Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Treatment at Walden Behavioral Care

Using a multidisciplinary approach, the staff at Walden Behavioral Care is dedicated to providing the most effective and cutting edge treatments for eating disorders. The Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is designed for individuals seeking additional support in their recovery process from an eating disorder. The IOP is used in combination with outpatient treatment, and is ideal for people transitioning from a higher level of care or those needing more support than their outpatient team alone can provide. The focus of IOP treatment is on the development of healthy coping skills through empirically-based behavioral treatments. Making connections to support the recovery process is also emphasized in the program. At this level of care individuals are encouraged to integrate work, school, hobbies, and relationships so that they can reclaim their lives and attain significant recovery from their eating disorders.

Who Is Served By Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Treatment

The IOP at Walden is designed for men and women (18 years and older) who are medically stable, are without acute psychiatric symptoms, and who are actively working with an outpatient treatment team.

Program Hours: Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Treatment

Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 5:15 PM - 8:30 PM

Goals of Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Treatment

• Development of healthy coping skills to manage eating disordered thoughts and behaviors
• Development of specific dialectical behavioral skills to help individuals:
• Cope with painful feelings
• Manage triggering and stressful situations
• Successfully manage urges and anxious thoughts
• Learn interpersonal effectiveness techniques
• Re-integration to work, school, family, and friends
• Healthier eating habits
• Relapse prevention

Duration: Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Treatment

Individuals typically participate in Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Treatment for four to six weeks.

What Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Treatment Provides

The focus of Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Treatment is to prepare individuals for a successful transition to outpatient care and to make progress towards lasting recovery.

Individuals in Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Treatment must have an outpatient team during their course of treatment in the program. We also ask individuals to be integrating an element of daily structure into their week while in treatment. If these elements are not in place upon admission to the program, clinicians at Walden will assist by providing appropriate referrals for an outpatient team, as well as support the process of developing a daily structure.

The treatment components of the program include group therapy, therapeutic meals, nutritional assessment and consultation, and individual counseling. The Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Treatment group program employs the most up-to-date treatment approaches that include Cognitive and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy as a treatment model. These behaviorally-based groups focus on skills acquisition, interpersonal processes, and psychoeducational components. Each session also includes a mealtime group, led by a therapist or nutritionist, and is designed to address eating and socialization issues.

Program Structure: Eating Disorder Intensive Outpatient Treatment

Individuals attend three days of IOP treatment. During the first week, the IOP clinical team at Walden will work with individuals to establish a personalized treatment plan to address each person’s needs and goals. Each individual will have weekly meetings with their Walden therapist who will also help establish structure and a treatment schedule.

Are You Researching Intensive Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment Programs To Help Someone With An Eating Disorder?

If you suspect you or someone you know has an eating disorder, contact us at Walden Behavioral Care at 781-647-6727 or Info@waldenbehavioralcare.com.

Besides our Intensive Outpatient Eating Disorder Program, Walden offers inpatient, residential, and partial hospitalization programs, providing discrete, highly specialized treatment for patients 13 and older with anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder and other eating disorders.