What Is Virtual Eating Disorder Nutrition Therapy And What Is It Like?
By: Lindsay Hodgson, MSN
Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have grown accustomed to conducting work, meetings, and appointments virtually. It’s likely that you have had a virtual telehealth appointment with a doctor, therapist, or other medical provider.
Or maybe healthcare in the virtual space is completely new to you, which is totally fine! Many dietitians offer exclusively online eating disorder services (like us at Bravespace Nutrition) because it can be more convenient for people to access the care they need for their recovery in their busy lives in the safety and comfort of their own space.
Even if you’ve had experience with a virtual appointment with a healthcare provider, it can be helpful to understand what to expect when it comes to online nutrition counseling for eating disorder recovery.
Levels Of Care In Eating Disorder Nutrition Therapy: In-Person vs. Online
In eating disorder treatment there are different levels of care that provide support from different specialties ( such as nutrition, mental health counseling, and medical) to foster recovery. Below they are listed from highest degree of support to lower degree of support.
Inpatient *Typically a short duration where a person with an eating disorder is at an unsafe weight and/or has abnormal blood work that puts their health at urgent risk. They receive support from a medical team at a hospital to stabilize their condition, but recovery work usually doesn’t start until the residential level.
Residential
Partial Hospitalization program (PHP)
Intensive Outpatient (IOP)
Outpatient
Typically in eating disorder treatment you will begin treatment at the level your healthcare providers assess is appropriate. As you progress in treatment you will “step down” in levels of care until you need little support in your relationship with food. Higher levels of care, such as the residential and PHP are almost always in-person with few exceptions. This is because they do a lot of group work and shared meals to help you build skills to challenge your eating disorder. It’s a more immersive experience that provides more accountability for you in recovery.
Online eating disorder nutrition therapy, offered by a registered dietitian nutritionist, is typically available for the outpatient level and sometimes intensive outpatient as well. Outpatient eating disorder support is a level of care where many people will continue to receive support after being discharged from higher levels of care, often lasting for a minimum of a year. At the same time, MANY people never have eating disorder treatment at a higher level of care and receive support at the outpatient level only. It’s the level of support that can be beneficial to many people and circumstances.
Here are a few examples for when virtual eating disorder support can be beneficial :
People who think they have disordered eating, but aren’t sure
People who had an eating disorder, then recovered, but are not stuck in disordered eating patterns
People who have dieted most of their lives and are tired of diets
People who have chronically dieted
People with negative body image
People who had eating disorders when they were younger but never had a diagnosis
People who have experiences with emotional eating or bingeing
People who feel anxious or stressed around food
People who feel fear around food or food groups
People who actively have an eating disorder (with or without a formal diagnosis)
At the end of the day, it is most important that you begin eating disorder treatment at the level that is appropriate for you. An outpatient online nutrition therapy format may be great for you, or you may benefit from starting with an in-person program at a higher level of care. If you're not sure what kind of support you need, don’t hesitate to reach out to a local treatment center or a nutrition counseling practice like Bravespace Nutrition. Usually you can schedule a brief discovery or intake call to determine if what the organization offers is a fit for your needs. If it’s not, you can easily be referred somewhere that is more appropriate for your recovery.
How is Online Eating Disorder Nutrition Therapy Different Than In-Person Eating Disorder Nutrition Therapy?
In the typical in-person setting you go to the outpatient eating disorder dietitian’s office for your sessions. With online nutrition therapy, the only difference is you’re using a video chat platform. You sign into the secure link your dietitian sends you, and you speak with them in a private space and place you feel most at ease and comfortable in.
Many people like virtual eating disorder therapy because they can receive support from the comfort of their own home or any space that they feel most safe and that’s quiet. They don’t have to commute and it is easier to find time in their schedule for a virtual appointment. What matters most is that you find the support that best suits your needs.
What do You talk about in virtual eating disorder nutrition therapy?
In your first session, you can expect to be the one doing most of the talking. Your nutrition therapist will want to get a clear picture about what motivated you to seek eating disorder therapy, what you are struggling with most, and what you want your relationship with food and your body to look like. You will probably be asked to share about the beliefs you’ve had about food and your body, and how they’ve influenced your eating habits throughout your life. From there, you and your dietitian nutritionist will collaborate to identify a few key areas to work on to begin the healing work. In follow-up sessions you will be able to share what you’ve noticed, revisit any goals you’ve set, and explore sticking points related to your recovery. You might have low-stakes “homework” like a question to reflect on or journal. Generally, some of the common topics covered in sessions are:
Feeding yourself consistently, problem-solving barriers
Sorting out desires for weight loss
Identifying where deprivation or restriction show up in your food behaviors and beliefs
Trying “fear foods”
Noticing what hunger and fullness feel like in your body
Incorporating intuitive eating principles
Separating beliefs about weight from health
Becoming more aware of diet culture
Finding easier, stress-free ways to feed yourself
Addressing health concerns without an emphasis on weight, coordinating care with your other healthcare providers if needed
Building a better body image
Brainstorming ways of taking care of yourself from an non-diet perspective
As you can see, there are lots of topics to learn about and practice incorporating as you start to heal your relationship with food. It can be beneficial to work with a dietitian in your online eating disorder treatment who can answer your questions and be a partner to you as you do this difficult work.
Tips For Success For Online Eating Disorder Treatment
Here are some ways you can make the most out of your online eating disorder therapy experience and why you might enjoy it:
Schedule sessions at a convenient time in your day. This may be a no-brainer, but it’s nice to schedule your sessions in a time that is less disruptive in your day. Have compassion with yourself knowing that talking about food and body issues takes up emotional energy, and if you can, give yourself the time to honor that. The great thing about virtual nutrition therapy is that you can fit it into your day without having to allot time to commute. You and your dietitian will find a time that works best and you can consider your schedule and your mental health when determining session times.
Get set up a few minutes beforehand. It can be helpful to set aside a minute or two before your session to check your WiFi connection and make sure you have the system your nutrition therapist uses for online sessions installed on your device (common ones are Kalix, Zoom, Doxy, and SimplePractice). Grab your headphones and charging cords so you have them handy. Getting set up for nutrition therapy also allows for a pause in your day and a time for you to focus just on you. If you have a hard time prioritizing yourself in your work or school day, virtual nutrition therapy could be a great fit for you!
Check in with yourself before logging on and use this moment to practice self care. Are you in a quiet place where you can be present? If not, do you need to switch to another room or space? Take a deep breath or quick stretch. Are you feeling any tension in your body? Hunger in your body? Thirst? Feel free to get water (or something else to hydrate with) or a snack (there is absolutely no shame in eating during your sessions- it is encouraged in your session with your eating disorder dietitian!). These can be helpful ways to practice some of the skills of tuning into your body that you're learning in session. If you have a difficult time practicing self-care and check-in with yourself, virtual nutrition therapy can help with this!
Online eating disorder nutrition therapy can be a great option for people to receive the support they need. It is always important to emphasize that you don’t need an eating disorder diagnosis to start treatment. If you are struggling with food and your body, your experience matters and that is all the justification you need for reaching out. Consider scheduling a discovery call with us to find out if online eating disorder nutrition therapy is a good fit for you.
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Looking for virtual eating disorder therapy?
Recovering from an eating disorder can feel hard but you don’t have to do it alone! You deserve support to finally break free of the cycles of eating and body hatred that you’ve been stuck in for some time. The dietitians from our Seattle, WA-based nutrition counseling practice would be honored to help you to overcome your struggle. To get support virtual nutrition therapy today, please contact us.