Therapy for Eating Disorders

Our center's innovative and successful outcomes in eating disorder treatment call upon a wide variety of therapeutic processes.  Treating bulimia, anorexia, and addiction requires a thorough assessment of the woman and an ongoing adjustment of her treatment program.

Women will have access to not only the staff of therapists, counselors, and consulting physicians and psychiatrists, but also a vast network of ED professionals in the greater Southern California area.  After twenty five years of building relationships in the treatment community worldwide, The Victorian can refer women to the most qualified therapist for the issues she is experiencing whether it is while she is in residential treatment at The Victorian or when she returns home  - wherever that may be.

Some of the group therapy processes that the woman will participate in include:

 Group Therapy: This is a 1 hour group conducted several times a week by a staff member. The focus of the group is on addressing core issues that each client is working on in recovery. A variety of issues are addressed and individual assignments are shared at this time.

Group Feelings: A 30 to 60 minute feelings group following each meal. This gives (3x's daily) each resident an opportunity to "walk" through their feelings.

Lectures & Workshop: A variety of lecture topics are presented on rotation by a variety of our staff clinicians. They include Relapse Prevention, The Disease Concept, Anger Management, Healthy Relationships, Assertiveness training, Spirituality, Dual Diagnosis, Nutrition, Stress Management. One of the women's favorite lecturers is Dr. Jerry Brown MFT, Psy.D who many of you will also meet during Family Week. 

Art Therapy: A variety of art media are provided to assist in accessing and expressing thoughts and feelings. The goal is to promote self-expression and awareness. Our Art Therapy sessions are taught by Robin Lamoure, CADAC, MA, ATR who is renown in the recovery community. 

Recreational Therapy: A variety of activities provide our residents with opportunities for nonverbal and creative expression, social interaction, and skill-building.

Cognitive Group Therapy: The purpose of this group is to improve the clients' idea of themselves, learn to reframe situations, restructure and self- monitor. Clients learn to identify negative and/or dysfunctional thoughts and thinking patterns.

Guided Imagery Relaxation: Relaxing and enjoyable, Guided Imagery Group helps our clients cope with psychosocial stressors and find a "safe place," within themselves.

Body Image Workshops: In this group, clients learn how their perception of how they feel about themselves translates into their body image in the mirror. The goal is to develop skills that encourage and support healthy eating while developing a sense of self.

Spirituality Group: The purpose of this group is to support our clients in developing a spiritual foundation of their own on which to build their recovery.

Twelve Step Group: This group will provide an opportunity for Twelve-step support and answer questions related to this self-help program.

Relapse Prevention: This is an important part of ongoing recovery from an eating disorder. We believe that it is never too early to develop relapse prevention techniques and learn to use the tools of recovery.

Anger Management: Female anger issues are different from male issues in many ways. We feel that it is important to have gender- specific anger management and release through process.

Nutritional Education: These sessions are led by a registered dietician and are conducted weekly. Clients are educated about nutritional needs, healthy food, portion control, and the effects of an eating disorder on one's health. Our nutritionist Dawn Narvaez leads these sessions with the clients. 

Stress Management: This group gives our clients an opportunity to learn stress management techniques. Through a cognitive change, use of physical exercise and a number of other tools, one learns to relieve stress rather than to hold on to it.

Relationship Group: Clients have a group primarily for the process of negative past relationships, unhealthy enmeshments, and relationship dependencies. They learn about healthy boundaries, effective communication skills, and develop a realistic perception of what a relationship should be. Our very popular and beloved Clinical Director, Kristine Emry, LCSW leads these groups. 

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Dialectical Behavior Therapy, also known as DBT, is an effective group therapy for helping individuals handle stressful situations without losing control and acting in self-sabotaging ways.  This therapy helps build skills in distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.