Eating Disorder Family Coaching & Support
Supporting a Loved One With an Eating Disorder
When someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, it can be difficult to know what to do. Parents, partners, and family members may feel overwhelmed, frightened, frustrated, or unsure of how to help without making things worse.
Eating disorders often affect the entire family system, and supporting recovery can feel like navigating unfamiliar territory without a roadmap.
Eating disorder family coaching provides education, guidance, and practical support for loved ones who want to better understand what is happening and play a supportive role in recovery. Whether your loved one is currently in treatment, considering treatment, transitioning between levels of care, or not yet ready to seek help, coaching can help you feel more confident and effective in how you respond.
How Eating Disorder Family Coaching Can Help
Most people are not taught how to respond to eating disorder behaviors, body image concerns, meal-time challenges, or recovery setbacks. Family coaching offers a space to ask questions, learn evidence-based strategies, and gain a deeper understanding of what your loved one is experiencing.
Dr. Joy’s focus is on helping you:
Better understand eating disorders and the recovery process
Respond effectively to eating disorder thoughts and behaviors
Navigate meal-time challenges and food-related conflicts
Improve communication and reduce power struggles
Establish healthy boundaries
Support recovery without becoming consumed by it
Manage your own stress, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness
Strengthen connection and trust within the family system
A Collaborative and Compassionate Approach
There is no perfect way to support a loved one through recovery. Families are often doing the best they can with the information and resources they have available. My approach is collaborative, nonjudgmental, and tailored to the unique needs of each family.
Rather than focusing on blame, we focus on understanding. Together, we identify what is working, address barriers to recovery, and develop practical strategies that support both your loved one and the well-being of the family as a whole.
Coaching is individualized to your family's circumstances, your loved one's needs, and the challenges you are currently navigating.
Who Family Coaching Is For
Family coaching may be helpful for:
Parents of adolescents or young adults with eating disorders
Partners supporting a loved one in recovery
Adult children concerned about a parent or family member
Families navigating treatment recommendations or transitions in care
Loved ones seeking guidance on how to provide support while maintaining healthy boundaries
Family coaching can be beneficial whether your loved one is actively engaged in therapy, receiving a higher level of care, or not yet ready to pursue treatment.
Family Coaching vs. Family Therapy
Family coaching is focused on education, guidance, problem-solving, and helping loved ones develop practical strategies for supporting someone with an eating disorder.
It is not a replacement for individual eating disorder treatment, family therapy when clinically indicated, or medical and nutritional care.
Your loved one does not need to be a client of Shoreline Eating Disorder Center for you to participate in family coaching. When appropriate and with the necessary permissions, coaching may also complement the work being done by your loved one's existing treatment team.
Eating Disorder Family Support in Westport & Beyond
Shoreline Eating Disorder Center is located in Westport, Connecticut, serving families throughout Fairfield County and surrounding communities.
Virtual services are available throughout Connecticut and may also be available to eligible clients located in participating PSYPACT states, depending on the nature of the service and the client's location.
If you live outside Connecticut, we can determine whether Dr. Joy is able to work with you based on your location and the type of support you are seeking.
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
Supporting someone with an eating disorder can be difficult, especially when you're constantly questioning whether you're saying or doing the right thing.
Family coaching can give you a place to ask questions, better understand what your loved one may be experiencing, and develop practical strategies for supporting recovery while also caring for yourself and maintaining healthy boundaries.
In-person appointments are available in Westport, Connecticut. Virtual services are available throughout Connecticut and may be available to eligible clients in participating PSYPACT states.