Finding the right therapist for eating and body image concerns
If the eating is doing a job, the job still needs doing.
You've typed "eating disorder therapist" into a search bar more than once. Maybe you closed the tab when the results were all residential programs and treatment centers, because that didn't sound like you. You're functioning. You go to work, you take care of people. But food takes up more room in your head than you want it to, and the way you feel about your body colors more of your day than you'd admit out loud.
That's a common place to start. And it raises a fair question: what kind of help actually fits what I'm dealing with?
The eating is rarely just about food
What happens with food is the part you can see. Underneath, eating usually ends up doing a job. It calms you down at the end of a long day. It gives you a sense of control when other things feel shaky. It fills the gap for a brain that's understimulated, exhausted, or running on almost nothing since breakfast. For some people, a short list of safe foods has nothing to do with weight at all. It's about texture, or fear of choking or getting sick.
That's why another meal plan or another round of "just be more mindful" usually doesn't solve it. If the eating is doing a job, the job still needs doing. Good therapy figures out what the pattern is for, what keeps it going, and what would have to change for it to loosen.
That work often touches:
The beliefs that keep the pattern in place: about food, about your body, about what you're allowed to want.
The feelings underneath, like anxiety, shame, or the need to feel in control.
Your relationship with your body, separate from what it looks like on a given day.
Whatever else is in the picture. ADHD, anxiety, and OCD show up alongside eating struggles all the time, and they usually need to be understood together.
What I work with, and what I don't
I want to be clear about scope, because "eating disorder therapist" covers a lot of ground.
I work with binge eating and overeating, especially when ADHD is part of the picture. I also work with the restricting that so often comes before overeating, whether it's a diet, "being good," or simply forgetting to eat until late afternoon. And I work with body image concerns that wear you down even when your eating looks "fine" from the outside.
Every eating concern is welcome in a consultation. If what you need is medical monitoring or a more intensive program than weekly therapy, I'll say so plainly and help you find it.
What to look for in a therapist
Whoever you end up working with, a few things are worth asking about:
Specific experience with your concern. Overeating, restricting, and body image each have their own patterns, and with ADHD they often feed each other. General therapy with "some eating experience" can miss them.
A weight-neutral approach. The goal of therapy shouldn't be a number on a scale. If a therapist's plan sounds like a diet, notice that.
Comfort with the rest of the picture. If you also have ADHD, anxiety, or OCD, someone who understands how those interact with eating will be more useful than someone who only looks at the food.
A willingness to coordinate. Eating concerns often benefit from a team. Ask whether they work with dietitians and physicians.
Pay attention to how a consultation feels, too. You should come away with some sense of how they think about your situation, not just a list of their credentials.
How I approach it
I work from a weight-neutral frame. We're not aiming for a particular body. We're aiming for eating that feels less loud and less loaded, and a relationship with your body you can actually live in.
I'm also not going to take every explanation at face value, including the ones you've carried for years. "I just have no willpower" is a story a lot of people bring in. Usually something more specific is going on, and finding it is the useful part.
I don't give nutrition advice. When it would help, I coordinate with a dietitian or your doctor so the pieces fit together.
Starting the conversation
I see clients by video in Arizona and Colorado. You don't need a diagnosis or a clear name for what's happening before you reach out. Read more about eating and body image therapy, or book a free 15-minute consultation.
