At the Houston DBT Center, we offer specialized treatment for adolescents and adults struggling with eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, and orthorexia.

Our eating disorders treatment is included as part of treating a wide variety of diagnoses. Providing eating disorder treatment in a setting that includes individuals with a variety of mental health concerns, rather than limiting care to groups made up only of those with eating disorders, offers unique benefits for recovery. A mixed-diagnosis environment allows clients to hear different perspectives and learn from a wide range of coping skills, which can broaden insight and foster hope. It helps reduce the risk of a person’s identity becoming centered solely on the eating disorder, supporting a more well-rounded sense of self. Exposure to peers navigating different challenges can also encourage cognitive flexibility, empathy, and openness—qualities that are essential for long-term change. Moreover, the therapeutic skills taught in these settings, such as managing emotions, tolerating distress, and improving relationships, are applicable across all diagnoses, creating a dynamic learning space that better reflects the diversity of situations clients will face in everyday life.

What to Expect During Your Assessment

Our evaluation process helps us identify the nature of the eating disorder, any co-occurring conditions, and the safest and most effective level of care. This includes:

• Clinical Interview – We listen to your story, exploring current symptoms, eating patterns, body image concerns, medical history, and important life circumstances.
• Standardized Screening Tools – We use evidence-based questionnaires to assess eating disorder symptoms, mood, anxiety, personality style, and related mental health concerns.
• Medical and Nutritional Review – With your consent, we coordinate with your medical provider and, when needed, a registered dietitian to address physical health and nutritional needs.
• Risk and Safety Evaluation – We assess for any urgent medical complications, suicidal thoughts, or self-harming behaviors to determine if outpatient therapy or intensive outpatient (IOP) is indicated. If residential care is needed, we will refer you to trusted facilities.
• Strengths and Goals – We identify what matters most to you so your eating disorder treatment plan reflects your values and supports long-term recovery.

We start with the least intensive level of care that can be effective, based on an assessment of needs, and level up support only when needed. This often allows you to stay involved in treatment while minimizing disruption to school, work, and daily life.

Teens

Most younger teens begin treatment with weekly individual sessions and family sessions, where Family-Based Treatment (FBT), the gold standard for adolescents with anorexia or bulimia, is indicated. In FBT, parents are the main support for helping their teen eat regular meals and restore health. If regular outpatient treatment is not enough, or families need more structure, we offer skills classes that address coping needs for the teen. We also have an IOP for a more intensive treatment. When needed, we include a nutritionist who specializes in ED and a medical professional to manage and oversee physical health needs.

Even as teens move into more intensive treatment, families remain a central part of the healing process. Parents receive coaching on how to support eating at home and learn to apply FBT principles during key meals. At the same time, teens continue working on their recovery through daily CBT-E sessions and targeted group support.

For older teens, weekly individual sessions and group sessions are often the starting point, in either RO DBT or DBT. 

Advanced Treatment Options: DBT and RO DBT Tracks

Some teens and adults benefit from extra support for underlying personality traits that maintain their eating disorder. That’s why we offer two specialized therapy tracks as part of our higher levels of care:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Our DBT Track helps teens and adults who struggle with emotion dysregulation and impulsivity—traits often seen in those who binge eat, purge, or self-harm. DBT teaches skills to:

• Manage intense emotions
• Cope with distress in healthy ways
• Improve relationships
• Reduce impulsive or self-destructive behavior

Through a structured program of mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness, DBT supports you in building a life worth living and sharing.