Resume

Maria Ganci is a Clinical Social Worker with a Masters in Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy with over 30 years clinical experience working with parents, children, and adolescents.  Since 2002 Maria has devoted her time to the treatment of Adolescent Eating Disorders both in the public and private sector. Maria is trained in FBT; AFT; & CBT-E for adolescents.

 Maria works at Royal Children’s Hospital Specialist Eating Disorder Program and was involved in the establishment of RCH ED program. She was also one of the lead therapists on their 6 year RCT comparing PFT and FBT for Anorexia Nervosa. Maria is responsible for the RCH Parent Education and Training portfolio and developed the hospital’s Parent Educations and Skills Training Workshop that has shown to improve FBT outcomes. During COVID Maria established online Group FBT to manage the influx of referrals and support parents whilst on a waiting list.

 Maria’s expertise focus on empowering parents; manage parental resistance/fear; and strengthen parental unity and parental attunement that are essential for positive FBT outcomes. Maria is also committed to supporting the adolescents in treatment by providing strategies to both the adolescent and parents to manage cognitive distortions; distress; and the AN voice.

 Maria also served as a Faculty Member of the Training Institute for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders.  Maria continues to provide FBT consultation nationally and internationally as well as train clinicians to develop FBT supervisory skills.

Maria has extensive experience regarding cultural adaptations of FBT, in particular Asian populations, and for the past five years has been involved in establishing FBT in Japan and continues to provide monthly training, supervision and consultation to Japanese mental health clinicians.

 Maria is also the author of:

·       “Survive FBT – Skills Training Manual for Parents Undertaking Family Based Treatment” which has been translated into German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Japanese.

Maria is also co-author of:

·       “Unpack Your Eating Disorder – The Journey to Recovery for Adolescents in Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa & Atypical anorexia Nervosa”

·       “Letting Go of Ed – Embracing Me – A Journal of Self-Discovery”

ED Recovery – Trait, Critic & Sage Therapy Cards