Therapy Cafe (Audio Version) - Atypical Anorexia Nervosa: Misconceptions and Treatment Approaches
Before you take the post-test assessment, make sure you've listened to the course content on your podcast app of choice.
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Atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN) is a sub-diagnosis for patients who meet all the criteria for anorexia, except for being underweight. However, the term “atypical” is a glaring misnomer, as AAN affects up to 4.9% of people during their lifetime, whereas anorexia nervosa (AN) affects about 0.6%. Atypical anorexia became a subtype of other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED) in 2013, leading to many common misconceptions about the severity of the illness and its best treatment approach. In this course, Dr. Cara Bohon, licensed clinical psychologist, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, and Senior Vice President of Clinical Programs at Equip, will explore these diagnostic labels, assess the severity and treatment trajectory for patients with AAN compared to AN, and propose considerations for future diagnostic clarifications.
1 hour CE. Recorded audio format
This course is the audio version of this Therapy Cafe podcast episode. If you would like to watch the video version, you can search for the video version of this title in the course catalog.
Course Overview
ESTIMATED COURSE LENGTH: 1 hour
CE CREDITS:1 hour continuing education/contact hours for social workers, psychologists, counselors, and marriage and family therapists
TARGET AUDIENCE: Mental Health Practitioners
LEVEL OF INSTRUCTION: Introductory
PREREQUISITE(S): None
INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD: Recorded audio format
ACCESSIBILITY ACCOMMODATIONS: Closed captioning. To request further accessibility accommodations, please email support@psychhub.com.
COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS: To obtain your CE certificate, learners must listen to the full course, complete a participant evaluation, and obtain a score of 80% or higher on a post-test. Learners are expected to complete the quiz within 3 attempts. If unable to do so, the learner will need to re-review the course segments.
FINANCIAL/COMMERCIAL SUPPORT STATEMENT: This course has no commercial support.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST: This course has no outside commercial support. Dr. Cara Bohon has a relevant disclosure noted in the Continuing Education information section of this course. Psych Hub's conflict of interest statement is found in the footer of the training center.
GRIEVANCE AND REFUND POLICIES: Grievance and refund policies are found in the footer of the training center.
PARTICIPATION COSTS: The cost to participate in this CE activity is included in the subscription registration fee.
COURSE CREATION DATE: 9/26/2024
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
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Explain the differences (or lack thereof) between atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN) and anorexia nervosa
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Recognize the severity of AAN and the urgency for treatment
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Identify necessary components for treatments for AAN
Course Outline
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Introduction to Eating Disorders
- Overview of DSM-5 Eating Disorder Classifications
- Characteristics of Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
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Atypical Anorexia Nervosa (AAN)
- Defining AAN: Similarities and Differences with AN
- Historical Background of AAN
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Diagnostic Clarifications and Clinical Presentation
- Diagnostic Challenges with AAN
- Overcoming Barriers to Diagnosis
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Treatment Approaches for Atypical Anorexia Nervosa
- Treatment Urgency and Severity of AAN
- Components of Effective Treatment
- Examples of Successful Treatment
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Therapeutic Considerations for Practitioners
- Challenges for Therapists Treating AAN
- Best Practices for Assessing and Discussing Eating Disorders
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Future Considerations and Ongoing Learning
- Diagnostic Considerations for the Future
- Resources for Therapists
CE Information
American Psychological Association (APA)
Psych Hub is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Psych Hub maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Psychologists completing this course receive 1.00 continuing education credits.Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
Psych Hub, #1750, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/20/2024 – 08/20/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 clinical continuing education credits.Social workers completing this course receive {ce_credit} clinical continuing education credits.
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
Psych Hub is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. Psych Hub maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. CAMFT Approval #1000074. Course meets the qualifications for 1.00 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
Psych Hub has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7051. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Psych Hub is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Counselors completing this course receive 1.00 continuing education hours.New York State Education Department - Licensed Mental Health Counselors (NYSED-LMHC)
Psych Hub, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0257. New York State licensed mental health counselors completing this course receive 1.00 contact hours.New York State Education Department - Marriage & Family Therapists (NYSED-MFT)
Psych Hub, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0109. New York State marriage and family therapists completing this course receive 1.00 contact hours.New York State Education Department - Psychology (NYSED-PSY)
Psych Hub, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0208. New York State licensed psychologists completing this course receive 1.00 contact hours.New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work (NYSED-SW)
Psych Hub, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0699. New York State social workers completing this course receive 1.00 contact hours.Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling
Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling Provider Number 50-45376. Participants completing this course earn 1.00 continuing education credits.Experts

Cara Bohon, PhD
Dr. Cara Bohon, Equip’s Senior Vice President, Clinical Programs, is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 15 years of experience as an executive, clinician, and researcher in the eating disorders field. Cara’s research, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, focuses on identifying underlying factors involved in eating disorders, including brain function and body image, to develop effective interventions. Her work has been published in top-tier journals, including Science, JAMA Psychiatry, and the International Journal of Eating Disorders. She was awarded an Early Career Investigator Award from the Academy of Eating Disorders and has presented at leading conferences like the Eating Disorder Research Society and the Organization for Human Brain Mapping. Dr. Bohon earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Oregon, her B.S. in Psychology from Vanderbilt University, and is a Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford University.