Eating Disorders Program :: The Melbourne Clinic

The Eating Disorder Program

Who is this program for?

The Eating Disorders Day Program (EDDP) is a therapeutic group program for adults working towards recovery from a diagnosed eating disorder. This may include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder or other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED).

The EDDP is suited to participants who are recovery-focused and able to manage eating more independently, yet still require the structure and support of a day program to assist with challenging their eating disorder behaviours. The aim of the program is help participants move towards a healthier relationship with food and eating and build a life outside of the eating disorder.

How will it help me?

The EDDP is facilitated by a dedicated team of experienced clinicians, including psychologists, dietitians and social workers. A range of therapeutic groups are offered across the program including:

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT-E) groups designed to help participants build insight into their unhelpful eating disorder patterns and target their eating disorder behaviours
Skills-based groups, including emotion regulation, distress tolerance and recovery planning, that teach participants a range of skills to manage triggers, emotions and eating disorder behaviours
Nutrition groups that provide education, support and answer questions relating to food and eating whilst assisting participants to normalise their eating patterns
Discussion and support groups to help participants build connection, improve the quality of their interpersonal relationships and develop their identity outside of the eating disorder
Body image groups that allow participants a safe space to discuss their experience of body image and work on challenging unhelpful beliefs and behaviours that contribute to negative body image
Goal-setting groups that guide participants to live more in line with their values by offering support to set specific, meaningful goals and accountability to follow through with achieving these goals
Support is provided prior to meal times as well as after meal breaks, however meal breaks are currently self-directed.

When does it run?

The EDDP currently runs online using the Zoom online meeting platform. We have groups 4 days per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and each day runs from 9.20am to 3.00pm.

Each day is different and runs independently, which means that participants are able to attend from 1 day per week anywhere up to 4 days per week depending on the level of treatment and support that is needed. The EDDP is an open program, which means that participants can join any time throughout the year. The duration of treatment is decided collaboratively with the participant, their referring psychiatrist and day program staff. The program takes short breaks between school terms and over the Christmas/New Year period.

Admission is via referral from a psychiatrist accredited to The Melbourne Clinic followed by a phone assessment by the Day Program Intake team. Participation in the program is typically funded by private health insurance.

For more information please contact Day Programs on 03 8416 3800.

Eating Disorders Day Program

The Eating Disorders Day Program runs on Monday to Friday.

The program is designed for people who are able to manage eating more independently however still require ongoing structure and support to challenge their problematic eating behaviours.

The program consists of dietetic groups that provide education and support, cognitive behaviour therapy groups and other skills based groups such as DBT skills and mindfulness and recovery planning.

Patients engage in food challenges to reduce their anxiety around feared foods and enhance their confidence in eating more independently.

We try and tailor the individual’s treatment days to support their personal goals for recovery.

Admission is via a comprehensive assessment.

For more information please contact Day Programs on 03 8416 3800.

Eating Disorders Program

This program has been specifically designed to assist people with eating disorders.

The aim is to provide a safe and trusting environment that fosters the restoration of health and weight, but focuses more importantly on assisting patients to develop an understanding of the factors that maintain the disorder.

The Eating Disorders Program is comprised of an inpatient and a day program. Outreach services are also available.The Eating Disorders Inpatient Program is a specialized 40 day program that has been designed to provide comprehensive treatment. The multidisciplinary team of qualified health professionals are experienced and trained in understanding and treating Eating Disorders.

Improved nutritional status and emotional well-being is achieved through individualised meal planning and meal support and participation in the daily group program. The daily group program provides patients with opportunities to participate in evidence based treatment of eating disorders, emotion regulation and cognitive behavioural therapy, enhanced occupational therapy and creative arts therapies.

Family involvement in recovery is encouraged. Family therapy and a monthly family support and information evening are made available to relatives and friends of patients.

The inpatient program provides treatment to patients in the acute stage of illness.

Patients are then assisted with a transition to outpatient care, where the Eating Disorders Day Program and The Melbourne Clinic Outreach services offer continuity of treatment, to eligible participants.

Binge Eating Disorders Program

Inpatient Program

To assist in the development of skills and increase participants awareness of the maintaining factors for Binge Eating and associated behaviours.

Program aims

The main therapeutic framework in this program is informed by Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Binge Eating. Therapy frameworks include psycho-education and skills acquisition from components such as Dietetics, Interpersonal Therapy and Effectiveness, Emotional Regulation, Distress tolerance, Mindfulness in combination with self-directed work-book activities.

Program structure

This program is designed to provide a variety of psycho-education, skills development and activities to enhance one’s ability to understand why difficulties occur, review maintaining factors for ones behaviours, and ultimately enhance recovery.

Sessions range from educational and gathering information, to skills based groups, including movement groups. All group sessions are complementary and take place in the morning and afternoon, with time set aside for the completion on the workbook that participants complete as they move through the program.

All groups are compulsory and attended daily from Monday to Friday.
The program runs for four weeks in duration.

Frequently asked questions

Who will benefit from this program?

This program is most suitable for those who have been identified as having Binge Eating behaviours associated with an Eating Disorder Diagnosis or difficulties with over-eating or night eating. The content of this program is relevant to a broad range of people experiencing moderate to high severity of binge eating behaviors and associated psychological sequelae.

When do admissions occur?

Admission to the program occurs on the Saturday prior to the program commencement and discharge occurs postthe program completion on the weekend.

Do I have to attend all groups?

Groups are compulsory for attendance as they form the basis of the program.

What supports are available to me when I am discharged from the program?

During the first two weeks of the program, your Doctor can make a referral to Outreach (individual home-basedsupport) or the Day Program groups available through The Melbourne Clinic. We will try and arrange for theassessments to be done whilst you are an inpatient so that you can commence follow-up immediately on discharge.

Eating Disorders Program Carers Information Night

We host information evening sessions, aimed to assist friends, families and carers on how to help their loved ones manage their symptoms of eating disorders by gaining a better understanding of ongoing recovery process, expectations and enabling a smoother transition back into the family home and community after leaving hospital.

Please see below, details of the next Eating Disorders Carers Information Night:

Date: Wednesday, 3 February 2021
Time: 6 – 7.30 pm
Location: ZOOM Information session
Facilitators: David Nayler (EDP Therapy Manager), Diane Rennard (EDP Senior Dietician), Julia Lawless (EDP Nurse Unit Manager) and Tamika Doyle (Clinical Psychologist EDP day program)
RSVP: Julia.Lawless@healthscope.com.au by Monday, 25 January 2021 for zoom details.

Click HERE for brochure

To find out more information/ dates please email Julia Lawless (Nurse Unit Manager – Eating Disorders Program) at Julia.Lawless@healthscope.com.au