Eating Disorder Therapy

Eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating can be challenging. They mess with how you eat, how you see yourself, and how you feel emotionally. These issues can take a toll on your body and mind, making it hard to know where to start getting better. But there’s good news: eating disorder therapy can help you on the road to recovery. A skilled eating disorder therapist will work with you one-on-one, using methods that fit your challenges, helping you understand and cope better with your eating disorder.

See You Through It Counseling (SYTI Counseling) is rooted in the belief that with the proper therapeutic support, recovery is within reach. By combining the eating disorder expertise of our therapists with comprehensive therapy approaches, we offer an environment of understanding, growth, and healing, guiding individuals every step of the way.

Definition and Types of Eating Disorders

Eating disorder therapy is all about understanding the different issues that can arise with food, body image, and emotional health. These issues can appear in many ways, each with its challenges. A skilled therapist knows how to spot these differences and uses the right approaches to help each person get better. Let’s take a look at the various types of eating disorders we treat:

Anorexia Nervosa: Characterized by a fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image, individuals with this disorder often see themselves as overweight, even if they’re underweight. They might engage in extreme food restriction and excessive exercise, leading to dangerous weight loss.
Bulimia Nervosa: This disorder involves episodes of overeating followed by behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as vomiting, fasting, or excessive exercise. The cycle of bingeing and purging can be both physically and emotionally taxing.
Binge Eating Disorder: In binge eating disorder, individuals consume vast amounts of food at one time. Unlike those who have Bulimia, individuals do not regularly engage in purging, excessive exercise, or fasting after binging. This can lead to obesity and its associated health concerns.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): ARFID involves persistent food intake avoidance or restriction driven not by concerns about body image but can result from a lack of interest in eating or aversion to certain textures.
Pica: This disorder sees individuals consuming non-food substances like soil, chalk, or hair. It can lead to various health complications, depending on the consumed substance.
Rumination Disorder: This involves the repeated regurgitation of food, which may be re-chewed, re-swallowed, or spit out.
Orthorexia: While not officially recognized as a clinical eating disorder, orthorexia is a condition that’s gaining more attention. It’s characterized by an unhealthy obsession with eating foods deemed “healthy,” “pure,” or “clean,” often at the expense of social interactions and emotional well-being. Unlike other eating disorders that focus on the quantity of food, orthorexia focuses on its quality. This fixation can lead to severe nutritional imbalances and is often accompanied by intense stress or anxiety around food choices.
Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder (UFED): For those who don’t meet the specific criteria of the above disorders but still experience significant distress and impairment, UFED captures a range of symptoms that still deserve attention in eating disorder therapy.

Knowing the different kinds of eating disorders is critical, and our eating disorder therapists understand the details. They focus on creating a care plan by understanding your unique struggles. But understanding the disorder types is only part of the bigger picture. Understanding the warning signs can be a game-changer. Let’s talk about the obvious and sometimes not-so-obvious signs that someone might need expert help and support.

Signs and Symptoms

Understanding eating disorders is more than just reading a textbook definition; it’s about recognizing the nuanced signs and symptoms that can manifest in both behavior and physical health. This is crucial not only for diagnosis but also for creating a customized eating disorder therapy path that addresses the underlying issues. What are the signs of eating disorders? Let’s take a look:

Physical Signs:

Weight fluctuations: Rapid weight loss or gain can be evident, sometimes accompanied by strategies to hide these changes, like wearing baggy clothes.
Fatigue and Dizziness: Constant feelings of tiredness or light-headedness might be regular complaints.
Frequent fainting: Caused by insufficient nutrient or caloric intake.
Skin, Hair, and Nail Changes: Dry or yellowish skin, brittle nails, and thinning hair are common as the body fails to get essential nutrients.
Dental Issues: Regular vomiting, often seen in Bulimia, can lead to tooth enamel erosion, gum diseases, and bad breath.

