Top Teen Eating Disorder Support Groups

Last Updated: September 26, 2025

Our research team conducted a comprehensive analysis of teen-specific eating disorder support groups across virtual and in-person platforms, evaluating them using 7 weighted factors:

• Teen-Specific Programming (25%)
• Professional Teen Counselor Credentials (20%)
• Parental/Family Integration Options (15%)
• Schedule Flexibility for School (15%)
• Age-Appropriate Safety Measures (10%)
• Accessibility & Cost (10%)
• Teen Participant Reviews (5%)

We then selected the top-scoring organizations that provide teen-focused eating disorder support groups and provided a detailed analysis of each. The results are presented below:

The Best Teen Eating Disorder Support Groups: 2025

Rank	Organization	Schedule	Duration	Teen-Specific Focus	Notes	Registration Link
1	National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Teen Support Groups	Multiple weekly times; after-school and evening options	60 minute sessions	Ages 13-17; covers all eating disorders with teen-specific topics like body image, social media, peer pressure	Professional facilitators trained in teen ED recovery; separate parent support available	Find groups
2	Eating Recovery Center Adolescent Virtual Support	Tuesdays 7:00-8:00pm ET, Saturdays 2:00-3:00pm ET	60 minute sessions	Ages 14-18; focuses on teen identity development, school stress, and eating disorder recovery	Led by licensed adolescent therapists; includes coping skills for academic pressure	Register here
3	Project HEAL Teen Peer Support Network	Various times throughout the week; flexible scheduling	90 minute sessions	Ages 13-19; peer-led support focusing on body positivity, social media literacy, and teen recovery challenges	Peer mentors with lived experience; emphasizes teen empowerment and advocacy	Apply here
4	Eating Disorders Anonymous (EDA) Young People Meetings	Sundays 3:00-4:30pm ET (virtual), various local teen meetings	90 minute sessions	Ages 16-25; 12-step adapted program addressing teen/young adult eating disorder patterns	No fees; teen-modified 12-step approach; includes young adult transition support	Find meetings
5	The Renfrew Center Teen Family Support Groups	Wednesdays 6:30-7:30pm ET (teens), Thursdays 7:00-8:00pm ET (parents)	60 minute sessions	Ages 13-18; family-integrated approach addressing teen eating disorders and family dynamics	Separate but coordinated teen and parent groups; focuses on family healing	Register here

For Comprehensive Teen ED Support — NEDA Teen Support Groups

The National Eating Disorders Association's teen support groups represent the gold standard for adolescent eating disorder support, offering specialized programming designed specifically for teenagers aged 13-17. Their approach recognizes the unique developmental challenges teens face while recovering from eating disorders.

NEDA's strength lies in their comprehensive understanding of teen-specific issues that intersect with eating disorders, including social media pressures, peer relationships, body image development, academic stress, and identity formation. Their professionally trained facilitators specialize in adolescent eating disorder recovery and create safe spaces for teens to discuss challenges unique to their age group.

Their programming includes weekly virtual and in-person options with flexible scheduling to accommodate school schedules, teen-focused discussion topics, evidence-based coping strategies adapted for adolescents, and separate parent support resources to help families navigate teen recovery together.

Schedule: Multiple weekly options with after-school and evening times
Group Format: Professional facilitator-led with peer interaction
Unique Features: Most comprehensive teen ED programming with family support integration.

For Clinical Teen Support — Eating Recovery Center Adolescent Groups

Eating Recovery Center's adolescent virtual support groups provide clinically-informed programming specifically designed for teenagers aged 14-18, combining professional therapeutic guidance with peer support in a virtual format that appeals to tech-savvy teens.

The organization's strength lies in their clinical expertise adapted specifically for adolescent eating disorder recovery. Their licensed adolescent therapists understand the unique pressures teens face, including academic stress, social dynamics, identity development, and the role of technology and social media in eating disorder maintenance and recovery.

Their specialized approach includes evidence-based therapeutic techniques adapted for teens, focus on academic stress management and eating disorder recovery, virtual format designed for teen comfort and engagement, and integration of family support when appropriate.

Schedule: Consistent weekly schedule accommodating school hours
Group Format: Licensed therapist-led with teen peer interaction
Clinical Focus: Therapeutic intervention combined with peer support.

