Therapy for Eating Disorders, Disordered Eating, & Body Image
Therapy for eating disorders is about more than food.
Together, we work on understanding the
emotional, behavioral, and nervous system patterns that may be keeping you
stuck while building a healthier, more flexible relationship with food, movement, and your body.
What are eating disorders and disordered eating?
Eating disorders are mental health conditions involving distressing patterns around eating, food, movement, or body image. They can include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFED. They can affect people of any body size and may not be obvious to others.
Disordered eating describes patterns that cause distress or interfere with your health or daily life, whether or not they meet the criteria for a specific diagnosis. This might involve rigid food rules, restriction, bingeing, compensatory behaviors, or a preoccupation with “healthy” eating, weight, or exercise.
Food and body concerns can affect how you eat, move, think about yourself, and participate in daily life. You don’t need a specific diagnosis, a certain body size, or to feel “sick enough” to ask for support.
Signs to look out for
Eating and movement concerns may include:
- Skipping meals, restricting food, or cutting out foods or food groups
- Feeling unable to eat certain foods or handle changes to food routines
- Binge eating or feeling out of control around food
- Purging, fasting, or exercising to compensate for eating
- Compulsive movement or exercising despite illness, injury, or exhaustion
- Food rules that are becoming harder to follow or causing distress
You might also notice:
- Frequent thoughts about food, weight, shape, or exercise
- Anxiety, guilt, shame, or irritability related to eating or body changes
- Eating in secret, avoiding meals with others, or withdrawing from social activities
- Feeling that your worth, success, or sense of control depends on your body or eating
What can body-image struggles look like?
Body-image distress is more than having an occasional difficult day. It may take up a lot of your attention or start shaping what you do.
You might:
- Check, compare, measure, or seek reassurance about your body often
- Avoid mirrors, photographs, certain clothes, intimacy, or activities because of how you feel about your appearance
- Feel distressed by normal body changes
- Put off plans or experiences until your body looks or feels different
- Judge yourself harshly or tie your self-worth to weight, shape, or appearance
You don’t have to love your body to make progress. Therapy can help you spend less time caught up in body criticism and build a more neutral, respectful relationship with your body.
How I approach treatment
I look at both the patterns you want to change and what may be sustaining them. Together, we can explore how anxiety, perfectionism, control, shame, trauma, or compulsive patterns relate to food, movement, and body image.
I also offer individual meal-support therapy: a 45-minute session during a meal where we can practice responding to anxiety, urges, or rituals in real time.
Treatment is tailored to you. Progress might look like loosening a food rule, eating a feared food, reducing body checking or compulsive movement, or spending less of your day preoccupied with food and your body.
Depending on your needs, therapy may include:
Understanding how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors reinforce eating concerns and to practice more flexible responses.
Gradually facing feared foods, eating situations, body-image triggers, or uncertainty without relying on avoidance, rituals, or compensatory behaviors.
Understanding the parts of you connected to control, restriction, bingeing, or body criticism with curiosity rather than judgment.
Learning to manage intense emotions and urges, stay present with discomfort, and develop ways to respond that support your recovery.
EMDR when distressing past experiences are connected to current feelings about food, safety, control, or your body. We would consider together whether it fits your goals and when you feel ready for that work.
Body-image work to reduce checking, comparison, avoidance, and self-criticism while making more room for the parts of life you want to be present for.
Common questions about therapy
How do I know if therapy is right for me?
You do not need to be in crisis for therapy to be helpful. Many people start therapy because they feel overwhelmed, stuck, anxious, emotionally exhausted, disconnected from themselves, or tired of repeating the same patterns. Therapy can provide support, insight, and practical tools to help life feel more manageable.
What can I expect during the first session?
The first session is focused on getting to know you, understanding what has been going on, and discussing what you hope to get out of therapy. We will also talk about your history, current concerns, and goals for treatment. There is no pressure to share everything immediately; therapy is a process, and we move at a pace that feels comfortable.
How often will we meet?
Most clients begin with weekly sessions to build consistency and momentum in therapy. Depending on your needs and goals, sessions may later become biweekly or adjusted over time.
How long does therapy take?
There is no “right” timeline for therapy. Some people benefit from shorter-term support focused on specific concerns, while others prefer longer-term therapy for deeper emotional work and ongoing growth. The length of therapy depends on your goals, symptoms, and what feels most helpful for you.
What types of therapy do you use?
I use evidence-based approaches, including EMDR, ERP, IFS, ACT, CBT, and DBT. Therapy is individualized, meaning we will work together to find the approach that best fits your needs and goals.
Do I need to know exactly what’s wrong before starting therapy?
Not at all. Many people come to therapy knowing they are struggling but not fully understanding why. Part of the process is helping you better understand your emotions, patterns, stressors, and experiences in a supportive and collaborative way.
What if I have trouble opening up?
That is completely okay. Many people feel nervous starting therapy or struggle with vulnerability, especially if they are used to handling things on their own. Building trust takes time, and there is no expectation to immediately share everything all at once.
Is therapy confidential?
Yes. Therapy is confidential, meaning what you share in sessions stays private except in specific situations required by law, such as safety concerns involving harm to yourself or others, abuse, or court-related requirements. Confidentiality and its limits will be reviewed during the intake process.
Do you offer virtual therapy?
Yes. I provide virtual therapy for clients located in North and South Carolina, as well as in-person sessions in SouthPark Charlotte, NC.
Do you accept insurance?
I currently accept Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield. I can also provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement depending on your insurance plan.