All of our interventions are carefully designed to complement each other. For the best results, we prescribe the treatment package that we know will restore your wellbeing as quickly as possible, reduce the strain on your family and send you on the road to recovery.
We develop and improve our treatments using the very latest in scientific research and evidence. And we don’t just treat eating disorders: we also help young people to overcome other emotional struggles, such as depression, self-harm and OCD.
The range of interventions that we offer has grown in recent years, and we now see more patients, with more varied needs, than ever before. Please click the links below for more information on each treatment and to view video clips that describe them.
Maudsley Family Therapy, also known as the Maudsley Approach, was originally developed right here at Maudsley Hospital over 30 years ago.
It has consistently been found to be the most effective first line treatment for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa in young people currently available.
Multi-Family Therapy for anorexia nervosa (MFT-AN) is an innovative group-based treatment developed at the Maudsley Centre.
Multi-Family Therapy for bulimia nervosa (MFT-BN) is a cutting-edge treatment developed at the Maudsley Centre. Much like other multi-family treatments, MFT-BN allows up to 8 families to work together in a group to learn, communicate and try out new strategies with the support of a professional team.
We understand that caring for a child with an eating disorder can be enormously stressful for parents and guardians. That’s why we offer specialised group sessions for parents of children in our outpatient or ITP programs.
Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO-DBT) is a treatment for people who feel socially isolated and whose emotional expression is suppressed due to shyness, anxiety, perfectionism or low self-esteem. We have adapted this treatment for children and adolescents (RO-A) to make sure it is relevant and relatable.
Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) is a family therapy approach that specifically addresses depression in adolescents. It’s built on the premise that when teens who are suffering from depression or anxiety don’t seek out the support of a parent (or other attachment figure), their difficulties tend to get worse.
Medication can be very useful in combination with talking treatments like Family Therapy. We do not prescribe medication lightly, and wherever possible will try to avoid it. We will always prescribe the lowest possible doses for our young patients, for the shortest possible length of time and with regular reviews.
Our experienced consultant paediatrician is on-hand to evaluate young people with physical complications related to their eating disorder (poor growth, thin bones, low heart rate etc.) We will also refer our patients if they have any pre-existing medical conditions that may complicate their recovery, such as diabetes or coeliac disease.
Most young people in our service won’t need to see our dietician. Your meal plan (if you have one) will already have been compiled by our dietician, paediatrician and other practitioners. Together, we’ll create a unique plan that’s specially tailored to your condition.
There are four main reasons why young people may need to see one of our psychiatrists:
Maudsley Family Therapy, also known as the Maudsley Approach, was originally developed right here at Maudsley Hospital over 30 years ago.
It has consistently been found to be the most effective first line treatment for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa in young people currently available.
Multi-Family Therapy for anorexia nervosa (MFT-AN) is an innovative group-based treatment developed at the Maudsley Centre.
Multi-Family Therapy for bulimia nervosa (MFT-BN) is a cutting-edge treatment developed at the Maudsley Centre. Much like other multi-family treatments, MFT-BN allows up to 8 families to work together in a group to learn, communicate and try out new strategies with the support of a professional team.
We understand that caring for a child with an eating disorder can be enormously stressful for parents and guardians. That’s why we offer specialised group sessions for parents of children in our outpatient or ITP programs.
Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO-DBT) is a treatment for people who feel socially isolated and whose emotional expression is suppressed due to shyness, anxiety, perfectionism or low self-esteem. We have adapted this treatment for children and adolescents (RO-A) to make sure it is relevant and relatable.
Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) is a family therapy approach that specifically addresses depression in adolescents. It’s built on the premise that when teens who are suffering from depression or anxiety don’t seek out the support of a parent (or other attachment figure), their difficulties tend to get worse.
Medication can be very useful in combination with talking treatments like Family Therapy. We do not prescribe medication lightly, and wherever possible will try to avoid it. We will always prescribe the lowest possible doses for our young patients, for the shortest possible length of time and with regular reviews.
Our experienced consultant paediatrician is on-hand to evaluate young people with physical complications related to their eating disorder (poor growth, thin bones, low heart rate etc.) We will also refer our patients if they have any pre-existing medical conditions that may complicate their recovery, such as diabetes or coeliac disease.
Most young people in our service won’t need to see our dietician. Your meal plan (if you have one) will already have been compiled by our dietician, paediatrician and other practitioners. Together, we’ll create a unique plan that’s specially tailored to your condition.
There are four main reasons why young people may need to see one of our psychiatrists:
Due an unprecedented increase in referrals since the pandemic, self-referrals to our service from young people, parents, or carers are temporarily suspended for all eating disorders except ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).
If you are under 18, or the parent/carer of a young person under 18, live in the boroughs of Lewisham, Bromley, Southwark, Greenwich, Croydon, Bexley or Lambeth and wish to make a self-referral for possible ARFID, please send us your contact email address via: ARFIDSelfReferrals@slam.nhs.uk.
For all other eating disorders, please seek a referral from your GP or other healthcare professional.
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