Training Opportunities

**The following was approved by the AED Electronic Media Committee**

University of California, San Diego Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research is an international leader in employing new treatments based on research on the neurobiology of eating disorders and related problems. We have IOP and day treatment programs for adults, adolescents, and children with eating disorders, as well as a medical stabilization unit in conjunction with Rady Children's Hospital. We have a large postdoctoral training program, with one postdoc position still available for 2020-21, and have some flexibility about the degree to which this position would be primarily research or clinical.

Current eating disorder treatments are of limited efficacy. New insight into neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to symptoms is supporting development of more effective interventions.  The UCSD program is unique in that it has faculty and staff who focus on combining research into neurobiology with treatment development.  This is an exciting opportunity for individuals to learn about brain and behavior and apply this knowledge to new treatment approaches. We are also very interested in fellows who come from backgrounds outside of eating disorders, like anxiety, substance, trauma, pediatrics, and we have a strong preference for candidates who have experience or interest in DBT or FBT.  Many of our postdocs stay on in permanent staff or faculty positions.

Postdoctoral Position

Clinical postdoctoral fellows work in our Adult, Adolescent, Intensive Family Therapy, and/or Pediatric Programs.  We treat patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN), Binge Eating Disorder (BED), Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS), and Other Specified Eating or Feeding Disorder (OSFED), a category that includes subclinical eating disorders and atypical eating disorders (e.g., exercise bulimia, purging disorder). Additionally, our program offers targeted treatment for other conditions that are seen in patients with eating disorders, including substance abuse/dependence and trauma. This training experience includes weekly didactics, opportunities for intensive training in DBT and FBT, the chance to work closely with a multidisciplinary team, and many of our postdocs stay on in permanent staff or faculty positions. Job duties include individual, group, and family therapy, with opportunities to participate in treatment development research.

One of the strengths of our 2-year postdoctoral fellow program is that we provide in-depth training in evidence-based treatment approaches. In addition to weekly individual supervision and mentorship, this includes an intensive orientation to eating disorders, a 2-day DBT training, and a 2-day FBT training at the beginning of the training year; along with weekly didactics and multiple weekly supervision groups and consultation teams; and occasional opportunities for additional training such as conferences. Clinical fellows typically cross-train in two different programs (one year in each) to maximize both breadth and depth of training.

Required qualifications:

• Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology
• APA accredited doctoral program
• APA accredited pre-doctoral internship preferred
• Experience in treatment of eating disorder patients OR experience in a related area, such as substance use, anxiety or trauma.
• In-depth knowledge and demonstrated skill in provision of individual, group, and family psychotherapy.
• Preference for demonstrated experience in providing therapy to individuals with eating disorders at different levels of care, including residential/inpatient, day treatment, outpatient, and IOP.
• Preference for DBT and Family-Based Therapy trained candidates.

Benefits Include:

• Although not required, there are opportunities to participate in a variety of research projects. Most of our clinical fellows co-author papers and/or posters while here. Many participate in development of novel research projects.
• Competitive salary and benefits.
• Training and supervision with expert psychologists, including nationally recognized trainers in DBT, FBT and CPT.
• Potential opportunities to stay on as a staff or faculty psychologist after fellowship.
• Weekly didactics and consultation teams.

To apply, please email a cv and cover letter indicating which position(s) you are interested in to Training Director Dr. Leslie Anderson, Ph.D. landerson@ucsd.edu