Eating Disorders Therapy: A Journey Toward Healing

Eating Disorders Therapy for Recovery and Self-Understanding

Feeling Trapped by an Eating Disorder

Eating disorders can affect people of any gender, age, cultural background, or body type. Many live in silence, feeling trapped in cycles of restrictive eating, bingeing, purging, or obsessive thoughts about food and body image. Life may feel like a constant struggle between what the mind tells them to do and what the body needs.

Clients may experience:

  • Anxiety about meals or social eating situations

  • Shame or guilt after eating

  • Pressure to maintain a certain body shape or conform to cultural ideals

  • Difficulty concentrating at work, school, or home because of preoccupation with food

  • Strained relationships due to secrecy, irritability, or isolation

“Eating disorders can touch anyone - men, women, non-binary individuals, and people of all cultural backgrounds. They often develop as a coping mechanism for stress, perfectionism, trauma, or societal pressures - but over time, they can take over daily life.”

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How Therapy Supports Recovery

Therapy provides a safe, affirming space to regain control and develop a healthy relationship with food, body, and self. It addresses the emotional patterns that contribute to the disorder while honoring each person’s identity and cultural background.

Clients often experience improvements in:

⦁ Emotional regulation and stress management

⦁ Self-esteem and confidence

⦁ Relationships with family, friends, and community

⦁ Daily functioning, work, or academic performance

⦁ Overall mental and physical health

Understanding the Roots

Eating disorders are rarely caused by a single factor. Therapy helps clients explore the emotional, psychological, cultural, and relational influences that contribute to disordered eating:

  • Emotional and Psychological Factors: Anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, trauma, or coping with identity stress

  • Environmental and Cultural Influences: Media messages, societal and cultural beauty ideals, diet culture, or pressure to conform

  • Family Dynamics: Critical feedback, modeling of behaviors, or complex family expectations

  • Biological and Genetic Predispositions: Family history of eating disorders or other mental health conditions

  • Life Stressors and Transitions: Major life changes, career or academic pressure, relationships, or emotional upheaval

“Understanding the roots of an eating disorder—including the unique cultural and gendered pressures someone may face—is key to lasting recovery.”

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A therapist is sitting on a chair taking notes on a clipboard during a therapy session with a patient seated on a sofa.

Psychodynamic Therapy: Exploring the Emotional Core

Psychodynamic therapy is especially valuable for eating disorders because it explores emotional and relational patterns underlying disordered eating. This approach helps clients:

  • Identify unconscious conflicts and emotional triggers

  • Understand how early experiences, family dynamics, and cultural or gendered expectations impact self-image and coping strategies.

  • Develop emotional insight, bridging awareness and behavioral change

  • Build long-term resilience and self-compassion

“Psychodynamic therapy addresses the whole person, considering the complex intersections of identity, culture, and life experiences that may contribute to an eating disorder.”

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Take the Next Step Together

WE CAN HELP.
REACH OUT TODAY.

Direct Email: info@pbapsychology.com
Phone: 310.271.2275

BEVERLY HILLS LOCATION

9350 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 212
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

DOWNTOWN LA LOCATION

714 W. Olympic Blvd, Suite 926
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Other Effective Therapy Approaches

  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Challenges unhelpful thoughts about food, body, and identity

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Builds emotional regulation and coping skills

  • Family-Based Therapy (FBT): Supports adolescents, young adults, and their families

  • Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Therapies: Promote self-compassion, body awareness, and stress reduction

Taking the First Step

Recovery begins with reaching out. Inclusive therapy at PBA Psychology supports clients in:

  • Rebuilding a healthy relationship with food and body image

  • Understanding and addressing emotional, cultural, and gendered triggers

  • Improving relationships, daily functioning, and overall well-being

  • Developing resilience, self-compassion, and sustainable recovery skills

Working with an experienced PBA therapist experienced in culturally and gender-inclusive care ensures empathy, expertise, and validation throughout the recovery journey.