We asked our Instagram followers for their questions about online treatment.
There can be a considerable number of unknowns when starting your search for eating disorder treatment. How much support do you need? What’s available in your area? Which approach suits your needs? Which ethos reflects your personal values?
Since launching our online service, we’ve helped countless individuals – across the UK and internationally – make meaningful and sustainable progress in recovery.
Online, you can access Orri’s recovery community at just the click of a button. Data shows that our online treatment is just as effective as our in-person treatment, meaning that you get the very same high quality and specialist support that’s offered in our London service, wherever you are located.
Our approach to recovery involves treating the whole person: who you are – underneath the eating disorder – your goals for recovery and life, and what beliefs you want to hold onto and nurture, and which ones you want help letting go of.
At the heart is a genuine care and compassion for our clients and the life they will go on to lead when they leave us.
Here are some of your questions about online treatment…
Q: Is it possible to attend online whilst at university and studying for a degree?
Yes! Our programmes start at 3 days per week, meaning that some individuals are able to work their university commitments around treatment. Since the beginning of 2020, 24% of our clients have been at university whilst attending treatment.
Balancing these commitments depends entirely on the level of support you need and what’s appropriate for your recovery, and we would be more than happy to discuss it with you during an assessment.
With every client we make a pledge of working collaboratively and transparently so that you can trust in the process and focus on your recovery.
Q: How do the programmes work? What’s the time commitment?
Programmes start at 6-weeks’ long, with clients joining us for 3-5 days per week.
We recognise that there’s no ‘one way’ to have an eating disorder, and therefore everyone’s recovery will look different as everyone’s eating disorder is different.
As such, the intensity and duration of treatment is entirely dependent upon the individual, and once admitted, the content of the programme is shaped around the unique needs of each client and their individual goals for recovery.
Programmes are specifically designed to help you regain the joys of everyday life without the overbearing presence of an eating disorder.
Our approach focuses on what you’re recovering to, rather than what you are recovering from.
Q: How does the assessment process work?
Your journey into our online treatment starts with an informal and friendly chat with our Intake Coordinator, Greta. This initial phone call is an opportunity for us to learn more about you, your reasons for reaching out, and to discuss your options for treatment so you feel informed and able to make a decision.
Next, we organise an intake assessment with our Admissions Manager, Ivana, who asks a broader set of formalised questions that provides us with a clearer picture of what level and type of support that you need.
Following this, we invite you to a Next Steps meeting with Ivana and a senior clinical team member. Together, they will discuss our recommendations for your treatment and answer any questions you may have. Partners and family members are welcome to join this meeting.
We will then let you decide how you would like to proceed. There is never any obligation to commit to treatment, but know that we will walk alongside you in your journey and hold any anxieties or concerns you have with respect, kindness and understanding.
Q: Can I access your online treatment in Australia?
Our online treatment can be accessed anywhere in the world, the only caveat is that our programmes run on UK time, meaning that sometimes international time zones can make it complicated to join a programme at a time that’s comfortable for you. That being said, we’ve supported many international clients make significant progress in their recovery from abroad whilst on different time zones.
If you’re interested in our support, we highly recommend getting in touch so we can explore it in more detail and in relation to your personal circumstances.
Q: How much time do you spend on Zoom?
Our online programme is specifically designed so that people don’t experience Zoom fatigue.
Online days are shorter than our in person treatment and include regular breaks between sessions, allowing you to not only look after your mental and physical health, but to also make the most of the therapeutic spaces.
