The Adolescent Emotional Eating Track (EET) at Princeton House Behavioral Health provides psychotherapy, psychoeducation, and supported meals via telehealth. 

For teens ages 13 to 17 with mood disorders and disordered eating behaviors who are at least 90 percent of their ideal body weight and have a BMI of at least 20, with some exceptions, may be candidates for the Emotional Eating Track. The program also accepts adult women for in-person EET care.

Flexible planning includes:

• Splitting into smaller groups for supportive virtual meals.
• Recognizing limitations of at-home therapy, allowing for gradual progress, and assisting with technical issues.
• Providing opportunities for casual conversation during the meal, such as discussing favorite movies.
• Leading grounding or mindfulness exercises during the meal.
• Providing incentives for timely meal completion, such as working together on a word puzzle or other activity to build mastery.
• Offering a virtual supported lunch option in addition to breakfast for adult women patients.

The virtual approach has even yielded a few benefits:

Built-in mastery opportunities. As patients work with foods they have at home, the experience has further immersed them in learning how to plan, shop for, and prepare meals in a supported yet real-life setting.

Enhanced dietitian support. Beyond facilitating individual and group meetings, registered dietitian Katie Gaffney provides detailed assistance for navigating the stress of grocery store visits. Tips include aligning the list with the store aisles to avoid backtracking and using headphones to listen to soothing music while shopping. She also suggests items that can be easily ordered online and provides food pantry recommendations.

Greater parent engagement. Parents of adolescents in the EET program now participate in a weekly session with a dietitian or therapist via telehealth to learn how to best support their children. The convenience of this virtual option has led to increased parent engagement, since they no longer need to leave work or other obligations to drive to a meeting.

Event Type	Advocacy Family Support Community Conversation Social Groups Educational Workshop
Age Groups	Adolescents Adults
Community Services	Community Community Education Employment / Training Life Skills Training Preparing for Adulthood Family & Support Services Caregiving Case Management Family Support Parenting & Caregiving
Health Services	Behavioral / Mental Health Behavioral Eating Disorders Family Conflict & Distress Mental Health Teen Issues Medical Health / Wellness / Nutrition

Last Updated: 08/24/22