Eating disorders emerge with particular frequency during adolescence, a developmental period characterized by significant pressure around body image, identity formation, and social comparison. Anorexia and bulimia most commonly have their onset during the teenage years, and binge eating disorder and emotional eating patterns that begin in adolescence tend to become more entrenched if left unaddressed into adulthood. Parents in Boca Raton who notice significant changes in their teenager's eating behavior, a preoccupation with food or weight, social withdrawal around meals, or signs of purging behavior are in a position to seek help early enough to make a meaningful difference in the trajectory of the condition.
Dr. Steinbok works with adolescents dealing with eating disorders at his Boca Raton practice and adjusts his clinical approach to the developmental stage of each young patient. Adolescent eating disorder treatment involves the patient directly and, at appropriate points, the family, whose dynamics often play a role in both the maintenance and the resolution of the disorder. His psychodynamic approach with teenage patients focuses on understanding the psychological functions the eating disorder is serving for that particular adolescent, which tends to produce more genuine engagement than approaches that focus primarily on weight restoration or behavioral change without addressing the underlying concerns. Families across South Florida seeking an eating disorder psychologist in Boca Raton for their teenager will find his practice equipped for this work.
