Services for Adults (18+) 

The Adult Eating Disorders program at CMHA WW is a community-based outpatient treatment for eating disorders.  Our program consists of 4 phases orientation, assessment, treatment and follow-up. The adult eating disorders program is offered out of CMHA WW offices in Guelph and Kitchener.  There are also some options for virtual care.   

ORIENTATION 

Individuals referred to the program will be asked to attend an orientation session to learn more about our eating disorders, our services and other levels of care for eating disorders.  You will be given information to help you decide if our program is a good fit for your needs and if you would like to be added to our waitlist.  You will be provided with information and resources on where you can access supports for eating disorders   

Those who remain interested in our services following the orientation group will then be added to the waitlist for assessment.  To be eligible for assessment, you must attend an orientation session.   

ASSESSMENT 

Assessments are completed by a multi-disciplinary team that consists of a therapist, registered dietitian, and nurse practitioner.  Assessments are to confirm an eating disorders diagnosis and appropriate level of care based on your current symptoms.   After assessment, our team will help you determine if our services will meet your needs.  We will schedule your treatment group or provide additional resources if our program is not a fit at this time. 

TREATMENT 

Our program offers group-based treatment for eating disorders, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-ED), DBT Skills group, and Body Image group.  An education session for loved ones of those in the program is offered early on in treatment.    

Individuals with identified medical complications related to their eating disorder may be followed by our nurse practitioner until deemed to be medically stable.   

Individuals entering the treatment phase of the program may be offered a psychiatric consultation to assess for other mental health concerns, like depression or anxiety.   

All program participants start treatment with group based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Eating Disorders.  This is a weekly 2.5-hour group that takes place over 21 weeks, and is broken down into 4 components: 

• Psychoeducation- provides information about eating disorders, their connection to other mental health concerns and the Eating Disorder Cycle.  Participants explore the personal consequences of living with an eating disorder 

• Preparation- what is involved in recovery from an eating disorder, personal goal setting begins 

• Planning- shifts to a practical approach to normalized eating and activity, participants are provided ongoing support with goal setting 

• Making Changes- monitoring progress and problem solving when setbacks occur 

After completing CBT-ED, participants will work with their treatment team to determine next steps in treatment based on how recovery is going.  Options include: 

• Additional group-based treatment dependent on stage of recovery 

• Referral to a higher level of care 

• Connection to other support resources in the community 

FOLLOW-UP 

Three individual check-ins at regular intervals for one year following completion of treatment to see how things are going.  During this time, you may be referred for additional outpatient treatment, encouraged to seek a higher level of care or provided with resources where you can access ongoing support in the community.