Woodleaf Center's Treatment Program for Bulimia
Woodleaf Center's program is designed to help address the poor body image
and low self esteem that are at the core of bulimia. Our bulimia treatment program involves weekly group
psychotherapy in a small group format (allowing for a feeling of intimacy, safety and tons of personalized
attention) weekly individual therapy and weekly nutritional counseling.
We believe that you can fully heal from bulimia no matter how long you
have had the disorder or how severe it has been. We see bulimia as a coping strategy, one that is learned and can be unlearned. Woodleaf Center believes that the true pathway to healing is to address
the underlying issues that have prompted the disorder in the first place. While many programs may provide symptom relief through
behavioral modification we believe addressing the underlying issues is vital for long term remission of the eating disorder.
That is why our program addresses eating disorder recovery in a multi-dimensional fashion.
Here are
some highlights of the important issues addressed in our bulimia program:
* Breaking
the binge-and-purge-cycle- An important phase of our bulimia treatment focuses on stopping the viscious cycle of bingeing
and purging and restoring normal eating patterns. Through compassionate and gentle nutritional counseling you will learn to
monitor your eating habits, avoid situations that trigger binges, cope with stress in ways that don't involve food, eat regulary
to reduce food cravings, and fight the urge to purge.
* Changing
unhealthy thoughts and patterns – Our bulimia treatment program focuses on identifying and changing dysfunctional
beliefs about weight, dieting, and body shape. You will explore attitudes about eating, and rethink the idea that self-worth
is based on weight. You will begin to shift and heal the black and white thinking that so often dominates
ones viewpoint with bulimia.
* Solving emotional issues –We believe a vital part of healing from bulimia involve targeting emotional
issues that caused the eating disorder in the first place. This means something different for each person which is why we
individualize our therapy to address issues such as trauma, underlying anxiety and depression, low self-esteem, and feelings
of isolation and loneliness. You will explore underlying issues in your individual sessions as well as in group sessions.
