Therapy for
Eating Disorders
tired of the constant thoughts about food and your body? missing out on life because low energy, disordered behaviors, and emotional numbness?
If your relationships feel strained and you’re disconnected from others because of your eating disorder, you’re not alone—and healing is possible. At our practice, we’re dedicated to helping you break free from these struggles, reconnect with your true self, and rediscover a life that feels fulfilling and joyful.
Understanding Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are complex and serious mental health conditions that impact thoughts, emotions, and behaviors related to food, body image, and weight. They can lead to severe medical, psychological, and social consequences. Contrary to common misconceptions, eating disorders do not have a specific look—people of all sizes, genders, races, and backgrounds can experience them. You cannot determine whether someone has an eating disorder or what type of eating disorder they have based on their appearance alone.
Who We Help
We provide therapy for adults who are experiencing:
Anorexia Nervosa
Characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight and a strong desire to control body shape and size. Individuals with anorexia engage in restrictive eating, excessive exercise, or other behaviors to maintain a low body weight. They may struggle with distorted body image and may not recognize the severity of their condition.
Bulimia Nervosa
Marked by cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, fasting, or misuse of laxatives. Those with bulimia often feel out of control during binge episodes and experience deep distress about their eating behaviors.
Binge Eating Disorder
Involves recurrent episodes of consuming large quantities of food in a short period, often accompanied by a feeling of loss of control. Unlike bulimia, individuals with binge eating disorder do not engage in compensatory behaviors, which can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and distress.
Avoidant Restrictive/Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
More than just "picky eating," ARFID involves an extreme restriction of food intake due to sensory sensitivities, lack of interest in eating, and/or fear of negative consequences like choking or vomiting. This can result in significant weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, and dependence on nutritional supplements. Unlike other eating disorders, ARFID is not driven by concerns about body weight or shape.
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED)
OSFED is the most common eating disorder diagnosis. This impacts individuals who experience significant distress and impairment from disordered eating behaviors but do not meet the exact diagnostic criteria for anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder.
Our therapy is best suited for clients who:
Are medically stable and do not require daily medical monitoring
Are generally at least 85% of their healthy body weight
Are motivated for recovery
Can maintain self-sufficiency without the structure of a treatment center
We work with individuals seeking to break free from eating disorder thoughts and behaviors, develop a more positive body image, and reclaim their lives.
Our THerapeutic Approach
Compassionate Care. Real Impakt.
San Diego’s Impakt Institute is committed to utilizing evidence-based therapeutic modalities. As such, Our primary approach is Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E) for individuals with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and OSFED. For clients with ARFID, we utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for ARFID (CBT-AR).
Why is CBT-E and CBT-ar effective for treating eating disorders?
CBT-E is an evidence-based, adaptable treatment that targets the underlying factors maintaining the eating disorder, such as rigid dietary rules, body image distress, and emotion regulation difficulties. CBT-AR helps individuals with ARFID gradually expand their food repertoire, reduce anxiety around eating, and develop sustainable nutrition habits. For clients stepping down from a DBT-based higher level of care, we offer DBT-informed treatment for continuity of care.
Clients can expect a structured yet compassionate therapy process, where they feel supported while being challenged to step out of their eating disorder mindset. Our sessions are collaborative, transparent, and focused on empowering clients to take back control of their lives.
What Clients Can Expect
Our Unique Therapeutic Process
We take a highly individualized, evidence-based approach to eating disorder treatment, ensuring therapy is effective and culturally sensitive.
Our practice is weight-inclusive and aligned with Health at Every Size (HAES) principles, recognizing that all eating disorders can impact individuals of all body sizes.
We provide culturally informed treatment, particularly for East Asian clients who may face unique challenges in their recovery journey.
Session Structure
Eating disorder therapy sessions are structured, supportive, and goal-oriented. For CBT-E, sessions are typically 20 weeks in duration, occurring in person in our San Diego office whenever possible to allow for accurate progress tracking, including weight checks.
For individuals with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), CBT-AR treatment may last between 20-30 weeks, with sessions tailored to the severity of the client's nutritional challenges.
Virtual eating disorder therapy sessions are available statewide throughout California, though clients may need to arrange in-person weight monitoring with a healthcare provider.
