Equip

In the traditional treatment landscape, patients are often passed from program to program, creating gaps in care and opportunities for eating disorders to regain control. The result? Relapse rates remain unacceptably high, with roughly half of patients discharged from residential treatment relapsing within a year. Equip CEO and Co-Founder Kristina Saffran recently shared with Behavioral Health Tech how Equip's continuous care model eliminates the fragmentation of traditional approaches, transforming the eating disorder treatment landscape. Read the full article by Kristina here: https://lnkd.in/ggyBQxMH

The holiday season can be particularly challenging for individuals struggling with their relationship with food. For friends, family, colleagues, or patients, it’s important to understand why this time of year can feel overwhelming and how we can offer meaningful support. Why the Holidays Can be Hard: • Lots of big meals and food-related conversations • Weight loss talk ramps up with New Year’s resolutions • Social gatherings bring added stress and pressure • Routine and structure go out the window How to Help: • Ask how you can best support them—everyone’s needs are unique • Redirect diet culture discussions—shift focus away from triggering topics like weight and food • Be there when they need it—sometimes a quick check-in can make a big difference Together, we can help make the holidays more manageable for anyone navigating eating disorder symptoms. Learn more tips for supporting someone this season here: https://lnkd.in/gMZB3sP2

Join us next week!

If you’ve heard the term ‘OSFED’ before, you’ve probably wondered what it looks like in real life. Many people experience disordered eating behaviors that don’t fit neatly into the commonly-known eating disorders (like bulimia, anorexia, or binge eating disorder). OSFED puts a name and diagnosis to this gray area. 🔦 You can think of OSFED as more of an umbrella ☂️ that covers a variety of eating disorders that can look very different from each other. In fact, there are more forms of OSFED than the 5 featured in this post, like pica, chew and spit disorder, and rumination disorder. 📝 For many, an OSFED eating disorder diagnosis can help validate what they’ve been feeling and help them get treatment access or insurance coverage. For others, it can feel hard to relate to, and they may identify more closely with their subtype diagnosis. This is one of the (many) reasons that OSFED is a particularly nuanced eating disorder diagnosis! We recently partnered with Equip on a guide that dives deeper into OSFED and all that falls under its umbrella. Click https://lnkd.in/gfCBKtXk to read the full article. 🔗

Don't miss the last two Equip Academy events of the year! Catch these two opportunities to hear from leading eating disorder clinicians and researchers, and earn free CE/CME credits: 🪞 "The Upside of Cognitive Dissonance: Using An Evidence-Based Modality to Challenge Appearance Ideals and Support Eating Disorder Patients" 🗓️ Wednesday, December 10, 2024, at 9:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM ET. Presented by Cara Bohon and Ally Duvall ➡️ Explore how principles of cognitive dissonance—acting on new beliefs before fully adopting them—can challenge societal appearance ideals and help patients explore a new relationship with their bodies while challenging societal ideals. ✔️Register here: https://lnkd.in/gX-p_bdK 🥼 "Facilitating A Two-Pronged Recovery: Identifying and Treating Substance Use Disorders in Eating Disorder Patients" 🗓️ Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at 9:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM ET. Presented by Lara Effland and Kara Pepper, MD ➡️ Substance use issues affect about 50% of eating disorder patients, compared to 9% of the general population. Learn evidence-based strategies to identify SUD issues, determine appropriate levels of care, and integrate SUD treatment into ED protocols. ✔️ Register here: https://lnkd.in/gaAxDyn6 We look forward to seeing you there!

This month is Men's Health Awareness Month, which is an opportunity to highlight the unfortunate fact that many men still struggle to reach out for eating disorder treatment – and still face stigma and misdiagnosis. Despite an estimated 6.6. million males in the US having experienced an eating disorder in their lifetime, studies show that men tend to seek help late in the course of their illness; and when they do seek treatment, they are less likely to receive a diagnosis by health professionals. While this reality is disheartening, it also shows a gap in treatment that we CAN close. When men seek treatment at Equip, we take their symptoms seriously. It's part of our core mission that people of all genders and identities receive equal access to effective care. Click to read more about eating disorders in boys and men: https://lnkd.in/gAvvjSu9 

Our team of therapists are incredible people who make a difference every day through virtual eating disorder treatment. Hear from Kristen Nichols, LMFT, regional therapy manager at Equip, about what it’s like to be an Equip therapist, and why they’re so essential to our mission of providing eating disorder care to everyone who needs it.  Are you a therapist looking to join our mission? Check out our open roles here: https://lnkd.in/gNkXyDgq

The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies annual conference is an amazing opportunity to learn about CBT innovations and initiatives. Cognitive therapy is one of the tentpoles of successful eating disorder treatment, so we’re thrilled to have Equip's own Carise Rotach, MA, LMFT presenting this year! Carise’s presentation, “Eating Disorder Comorbidity Across the Age Spectrum,” will explore how eating disorders intersect with other mental health issues across different stages of life. This essential discussion highlights the importance of comprehensive approaches in treatment for all ages. See our presentation and many more at the conference in Philadelphia from November 14–17, 2024. Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/gEtAH7pJ

Catch two exciting events and opportunities to earn free CE/CME credits at Equip Academy this month! Here are the topics: ➡ "Autism and Eating Disorders: Exploring the Complex Relationship Between These Conditions, and Their Treatment" Presented by Jessie Menzel and Carly Knauf, Psy.D. 🗓️ Wednesday, November 6th, 2024 at 9:00am PT / 12:00pm ET Up to 37% of individuals with eating disorders also have autism. This session will dive into how the two conditions may present together, treatment considerations, and adaptations to align with autistic patients’ needs. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gcdA8wjY ➡ "The Complexity of Binge Eating Disorder: Treatment, Symptoms, and What a Weight-Neutral Approach Looks Like" Presented by Angela Celio Doyle, PhD, FAED 🗓️ Wednesday, November 20th, 2024 at 9:30am PT / 12:30pm ET Join us to understand BED symptoms, screening, and the importance of using a weight-neutral approach in combination with evidence-based modalities like CBT-E and FBT. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gsRDNXBx We hope to see you there!

It’s an exciting time for leaders in mental health care, and the Behavioral Health Tech Conference is a key opportunity for this community to connect and share insights. We’re thrilled to have our CEO and co-founder Kristina Saffran presenting this year! Kristina will be on the panel "Finishing what we started: access to treatment that works” alongside Briana Duffy, Debra Nussbaum Johnson, Ann O'Grady, and Taft Parsons III, MD. The talk will dive into the glaring gap in treatment for mental health issues, and the innovative solutions (like virtual treatment models) that look to expand access while maintaining quality outcomes.  The conference will take place in Phoenix, AZ from November 5th-7th, 2024. Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/gyZZzt_F