Defining an Eating Disorder Treatment Team at Thrive Wellness: Comprehensive, Collaborative Care
Thrive • July 27, 2022
By Thrive Wellness Reno’s Lead Case Manager Amanda Dudley
Based on the principle that mental, physical, and behavioral health are interconnected. Thrive Wellness takes an integrated approach to treating eating disorders as with all of our health care services . By appointing a unified eating disorder treatment team for every client, individuals struggling with eating disorders receive multi-faceted, personalized care that treats the root cause(s) of their conditions and all aspects of their well-being. Learn more about what an eating disorder treatment team is and how it works in the below Q&A with Thrive Wellness Reno’s lead case manager, Amanda Dudley.
*While all Thrive Wellness locations offer interdisciplinary eating disorder treatment and coordination of care, the following describes a treatment team at Thrive Wellness Reno specifically.
What is an eating disorder treatment team at Thrive Wellness?
At Thrive Wellness, each client has their own treatment team which involves clinical, medical, nutritional, therapeutic, and administrative specialists who work together to provide targeted, connected care that promotes entire well-being. By involving an interdisciplinary team of specialists, we target every aspect of an eating disorder collaboratively and comprehensively.
Who makes up a treatment team and what role does each specialist play?
At Thrive, a client’s clinical treatment team typically includes:
- Clinical lead: A licensed provider who interacts with clients daily, the clinical lead facilitates therapeutic groups throughout the week, hosts individual therapy sessions, provides psychoeducation sessions to families, and supports recovery coaches.
- Psychiatrist: Collaborating with the client’s therapist, the psychiatrist helps treat any mental health concerns possibly through medication and additional therapy.
- Individual therapist: During weekly sessions, the therapist guides the client in meeting their recovery goals. The therapist may also offer family-based sessions that involve the client’s support system.
- Internal medicine provider: By reviewing weekly nursing assessments and lab work, the internal medicine provider gains insight into potential malnutrition and monitors the client’s medical needs. Ultimately the internal medicine provider keeps the client medically safe as they recover from the physical harms brought on by the eating disorder.
- Nurses and medical assistants: Providing ongoing medical monitoring, nurses and medical assistants check the client’s weight, assess their vital signs, and observe the client during physical activity. Nurses and medical assistants also offer real-time information to the internal medical provider regarding the client’s medical status.
- Registered dietitian (RD) or registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN): As they work with the client to understand their energy and nutrient needs, the dietitian guides them in re-nourishing their body and mind. The dietitian helps ensure that the client integrates a variety of foods from multiple food groups into their diet, while carefully offering physical activity recommendations to encourage a peaceful relationship with movement .
- Occupational therapist : The occupational therapist begins with an assessment of any physical, environmental, mental, and cognitive factors that may be limiting the client. Supporting the client in overcoming obstacles to daily living, the occupational therapist promotes recovery through engagement in activities such as self-care, grocery shopping, meal preparation, recreation, and participation in school or work.
- Case manager or behavioral healthcare manager (BHM): The client’s main point of contact, the case manager or BHM manages the flow of information between clients, families, and providers. The BHM relays any concerns the client or their family may have to their treatment team and vice versa. After the weekly treatment team meeting, the BHM updates the client on each facet of their treatment.
- Group leaders: These individuals host therapeutic groups that incorporate treatment modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) , as well as cover topics such as mindful movement , intuitive eating , recovery maintenance, family dynamics, and practical life skills.
- Recovery coaches : Recovery coaches help clients challenge eating disorder thoughts and behaviors in real-time. If they notice a client struggling during a meal, recovery coaches offer feedback, advice, and encouragement. The recovery coaches also aid in implementing the treatment plan the client develops with their therapist, dietitian, and psychiatrist.
- Business office director : The business office director ensures that the client understands the cost of treatment and how their insurance plan allocates funds for treatment.
- Utilization review director: By relaying clinical and medical information to the client’s insurance company, the utilization review director works to ensure the client’s insurance financially contributes to their treatment costs.
How does an eating disorder treatment team at Thrive Wellness facilitate a client’s treatment?
Once a week the client’s treatment team meets to discuss topics such as:
- Client progress: Such as whether they’re completing their meals and snacks, engaging in eating disorder behaviors, and participating in therapy groups.
- Where more care is necessary: Areas where the client may need continuing or additional support, such as increased psychiatric care or nutritional counseling.
- Client requests: Any direct feedback the client or their family offers.
- Medical information: The client’s medical information contained in their lab tests and nursing assessment.
- Mindful movement readiness: Whether the client is medically and clinically able to participate in mindful movement . A client must be medically healthy and clinically able to stay mindful and responsible with movement rather than using it as a way to “compensate” for food intake.
