Patients participating in The Victorian’s eating treatment program are able to not only see our staff of counselors, therapists, and consulting physicians and psychiatrists.  They will also be able to have access to a large network of eating disorder professionals that practice in the greater Southern California area.  Through the formation of relationships within the worldwide treatment community and nurturing them over a twenty-five year period, we are able to refer individuals to the therapist who is most effective in treating their specific issue that they are experiencing, whether they are still in residential treatment at our facility or even when they have already returned home.

Here is a list of group therapy processes that patients will take part in:

Group Therapy:  Conducted by a staff member at The Victorian, this group session lasts about one hour.  It focuses on exploring core issues that patients work on in recovery.  During this time, various issues are discussed and individual assignments are shared.

Group Feelings:  This group session lasts between 30 to 60 minutes and is conducted after each meal.  Occurring three times each day, this is an opportunity of each resident to “walk” through their feelings.

Lectures & Workshop:  Various different lecture topics are presented in a cycle by some of our staff clinicians.  These topics include Spirituality, Assertiveness Training, The Disease Concept, Relapse Prevention, Stress Management, Anger Management, Nutrition, Healthy Relationships, and Dual Diagnosis.

Art Therapy:  We provide various art media in order for patients to create art work.  This provides an outlet for the expression of thoughts and feelings with the goal of promoting self-awareness and expression.

Recreational Therapy:  This includes many different activities that create opportunities for patients to express themselves creatively and non-verbally, have social interaction, and build their skills.

Cognitive Group Therapy:  The goal of this session is to help individuals learn to re-frame situations, restructure and self- monitor, and improve their idea of themselves.  Patients learn to recognize dysfunctional and or negative thoughts and patterns of thinking.

Guided Imagery Relaxation:  This group session is both enjoyable and relaxing.  It assists patients in dealing with psychosocial stressors and teaches them how to discover a “safe place” within themselves.

Body Image Workshops:  During this group workshop, patients are shown how their self-perception is reflected in how they view their body image.  It aims to develop skills used to support and promote healthy eating while creating a positive sense of self.

Spirituality Group:  This group seeks to assist patients in building a personal spiritual foundation that helps build their recovery.

Twelve-Step Group:  The purpose of this group is to provide an outlet for support and help answer any questions concerning the 12-Step program.

Relapse Prevention:  One of the most vital components to continued eating disorder recovery.  It is our belief that it is never too soon to develop relapse prevention techniques or learn how they are applied in long-term recovery.

Anger Management:  As opposed to male anger issues, female ones differ in a variety of ways.  Because of that, it is essential that women learn gender-specific anger management techniques.

Nutritional Education:  Meeting once a week, these sessions are led by a registered dietitian.  Patients will learn about portion control, healthy food, nutritional needs, and how their eating disorder is affecting their health.

Stress Management:  These sessions are designed to teach patients stress management techniques.  They learn how to relieve their stress, as opposed to holding on to it, through a process of cognitive change and methods of physical exercise.

Relationship Group:  This group session focuses on exploring unhealthy enmeshments, relationship dependencies, and negative past relationships.  Individuals learn what healthy boundaries are about, are taught effective communication skills, and develop a rational perception of how their relationships should be.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT):  This group therapy session assists patients in effectively dealing with stressful situations without losing control and sabotaging themselves through their irrational behavior.  It develops their skills in interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation.