Virtual eating disorder treatment is a novel approach to treatment that offers clients the convenience of staying at home, while providing treatment that is just as, if not more, effective for many people. Through this method, you can connect with your full treatment team (doctors, therapists, registered dietitians, nurses, etc.) online, from wherever you are.

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Many types of meetings that traditionally happen in person can be easily conducted in a virtual environment. This includes intake assessments, follow-up appointments, and medical consultations—all done from the comfort of your own home.

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Online eating disorder treatment has many advantages. Clients with any kind of limitation to receiving in-person care, whether mobility or transportation challenges, or those in areas with limited in-person treatment options, only need a smart device and an internet connection to receive quality care. Additionally, any client receiving virtual treatment will be able to receive care directly in their potentially triggering environment, so they can learn to manage those triggers more effectively.

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Whether you need help for bulimia, anorexia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, or another eating disorder, online eating disorder treatment is available.

Online eating disorder support groups offer additional support when receiving quality care from home. These communities can include people from all walks of life, those who are currently in recovery from an eating disorder, patients who are still in active treatment, and support groups for the loved ones of those suffering from an eating disorder.

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Support groups can also be tailored to specific populations that share similar experiences, such as teenagers, LGBTQIA+ patients, men, mature women, BIPOC patients, or people with a specific eating disorder diagnosis, such as avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), binge eating disorder, bulimia, or anorexia. Thanks to the virtual reach of the internet, online groups can bring together patients from across the globe. And you can meet—and learn from—them all without ever having to leave your own home.

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To participate in an online eating disorder support group, you’ll need a device that can connect to the internet. The device should also have a working microphone, which will help you participate. Some groups may run through apps or other online tools that you’ll need to download.

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Within Health offers online therapy group sessions which are led by a member or our care team.

Online eating disorder therapy may be covered by your insurance.

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Many insurance providers will cover online treatment, provided you supply the required paperwork or other materials they need to see. And most insurance policies include at least some form of eating disorder or mental health coverage, including virtual or in-person therapy. 

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The specific treatment types and length of treatment covered by your plan will vary. At Within, we work with your insurance company directly, throughout your treatment, to help ensure you have access to all the care you need.

Virtual programming (i.e., online help) may be one of the newer forms of treatment for an eating disorder, but it’s already showing a lot of promise.

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Studies have shown that online therapy can be just as—or even more—effective than in-person care for certain conditions. Additionally, patients have generally reported similar or higher quality of care when it comes to virtual treatment.

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This form of effective treatment works. After completing Within’s remote program

• 86% of patients saw reduced eating disorder symptoms
• 77% reported reduced feelings of depression and anxiety
• 86% said they experienced an improved quality of life

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Part of the reason it may be so popular and helpful is the number of benefits online therapy has to offer:

• It’s generally much more accessible for patients
• It can help them manage at-home triggers while they’re living in that environment
• Family therapy through virtual care can include family members who otherwise may not be able to be physically present

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Many people generally feel more at-ease with online eating disorder treatment, as it alleviates the pressures of commuting to treatment, can be more flexibly scheduled, and allows a patient to participate from a space they feel safe and comfortable in.

Intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) is a pivotal middle-ground of eating disorder recovery, where a patient slowly takes on more independence and responsibility while continuing to work deeply on other key aspects of their recovery.

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At Within, our intensive outpatient program includes much more flexible contact hours with a client’s care team than most in-person programs during this crucial transition. Our program is a minimum of 3 hours a day 3 days a week, but can increase to significantly more than that. Unlike in-person programs, though, the hours do not have to be consecutive. We are able to tailor the hours around an individual’s busy life.

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In addition to individual sessions, groups, and supported meals, our IOP program offers additional support via our virtual “living room” where a care partner is available up to 10 hours a day. We also offer our IOP clients access to our support button 24 hours a day—with live support offered until 10pm daily. Simply click the support button located in the app when a trigger surfaces and get the support you need.

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Clients also have high frequency individual sessions with to many different members of the care team. In addition to a therapist and dietitian, our clients also have an assigned food specialist, nurse, care partner, and psychiatric provider (if needed). All of the care and support is easily accessed from one easy-to-use app, allowing for greater flexibility and peace of mind when charting a path to recovery. Plus, at Within, we take care to make everyone’s care is as personalized as possible. We’re a team of diverse, inclusive, multilingual experts who strongly believe in equality and offering supportive, affirming care for all people who need it.