutrition therapy appointment might work just as well for your schedule, or you might know of a nearby practice that will serve your needs. These scheduling aspects are necessary to consider because seeking food and body image support should ultimately reduce stress in your life, not the other way around.
How will the screen affect the experience?
Building trust with your nutrition therapist is key in your ability to honestly express your food and body image concerns and goals in eating disorder recovery. Sitting in person face-to-face with your nutrition therapist might give you the reassurance you need, or you could find that interacting with them on the screen allows you to open up in the same way. Thinking about your interactions on virtual platforms and what you want from recovery will help guide your decision. Remember, there’s no “right” way to do outpatient eating disorder recovery work regarding sessions being virtual or in-person.
Is virtual nutrition therapy less effective than in-person nutrition therapy?
The short answer is: NO.
At Bravespace Nutrition, we see our client’s virtually for outpatient eating disorder treatment and find that it not only saves people time, but it also allows them to be in a space where they feel most comfortable. Virtual eating disorder treatment is also equally effective in helping our clients move toward recovery from the disordered eating and eating disorder. What matters most in deciding if you want to do in-person or virtual eating disorder nutrition therapy is what will feel best for you!
Overall, deciding if you want virtual or in-person support will be a personal decision. If you are unsure, you may want to consider reaching out to a clinician to do a discovery call over Zoom to see how this feels and if you feel comfortable with it.
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Looking for virtual eating disorder counseling?
Recovering from an eating disorder and stopping the endless battle against your own body is hard work. You deserve support to develop love, compassion and understanding for the body you have and to finally get out of the cycles of the eating disorder for good! The dietitians from our Seattle, WA-based nutrition counseling practice would be honored to help you to overcome your struggle. To get support today, please contact us.