Why A Care Team Matters In Eating Disorder Recovery
Eating disorders are multifaceted illnesses that manifest both physically and psychologically. The road to recovery doesn't come without its challenges, and getting help, even from the right team, isn't going to be an overnight fix. Unfortunately, there isn't a quick fix for eating disorders, but research has shown that comprehensive care from a multidisciplinary ED treatment team delivers far better patient outcomes. Our dietitians are passionate about supporting a holistic recovery, which requires close, client-centered team collaboration.
Who's on the care team?
Ideally, an individual in recovery would have a specialized treatment team of professionals (who specialize in treating eating disorders) that may include, but is not limited to:
Medical providers routinely monitor physical health and safety and assessing for appropriate level of care
Dietitians help with nutrition, food flexibility, and rebuilding trust with your body
Therapists support the emotional and behavioral side of recovery
Psychiatrists (when needed) help with medication support
Each professional brings a different piece of the puzzle, and throughout recovery, as a person may face various eating disorder challenges, other health professionals will join the team.
Now, having a full care team (the gold standard of ED treatment) can be challenging due to a person's location, finances, flexibility for multiple appointments/check-ins, and the accessibility of specialized ED providers (which are unfortunately sometimes harder to find than you'd expect).
What good collaboration looks like
A strong care team doesn’t just exist--they collaborate! Instead of seeing various health professionals at different times to address different concerns, having a team approach allows for your overall goals to be centralized and supported across the board.
That can look like:
Providers communicating with each other (with your permission, of course)
Shared goals and consistent messaging
A united approach that reduces confusion and overwhelm
It means you’re not getting mixed messages like:
“Eat more” in one place and “be careful” in another.
Instead, everything works to consider a person's total wellbeing and recovery.
Our favorite part? The people we get to work with
One of the best parts of this work is the incredible humans we as dietitians get to collaborate with.
We’re constantly inspired by therapists, medical providers, and other professionals who care deeply about their clients and show up in thoughtful, nuanced ways.
If you’re building your own care team, know this: there are really good people out there who want to support you.
We’re lucky to be part of a really incredible network of providers here in Utah and beyond who truly get eating disorder recovery.
Some of the professionals and practices we love collaborating with include:
