HEAL YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR BODY

Therapy for Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating in Parker and all across CO

Food Doesn’t Have to Control You

You spend so much of your day consumed by food, dieting, and exercise. At night you lie awake tallying up your calories from the day or consumed by anxiety because you weren’t able to get your workout in for the day. Guilt is present after every meal and anxiety pains you as you look in the mirror. Maybe it’s the countless mornings spent in your closet agonizing over what you should wear or what will look good on your body. Relationships feel like a chore and no longer bring the same sense of connection and joy. Instead of being present with your family and friends you find yourself battling your inner critic and stressing over food constantly.

Beneath it all is a longing for relief, a freedom from endless dieting, restricting, binge eating, purging, over exercising, and self-criticism. You wonder what it would be like to have a meal without feelings of anxiety or to be able to look in the mirror and not pick yourself apart for every perceived flaw. 

Eating and body image are not confined to your thoughts but impact other areas of life that you once valued. At work it’s hard to focus because part of you is consumed with counting calories, planning your next meal, or worrying about the next company meal. Social events are avoided as they are often centered around food and meals which can trigger anxiety and discomfort. It feels so much safer to withdraw. You’re isolated and feeling trapped in a battle instead of living fully. Exercise and movement is centered around “burning calories” or “earning meals”. It’s hard to imagine having another relationship with moving your body. You feel like you're surviving day to day. 

How Therapy for Disordered Eating Works

As impossible as it may feel, it is possible to change your relationship with food and your body. Therapy can help you break free from the grip of disordered eating, releasing you from the cycle of restriction, binge eating, guilt, and self judgment. It is possible to rebuild a healthy relationship with food where it is seen as nourishment not the enemy.

The shifts extend beyond just food… you can gain a deeper sense of understanding and connecting with your emotions, gain insight into your triggers that have kept you stuck, learn healthier ways to connect with your anxiety and perfectionism.

Life can open up in ways that felt unimaginable before. You’ll find the mental space to fully engage in relationships, passions, and activities. Social events that once felt like a battlefield can be filled with connection and fun. Through our work together you can start to uncover parts of you that your disordered eating silenced.

My approach to therapy for eating disorders is through a holistic approach. You are the ultimate expert on you and are always in charge of your therapy. You’ll feel truly seen, heard, and empowered on your journey. As tough as your eating disorder is right now, it plays an important role in your life. Let’s understand your “parts” and the function of your eating disorder on a deeper level. We will work to heal old wounds and foster more self-compassion. Eye movement and Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy can help you find relief from past emotional pain that may be at the root of your disordered eating and diet behaviors. We will work together to build and nurture your relationships and social support. Whether it’s from practicing assertiveness skills, conflict resolution or just exploring what you want and need from your relationships, this is your space.

Therapy for eating disorders can help you:

  • Change and shift your relationship with food

  • Enjoy activities, events, and social situations again

  • Understand the root of your disordered eating and heal from past wounds

  • See and appreciate your body differently

  • Gain assertiveness skills

  • Rediscover passions previously buried by food stress

It’s possible to break free of your eating disorder.

Break Free.

FAQs

  • Yes! In fact many people that struggle with their relationship with food, eating, exercise and body image don’t meet criteria for anorexia or bulimia as these diagnoses have very specific criteria. Any struggles with food, diet, body image, or exercise merit support and therapy.

  • You and I are a team together but you always are in charge of the work that we do.  The first couple of sessions involve me getting to know you, your struggles, and goals. Then every session we will do a quick check in of what would be helpful for you for that meeting.

  • Although I have a basic understanding of nutrition, I am not a registered dietician.  As we work together and we both feel that additional support with nutrition would be helpful I will help connect you with an eating disorder informed dietician in the community. Once you’ve established care with a dietician you have the option to sign a release of information so I can coordinate care with them.