HomeEducationEducation CoursesCognitive Behavioral Therapy for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: An Online Introduction (March 2025)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: An Online Introduction (March 2025)

Event Date(s): Mar 3, 2025 - 01:00am to Apr 21, 2025 - 11:59pmAvailable Credits: 13.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ 13.50 Nursing Contact Hours 13.50 Social Workers 13.50 Participation 13.50 Psychologists CE Credit Register For This Course

Course Details

Registration Deadline: March 17, 2025

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) was recently added to the Feeding and Eating Disorders section of DSM-5 to describe children, adolescents, and adults who do not eat enough food (by variety or volume), typically because of sensory sensitivity, fear of aversive consequences (e.g., choking, vomiting), and/or apparent lack of interest in eating or food. Although there is a robust literature on pediatric feeding disorders in very young children, ARFID itself is so new that there is currently no evidence-based treatment for older children, adolescents, or adults. Thus, our online course will fill an important gap for our colleagues who are already seeing such patients in clinical practice by providing specialized training in a new form of cognitive-behavioral therapy for ARFID (CBT-AR) that we have developed and refined at Massachusetts General Hospital for patients ages 10 through older adults. Early data from our preliminary efficacy studies indicate that, on average, patients who receive CBT-AR incorporate many novel foods into their regular diets, gain significant weight (if underweight), and significantly reduce both ARFID symptom severity and food neophobia. Our 6-week course will cover the assessment of ARFID and determining patient appropriateness of CBT-AR, as well as the implementation of all four stages of this flexible, modular treatment. Material will be drawn from our recently published books (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: Children, Adolescents, and Adults, Cambridge University Press, 2019; and The Picky Eater’s Recovery Book: Overcoming Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, Cambridge University Press, 2021), cases we have seen in our clinical practice, and our ongoing research studies on the neurobiology and treatment of ARFID. 

Course materials are available beginning on March 3, 2025, and all online coursework must be completed by April 21, 2025.

Pricing

Registration Deadline: March 17, 2025

Physicians and Doctoral-level Professionals: $445.00
Other Professionals: $345.00

Cancellation Policy

Refunds will be issued for cancellation requests made during the first week of the course, but an administrative fee of $25.00 will be deducted from your refund. Cancellation requests made during the second week will receive credit toward a future offering of the same course. No refunds or credits will be granted after March 17, 2025.

Q&A Schedule

Week Start Date

Date of Q&A

Time of Q&A

      Faculty Name

Week 1: 3/3/2025

 12:30-1PM EDT

Jennifer J. Thomas, Ph.D.

Week 2: 3/10/2025

 9:00-9:30AM EDT

Kendra R. Becker, Ph.D.

Week 3: 3/17/2025

 10:00-10:30 AM EDT

Kamryn T. Eddy, Ph.D.

Week 4: 3/24/2025

 12:30-1PM EDT

Jennifer J. Thomas, Ph.D.

Week 5: 3/31/2025

 10-10:30AM EDT

Kamryn T. Eddy, Ph.D..

Week 6: 4/7/2025

 9:00-9:30AM EDT

Kendra R. Becker, Ph.D

Restriction on Use of Materials

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Course Summary

Available Credits:13.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ 13.50 Nursing Contact Hours 13.50 Social Workers 13.50 Participation 13.50 Psychologists CE Credit
Course Topic:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Course Format:Online CBT Course, Online Course
Target Audience:

This program is intended for health professionals who may encounter patients with ARFID (of all ages) in their clinical practice. In our experience, this includes a wide range of clinicians including:

  • Psychologists
  • Psychiatrists
  • Social workers
  • Other mental health workers
  • Dietitians
  • Primary care physicians
  • Pediatricians
  • Nurses
  • Nurse practitioners
  • Speech/language pathologists
  • Occupational therapists
Event Starts: Mar 3, 2025 - 01:00am
Event Ends: Apr 21, 2025 - 11:59pm
Cost: $445.00

Learning Objectives

At the end of this program, participants will be able to:

  • Discuss how to confer a diagnosis of ARFID based on DSM-5 criteria and describe the assessments (e.g., interviews, self-report questionnaires) that can be used to assess severity.
  • Describe the type of patients with ARFID for whom cognitive-behavioral therapy is appropriate.
  • Describe the basic structure, goals, and session format of cognitive-behavioral therapy for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (CBT-AR).
  • Use all four stages of this flexible, modular treatment
  • Use Stage 1 of CBT-AR including psychoeducation and early change to volume and/or variety of food.
  • Use Stage 2 of CBT-AR including treatment planning and selection of modules to utilize in Stage 3.
  • Design a program in Stage 3 to address sensory sensitivity by implementing the 5 steps of learning about new foods and utilizing strategies for moving new foods from tasting to incorporation.
  • Design treatment strategies in Stage 3 that will address the fear of aversive consequences by developing and working through a fear and avoidance hierarchy.
  • Design a program in Stage 3 to address the lack of interest in eating or food by increasing exposure to highly preferred foods, enhancing awareness of hunger cues through self-monitoring, and conducting interoceptive exposures.
  • Use Stage 4 of CBT-AR including relapse prevention and planning for the future.
  • Discuss how to end the therapy on time as planned.
  • Describe how to troubleshoot common clinical challenges in CBT-AR.

Accreditation

Jointly Accredited Provider, Interprofessional Continuing Education

In support of improving patient care, MGH Institute of Health Professions is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

13.50 Psychologists

Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. MGH Institute of Health Professions designates this activity for 13.50 CE credit.

13.50 Physicians

MGH Institute of Health Professions designates this live activity for a maximum of 13.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits ™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this activity.                        

13.50 Nursing Contact Hours

MGH Institute of Health Professions designates this activity for 13.50 contact hours for nurses.

13.50 Social Workers

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the MGH Institute of Health Professions is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. MGH Institute of Health Professions maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 13.50 clock hours for continuing education credits.

13.50 IPCE Credit

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 13.50 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.


We have a dedicated staff member who is available by phone 5 days per week between 8 am and 5 pm by calling 866-644-7792 or email at mghcme@mgh.harvard.edu. All inquiries will be dealt with in a timely  (within one business day) and professional manner. Requests for credits or refunds will be reviewed by the Director of the Division of Professional and Public Education, Massachusetts General Hospital. Please refer to our cancellation policy for additional information.”