Fredericksburg Parent

20 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • May 2025 Eating disorders are the deadliest of mental illnesses, and impact an esti- mated 9% of Americans. Their prevalence has increased in the years since the pandemic, with eating disorder-related health visits among people younger than 17 increasing by 107% between 2018 and 2022, according to data from Trilliant Health. Treating eating disorders requires specialized training because of the high mortality rate, level of complexity involved, and the necessity of a team approach. Therapists without this crucial training, while well-intended, can cause more harm, and Dr. Claire Hill, Psy. D., LCP, a licensed clinical psychologist, recognized that the Fredericksburg area was underserved by this specialty when she opened PsychED Recovery in 2023. This Fredericksburg-based eating disorder treatment center provides personal- ized, client-centered treatment for disordered eating. "We look at the whole picture," Dr. Hill said. "We tailor our individual treatment plan to the patient, and we also incorporate families very heavily into the treatment process, even with young adults, because we know that that's most efficacious." PsychED's team also includes an in-house dietitian who is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) and brings nutrition counseling and education to the treatment plans. The informal intensive outpatient treatment model that PsychED delivers to patients has in the past been missing in the Fredericksburg area. This shortage of dedicated treatment options has left many people driving to Northern Virginia to access treatment at larger facilities that can't adapt a personalized approach to care for each patient due to the volume of cases they have. Dr. Hill had a vision to provide a more personalized level of care closer to home, because her experience and clinical work has taught her the critical importance of access to quality treatment in lasting and sustained recovery. WRITTEN BY EMILY FREEHLING COMPREHENSIVE CARE One of the reasons eating disorder diagnoses increased drastically during the pandemic was that anxiety and depression, which are often the precursors to eating disorders, also increased during that time. This is why Dr. Hill stresses the importance of a "compre- hensive" approach to eating disorder treatment. Intake assessments screen for all kinds of mental health issues, because if disordered eating is treated in isola- tion, the underlying issue will persist. Parents who aren't sure if it's an eating disorder or another issue that their child may be facing can call and walk through the assessment process with PsychED to ensure treatment targets the root of the problem. "I just missed it." A sad fact about eating disorders is that an individual or their loved ones may not recognize the signs until the disorder is severe. "When I talk to parents during an intake appointment, it's quite common that grief is in the room with us, as the parents may say, 'I feel horrible. I just missed it. I didn't realize anything was happening,'" Dr. Hill said. That is unfortunately extremely typical, she said, and a function of how eating disorders operate on such a deadly scale. But parents can be alert to potential signs that a child's attitude toward food and body image could be moving in a negative direction, she said. Close to Home Eating Disorder Recovery Provides Comprehensive Support for

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