Finding the Right Eating Disorder Therapist

The National Eating Disorders Association says that, according to data collected from national surveys, approximately 10 million men and 20 million women in America will find themselves struggling with an eating disorder at some point during their lifetimes. Eating disorders come with a lot of myths, too, surrounding who they affect and how. Eating disorders can affect anyone regardless of their age or background, and though they can profoundly affect people mentally and physically, they are also treatable. Finding the right eating disorder therapist is one of the fist steps in treating an eating disorder. 

Finding the Right Specialist for You

If you want to seek treatment for an eating disorder, you may want to begin by finding a therapist or other type of healthcare professional that is a good match for you. The National Eating Disorders Association lists a series of useful questions that you may want to consider asking your potential healthcare provider; these can help ensure that this individual is well-fit to your needs. Some of these questions include:

• How are you licensed?
• What is your experience in treating eating disorders?
• What evidence-based treatment modalities are you utilize?
• How long have you been treating individuals with eating disorders?
• How would you describe your style of treatment?
• About how long will the treatment process take?
• Which insurance plans do you accept?
• Do you deal directly with the insurance companies, or does the responsibility fall on me?
• When is payment for your services due?
• Do you offer sliding scale payment options?
• How will we know if and when it’s time to conclude my treatment?
• How do you involve my family members and/or friends in my recovery process?

Dealing with Insurance

Making sure your recovery journey from an eating disorder is covered by your insurance may be yet another daunting aspect of your recovery process. The National Eating Disorders Association offers helpful information that can help ease you along this process. 

First and foremost, it is essential to recognize that effectively treating any eating disorder necessitates addressing both its psychological and physical aspects head-on. While insurance companies are legally required to cover both your mental and physical health in the same way, the insurance company may very well contract your mental health care under a totally separate company, which could create even more confusion in seeking coverage. 

A strategy that could help you is looking into getting a case manager who will be responsible for handling your case at your insurance company on your behalf. They may, however, not be experienced in advocating for patients who are in recovery from an eating disorder; you should be prepared to explain to them in a calm, rational, yet assertive way that both physical and mental health coverage is a necessity in order to recover. Having a case manager could streamline the process of effectively seeking coverage from your insurance company. The National Eating Disorders Association also insists that it is important–and perhaps even essential–to record everything, including any written correspondence with insurance reps as well as dates and times of any phone calls with the company. 

Additionally, we are here to help you or your loved ones at Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists. You can reach us via phone (866-525-2766), email, or by filling out our contact form.