ADOLESCENTS & ADULTS
Temperament-Based Therapy with Support (TBT-S)
Temperament-Based Therapy with Support (TBT-S) is a neurobiologically informed, skills-based intervention developed primarily for eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. TBT-S teaches patients and their loved ones how to work with their genetically driven temperament traits rather than fighting against them.
What is TBT-S?
Temperament-Based Therapy with Support (TBT-S) was primary developed by Dr. Laura Hill, along with key researchers and clinicians from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research.
TBT-S stems from brain research showing that eating disorders are heavily influenced by genetics, brain circuitry, and neurobiology. Traits like high anxiety, harm avoidance, perfectionism, obsessive detail-orientation, and altered reward processing are biologically wired long before an eating disorder develops.
TBT-S reframes these traits: temperament itself isn't bad—it just needs to be redirected. For example, while high perfectionism and detail focus can fuel restrictive eating during an illness, those same traits can make a person highly skilled, conscientious, and driven in recovery.
Who is TBT-S Therapy for?
Individuals Struggling with Anorexia or Bulimia who have not fully responded to traditional talk therapy.
Families and Support Networks looking for practical, actionable tools to assist with mealtime.
Patients Seeking a Neurobiological Understanding of their illness.
Adjunct or Booster Care for Family-Based Treatment (FBT) or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).