From there, the team makes recommendations to share with the client. Team recommendations may include:
- Level of care change: Depending on a client’s progress, the team may suggest moving a client to a partial hospitalization program (PHP), intensive outpatient program (IOP) , or outpatient program.
- Family therapy sessions: The team may recommend therapy sessions that involve the client and their support system as needed.
- Medical testing: The team may order assessments to monitor client health such as an electrocardiogram (EKG) to check for heart conditions .
- Mindful movement therapy groups: When the client is ready, mindful movement therapy groups that offer expertly-guided gentle movement may be implemented into their treatment programming.
- Self-portioning of food: When a client begins treatment, the staff typically plates their food to help the client learn appropriate portion sizes for their energy needs. As the client progresses, they’re able and encouraged to plate their own meals.
- Parent coaching sessions: Held by the clinical lead, parent coaching sessions provide a client’s support system with psychoeducation around eating disorders and strategies they can implement to promote their loved one’s recovery. The client isn’t usually present for these sessions in order to broach sensitive topics pertinent to the client’s support system but that may be confusing, distressing, or triggering to the newly in-recovery individual.
How does integrating an interdisciplinary team into eating disorder treatment benefit clients’ recovery?
Eating disorders are complex. A team of specialists from different fields with an array of skill sets allows for a synergistic approach to treating eating disorders. Together, team members can apply the latest evidence-based treatment strategies while conceptualizing efficient and effective paths to the client’s recovery.
INTEGRATED EATING DISORDER TREATMENT AT THRIVE WELLNESS
Thrive Wellness offers part-time and full-time treatment options to individuals struggling with eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder . Emphasizing clinically proven treatment modalities, gentle nutrition , intuitive eating , mindful movement , and comprehensive wellness, our treatment programs guide clients to deeply rooted healing that empowers them to flourish. To learn more about eating disorder treatment at Thrive Wellness, reach out .
About the Author
Thrive Wellness Reno’s Lead Case Manager Amanda Dudley
Amanda Dudley received her undergraduate degree in human development and family studies and her master’s level early childhood special education endorsement from the University of Nevada, Reno. For over ten years, Amanda worked with children and their families, providing educational and advocacy services both within family homes and in the classroom.
Upon joining Thrive Wellness Reno amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Amanda developed and managed an educational wellness program that provided educational and emotional support to children and their families while navigating the nuances of virtual schooling during the 2020/2021 school year. Next, she built and led the case management program and provided case management services for clients in Thrive’s eating disorder and perinatal mental health day treatment programs for over two years before becoming the chief of staff.
When she isn’t working hard to support Thrive Reno’s clients and staff, Amanda enjoys reading, watching reruns of “Friends” and “New Girl,” sipping iced lattes in local coffee shops, and exploring the outdoors with her husband, son, and their two sweet golden retrievers.
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Like the fir tree, a symbol of endurance rooted in hope, our Family Inclusive Recovery (FIR) approach reflects the strength that grows when families face challenges together. At our new residential center “The Greenhouse”, FIR is more than a treatment model, it’s a philosophy of healing that places families at the heart of recovery for adolescents and young adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We believe lasting healing doesn’t happen in isolation; it’s built with the support of families through perseverance, hope, and compassionate care. What Is Family Inclusive Recovery (FIR)? Family Intensive Recovery (FIR) is a specialized and immersive approach that actively engages caregivers as central agents in their child’s healing process. Rather than seeing families as contributors to a problem, we view them as essential partners in recovery. Drawing from two evidence-based frameworks, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) and Family-Based Treatment (FBT), FIR helps families cultivate resilience, confidence, and connection throughout the journey to recovery. Grounded in SPACE and FBT Through the SPACE model, parents learn how to recognize and reduce well-intentioned but unhelpful behaviors known as accommodations that can reinforce anxiety and OCD symptoms. By shifting from rescuing to supporting and challenging, parents develop the confidence to guide their child through discomfort, helping them build distress tolerance and self-trust. Simultaneously, Family-Based Treatment (FBT) empowers families to take an active, compassionate role in their child’s nutritional and emotional recovery. Parents learn how to support weight and nutritional restoration, disrupt the eating disorder’s patterns, and reestablish boundaries that promote health and growing autonomy. Together, these approaches strengthen both the individual and family system, allowing recovery to take root within an environment of empathy and optimism. From Blame to Collaboration A cornerstone of the FIR model is removing blame. At Thrive, parents are not viewed as the cause of their child’s struggles, but rather as key partners in recovery. Treatment focuses on joining forces to create a safe, supportive environment where: Families learn to sit with their child's discomfort alongside them without rushing to fix or control it. Parents practice compassionate firmness, setting boundaries grounded in care and safety. Teens and caregivers rebuild trust through open, honest communication. This collaborative framework helps families reestablish a sense of connection and confidence, fostering long-term resilience and open communication that extends beyond the treatment setting. Why Family Matters in Recovery Recovery from eating disorders, OCD, or anxiety isn’t a one-person job, it requires integrated care including the family. When families learn to navigate challenges together, they can model emotional regulation, reinforce healthy boundaries, and create conditions for sustained recovery. Through FIR, we aim to strengthen attachment bonds, reshape family interactions, and empower every member of the family to grow. The result is not only symptom reduction but also a deeper sense of unity, hope, and shared endurance, just like the steadfast fir tree that stands resilient through every season. Moving Toward Hope Family Inclusive Recovery invites caregivers and loved ones to become active participants in change. It’s a journey of learning, letting go, and leaning into love and acceptance. Together, families and clinicians can cultivate the courage in clients to face uncertainty, and in doing so, help them discover that recovery is not just possible, but enduring. If you’d like to learn more about Family Intensive Recovery at The Greenhouse or how we support families in eating disorder and OCD treatment, reach out to our team today.
