Therapy for Eating Disorders

I work with adults experiencing eating disorders, disordered eating, body image concerns, and difficulties related to self-worth, perfectionism, control, and emotional distress.

Difficulties with eating and body image often involve more than food or appearance alone. People may feel caught in patterns of restriction, control, self-criticism, and fear around change, where eating disorder behaviours can begin to feel like a source of safety, identity, or a way of managing emotions that feel difficult to bear.

Therapy can support both practical change and a deeper understanding of the emotional and relational factors contributing to these difficulties.

Eating Disorder Treatment

My approach to eating disorder treatment is relational psychodynamic, trauma-informed, and non-weight-focused. While physical wellbeing and safety remain important parts of treatment, therapy is also interested in understanding the whole person: your history, relationships, strengths, struggles, and the meaning and function eating disorder symptoms may have within the context of your life.

I am an ANZAED credentialed eating disorder clinician (CEDC-MH) with training in Focal Psychodynamic Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FPT) and CBT-E.

Areas I Work With

  • anorexia nervosa

  • binge eating

  • bulimia nervosa

  • disordered eating, rules around food and exercise

  • body image difficulties

  • perfectionism and self-criticism

  • difficulties with emotional awareness and regulation

  • sense of self

Disordered eating is often a way of coping, protecting, or holding things together. Seeking help can feel complicated, especially when part of you wants things to change and another part feels unsure about letting go of what has helped you manage. Therapy offers a space to understand this conflict, while working together to understand your specific hopes and goals.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • No. People seek therapy for difficulties with eating, body image, self-worth, perfectionism, control, or distress around food without having a formal diagnosis.

  • It is very common to feel conflicted about change, particularly where eating disorder symptoms have become connected to safety, coping, identity, or self-worth. Therapy can provide space to think about these experiences without pressure or judgement.

  • While eating disorder symptoms and physical wellbeing are an important part of treatment, I also recognise the importance of understanding the person beyond the symptoms, including your emotional world, relationships, history, strengths, struggles, and ways of coping over time that may be contributing to your disordered eating behaviours.

  • Psychodynamic therapy for eating disorders is interested in both recovery and understanding. In Focal Psychodynamic Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa, treatment supports improved nourishment and reduction of eating disorder symptoms, while also exploring the emotional, relational, and psychological factors that may maintain them. This may include patterns around shame, perfectionism, identity, vulnerability, relationships, self-worth, control, and ways of managing difficult feelings.

  • Yes. Some people seek therapy after many years of living with eating disorder symptoms or after previous treatment experiences that may not have fully addressed the emotional, relational, and identity aspects of their difficulties.

  • Yes. I work with clients under Eating Disorder Treatment and Management Plans and Mental Health Treatment Plans. Please see your GP for eligibility and referral.

  • Eating disorder treatment works best when addressed collaboratively. You will need to be engaged with your GP throughout treatment. In collaboration with myself and your GP, other appropriate supports may be considered such as a dietitian or psychiatrist to support both physical and emotional wellbeing throughout treatment.

    Please note that my practice may not be the most appropriate support if you are currently medically unstable due to an eating disorder. I recommend discussing this with your GP so the right level of care and support can be considered.

  • Eating disorder therapy is most helpful when sessions are regular. I generally recommend weekly sessions, particularly when eating concerns are active.

    Therapy for eating disorders often benefits from a longer-term approach, as eating, body image, shape and weight concerns can become closely connected with emotion, self-worth, control, relationships, shame, and ways of coping.

    We can discuss frequency in more depth during the assessment process.