The Eating Disorders Program at University Medical Center at Princeton is committed to providing exceptional medical, psychotherapeutic and nutritional care as well as highly personal caring for each and every patient in our program. We provide effective and compassionate treatment for adults, adolescents and children who are suffering from anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders.

Our goal is to help patients recover physically and emotionally in a warm, caring environment that offers acceptance, safety and support. Because of our location in a full-service medical center, we emphasize thorough and efficient treatment of any medical complications while simultaneously addressing the psychological issues underlying eating disorders. Our program is located in historic Princeton, New Jersey, giving our patients the opportunity to heal in a charming and quiet community.

Our Treatment Philosophy

Our intensive, multidisciplinary treatment program is designed to facilitate meaningful and lasting change. We emphasize treatment of the whole patient, as eating disorders are illnesses that affect the individual physically, emotionally and socially. The program combines a psychosocial approach with the latest advances in nutritional and medical treatment.

We also help our patients learn healthier eating habits, psychological coping and physical fitness. Through intensive therapy, our patients begin to identify underlying issues contributing to disordered eating and distorted body image. Patients learn to identify and express feelings and to use healthy methods of meeting emotional needs. Inpatients meet daily with a master’s or doctoral-level therapist and a board certified psychiatrist.

Our board certified psychiatrists evaluate each patient individually to develop a treatment plan designed to achieve a full recovery. Our multidisciplinary approach is comprehensive to address all aspects of a patient’s care:

• Medical management
• Individual psychotherapy
• Nutrition counseling
• Family therapy
• Group psychotherapy
• Tutoring
• Art therapy
• Relaxation
• Yoga

An Experienced, Compassionate Treatment Team

The multidisciplinary treatment team is headed by Medical Director Russell Marx, MD, a board certified psychiatrist who is the author of It’s Not Your Fault: Overcoming Anorexia and Bulimia, published by Random House. Dr. Marx is an editor for several eating disorders journals and is active in eating disorders research. He is joined by Kenneth Willis, MD, a board certified psychiatrist, and Program Director Melinda Parisi, PhD. Dr. Willis founded the program with the senior leaders of the hospital and served as its first medical director. Dr. Parisi is a licensed psychologist with extensive expertise in eating disorders and women’s issues.

Our expert team also consists of:

• Board certified psychiatrists
• Registered nurses
• Licensed psychotherapists, including psychologists, social workers and professional counselors
• Registered dietitians
• Consulting physicians, who are board certified in gastroenterology, endocrinology, cardiology, gynecology and other specialty areas
• Certified teachers

An Integrated Continuum of Care

The program offers an integrated continuum of care that is individualized according to each patient’s needs.

Inpatient Program

• 24-hour care with specific attention to medical and physical problems
• Prompt and thorough medical, nutritional and psychological treatment to facilitate stabilization and transition to the partial hospital program
• Weekend program for family members who want to participate in the recovery process

Partial Hospital Program

• Treatment from two to five days each week, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Therapeutic programming aimed at maintaining the progress made during treatment and normalizing eating and behavior patterns
• Evening program for family members

Continuity of Care

• Outpatient treatment providers are always included in treatment planning throughout hospitalization to coordinate treatment and maintain continuity of care
• Patients who enter treatment without an outpatient treatment team are given referrals to appropriate aftercare providers

To Learn More

If you are interested in learning more about our program or to schedule an appointment for an evaluation with a physician, please call our intake coordinator at 609.497.4490 or 877.932.8935. We accept self-referrals as well as referrals from outpatient treatment providers. All inquiries are confidential. Most insurance plans are accepted.

For more information, call the Eating Disorders Program at 609.497.4490.