Collaboration:
Eating disorder recovery requires a team approach. We work collaboratively with:
Clients to develop a personalized, strengths-based recovery plan
Romantic partners or family members to provide support at home
Registered dietitians specializing in eating disorders to ensure nutritional stabilization
Psychiatric providers to assess and manage co-occurring mental health needs
This multidisciplinary approach maximizes the effectiveness of treatment and ensures clients receive comprehensive care.
Success Stories: Finding food & body freedom
A client struggling with anorexia, negative body image, and self-harm once felt hopeless, believing she deserved to punish her body by restricting food. Through treatment, she developed self-compassion, reconnected with the joy of eating, and embraced nourishment without guilt. Over time, she gained confidence in her body, wearing clothes she once avoided and stepping into life with renewed strength.
Eating Disorders & co-occurring Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
What sets us apart is our expertise in treating the intersection of OCD and co-occurring eating disorders. We address both disorders simultaneously, targeting shared maintaining factors like perfectionism and distress intolerance. With nuanced understanding, we treat the co-occurring disorders using evidence-based ERP to address the interaction between OCD and the eating disorder to help clients achieve comprehensive, lasting recovery.
Please visit our Obsessive-Compulsive webpage to learn more about how our approach to treating OCD.
Eating Disorders & co-occurring post-traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD)
There is a high prevalence of individuals experiencing both eating disorders and PTSD. Our therapy practice provides evidence-based treatment for both conditions, following a structured approach to ensure effective care. When PTSD is present alongside an eating disorder, treatment begins with addressing the eating disorder first. This is because malnutrition can impair cognitive functioning, making it difficult to engage in trauma-focused therapy. Ensuring adequate nourishment is a crucial first step in the healing process.
Additionally, if an individual is using their eating disorder to cope with trauma, diving into trauma work too soon can intensify disordered behaviors. By first establishing regular and sufficient eating patterns, we create a stable foundation that allows for meaningful and effective trauma processing.
Please visit our PTSD webpage to learn more about our approach to treating trauma.
Goals and Long-Term Progress
Common goals set by clients seeking treatment for eating disorders:
Develop food freedom—learning to eat a variety of foods without guilt or fear
Decrease anxiety around food and eating
Reduce preoccupation with food, body, and weight
Improve body image and develop a more compassionate relationship with their body
Learn effective coping skills to manage difficult emotions instead of using eating disorder behaviors
Reengage in meaningful aspects of life, including relationships, work, and hobbies
While this list is not exhaustive, it offers a glimpse into the types of clients we support and the needs they bring to The Impakt Institute.
Long-Term Benefits of eating disorder treatment
Over time, eating disorder therapy helps clients:
Establish a consistent, nourishing eating routine
Reduce distressing thoughts about food and body image
Restore weight (if needed) to a healthy range based on individualized growth charts
Develop effective coping strategies for managing emotions
Improve self-confidence and body acceptance
Rebuild relationships and return to valued activities
Recovery is possible,
and we are here to guide clients every step of the way.
Adapting Therapy to client’s unique Needs
We recognize that progress in eating disorder recovery is not linear. Therapy is flexible to accommodate each client’s unique needs. If a client is struggling, we may increase session frequency, adjust treatment modalities (such as incorporating more DBT skills), or recommend collaboration with additional providers. If outpatient therapy is not sufficient, we will guide clients toward higher levels of care as needed.
Special Considerations or Exclusions
Our outpatient therapy services are not suitable for individuals who require intensive medical intervention, including IV fluids, nasogastric tube feeding, or hospitalization due to medical instability. Clients with severe malnutrition, unstable vital signs (e.g., heart rate below 40, blood pressure below 90/60), or an unwillingness to restore necessary weight may require a higher level of care, such as residential or partial hospitalization programs.
Eating disorder recovery is challenging, but you don’t have to face it alone.
If you’re ready to take the next step, we’re here to support you on your journey to healing.
Ready to start therapy?
◇
Ready to start therapy? ◇
You don’t have to face this journey alone—help is here. At The Impakt Institute, we’re committed to helping you take the first steps toward a life of greater freedom and fulfillment.
In addition to specialized therapy for Eating Disorders, we provide culturally competent, evidence-based care for Anxiety Disorders, PTSD, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Contact us today to schedule your free 15-minute consultation and discover how we can support you on your path to recovery and healing.