Eating Disorder Therapy
It can be hard to seek help when faced with an eating disorder. So, first and foremost, our mission at EDRS with eating disorder therapy is to provide the care you need through all phases of your recovery. This can help you feel uplifted, heard, and supported throughout your entire journey.
Eating disorder therapy at EDRS works to meet clients at any stage of an eating disorder. There’s a variety of modalities and motivational interviewing. It’s not a “one size fits all approach” to eating disorder treatment. Eating disorder therapy at EDRS takes a personalized approach for every client.
Eating disorders are famously misunderstood. It can feel difficult and overwhelming to navigate due to the fears and stigmas associated with the conditions. Despite popular belief, you can’t often tell if someone has an eating disorder simply from the way they look. Symptoms and signs vary widely.
Eating Disorder Therapy and Treatment
There’s recognition among eating disorder professionals that many clients have mixed symptoms. They don’t often fit into pure diagnostic categories. Therefore, treatment varies from eating disorder therapists.
Eating disorder therapy mainly aims to regain a sense of control over internal chaos. It’s a way to explore causality of the disorder. You can’t simply get rid of an eating disorder by just “eating differently.” This is because most eating disorders are, at their core, psychiatric disorders with a disruption in self-perception.
Eating disorder treatment usually involves a multi-disciplinary team. This can include nutritional counseling with a registered dietitian, psychotherapy with a specialized therapist, and primary care physician (PCP) for medical monitoring. In some cases, it might also include medication management with a psychiatrist. Evidence-based psychotherapies are common as treatments for most eating disorders. This includes CBT, DBT, ACT, motivational interviewing, and family-based therapy (primarily for adolescents).
Eating disorders can provoke a sense of powerlessness. However, we can work together to fight the stigma and provide greater access to treatment. Talk to a specialist at EDRS today.
What Makes Eating Disorder Therapy Impactful and Lasting at EDRS?
Our therapeutic approach at EDRS begins with an intake call. You’ll speak with one of our clinically trained admissions coordinators. Admissions coordinators will ask you a series of questions designed to learn more about your current symptoms, history, and treatment goals. The first step is learning more about you and your unique needs. An admissions coordinator will then provide a recommendation for treatment.
At EDRS, there are multiple outpatient levels to treat eating disorders. For less intensive support, we offer a range of options. You’ll find 1:1 psychotherapy and recovery coaching to group therapy and clinician-led meal support, and more. For those who need an extra layer of care, we offer our flexible, virtual intensive outpatient program (IOP).
Our IOP has a morning, evening, and additional trauma track for support with multiple diagnoses. IOP offerings can be pieced together for a unique schedule. It can work around your daily routine. Even at our most intensive level of care, you still have the freedom with your daily life.
The idea of IOP can be intimidating. However, at EDRS you’ll find an excellent team to walk you through the process. You’ll receive care depending on your schedule and needs. Once you feel comfortable in your recovery, our IOP offers an easy step-down option into outpatient care. You can transition to as much therapy as needed, all within the same organization. It helps with using a therapist who knows your background. They can consult with your IOP team as you continue to recover.
Everyone’s recovery looks different, and a support system can make all the difference. Whether you need weekly therapy or IOP, we welcome you into our community. You’ll find connection and helpful resources. We’re here to talk things through and discuss how we can best support your recovery. Call today.
What is Recovery Coaching?
Therapeutic coaching entails a combination of behavioral interventions, therapeutic exposures, skills building, and accountability. Our coaching services are tailored to personal needs. For example, practicing skills learned in treatment in real-time to prevent relapse and tolerate one’s emotions, body image, exercise, and grocery store exposures, working on occupational and educational goals, activities of daily living, etc.
What are the Best Modalities to use in Eating Disorder Therapy?
Recovery coaching can positively impact eating disorder therapy. It can help with gaining accountability during recovery. To learn more about adding recovery coaching to your eating disorder therapy routine, call admissions today.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps you understand and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors around food, body image, and self-worth.
- Motivational Interviewing (MI): A counseling approach that helps clients explore and resolve ambivalence toward change. Therapists use MI to support clients in identifying personal motivations for recovery and building confidence in their ability to make changes.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Encourages acceptance of thoughts and feelings while committing to actions that align with your values.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Focuses on building skills for managing emotions, tolerating distress, and improving relationships.
- Family-Based Therapy (FBT): Often used with adolescents, this approach involves family members as an essential part of the recovery process.
- CBT-E (Enhanced CBT): A specialized form of CBT designed specifically for eating disorders.
- Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT): Helps address how relationship patterns and life events can impact eating behaviors and mood.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Supports healing from trauma that may contribute to disordered eating.
- Somatic Therapies: Focus on reconnecting with your body and safely processing emotions and experiences stored physically.
- Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): Gradually helps you face fears around food or body image while reducing the urge to engage in rituals or avoidance.
