At this time Majella is working on a number of projects at Eat Love Live and is not seeing individual clients.
Age limits for accepting new referrals
Please note some practitioners have boundaries on the age of clients they will accept as new referrals.
We request that for all new clients aged 15 years and younger that a Pre assessment Questionnaire be completed to assist us in triaging the young person and family.
For all clients aged 15 or younger we request that the initial assessment be with the parents/ carer only. Eating disorders do not just affect the person but families as a whole.
This is an important part of the assessment process and will help us to get a clear history of the development of the eating disorder and aid in setting up a treatment team and clear treatment goals moving forward.
Family based treatment is the gold standard for supporting children and adolescents with eating disorders. The Eat Love Live team are not trained in family based treatment or family therapy.
As dietitians we can be an adjunct to this important treatment process, provide a safe space for discussion around meal planning, information about eating disorders, physical and psychological risks associated with the eating disorder, normal puberty changes to the body, guidelines to adequate amounts of nutrition and help clear many of the myths about food and bodies in our community.
We appreciate that accessing pediatric and adolescent services at this time is difficult and there are long wait lists. As with all clients, we insist that all adolescents are linked in with a multidisciplinary team including a GP and a mental health clinician - be it a psychologist or psychiatrist. And we suggest that clients make the referral to CHAMS/ CHYMS and / or private family therapy and be on the waiting list for this support.
Along with the GP or paediatrician we can provide information and support while families are waiting for this important more intensive support.
Parents can speak with their GP or Paediatrician about referrals to these supports.