Therapy for Binge Eating Disorder
in Orlando, FL
5
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED TREATMENT FACILITIES
WORKED FOR
2500+
HOURS OF FORMAL
EATING DISORDER TRAINING
300+
CLIENTS & FAMILIES WORKED WITH
12+
YEARS OF EATING DISORDER EXPERIENCE
CEDS
CERTIFIED EATING DISORDER SPECIALIST THROUGH IAEDP
If I could send you one message:
I see you.
You are deeply caring — you’re kind to everyone.
On the outside, you have it all together.
On the inside, you feel lonely — like an outsider.
You constantly compare yourself to others.
You morph into what everyone else wants you to be.
You avoid conflicts or hurting someone’s feelings —
because you know what that feels like.
You feel overwhelmed, anxious, guilty, and the thoughts don’t stop spiraling.
You’d do anything to soothe in a different way,
but food is the only thing that seems to numb when you need it most.
You aren’t lazy. You don’t “lack will power.”
You’re just in pain and deserve all the love in the world.
Dr. Kait.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist.
Certified Eating Disorder Specialist.
What is Binge Eating Disorder?
Binge eating disorder is a mental health condition defined by recurring episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food while feeling a loss of control. Unlike bulimia nervosa, binge eating episodes are not followed by regular compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, laxative use, or excessive exercise. BED is the most common eating disorder and affects people of all body sizes, ages, genders, and backgrounds.
Signs You Might Be Struggling with Binge Eating
Eating much more than most people would in a similar amount of time
Feeling unable to stop eating or control what or how much you eat
Eating very quickly
Eating until uncomfortably full
Eating when you're not physically hungry
Eating alone because of embarrassment
Feeling guilt, shame, or disgust after eating
Repeated binge episodes that cause significant distress
What Causes Binge Eating Disorder?
BED often develops through a combination of, but not limited to:
Chronic dieting or food restriction
Genetics
Trauma
Difficult life experiences
Anxiety or depression
Perfectionism
Emotional avoidance
Low self-worth
Difficulty regulating emotions
How I Treat Binge Eating Disorder
My Approach to Treating Binge Eating Disorder
No two people binge eat for exactly the same reasons. Some clients are caught in a cycle of chronic restriction and food rules. Others use binge eating to cope with overwhelming emotions, perfectionism, or shame. Many experience a combination of these factors.
Rather than following a one-size-fits-all protocol, I tailor treatment to the patterns that are keeping your binge eating going. Throughout therapy, we may work in several areas, moving between them as your needs evolve.
Understanding Your Relationship with Food
Many clients are surprised to learn that binge eating simply isn’t about willpower. We begin by exploring how dieting, restriction, food rules, and biological responses may be contributing to the binge eating cycle. Understanding why binge eating happens often reduces shame and creates a foundation for meaningful change.
Building Practical Skills
Recovery isn't just about insight. It's also about learning new ways to respond when binge urges arise. Together, we'll develop practical strategies that fit your daily life, helping you create more consistent eating patterns, reduce binge episodes, and feel more confident around food.
Changing the Patterns That Keep You Stuck
Binge eating is influenced by the interaction between your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and physical experiences. Therapy helps identify these patterns so you can respond differently rather than feeling trapped in the same cycle.
Healing Your Relationship with Your Body
For many people, body dissatisfaction fuels the eating disorder. We may work on body image concerns, reducing body checking or avoidance, challenging unrealistic appearance standards, and developing a healthier relationship with your body.
Addressing Shame, Perfectionism, and Emotional Patterns
For some clients, binge eating is closely tied to chronic shame, harsh self-criticism, perfectionism, or difficulty coping with emotions. As therapy progresses, we'll explore these deeper patterns with compassion, helping you build a more flexible and resilient sense of self.
Evidence-Based Treatment
My work is primarily informed by Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E), the leading evidence-based treatment for eating disorders. Depending on your needs, I also integrate strategies from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for emotion regulation, and Interpersonal Therapy to address relational triggers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Binge Eating
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How do I know if I have binge eating disorder?
Many people occasionally overeat, especially during holidays or celebrations. Binge eating disorder is different.
Signs may include:
Eating much more than most people would in a similar amount of time
Feeling unable to stop eating or control what or how much you eat
Eating very quickly
Eating until uncomfortably full
Eating when you're not physically hungry
Eating alone because of embarrassment
Feeling guilt, shame, or disgust after eating
Repeated binge episodes that cause significant distress
A licensed eating disorder specialist can provide a comprehensive assessment.
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There is rarely one single cause.
BED often develops through a combination of:
Chronic dieting or food restriction
Genetics
Trauma
Difficult life experiences
Anxiety or depression
Perfectionism
Emotional avoidance
Low self-worth
Difficulty regulating emotions
-
No.
Emotional eating is common and usually involves eating in response to stress, boredom, sadness, or celebration.
Binge eating disorder involves repeated episodes of eating accompanied by a significant loss of control and emotional distress. While emotions often contribute, BED is a diagnosable mental health condition.
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The Cycle of Binge Eating
Many people who binge are also restricting in some way — physically or emotionally.
That might mean skipping meals, not eating until satisfied, labeling foods as “bad,” or living under the constant threat of another diet.The cycle often looks like this:
Restriction (physical or mental)
Binge (feeling a loss of control)
Shame (followed by renewed restriction)
Therapy helps you break that cycle—not by forcing you to stop bingeing, but by understanding why that part of you feels the need to binge in the first place.
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Is binge eating disorder caused by a lack of self-control?
No.
Research consistently shows that binge eating disorder is a complex psychiatric illness, not a character flaw or failure of willpower.
In many cases, binge eating is the brain's response to prolonged restriction, emotional distress, chronic stress, or unmet psychological needs.
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Absolutely. Binge eating disorder has nothing to do with body size. It can occur in people who are underweight, average weight, or in larger bodies.
Body size alone cannot diagnose or rule out an eating disorder.
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Both disorders involve binge eating episodes.
The primary difference is what happens afterward.
People with bulimia nervosa regularly attempt to compensate for binge eating through behaviors like:
Self-induced vomiting
Laxative misuse
Excessive exercise
Fasting
People with binge eating disorder generally do not engage in regular compensatory behaviors.
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No.
While binge eating and share some similarities, current evidence does not support classifying binge eating disorder as a food addiction.Most eating disorder specialists understand binge eating as a condition involving biological, psychological, emotional, and behavioral factors rather than addiction alone.
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Medical Complications of Binge Eating
While often overlooked, binge eating can have significant physical effects, even without compensatory behaviors like purging:
Weight cycling (yo-yo dieting) → increased inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic stress
Cardiovascular strain → elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and higher risk of heart disease
Type 2 diabetes risk → due to insulin spikes and insulin resistance over time
GI issues → bloating, reflux, constipation, or discomfort from frequent large-volume meals
Joint and mobility concerns → due to increased physical strain in some cases
Fatigue and sleep disturbances → often tied to blood sugar fluctuations and emotional distress
Just like the emotional burden, these effects are not about weight— they’re about the toll of dysregulation and chronic stress on the body. Addressing binge eating from a compassionate, root-cause lens is not only psychologically healing—it’s physiologically protective.
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