Behavioral Signs:

Meal Skipping: Regularly avoiding meals under various pretexts.
Secretive Eating: Consuming food in private, often accompanied by feelings of shame.
Caloric Obsession: An extreme focus on counting calories, even in healthy foods.
Food Rituals: Engaging in peculiar behaviors like eating foods in a specific order, excessive chewing, or avoiding certain food textures and groups.
Food Hoarding: Stashing away food for future consumption, often in unexpected places.

Emotional Signs:

Body Dissatisfaction: A persistent, overwhelming feeling that one’s body isn’t good enough, regardless of actual physique.
Weight Gain Fear: An unshakeable dread of gaining even a minimal amount of weight.
Mood Swings: Unpredictable emotional responses, ranging from extreme irritability to profound sadness, often unrelated to immediate circumstances.
Withdrawal: Pulling away from social engagements, especially those involving food or avoiding public eating scenarios.
Perfectionism: An overwhelming need for things to be perfect, often extending beyond food to other areas of life.

If any of this sounds familiar, either for you or someone you know, don’t wait to get help. Our eating disorder therapists are here to provide tailored eating disorder therapy that works for you. But knowing the signs is just the start; understanding the underlying causes and risk factors can offer more clarity on recovery. Up next, we delve into what contributes to the development of eating disorders. After that, we’ll look at how treatment options are designed to address these root issues.

Causes and Risk Factors

We all wonder, “Why is this happening?” It’s not always easy to pinpoint a single reason why someone develops an eating disorder. Our eating disorder therapists find that it’s often a mix of factors. The good news? Understanding these triggers can make eating disorder therapy more effective. Here’s a look at some of the most common causes and risk factors:

Genetics: Sometimes, it’s in the family. If someone close to you has struggled with an eating disorder, you might be more at risk.
Emotional Health: Feelings of depression, anxiety, or loneliness can contribute. Sometimes, controlling food feels like the only way to control something in your life.
Society & Culture: Movies, TV, and social media often showcase ‘ideal’ bodies, making anyone who doesn’t fit that mold feel out of place.
Peer Pressure: Sometimes, friends or family make harmful comments about weight or appearance.
Major Life Changes: Big transitions like moving, a breakup, or starting a new school can set the stage for an eating disorder.
Sports and Activities: In some sports or dance forms, being thin is often seen as better, adding pressure to maintain a particular body type.
Trauma: Life-altering events like abuse or loss can contribute to the onset of an eating disorder. Trauma often leads to unhealthy coping mechanisms involving food. Addressing the root trauma is vital for effective treatment and lasting recovery.

Understanding the causes can help shed light on what’s happening beneath the surface. It’s not about placing blame but about finding a path toward healing. Our eating disorder therapists are skilled at helping you unpack these and other issues and customizing a plan to help you heal. So, what’s the next step? Next, we’ll discuss our tailored eating disorder therapy options to address these underlying issues and guide you toward recovery.

How Eating Disorder Therapy Can Help

Navigating the ups and downs of an eating disorder can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to go it alone. Eating disorder therapy offers a supportive space where you can open up, explore your thoughts and feelings, and get practical advice for managing your condition. A skilled eating disorder therapist will provide you with more than just a sympathetic ear; you’ll get hands-on tips and strategies tailored just for you. This personalized approach can make a big difference in your recovery journey. Ready to learn more? Let’s look at our various treatment options to help you find your way back to a healthier you.

Personalized Plans: No two people are the same, and neither are their experiences with eating disorders. We customize our therapy plans to suit you.
Healthy Coping Skills: Therapy can help you develop better ways to deal with stress, emotional pain, and negative thoughts that might trigger disordered eating behaviors.
Improved Relationships: Eating disorders often strain relationships with family and friends. Therapy provides tools to rebuild and strengthen these connections that can also provide you with additional support.
Nutritional Guidance: Understanding food and dietary needs is crucial to recovery. Our team helps demystify this, giving you a balanced perspective on eating and helping you get a healthy relationship with food.
Long-Term Support: There’s no instant solution to recovery from an eating disorder; it’s more of a marathon than a sprint. That’s why long-term support is crucial in sustaining your progress. We aim to use the therapeutic process to offer you a space to grow, adapt to new challenges, and fine-tune your coping strategies to sustain your healthy changes.

