Therapy for Disordered Eating & Body Image
Are you and your body constantly at war with each other?
If you’re like many of our clients, you’re at a point where you’re exhausted from fighting with yourself.
Maybe you’ve been stuck in cycles of yo-yo dieting for years. Or maybe you’re frequently ruminating about weight and food. You may be putting off things you care about — dating, taking a vacation, looking for a new job — until you reach a certain number on the scale.
Perhaps you’re just tired of looking in the mirror and hating what you see.
There are lots of reasons that people come to therapy for disordered eating or body image concerns. It’s not limited to any gender, race, age, or body type. But the common thread is that our clients are tired of their lives being taken over by a negative relationship with their bodies.
Do I really need therapy for my eating or body concerns?
In a world where hating our bodies is normalized, a lot of our clients struggle to know whether their concerns are “bad enough” to deserve treatment. Some signs that your eating or body image may be disordered include:
- You spend a lot of time worrying about and planning what to eat
- You have rigid rules about what and when you can eat
- You experience guilt, shame, or anxiety after eating
- You put off important things because of your weight or appearance
- You hide information about your eating or exercise habits from your loved ones
- You feel out of control or dissociate when you eat
- You push yourself to exercise even when sick or injured
- Your sense of self-worth hinges on your body
To be clear, wherever you may fall on the spectrum of body image issues, you’re welcome here. We don’t think anyone should just have to live with these concerns without support.
Meet Randi, Eating Disorder Therapist
Like any relationship in life, sometimes we have to spend intentional time and effort working on how we connect to our bodies. I work with clients of all ages and backgrounds to improve and heal their relationships with their bodies and with food.
I have formal training in yoga and meditation, and I’m happy to incorporate these practices into our work together to further explore the mind-body connection.
I also have specialized training and experience supporting athletes who struggle with body image or eating concerns, in the context of the unique pressures and challenges they face.
Want to connect? Book a free, 20-minute consultation to learn more and get scheduled with Randi today!
How do you work with disordered eating & body image issues?
First, we’ll listen. We want to understand you — where you come from, what you care about, and what your personal goals are. We’ll use that information to make a plan, together, for how we can move forward.
Often, that plan will include regular weekly therapy sessions. You’ll learn tools for healing your relationship with food, feeling more comfortable in your own skin, and managing the difficult relationships that come up in the process. Our therapists are trained in evidence-based therapies to treat these types of concerns.
We may also collaborate with other providers such as a dietician, psychiatrist, or your primary care physician. Taking a team approach can be most effective in addressing the physical and mental health impact of eating problems.
Why Seek Therapy for Disordered Eating or Body Image Issues at Stella Nova?
✶ You want a way out of diet culture
✶ You want to be able to enjoy food without guilt or shame
✶ You want to stop waiting to live your life fully
✶ You want to pass down a healthy self-image to your kids
✶ You want to feel at peace with yourself
✶ You want to enjoy your sex life more fully
✶ You want to stop feeling anxious at work or social gatherings where food is present
✶ You want to push back on oppressive expectations
✶ You want a therapist that is BIPOC and LGBTQ+ affirming
An Intersectional Approach to Disordered Eating & Body Image
Negative body image and disordered eating are not vanity, self-obsession, or personal flaws. In a world that places extreme importance on beauty, thinness, and youth (especially for women), it makes sense that so many of us have terrible relationships with our bodies. As feminist therapists, we recognize that all of us are impacted by the society we live in.
The cultural standards dictating which bodies are acceptable — and which are not — are shaped not only by fatphobia and misogyny. They are also steeped in racism and anti-Blackness, colorism, heterosexism, and transphobia.
Working to undo the harm these ideals have caused us requires an intersectional approach. And ultimately, requires us not just to change ourselves, but the world around us.
We’ll get there, together, one step at a time.
Connect With Stella Nova Today
Stella Nova offers individual and couples therapy online for clients throughout California, with sessions starting at $160.
To get matched with a Stella Nova therapist, the first step is to schedule a free, 20-minute consultation call with our Intake Coordinator. She’ll ask some questions to learn about your needs and preferences, and help match you with someone who can help.
Curious about connecting with an eating disorder therapist?
Contact us for a free 20-minute phone consultation to see how Stella Nova can help you.