Family Based Therapy (FBT)

Family-Based Treatment, or FBT, is a type of psychological treatment to treat eating disorders.

It is offered by therapists who are trained in the method and following the FBT treatment manuals. FBT is a type of family therapy, where the patient and the family visit the therapist together. FBT differs from most family therapy approaches for eating disorders:

• FBT is “agnostic” about the cause of eating disorders, and does not try to find underlying issues or causes
• Parents are asked to take over decisions about food for the first part of treatment
• Siblings are included
• Therapists coach parents in finding their own solutions to challenges during treatment
• Food is medicine
• There is a “family meal” session early in treatment where patients are asked to resist, and parents are coached in how to overcome resistance

FBT was originally designed for treating anorexia nervosa, is also manualized for bulimia nervosa. Most of the research for FBT has been done with adolescents.

Ready to get started?

If you or someone you love is struggling with disordered eating, call (408) 628-0532 to find out if FBT is right for you. Our therapists are skilled at assessing the eating disorder and determining the best course of action for treatment. Call now to schedule an assessment. Campbell Teen & Family Therapy, Inc. (CTFT) is proud to provide services for Campbell, San Jose and the entire Bay Area!