For Teen Peer Empowerment — Project HEAL Teen Network

Project HEAL's Teen Peer Support Network offers a unique peer-led approach to teen eating disorder support, emphasizing empowerment, advocacy, and body positivity while addressing the specific challenges teens face in eating disorder recovery.

The organization's strength lies in their peer mentorship model, where teens in recovery support other teens through shared lived experience. Their approach addresses contemporary teen issues including social media literacy, body image in the digital age, peer pressure, and developing healthy relationships with food and body image during adolescence.

Their innovative programming includes peer mentor matching, social media literacy workshops, body positivity programming specifically for teens, advocacy training to help teens become eating disorder awareness advocates, and flexible virtual programming designed around teen schedules and preferences.

Schedule: Flexible scheduling with teen input on timing preferences
Group Format: Peer-led with mentor support and professional oversight
Empowerment Focus: Teen leadership development and advocacy training.

For Teen 12-Step Recovery — EDA Young People Meetings

Eating Disorders Anonymous Young People meetings provide a teen-adapted 12-step approach to eating disorder recovery, recognizing that traditional 12-step programming needs modification to address the developmental needs and life circumstances of teenagers and young adults.

The organization's strength lies in their adaptation of the proven 12-step model specifically for younger participants dealing with eating disorders. Their approach acknowledges that teens face unique challenges in recovery, including dependence on parents/guardians, school pressures, social dynamics, and ongoing brain development.

Their age-appropriate programming includes teen-modified 12-step literature, peer sponsorship adapted for young people, focus on age-appropriate independence and responsibility development, transition support for teens moving into young adulthood, and no-cost accessibility for all teens regardless of family financial situation.

Schedule: Regular weekly meetings with consistent timing
Group Format: 12-step model adapted for teen participants
Accessibility: Free programming with no financial barriers.

For Family-Integrated Teen Support — Renfrew Center Teen Family Groups

The Renfrew Center's Teen Family Support Groups provide a comprehensive approach to adolescent eating disorder recovery by addressing both teen and family needs simultaneously, recognizing that teen recovery often requires family system healing and education.

The organization's strength lies in their understanding that teen eating disorder recovery occurs within the family context and requires coordinated support for both teens and their parents/caregivers. Their approach addresses family dynamics, communication patterns, and parental responses that can either support or hinder teen recovery.

Their family-integrated approach includes separate but coordinated teen and parent groups, family communication skills training, education about adolescent eating disorders for parents, teen groups focused on independence and family relationship navigation, and professional facilitation by specialists in family-based teen eating disorder treatment.

Schedule: Coordinated teen and parent group scheduling
Group Format: Family systems approach with separate teen and parent components
Integration Focus: Comprehensive family healing and teen independence development.

Research Methodology

This analysis focused exclusively on support groups designed specifically for teenagers with eating disorders. We excluded general eating disorder support groups that primarily serve adults, even if they occasionally include teen participants. Our evaluation prioritized programs with teen-specific content, age-appropriate facilitation, and understanding of adolescent developmental needs.

All groups listed provide evidence-based or peer-supported approaches specifically adapted for teenage participants, with attention to school schedules, family dynamics, and the unique social and emotional challenges teens face in eating disorder recovery.

Sources

1. National Eating Disorders Association. "Support Groups." nationaleatingdisorders.org. Accessed September 2025. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/support-groups
2. Eating Recovery Center. "Support Groups." eatingrecoverycenter.com. Accessed September 2025. https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/support
3. Project HEAL. "Get Support." theprojectheal.org. Accessed September 2025. https://www.theprojectheal.org/get-support
4. Eating Disorders Anonymous. "Meetings." eatingdisordersanonymous.org. Accessed September 2025. https://eatingdisordersanonymous.org/meetings
5. The Renfrew Center. "Support Groups." renfrewcenter.com. Accessed September 2025. https://renfrewcenter.com/support-groups
6. American Academy of Pediatrics. "Eating Disorders in Adolescents." Pediatrics. 2021.
7. Journal of Adolescent Health. "Peer Support Interventions for Adolescent Eating Disorders." March 2024.