starting recovery?
Eating Disorder Treatment Plans (EDPs) & Recovery Roadmaps
​If you or a loved one is navigating an eating disorder, it’s completely normal to feel a mix of hope, anxiety, and a ton of questions about what comes next. You may even be at a point where you're unsure if it's the right step to take - we've got you, even if you don't feel ready for change.
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At The Balanced Self, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all recovery. Because eating disorders affect both the mind and the body, your treatment plan will be uniquely tailored to your life, your history, and your goals.
Below we've stepped out is exactly how we can work together to build your roadmap for recovery, no matter what it looks like.​
The first step is tough AND incredibly brave.
Because recovery is a team sport!
To heal both the physical and emotional sides of an eating disorder, you may decide you want a team in your corner, supporting and collaborating with you.
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The Psychologist: Your mental health ally. They help you unpack the root causes of the disorder and build healthy, practical coping skills.
The Dietitian: Your food champion. No rigid meal plans here—they help you quiet the food noise, bust diet culture myths, and safely rebuild a peaceful relationship with eating.
The General Practitioner: Your physical safety net. They keep a compassionate eye on your vitals, labs, and overall physical health.
The Psychiatrist (as needed): Your support for co-occurring struggles like anxiety, depression, or OCD, ensuring your brain chemistry is supported too.
Understanding Medicare's Eating Disorder Plans
Treating an eating disorder requires a dedicated team and consistent care. We know that the cost of long-term therapy and nutritional support can feel daunting. Fortunately, the Australian Medicare system offers robust financial assistance specifically designed for this journey: the Eating Disorder Treatment and Management Plan (EDP).
An EDP is a specialised care pathway that makes treatment significantly more accessible by providing substantial Medicare rebates. Here is everything you need to know about how the plan works and how to get started.
What Does a Medicare Eating Disorder Plan Give You?
An EDP grants you subsidised access to the ultimate care team over a 12-month period. Instead of standard mental health plans that cap your care early, an eating disorder plan recognises that recovery takes time.
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Through an EDP, you can unlock:
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Up to 40 Rebated or Subsidised Psychological Sessions: Evidence-based therapies with an eligible psychologist..
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Up to 20 Rebated or Subsidised Dietetic Sessions: Practical, compassionate support with an Accredited Practising Dietitian to repair your relationship with food.
So am I eligible?
Medicare has very specific criteria to ensure this intensive support is well-utilised. It would be best to speak with your general practitioner or give us a call to understand more about Medicare's criteria.
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You may be eligible if you fall into either of these two categories:
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Category 1: Automatic Eligibility: you have a clinical diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa.
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Category 2: Combined Criteria: you have a clinical diagnosis of Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder (BED), or OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder),
AND you meet both of the following:
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A score of 3 or higher on the EDE-Q (a standard clinical questionnaire your doctor or psychologist will give you).
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You experience rapid weight loss, or engage in binge eating or compensatory behaviours (like purging or excessive exercise) three or more times a week.
Plus, you must meet at least two of these additional risk factors:
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You are in a low body-weight.
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You are at high risk of, or currently experiencing, medical complications from the disorder.
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Your daily function is severely impacted by co-occurring conditions like severe anxiety, depression, or OCD.
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You have been admitted to the hospital for an eating disorder in the last 12 months.
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You have shown an inadequate response to standard treatment over the last 6 months.
one
GP Assessment
Book a long appointment with your general practitioner to specifically discuss the EDP,. This will ensure they have time to complete everything.
two
Referrals for Treatment
Your GP referral will initially give you your first 10 medicare rebates for psychology sessions and your 20 dietitian sessions.
three
GP Review
Before your 10th psychology session, you will need to book a brief review with your GP and they will approve your next 10 sessions.
four
Specialist Review
Before sessions 21-40, you will need a Review with a Psychiatrist or Paediatrician. Don't worry we will help coordinate this early on!
TAILORED TREATMENT
01
Booking & Initial Assessment
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You can book your initial assessment through our online booking system, with or without a referral.​ In this appointment, we'll cover a broad range of things as its important that we get a holistic picture of whats happening. We will discuss symptoms, emotions, eating patterns, relationships, behaviours, and medical history.
02
Collaborative Treatment Planning
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Once your assessment is complete, we'll work together to design a tailored treatment plan with clear treatment goals. This will include discussing the frequency and types of available treatment, goals you want to achieve, and working collaboratively with your general practitioner, dietician and psychiatrist (if desired or required).
03
Therapy & Intervention
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Once we've got a comprehensive treatment plan, we'll start to focus on understanding what has caused the eating disorder and what keeps it going. We'll explore triggers, develop healthier coping mechanisms and aim to rebuild a more positive relationship with food and your body. At this point, its important that we monitor and track progress to ensure you're benefiting from treatment and so we can make adjustments if need be.
04
Maintenance & Relapse Prevention
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As you keep progressing, our sessions will become less frequent and we'll start to shift our focus to maintaining the positive changes you've made. We'll work towards ensuring you've got a strong support network and a good plan if things ever start to slip. Our aim is to help you achieve sustainable recovery, long-term.
​We whole-heartedly believe that each individual is unique, and therefore treatment needs to be highly personalised to meet you where you are. And, we also think it's helpful for you to have an idea of what you can expect from treatment.
