If you’re browsing this page, you or someone you know may be struggling with restricting, bingeing, or purging. You may be wondering if you’ll ever feel content with yourself, free of food and weight obsessions and able to eat normally. It is possible, and working with an eating disorder specialist can really help. Having myself recovered from an eating disorder, I understand what it’s like and I know what it takes to get through it.

Signs of an Eating Disorder

Eating disorders come in different forms and levels of severity, but all include extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors around weight, food and body issues. They involve serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences.

Anorexia is self-starvation. People with anorexia are literally “dying” to be thin; they have an intense fear of gaining weight or being “fat”.

Bulimia is characterized by a secretive cycle of binge eating and purging, using extreme measures like self-induced vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, diet pills and over-exercising.

Binge eating disorder (also know as compulsive overeating) involves periods of uncontrolled, impulsive or continuous eating beyond the point of being comfortably full.

Disordered eating refers to some combination of symptoms of anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating. While the symptoms are less frequent or severe, it can still be physically dangerous and emotionally draining.

Reasons to Seek Help

If you’re like most other people struggling with an eating disorder, you may be troubled by feelings of depression, anxiety, guilt, shame, loneliness and self-hatred…or, you may be feeling “numb” because you are using food as a way to distract yourself from feeling any negative emotions. An eating disorder keeps you imprisoned, isolated, and unable to form close relationships. It doesn’t have to stay this way. Therapy can help you feel comfortable with yourself and your relationships!

What to Expect in Therapy

I offer understanding, guidance and tools to facilitate your recovery. My personal as well as professional experience with eating disorders informs my work. Together we’ll explore how the eating disorder helps you, what purpose it serves, and what it’s telling you about what’s going on inside. Once you’re able to identify the needs the eating disorder serves, you can focus on fulfilling those needs in healthier, more fulfilling ways, utilizing the tools of recovery.

I also work with family members and partners of those struggling with an eating disorder. Trying to understand and cope with the disease often seems overwhelming, and therapy with an experienced eating disorder specialist can help.

You can recover. Please call me at 949-933-1701 to discuss your personal concerns or to schedule an appointment.