Support 01
Maudsley Parents
A volunteer organisation of parents who have helped their children recover using Family-Based Treatment. FAQs, family stories and common misconceptions.
maudsleyparents.orgMyrtle Oak Clinic’s team of highly skilled clinicians bring deep experience across mental health, eating disorders, disordered eating, body image and self-esteem. This guide is the same one we share with families who reach out for help.
Use it in the way that suits you, read end-to-end, or skip to the section that feels most relevant right now. There’s no wrong way to begin.
Learn about eating disorders.
Understand the signs, behaviours and experiences behind each condition — so you can find the language to describe what you or a loved one may be going through.
You don’t have to walk this alone.
Watching someone you love struggle with an eating disorder can feel isolating, frightening, and full of questions no one has prepared you for. You are not the first family to face this — and there is a community of support already waiting.
These organisations have helped thousands of Australian families through recovery. They offer peer connection, practical tools, and the reassurance that change is possible.
Support 02
NEDC Carers Resource
The National Eating Disorders Collaboration’s carer’s guide and dedicated section for families and friends — practical, trusted guidance from Australia’s national body.
nedc.com.au
Support 03
EDV · SANE Carers Forum
Anonymous, free online forum for Australian carers over 18. Peer-to-peer support when you need to talk with someone who understands.
sane.org
Support 04
Butterfly Foundation
Monthly counsellor-facilitated support group for any carer — parent, partner, grandparent or friend — of a person living with an eating disorder.
butterfly.org.au
Featured tool
Feed Your Instinct
An interactive tool for parents of children and young people experiencing eating or body image problems. Helps you identify warning signs, understand what you’re seeing, and explore options for further support at home.
feedyourinstinct.com.auTreatment, shaped around you.
You’ve made the decision to seek professional support. It’s natural to wonder what treatment will involve, how long it might take, and whether it will help.
Recovery is deeply individual — what works for one person may be different for another. We draw on the full breadth of evidence-based approaches, tailored to each person’s history, goals and pace.
Three pillars of care.
Nutrition, psychology and family — working together, shaped around you.
01
Dietitian Interventions
A well-balanced diet is essential to recovery. Our dietitians work alongside the wider team to explore food variety, taste preferences, feared foods and the physical effects of not eating well — especially helpful when the person or family has lost track of what ‘normal eating’ looks like.
02
Psychological Interventions
Psychologists assess and design treatment plans that address the mental and emotional dimensions of the eating disorder. Psychotherapy explores the psychological stresses that may have contributed to onset, and works to reduce feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, negative body image and guilt.
03
Family-Based Therapy
Sometimes family involvement is key to normalising eating and containing eating disorder behaviours. Parents are often involved in the treatment of young people — guided in how best to support recovery, particularly when the young person may not yet fully grasp the seriousness of the illness.
Approaches we practise
Click any approach to learn how we apply it in sessions — from CBT-E to Intuitive Eating and beyond.
Support beyond eating.
“Mental health challenges can affect mood, energy, sleep, concentration — and every corner of daily life.”
We support individuals experiencing a range of mental health concerns — both alongside and separate to eating disorders.
Below are the resources we trust and share with clients most often. Each links to a national Australian organisation offering guidance, self-help tools, and direct pathways to further support.
