Therapy for Anorexia
Specialized therapy for Anorexia Nervosa with a Certified ED Specialist
Let’s find your spark again. Work with a therapist for anorexia today.
Compassionate, Specialized Support for Anorexia Recovery
Reclaim your body, your voice, and your life with therapy grounded in validation, compassion, authenticity,
and lived experience.
What Is Anorexia?
Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder that goes far beyond food or weight. It often develops as a way to cope with overwhelming emotions, trauma, identity struggles, or a desire for control in a world that feels unpredictable. While anorexia may begin with intentional restriction, it often evolves into a rigid, isolating set of rules that make life feel smaller, lonelier, and more dangerous over time.
Anorexia can affect people of any gender, body size, age, or background. You do not need to be underweight to be struggling, and you absolutely do not need to "get sicker" to deserve help.
Signs You Might Be Struggling with Anorexia:
Obsessive thoughts about food, calories, or body image
Intense fear of gaining weight or being seen as "lazy"
Rituals around food (cutting things small, eating slowly, hiding food)
Feeling powerful or in control through restriction
Withdrawal from social events involving food
Denial of hunger, even when clearly undernourished
Frequent self-criticism, shame, or perfectionism
Binge eating and/or purging after meals (Anorexia, binge/purge subtype)
You may also experience fatigue, mood swings, hair loss, dizziness, or difficulty concentrating. These are not character flaws. They are signs that your body is struggling to survive.
How Therapy Can Help
Therapy provides a space to be deeply seen—not just for your behaviors, but for the pain, fear, or unmet needs driving them. We work to:
Build a relationship with your inner world, including parts that are afraid to let go of the eating disorder
Reduce shame, self-blame, and fear of losing control
Explore how your past (including trauma or early attachment wounds) may have shaped your relationship with food and your body
Help you reconnect to hunger, emotion, and desire—in a way that feels safe, not overwhelming
Support you through the stages of nutritional rehabilitation if needed, in collaboration with dietitians or medical providers
Recovery is not linear, and we go at your pace. But you won't be walking it alone.
My Approach to Anorexia Treatment
As a licensed psychologist with advanced training in eating disorders and trauma, I integrate:
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Compassion-focused and somatic therapies
Relational, attachment-informed care
Trauma processing (when appropriate and safe)
Many of my clients feel like they have to earn care by proving how sick they are. Here, you don’t need to perform pain to receive help. We honor the strength it takes to survive and the vulnerability it takes to heal. Learn more here!
You Deserve Help Now—Not Later
You don’t have to hit a lower weight or lose more control to qualify for care. If you’re struggling with disordered eating or body image distress, especially if your inner critic is loud or relentless, therapy can help.
Whether you’re ready to dive in or just dipping a toe in the water, I’d be honored to walk with you.
What are the symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa?
What are the Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa?
The symptoms of anorexia nervosa are both physical and psychological. Some are obvious, while others are easier to hide. Common anorexia symptoms include:
Severe restriction of food intake
Obsessive calorie counting or food rituals
Intense fear of weight gain, even when underweight
Frequent body checking or body avoidance
Fatigue, dizziness, or fainting
Hair thinning or loss
Missed periods or irregular menstruation
Feeling cold all the time
Extreme self-criticism, shame, or perfectionism
It's important to know that someone can struggle with anorexia at any weight. You don’t have to be visibly underweight to be suffering or to deserve support.
Why Anorexia Develops
Anorexia often develops as a way to cope with deeper emotional pain. For some, it may be about feeling in control in a chaotic world. For others, it can be a way to avoid emotions, shrink away from attention, or feel "good enough." Trauma, perfectionism, anxiety, and body image concerns often play a role.
What are the Medical Complications of Anorexia?
Medical complications of anorexia nervosa can affect every major organ system in the body. These complications result from prolonged malnutrition, extreme weight loss, and compensatory behaviors like purging or excessive exercise. Here's a breakdown by system:
Neurological
Brain volume loss (gray and white matter shrinkage)
Poor concentration, memory, and slowed cognition
Seizures (in severe electrolyte imbalances)
Sleep disturbances
Emotional blunting or heightened anxiety/depression
Cardiovascular
Bradycardia (slow heart rate)
Hypotension (low blood pressure)
Arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms, especially from electrolyte imbalances)
Mitral valve prolapse
Heart failure (especially during refeeding if not carefully managed)
Pulmonary
Respiratory muscle weakness
Shortness of breath with minimal exertion
Fluid in the lungs (in extreme cases)
Gastrointestinal
Gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying)
Bloating, early satiety, constipation
Liver dysfunction
Esophageal tears (from vomiting)
Pancreatitis
Endocrine & Hormonal
Amenorrhea (loss of menstrual cycle)
Low estrogen or testosterone
Osteopenia/osteoporosis (due to low hormones and poor calcium intake)
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
Thyroid suppression (low T3, T4)
Musculoskeletal
Muscle wasting and weakness
Bone loss → stress fractures, increased risk of osteoporosis
Joint pain or cold intolerance due to loss of insulating fat
Hematologic
Anemia (usually normocytic or macrocytic)
Leukopenia (low white blood cells)
Thrombocytopenia (low platelets)
Poor wound healing
Electrolyte & Renal
Hypokalemia (low potassium) → life-threatening arrhythmias
Hypomagnesemia, hypophosphatemia
Dehydration and low sodium
Kidney damage from chronic dehydration or laxative/diuretic abuse
Dermatologic
Lanugo (fine hair growth on arms/face)
Hair loss, dry skin
Brittle nails
Yellowing of skin (from hypercarotenemia)
Calluses or scars on knuckles (Russell's sign from purging)
Psychological & Cognitive (Overlap with Medical)
Obsessive-compulsive tendencies
Perfectionism
Social withdrawal
Body dysmorphia
Difficulty making decisions
High-Risk Scenarios
Sudden death (often from cardiac arrhythmia)
Refeeding syndrome (life-threatening shifts in fluids/electrolytes when nutrition is reintroduced too rapidly)
Healing begins with one small step of courage. Begin your recovery from anorexia today.
A Weight-Inclusive, HAES-Aligned Approach
Bloom is firmly rooted in the principles of
Health at Every Size® (HAES).
That means:
We do not use weight as a proxy for health.
We affirm all bodies — all sizes, all shapes, all lived experiences.
We do not push weight loss as a treatment goal.
We challenge the internalized and systemic weight stigma that often fuels eating disorder behaviors.
Our goal is not to “fix” your body — it's to help you heal your relationship with it. We work with clients in thin bodies, fat bodies, disabled bodies, queer bodies, neurodivergent bodies, and bodies that have felt at war with themselves for years.
Eating disorders do not discriminate — and neither do we.
You Don’t Have to Be “Thin Enough” to Deserve Support
You Are Not Alone
If you resonate with the anorexia definition or symptoms listed here, it may be time to seek support. Recovery is hard, but it is absolutely possible. You do not need to get "sicker" or lose weight to deserve help. You are worthy of care right now.
If you’re looking for a therapist who understands anorexia and provides compassionate, trauma-informed treatment, I’m here to support you.