About Anna Westin House Residential Eating Disorder Facility
Opened in 2002 , the original Anna Westin House in Chaska, Minnesota, became Minnesota’s first facility for residential eating disorders treatment. It was created in memory of Anna Westin, a Chaska woman who died in 2000 after battling an eating disorder without access to the appropriate level of care.
The Anna Westin House employs a multidisciplinary approach to eating disorder treatment, involving medical professionals, therapists, dietitians, and other specialists to provide a well-rounded care plan tailored to each individual’s needs.
We invite you to begin with our eating disorder quiz. This initial step is valuable in answering the question “Do I have an eating disorder?” and gauging whether it’s time to seek professional assistance.
When you feel ready to take the next step, please contact us at 1-888-364-5977 to schedule an assessment. We are unwavering in our commitment to serving as your support system, delivering the highest standard of care, and aiding you in regaining control of your life from the grip of an eating disorder.
Eating Disorder Treatment Services Provided at The Anna Westin House – St. Paul include:
- Contemporary homelike setting for teenagers and young adults of all genders
- Onsite 24/7 nursing supervision and medical monitoring
- Onsite therapists, physicians, dietitians, and other professional staff
- Individual, group, and family therapy
- Integrative interventions, such as expressive arts and movement therapy
- Support for co-occurring disorders
- Therapeutic meals and snacks; nutrition counseling and education
- School instruction from licensed St. Paul teachers
- Onsite laundry facilities, WiFi, and common area
Eating Disorders Treated at the Anna Westin House
The Anna Westin House in St. Paul offers a comprehensive range of personalized residential eating disorder treatment options designed to address various eating disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions.
For those struggling with anorexia nervosa, a condition marked by an extreme fear of weight gain and a distorted body image, the Anna Westin House provides in-depth treatment plans to guide you on the path to recovery.
We also offer specialized treatment for bulimia nervosa, a disorder characterized by cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors like self-induced vomiting, commonly known as purging, or excessive exercise to offset weight gain.
The Anna Westin House extends its support to individuals dealing with binge eating disorder, which involves episodes of excessive food consumption often triggered by negative emotional stimuli, and a lack of control over eating.
Additionally, The Anna Westin House provides care for compulsive overeating, where individuals engage in frequent episodes of excessive eating that are not driven by physical hunger, potentially leading to weight gain and other health complications.
Our St. Paul facilities also offer treatment for conditions like OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder) and ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). If you have specific questions or concerns about your condition, we encourage you to contact us for more information.
A typical week at the Anna Westin House – Adolescent
Residents participate in group sessions, a variety of individual sessions, and therapeutic meals and snacks. Sessions may include psychotherapy, family therapy, nutrition, expressive arts therapy, medical assessments and monitoring, psychiatric visits, and other activities during the week. Each resident’s schedule is personalized to meet their specific needs.
Components of Our Residential Eating Disorder Treatment Program at Anna Westin House St. Paul
Group Psychotherapy: Groups meet to share common experiences and to alleviate feelings of shame and isolation. Sharing common experiences breaks these barriers and inspires self-understanding as each person learns to identify unhealthy patterns and develop healthy alternatives. Group therapy includes CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy), multifamily group, and others.
Family Therapy: Family therapy sessions explore and improve long-standing communication patterns between family members. These sessions provide awareness of common issues and roles and help the individual with the eating disorder to recover and work toward a successful transition to the next level of care. Multifamily group and meal sessions are incorporated each week.
Nutrition Therapy: Individual, group and family nutritional counseling, education, and meal planning are tailored to each resident’s needs to help him or her interrupt symptom use, restore body health, and regain trust in their body’s ability to regulate eating. These sessions and supported therapeutic meals and snacks help restore harmony to eating patterns, develop self-care skills, and help family members better understand how to support their loved one around eating.
Medical Care: A nursing staff, a physician, and/or a physician assistant evaluate and monitor each resident’s medical status.
Psychiatric Care: Our staff psychiatrists are specially trained to treat eating disorders and related co-occurring disorders. Medications may be incorporated into treatment of the eating disorder or other related conditions.
Experiential Activities: Community experiences such as cooking, grocery shopping, and dining at restaurants help the individual strengthen self-expression and gain assertiveness and symptom control.
Education/Schooling: For our teenage and young adult residents, we make arrangements with a student’s home district and the local school district to support their continued academic participation. Licensed teachers from St. Paul Public Schools assist with tutoring and studying.
Additional Therapies: Integrative interventions may be included in a treatment plan, as appropriate for each client. Some of these therapies include:
- Expressive Arts: Creating art helps relieve anxiety, address body image issues, provide nonverbal means of expression, and assist in developing new coping and expressive skills.
- Movement Therapy: Yoga, stretching, strength work, and play activities support well-being.
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Alice Samuel, Psy.D.
P: 1-888-364-5977 ext. 1985