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Child Eating Disorders Program

An eating disorder puts your child’s health at risk and affects the entire family. We offer compassionate care for children and teens with anorexia, food intake disorders, and other conditions. We help your child develop a healthier relationship with food.
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Help for children and teens with eating disorders

Eating disorders commonly appear during the tween or teen years. Your child may use food as a way to cope with uncomfortable thoughts. It can be hard for your child to stop this cycle on their own. Without treatment, anorexia nervosa, food intake disorder, bulimia nervosa, and other eating disorders can jeopardize your child’s health. Our eating disorder experts understand the challenges facing your child and family. We offer the latest therapies to improve your child’s body image and how they view food.
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Part of Mental Health and Psychiatric Services
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Our approach to caring for children with eating disorders

We get to know your child and family, which helps us customize a care plan that offers the greatest chance of success. We’re here to support your family on this recovery journey.
Expert diagnosis of child and teen eating disorders

Before your child starts treatment, we conduct a detailed assessment to learn more about their:

  • Current and past eating disorder symptoms
  • Immediate and long-term medical concerns
  • Previous psychiatric care

This information helps our care team personalize a treatment plan for your child’s unique needs.

Specialized therapy for children with eating disorders

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps children and teens identify and change feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that contribute to disordered eating.

We offer CBT for children and teens with:

  • Anorexia nervosa
  • ARFID
  • Binge-eating disorder
  • Bulimia nervosa
  • Pica
  • Rumination disorder
  • Other specified feeding or eating disorder
Therapy that empowers your family

Family-based treatment (FBT) empowers parents and siblings to play active roles in a loved one’s recovery. This specialized coaching helps family members accept that they’re not to blame for the eating disorder. You learn healthy ways to nourish your child by choosing and preparing their foods. Gradually, your child takes a more active role in food decisions.

We also offer virtual CBT group therapy for parents of children ages 5 to 9 who have ARFID.

Medication management of mental health disorders in children and adolescents
Your child may benefit from medications for other mental health conditions like anxiety. A combination of medications and therapy can improve your child’s chances of treatment success and lower their risk of relapses. We can start your child on the right medications and work with their PCP to manage their care.
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Our approach

Eating disorders and treatments

Some children with eating disorders have co-occurring conditions like anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Our pediatric behavioral health specialists diagnose and manage all conditions. This comprehensive care approach improves your child’s chances of treatment success.
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Conditions and treatments
Children with eating disorders may benefit from care across multiple mental health programs, depending on their diagnosis, symptoms, and recovery needs. As a national leader in psychiatry, we offer coordinated, evidence-based care through specialized services.

  • Eating Disorders Service

    We offer comprehensive services for people of all ages who have anorexia, ARFID, and other eating disorders. See how we can help you or your child.

  • Mental Health and Psychiatric Services

    Access compassionate mental health and psychiatric care across Greater Boston at Mass General Brigham, home to world-class experts from McLean Hospital.

  • Mass General Brigham for Children

    Mass General Brigham for Children provides care for newborns to teens—from checkups to specialty care—for families in the Boston area and internationally. Learn more about our services.

  • Mental Health and Psychiatric Services

    Access compassionate mental health and psychiatric care across Greater Boston at Mass General Brigham, home to world-class experts from McLean Hospital.

  • Eating Disorders Service

    We offer comprehensive services for people of all ages who have anorexia, ARFID, and other eating disorders. See how we can help you or your child.

  • Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program

    The mission of the Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program at Mass General is to provide the highest-quality patient care, clinical research, professional training and public education about eating disorders.

  • Eating Disorders Collaborative Care Clinic

    We provide specialized medical and psychiatric care for adolescents and adults with eating disorders. Learn more.

  • Adult ED Program

  • Child and Adolescent Partial Hospital Program at McLean

    Partial hospital programs offer intensive, structured outpatient mental health treatment. Read more about our child and teen programs.

  • Child Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Program

    The mission of the Child CBT Program at Mass General Brigham is to provide state-of-the-art cognitive behavioral therapy to children, adolescents and young adults with a range of emotional and behavioral problems.

  • Pediatric Mental Health and Psychiatry

    We provide evaluation and treatment of children/adolescents with the full spectrum of psychiatric conditions and behavioral or emotional difficulties in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

  • Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Program

    Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Mass General Brigham for Children provides outstanding primary care and consultative care to adolescents and young adults.

  • Child Anxiety Program

    Access comprehensive services for your child’s anxiety disorder, including medications and therapies. Request an appointment.

  • Child Depression Program

    Experts at our Child Depression Program offer compassionate, evidence-based care to help children and teens with depression. See how we can help your child.

  • McLean's Eating Disorders Center at Klarman

    We are here to help women in need of 24-hour care to gain control of their eating disorder.

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Services and programs

Contact the Child Eating Disorders Program

Call us to speak with a team member who can help you understand your options and guide you to the care that is right for you.
Phone

Massachusetts General Hospital

Psychiatry: 617-724-0799

Medical Clinic: 617-585-7471

McLean Hospital

617-855-3410

International
International Patient Services
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Contact