The Greenhouse at Thrive Wellness A New Chapter of Hope and Healing in Nevada On Friday, November 14 , we gathered with our partners at Molina Healthcare to share an important moment for our community. Together, we celebrated Molina’s generous $50,000 grant , an investment that is helping bring The Greenhouse to life. Their support is not only a financial contribution—it’s a statement of belief in the young people and families of Nevada who deserve access to compassionate, evidence-based mental healthcare close to home. This gathering marked the beginning of something we’ve dreamed about for years: a place designed specifically for adolescents and emerging adults to receive the care, connection, and support they need during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Something New Is Growing In early 2026 , Thrive Wellness will open The Greenhouse , Nevada’s first residential treatment center devoted to adolescents and emerging adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety, and OCD . For too long, families have faced a heartbreaking dilemma—send their child far from home for treatment or go without the specialized care they need. The Greenhouse is our answer to that gap. It will be a place where young people can settle into an environment built for healing, where they are understood, supported, and surrounded by a team that believes in their capacity to recover. The Greenhouse represents a natural extension of our mission. It’s a living expression of our belief that recovery is possible—and that with the right support, families can find their footing again.
Are you looking for a meaningful way to give back this holiday season? Thrive Wellness is excited to continue our 6th Annual Giving Tree Program in collaboration with Perenn Bakery this winter. This year, Thrive Wellness Reno and Perenn Bakery are proud to partner with Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Northern Nevada. The organization supports families with children receiving treatment at area hospitals, providing comfort, hope, and a home-away-from-home during challenging times. Ronald McDonald House Charities offers essential services, removes barriers, strengthens families, and promotes healing when children need healthcare the most. How It Works Simply take one (or a few) tags from the Giving Tree, each listing an item you can purchase and donate for residents of the Ronald McDonald House. Then, drop off your item(s) at one of our designated donation locations by Friday, December 19. Items Needed: Restaurant gift cards Walmart or Target gift cards Games, puzzles, and coloring books Toys (Barbie, Hot Wheels, Lego sets, craft sets, magnet blocks, baby dolls, action figures, journals, infant toys, etc.) Children's books (picture, chapter, and graphic novels) Toiletry sets (for adults) Lotion/self-care gift sets (for adults) Sweatshirts/hoodies (adults, XS-XXL) Scarves, gloves, fuzzy socks, pajamas (all sizes) Infant diapers, onesies, and baby bottles Bulk individually wrapped snacks (granola bars, chips, etc.) Please ensure all donations are new, in original packaging, and unwrapped. Donation Drop-Off Locations Please deliver donations by Friday, December 19, to one of the following sites: Thrive Wellness 201 W Liberty St., Suite 201, Reno, NV 89501 Perenn Grocery 7600 Rancharrah Pkwy, Suite 130, Reno, NV 89511 The first 50 people to return their donations will receive a complimentary ornament gift! Why We Give Back Through our Giving Tree program, we’re honoring one of our core values at Thrive Wellness: staying rooted in community. This annual tradition allows us to give back to those who need support most during the holiday season. We invite you to join us by taking a tag at any Thrive or Perenn location and helping spread kindness throughout our community. There’s no better way to embrace the holiday spirit than by supporting local families with thoughtful, heartfelt donations. We are deeply grateful for your generosity and continued support. Thank you for helping us make a difference!
