About Maria
Maria Ganci
Director, APT Therapeutic Solutions
I’m Maria Ganci, a Registered Clinical Mental Health Social Worker and Child & Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist. For over 30 years, I’ve supported children, adolescents, and families through some of the most vulnerable and transformative chapters of their lives. Over the past two decades, my work has focused exclusively on the treatment of child and adolescent eating disorders within a family-based framework.
My early clinical training was in Family-Based Treatment (FBT) for Anorexia Nervosa, under the mentorship of internationally recognised experts Professor Daniel LeGrange and Dr. Katherine Lobe. This training laid a strong foundation in evidence-based practice. However, as I deepened my work with young people, it became clear that FBT alone was not enough.
Too often, adolescents shared that they felt invisible, and that their concerns and worries were overlooked in the very process meant to support them. Parents, while deeply committed to their child’s recovery, often felt that the treatment did not fully account for their child’s unique profile—whether due to neurodivergence, temperament, or individual psychological needs. Many longed for a more personalised and responsive approach that truly honoured the complexity of their child.
Motivated by this need, I partnered with my colleague Dr. Linsey Atkins to explore more holistic and adolescent-focused models of care. In 2015, we travelled to Michigan, USA, to train with Dr. Ann Moye and Dr. Art Robin—pioneers in adolescent eating disorder treatment. There, we were introduced to Ego Oriented Individual Therapy (EOIT), a unique model that offers therapeutic support for the adolescent while guiding parents in the re-nourishment process.
Inspired by their work, Linsey and I adapted EOIT to better meet the needs of Australian families. This became the foundation for Adolescent & Parent Treatment (APT)—an evidence-informed, integrative model that honours both the emotional world of the adolescent and the vital role of parents in recovery.
As Director of APT Therapeutic Solutions, I continue to enhance Adolescent & Parent Treatment (APT) and develop training tools and clinical resources that support:
- Clinicians, who work tirelessly to provide compassionate, evidence-based care
- Parents and carers, who walk beside their child with unwavering dedication
- Adolescents and young people, who are navigating the painful and complex challenges of an eating disorder
My work centres on making therapy more accessible, emotionally attuned, and developmentally appropriate for young people, while equipping parents with the insight, confidence, and resilience they need. Above all, I believe that effective treatment must meet the whole person—not just the illness. My goal is to ensure that adolescents feel heard, understood, and empowered, and to walk alongside families as they rebuild connection, strength, and hope.
APT NEW ZEALAND
Exciting Collaboration Announcement
I am delighted to share that Dr. Marion Roberts, from Nurture Psychology in New Zealand, has joined APT Therapeutic Solutions as a Clinical Collaborator and Research Lead.
Dr. Roberts brings extensive expertise and a shared passion for advancing innovative, evidence-based approaches to adolescent eating disorder treatment. Her leadership in research will strengthen our commitment to bridging clinical practice with cutting-edge knowledge, ensuring that young people and their families receive the best possible care.
Together, we look forward to expanding the reach and impact of APT Therapeutic Solutions, fostering collaboration across Australia and New Zealand, and continuing to develop resources that empower both clinicians and families.
About Dr Roberts
Dr Marion Roberts
Clinical Psychologist
PhD (KCL), DClinPsych, BSc Hons (1st), BSc, MNZCCP
- Clinical Director, Nurture Psychology
- Registered Psychologist (NZ Psychologists Board, Clinical Scope)
- Member (& former board member), Australian and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders
- Member, New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists
- Member, (International) Eating Disorder Research Society
- Senior Lecturer in Primary Mental Health, University of Auckland
- Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, University of Otago
I am a clinical psychologist and academic with 20 years specialist experience in the field of eating disorders. I love working in this area and genuinely believe that recovery is possible for every individual.
I enjoy working in a warm, collaborative manner with my clients. I see a wide range of clients across all ages and eating disorder presentations, including adults & adolescents with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating and/or body image concerns. I am passionate about recovery at every stage of the journey, with a particular passion for early intervention: creating prompt access to specialist input for clients (& parents) with concerns around early forms of disordered eating, body confidence concerns, or those wanting freedom from diet culture.
I have a strong background in clinical research, having completed a PhD (Psychological Medicine) in 2009 at the world-renowned Section of Eating Disorders at the Maudsley Hospital in the UK (King’s College London). My specialist academic training allows my treatment approach with clients to be firmly grounded in the modalities that research tells us works best (evidence-based treatment), whilst also drawing from clinical experience and incorporating new & emerging knowledge or treatment approaches (evidence-informed practice).
I began working clinically in New Zealand in 2015 at Thrive Eating Disorder Service residential & day program (now Tupu Ora). After 3 years working privately in Ponsonby, I started Nurture Psychology to expand availability of private psychological services for eating disorders, to pursue my passion for early intervention work, and to focus on training/supervision in best-practice treatment for eating disorders. This involves training Intern Psychologists, providing regular clinical supervision for our in-house registered psychology team, providing clinician training, and delivering invited community seminars/workshops on the prevention & community support of those with eating disorders.
To date I have supported 15 psychologists to develop a specialisation in eating disorders through training & individual supervision-to-competency, contributing to the vision at Nurture Psychology of expanding the specialist eating disorder workforce.
Alongside my clinical work, I am a Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland and honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago, Christchurch. In my academic role I teach general mental health for primary care clinicians (such as GP’s), and supervise PhD, DClinPsych and MSc students conducting research within the eating disorder field. I am actively involved in both local and international research collaborations (e.g. the international genomics consortium for anorexia nervosa PGC-EDS & the Treat private practice collaboration), am a Senior Editor for the Journal of Eating Disorders and served as the NZ representative on the ANZ Academy of Eating Disorders Board from 2017-2023. I have co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed academic articles in the field and regularly attend/present at international conferences on eating disorders (including leadership organisational roles), which helps me keep up to date with the latest advances.
I am driven to help develop emerging, evidence-informed treatment options particularly for adolescent anorexia nervosa and am currently working with Australian colleagues in training psychologists and developing the empirical base for Adolescent & Parent Treatment (APT). I also have an interest in the impact of neurocognition (thinking styles) on eating disorders, stemming from my doctoral research. With my London colleagues, I have been involved in the development and trialling of Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) for eating disorders. I provide training, supervision and case consultation for clinicians working with eating disorders (including APT/CRT/CBT-E & brief intervention for primary care) across public and private sectors.
My academic/research profile can be found here.
Acknowledgements
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my mentors, whose guidance and expertise have shaped my clinical path and inspired my ongoing commitment to innovation in adolescent eating disorder treatment.
Together, Dr. Moye and Dr. Robin received a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) grant to evaluate the efficacy of adolescent psychotherapy for anorexia. Their treatment trial (Robin et al., 1999) showed significant improvements in both physical and psychological health at the end of therapy and 12-month follow-up. Their research demonstrated that adolescents can benefit greatly from individual therapy, while parents play a central role in supporting nutritional recovery.
Dr. Ann Moye
Clinical Psychologist, is in private practice at Dennis, Moye, Branstetter & Associates in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. With extensive experience in the treatment of eating disorders, she has made a significant contribution to research on adolescent anorexia nervosa.
Dr. Arthur Robin
He is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences and Paediatrics at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He serves as Chief of Psychology and Director of Psychology Training at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Dr. Robin brings decades of expertise in treating adolescents with eating disorders, ADHD, and family conflict.
