Family-based treatment (FBT), an outpatient treatment which is typically offered for 6-12 months by specially trained therapists, is currently the first line treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The success of FBT for adolescents with moderate to severe eating disorders indicates a potential use for a short course of modified FBT which could be offered as an early intervention by nonspecialized community mental health counselors to adolescents with mild or subsyndromal eating disorders.