University of Montana Eating Disorders Training Clinic

The UMEDTC is committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based assessment and psychotherapy to individuals struggling with an eating disorder. We use the current eating disorder treatments with the best research evidence so we can support our patients in reaching recovery and living full, meaningful lives.

All of our current treatments are outpatient psychotherapy (1-2x per week), and we do not offer higher levels of care, such as partial hospitalization, residential, or inpatient treatments. For children and adolescents, we use family based treatment (FBT). For adults, we use ten session cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-T) or cognitive behavioral therapy-enhanced (CBT-E). Additionally, we tailor our treatment plans based on each individual’s unique needs.

We often recommend working with an interdisciplinary team, and our team can provide referrals for these services (e.g., primary care physician, pediatrician, dietitian, etc.) if you do not already have them. We also work with your established healthcare providers to ensure comprehensive care. We do, however, typically recommend pausing other psychotherapy while in eating disorder psychotherapy.

First, we complete a phone screen with you to determine if we might be a good fit for your needs. Then, you attend a diagnostic intake interview appointment with us so we can more thoroughly assess if we can meet your needs at our clinic. If everything is a good fit, you can begin treatment within a week or two of that intake appointment. If you need a higher level of care than what we provide, or prefer a different approach than what we use, we are happy to provide referrals to other centers!

What should I expect from therapy?

Children and Adolescents: Family Based Therapy (FBT)

• through re-establishing regular eating, restore weight and health
• parent/caregiver training, coaching, and support
• learn new ways to cope

Adults: Ten Session Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-T) & Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Enhanced (CBT-E)

• Establish a regular eating pattern and a more comfortable relationship with eating
• Address body image concerns, mood, and other circumstances that maintain the eating disorder
• Learn new ways to cope
• Receive a tailored approach to what you need during your recovery journey

For individuals seeking therapy for ARFID, we use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for ARFID (CBT-AR).

• Establish a regular eating pattern, increasing volume and variety
• Approach foods you previously enjoyed
• Receive a tailored approach to the factors maintaining your ARFID symptoms (e.g., sensory concerns, fear of vomiting or choking, lack of interest in food)
• For parents/caregivers: receive training, coaching, and support to restore your child’s weight and health

Depending on your needs, other evidence-based treatments may be offered to focus on those needs.

How long does treatment last?

Depending on the age of the patient and treatment used, treatment can be anywhere from 10 weeks to 40 or more. Mostly, the treatments are delivered once per week, for one hour.

Who is a good fit for UMEDTC services?

Individuals (ages 6 and up) who are struggling with any of the following (though this list is not exhaustive):

• anorexia nervosa
• atypical anorexia nervosa
• bulimia nervosa
• binge eating disorder
• other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED)
• avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
• body image concerns and disordered eating patterns

Individuals with very low body weight and/or unstable vitals are likely not appropriate for our services and will likely be referred for a higher level of care. Our team can help make this determination during the intake process. We can also help with referrals for individuals who may need assistance with finding a medical provider if you do not have one established.

Cost for services

We will work hard with you and/or your family to ensure you can receive services. We use a sliding fee scale based on annual household income (see table below for breakdown). We do not currently take insurance. You can, however, check with your insurance company about receiving reimbursement for services.

If money is a concern, please let us know when you reach out, and we can look into how we can best work with you to receive care.

Request for Services

To request services at the UMEDTC, potential clients can call us at (406) 243-2367 or email us at edtrainingclinic@mso.umt.edu. Please note that email is not a guaranteed secure medium for communication.

When you call, the Administrative Assistant will ask you some simple questions about your request, including your contact information. The Graduate Clinic Assistant will then call you back to do a short phone screen to collect more background information, to answer any questions you may have, and to ensure that our services are a good fit for your needs. We typically have a waitlist, but because we are a training clinic, we do not operate on a first-come, first-served basis, so we recommend doing a phone screen as soon as you can.