Understanding what eating disorder therapy involves can make taking that first step much easier, whether for you or someone you care about. Now, let’s meet the team of therapists who can help you.

Our Team

At SYTI Counseling, our team has years of experience working with eating disorders. We leverage that experience and various therapeutic approaches, such as dialectical behavioral and psychodynamic therapy, to offer a comprehensive approach that addresses the root cause of your eating disorder and doesn’t just put a band-aid over it. We respect where you are at in your healing journey and build a treatment plan around that. We focus on compassionate and non-judgmental care to empower our clients on their unique healing journeys.

Meet the team to find the best therapist for you!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Eating Disorder Therapy at SYTI Counseling

What types of eating disorders do you specialize in?

Our eating disorder therapists have expertise in treating various eating disorders, including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Orthorexia, and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

What treatment approaches do you use in eating disorder therapy?

We utilize various evidence-based treatment approaches for, including dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), psychodynamic therapy, and exposure-response prevention, to craft an individualized eating disorder therapy plan for each client.

Do you offer telehealth services?

Yes, we offer telehealth appointments alongside in-person sessions, allowing you to choose the best format that works for you.

Do you only treat eating disorders?

No, our team specializes in much more than eating disorder therapy, including, but not limited to, treating co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and OCD.

Is Animal Assisted Therapy available?

Yes, we offer Animal Assisted Therapy for those interested. If you have allergies or prefer not to engage with animals, we can accommodate that preference.

What age groups do you work with?

We provide therapy for children (7+), teenagers, and adults. Our team is adept at tailoring treatment plans to suit clients of various age groups.

Do you accept insurance?

At SYTI Counseling, we function as a private, out-of-network therapy practice, meaning we don’t handle insurance claims for you. However, many insurance plans have generous out-of-network benefits that could reimburse much of your therapy costs.

How do I start the process?

Getting started with eating disorder therapy at SYTI Counseling is simple. Contact us via our book appointment form, or call us: at 856-335-1352, or email us at info@SYTICounseling.com to schedule an initial consultation where we can assess your needs and match you with an eating disorder therapist best suited for you.

What makes SYTI Counseling unique?

What sets SYTI Counseling apart is our holistic, evidence-based approach to mental health treatment. With a specialized team of licensed professionals, we offer diverse therapeutic modalities, including psychodynamic therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and art therapy, all aimed at addressing your unique challenges. Furthermore, our team’s experience in treating complex conditions, such as eating disorders, PTSD, and anxiety, equips us to offer you the most comprehensive care possible.

Find Your Healing Moment

At SYTI Counseling, we understand that taking the first step towards seeking help for eating disorders or other mental health conditions can be a monumental decision. Our primary aim is to provide evidence-based, individualized care tailored to your unique needs, all within a compassionate and confidential setting. With a team of experts specializing in therapeutic approaches, we’re equipped to support you on your journey toward recovery and improved mental well-being.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, co-occurring conditions, or other mental health challenges, we invite you to take that crucial first step today. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation. Let’s explore how we can work together to make meaningful changes in your life. Thank you for considering SYTI Counseling as your partner in mental health.

We look forward to working with you.

Scheduling and More Information

If you are seeking relief from an eating disorder, please click here to book a therapy appointment with a See You Through It Counseling therapist. You can also set up an appointment, phone consult or ask questions by calling 856-335-1352, or emailing us at info@SYTICounseling.com.

To learn more about the treatment services See You Through It Counseling provides, check out our treatment specialties.

To learn more about eating disorders, check out the following link: