- CEDS-Led Eating Disorder Treatment
Eating Disorder Treatment
Alyssa Mueller, CADC II — Clinical Director
Every client who joins this program works with a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS), a Registered Dietitian, and a Nutritionist — all on staff, working from one shared treatment plan. This page covers who the program is for, the conditions we treat, the team you'll work with, and how care fits into our continuum, from PHP through outpatient.
- We work with most PPO providers
We accept most PPO insurance providers.
Complete the form for a free insurance coverage check or call us to speak with an experienced and compassionate team member who can guide you in maximizing your benefits. Your insurance provider will not be notified.
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Conditions we treat
Anorexia Nervosa
This involves eating far less than the body needs, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted view of one’s own body weight or shape. We treat both subtypes — restricting, and binge-eating/purging — and work closely with medical providers when weight restoration, electrolyte monitoring, or cardiac clearance is needed before starting treatment at our level of care.
Bulimia Nervosa
This involves repeated binge eating followed by behaviors meant to “undo” it — self-induced vomiting, misusing laxatives or diuretics, fasting, or excessive exercise. Treatment focuses on stabilizing the binge-purge cycle, monitoring for medical effects like electrolyte imbalances and dental damage, and using CBT-E to address the thinking patterns that drive the cycle.
Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
This involves repeated episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food, along with a feeling of losing control and significant distress — typically without the “undoing” behaviors seen in bulimia. BED is the most common eating disorder in the U.S., and it’s often accompanied by depression, anxiety, and substance use.
ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
This involves restrictive eating driven by low interest in food, sensory sensitivities, or fear of something bad happening (like choking) — not by body image concerns. ARFID often shows up in adolescents and adults with neurodevelopmental conditions, a history of GI issues, or food-related trauma. Our nutrition team is trained in gradual food exposure and sensory-based nutrition planning.
OSFED — Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder
This category includes atypical anorexia, purging disorder, night eating syndrome, and other patterns that don’t fully meet the criteria for another diagnosis. OSFED is common and clinically serious, but it’s often under-treated because it doesn’t match the popular image of what an eating disorder looks like. We treat OSFED with the same clinical depth as any other diagnosis.
Your Clinical & Nutrition Team
Every client’s care plan is built and reviewed by a coordinated team — not a single provider working alone.
CEDS-Certified Clinician
A Certified Eating Disorder Specialist leads your therapy plan and coordinates the rest of the team, using CBT-E, DBT, and FBT as appropriate.
Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN)
Handles meal planning, nutrition education, and structured meal support, using an "all foods fit" approach and working closely with your medical labs.
Nutritionist
Provides hands-on support with grocery planning, cooking, and food-related challenges, both inside and outside program hours.
Psychiatric Provider
Manages medication for co-occurring depression, anxiety, OCD-spectrum conditions, and ADHD — with attention to how malnutrition can affect how medications are absorbed and processed.
Case Manager
Coordinates with your primary care doctor, medical specialists (cardiology, GI, endocrinology), and any outside therapists you're already working with.
Family Program
Loved ones can join Connections, our family program that meets three times a week and teaches families how to support recovery without becoming the "food police."
Evidence-Based Treatment Model
Our therapy approach uses the treatments with the strongest research support for eating disorders in both teens and adults:
CBT-E (Enhanced Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy)
currently the top-recommended therapy for adults with bulimia, binge eating disorder, and OSFED, and a strong option for many people with anorexia
Family-Based Treatment (FBT / "Maudsley")
the first choice of treatment for teens with anorexia, and increasingly used for teen bulimia
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills
for clients who struggle to manage intense emotions or have a history of self-harm
Trauma-focused therapy (CPT, EMDR)
used when past trauma is contributing to the eating disorder
Exposure-based work
for ARFID, and for avoidance related to body image or mirrors
— Wavecrest Clinical Team
Structured Meal Support & Nutrition
Meals are part of treatment, not a break from it. Clients eat supported meals and snacks during program hours, approached the same way we’d approach any other challenge — with a clinician there, skills practiced in the moment, and a debrief afterward.
Our Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist build individual meal plans that:
- Restore proper nutrition and normalize eating patterns first, before working directly on body image and weight-related thoughts
- Reintroduce feared foods on a gradual schedule that the client helps plan
- Address specific lab results and nutrient deficiencies found during intake
- Prepare clients for grocery shopping, cooking, and eating in the everyday settings they'll return to after treatment
When Co-Occurring Substance Use Is Part of the Picture
About 50% of people with an eating disorder also develop a substance use disorder at some point — roughly five times higher than the general population. Wavecrest is licensed for dual diagnosis care, which means we can treat both conditions together, in one program, with one care team and one treatment plan.
Levels of Care & Medical Eligibility
We offer eating disorder treatment at the Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and Virtual IOP levels.
Because eating disorders can involve serious medical risk, our intake team checks for medical stability before admission — including vitals, blood pressure changes when standing (orthostatic checks), and key lab work. If a higher level of medical care or inpatient weight restoration is needed first, we’ll refer you there and welcome you into our program once you’re medically stable.
Eating Disorder Treatment at Wavecrest Behavioral Health
At Wavecrest Behavioral Health, we treat eating disorders with the specialized team the illness requires — a CEDS clinician, a Registered Dietitian, a Nutritionist, and a psychiatric provider, all in-house — inside a program that can also address co-occurring substance use, anxiety, depression, and trauma without sending you to three different clinics.
If you, your teenager, or someone you love is struggling with food, weight, or body image, call Wavecrest today at (866) 366-6178. The conversation is confidential, and there’s no obligation.
Reach out for treatment services
Our admissions team is available around the clock to answer questions about our eating disorder program, verify insurance, and help you or a loved one take the next step.