- Nutritional Counseling: Provides guidance and education to rebuild a balanced, trusting relationship with food.
- Mindfulness-Based Therapies: Teach awareness and self-compassion to help quiet judgment and create peace with your body.Expressive Therapies: Use creative outlets like art, movement, or writing to explore and release emotions.
What’s the Difference Between Eating Disorder Therapy and Regular Therapy?
Many people struggling with an eating disorder may begin treatment with a “regular” or general therapist. That’s often for the anxiety and depression that come alongside eating disorders. However, they’ll often discover that treatment for an eating disorder requires a more specialized approach. Eating disorder therapy is complex, and leans into a targeted method. It can require a team of clinicians with the training, experience, and ability to coordinate with other outpatient providers. This can ensure a client’s safety both mentally and physically.
In short, there’s an understanding among eating disorder professionals that recovery requires a holistic approach. It requires assessing eating disorder symptoms and behaviors alongside co-occurring concerns, such as depression and anxiety. Clinicians will often have to first focus on mental aversions to balanced meal plans. That’s before the deeper psychological work for recovery. Therefore, the physical and mental aspects of the disorder must be monitored in conjunction for recovery.
Eating disorder therapy at EDRS has honed this delicate balance. It’s required to allow clients to safely address the most important part of recovery: learning more about the underlying cause of the disorder, reclaiming their life, and regaining self-worth. These elements help make recovery last and you can explore them with an eating disorder therapist. Eating disorder therapy is therefore different from regular therapy. Its more intensive nature of coordination goes into the work to allow clients to reach a deeper understanding of themselves and their disorders.
What Clients can Expect from Eating Disorder Therapy at EDRS
From your very first call with EDRS, you’ll be met with compassion, understanding, and a clear path forward. Our clinically trained admissions coordinators will take the time to get to know your history, symptoms, and goals. As a result, we can better match you with the level of care that best fits your needs.
Once you begin therapy, you can expect a personalized experience grounded in evidence-based care. Whether you’re meeting one-on-one with a therapist, joining a group, or using our flexible virtual IOP, your treatment will be collaborative. It’s paced to support both your comfort and progress.
Our team addresses both the physical and emotional components of eating disorder recovery. In addition to exploring deeper underlying issues, your therapist will also help you work through challenges related to food, body image, and nourishment. This happens in a safe, structured way.
When participating in our IOP, you’ll have access to morning, evening, and trauma-informed tracks. You can customize around your schedule. Many clients find that this balance allows them to maintain school, work, or family life while still receiving the support they need. And as you grow in your recovery, you’ll have the option to step down into regular outpatient therapy… all within the same trusted team.
So in summary, throughout your time at EDRS, you can expect:
- Compassionate care from a multidisciplinary team that truly understands eating disorders.
- Personalized treatment tailored to your goals, pace, and level of readiness.
- Consistent support as you move between levels of care.
- A community of connection that believes in your capacity for healing.
At EDRS, you’ll never have to navigate recovery alone. Call today.
Glossary of Terms
- Eating Disorder (ED): A mental health condition characterized by persistent disturbances in eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. Common eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Avoidant/RestrictiveFood Intake Disorder (ARFID), and Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED).
- Eating Disorder Therapy: A form of psychotherapy that helps people understand, manage, and recover from eating disorders by addressing underlying emotional, behavioral, and cognitive factors related to food, body image, and self-perception.
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): A structured treatment program designed for people needing more support than standard outpatient therapy but not requiring inpatient or residential care. IOPs typically include multiple therapy sessions per week, group programming, and multidisciplinary support.
- Outpatient Therapy: A flexible level of care where clients attend regular (often weekly) therapy sessions while continuing daily routines such as work, school, or family life.
- Meal Support: Clinician- or coach-led sessions that help clients practice eating in a supportive environment, challenge fears around food, and reinforce regular eating patterns.
- Trauma Track: A specialized component of treatment designed for clients whose eating disorder is influenced by trauma or PTSD. It integrates trauma-informed care to support emotional safety and healing.
- Step-Down Care: A transition from a higher level of care (like IOP) to less intensive outpatient therapy, ensuring continued support and continuity as clients gain independence in recovery.
- Recovery Coaching: Practical, action-oriented support focused on daily routines, accountability, and skill application between therapy sessions—often used to complement traditional psychotherapy.
- Admissions Coordinator: A clinically trained professional who guides clients through the intake process, conducts assessments, and recommends the most appropriate level of care based on individual needs.
Curious about working with a team specialized in eating disorder therapy? Call today to learn more.
Ready to start your recovery journey?
We have had tremendous success with helping clients gain control of their lives and tackling their eating disorders head-on.
Our clinical intake coordinators can confidentially learn more about your respective situation and work with you to assess your needs and the best path forward.
We look forward to helping you on your path to better health and recovery.