What Therapy for Eating Disorders Really Looks Like
Starting therapy for eating disorders can feel like a big step, but knowing what to expect can help ease some of the uncertainty. Whether it’s your first session or you’re in the midst of recovery, therapy for eating disorders is about more than just addressing behaviors. It’s about uncovering deeper emotional needs and creating a path toward healing.
In this article, we’ll explore what typically happens during therapy sessions, the unique aspects of eating disorder treatment, and how the therapeutic relationship plays a vital role in your recovery journey. You’ll also learn about different therapeutic approaches like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and how they can help you disrupt harmful patterns, build self-compassion, and meet your emotional needs right where you are.
The First Session: What Happens and How It’s Different
The first session is often a time to build a foundation for your therapy. During this session, the therapist will ask you a series of questions to get to know you, your background, and your unique experiences. You’ll talk about your reasons for seeking therapy. Any challenges you’re currently facing, and what you hope to achieve. This conversation will give your therapist a better understanding of where you’re coming from and help them tailor the therapy process to fit your specific needs.
You’ll also work together to identify goals for therapy. These might be big-picture goals like improving your relationship with food or body image, or they could be more specific goals related to healing past trauma or managing emotional triggers. It’s important to note that these goals are flexible and can change as you move through the therapy process. However, having a shared understanding of what you’re working toward can help guide your sessions and make sure you’re both on the same page.
What to Expect:
Questions to Build Understanding: The eating disorder therapist will ask a lot of questions about your current emotional state, your eating habits, and any past experiences that might be relevant. They might also ask about your personal history, relationships, and what has or hasn’t worked for you in the past when it comes to healing.
Discussion of Goals: You’ll talk about what you want to get out of eating disorder therapy. This is your time to share what you feel would make the biggest difference for you, whether that’s healing trauma, managing emotions, or simply learning healthier coping strategies.
Creating a Plan: Based on the information gathered, the therapist will help you develop a treatment plan that fits your needs. This might include specific approaches like EMDR (if that’s part of your therapy) or other techniques designed to support your recovery. It’s important to keep in mind that therapy is a collaborative process. So the plan is always open to change as you progress.
Starting Where You Are
Starting where you are means your eating disorder therapist will meet you exactly where you are in your journey, without rushing or pushing you to make drastic changes. They begin by acknowledging your current feelings, thoughts, and experiences. This approach lets your therapist understand what you’re going through right now so they can work with you on your own terms.
Rather than following a fixed or predetermined treatment plan, a therapist who practices this approach focuses on your unique needs. They’ll listen to your concerns and challenges. The goal is not to force you into a mold but to help you heal in a way that feels right for you based on where you’re at.
Benefits of “Starting Where You Are” in Therapy
Builds Trust and Safety: When a therapist meets you where you are, it creates a safe space. You don’t feel rushed or pressured to make changes before you’re ready. This builds trust, making it easier for you to open up and explore deeper emotions or sensitive topics.
Reduces Anxiety and Overwhelm: Jumping into big changes too quickly can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re dealing with complex emotions or trauma. Starting where you are allows you to take things at your own pace, reducing stress and preventing burnout.
Promotes Realistic Progress: Therapy becomes more effective when it’s tailored to your current needs. Instead of pushing for unrealistic goals, your therapist will help you make gradual progress that feels manageable and meaningful. This can lead to long-lasting results because the changes you make are built on your real-life experiences.
Empowers You in Your Healing Journey: When therapy respects your current state, it shows that your feelings and experiences are valid. You’re not forced to “fix” yourself or meet a certain standard. Instead, you’re encouraged to grow in a way that aligns with your unique path. This can increase your sense of self-compassion.
Personalized Approach to Treatment: Every person’s experience is different, especially with mental health challenges like eating disorders. By focusing on your unique starting point, a therapist can create a more customized approach, making therapy more relevant and effective for you.
Understanding the Eating Disorder
Sometimes, it feels like we just want the eating disorder to go away. But it’s important to acknowledge why it showed up in the first place. Deep, unmet emotional needs may be driving these behaviors. For example, you might turn to an eating disorder to reshape your body as a way to navigate and cope with gender dysphoria. When we understand the purpose behind the eating disorder it can be so much easier to have compassion for ourselves.
We may fear that showing compassion toward the eating disorder means giving it more control, but the opposite is true. By understanding the underlying goals of the eating disorder, we can approach it with compassion and curiosity instead of judgment. We begin to see that, while the eating disorder’s approach no longer aligns with us, it’s still trying to address real emotional needs. When we recognize this, we can work toward meeting those needs in more aligned ways.
The Therapeutic Relationship: Why It’s Important
The therapeutic relationship is one of the most important aspects of effective therapy. It’s built on trust, understanding, and a sense of safety, and it provides the foundation for healing. In therapy, you need to feel comfortable and supported by your eating disorder therapist in order to open up about difficult topics like trauma, eating behaviors, and body image.
A strong therapeutic relationship allows you to explore sensitive issues without fear of judgment. When you feel heard and respected, you’re more likely to gain insights, confront challenges, and make meaningful progress. Your therapist is there to guide you with compassion, offering the tools and support you need to move forward, but ultimately, it’s the relationship between you both that empowers growth and healing.
Disrupting Shame, Building Compassion
It’s common for clients to express feelings like, “I know what I need to do, but I just can’t make myself do it” or “I want to believe that about myself, but I just don’t.” These thoughts are completely normal and part of the healing process, especially when dealing with eating disorders. Wanting to feel differently but not knowing how is something many people experience.
This is where eating disorder therapy can be incredibly helpful. A skilled therapist can work with you to explore and disrupt the cycle of shame that often fuels disordered eating. Rather than pushing for instant change or unrealistic perfection, the goal is to create a space where you can begin to build compassion for yourself, starting with where you are right now.
Therapists use a variety of tools and approaches to help shift these patterns. Thus, making it easier to move forward. Some of these methods might include:
Harm Reduction: This approach focuses on making small, manageable changes, rather than expecting immediate, drastic shifts. It’s about progress, toward your own goals, and meeting you where you’re at in your recovery.
EMDR: EMDR can help process past traumas and areas that feel sticky like they just keep showing up in your life no matter how much you talk about it. EMDR can create a movement for negative beliefs about yourself, to feel less true, and for more positive beliefs about yourself to emerge.
Weaving It All Together: What a 50-Minute Therapy Session Might Look Like
Building a Foundation & Setting Goals
In the first part of your session, you’ll likely start with a brief check-in about your week. Your therapist may ask how things went, what felt positive, and where you experienced challenges. This helps set the tone for the session and gives you an opportunity to bring up any immediate concerns or struggles.
Identifying a Focus for the Session
This could involve discussing an issue you’re facing right now. Whether it’s related to eating behaviors, body image, an emotional trigger, or something that has been ongoing in your work together session to session. For instance, your therapist might ask, “Is there something you’d like to explore more deeply today?”
Diving into EMDR
Once you’ve identified a focus for the session, you might dive into a specific therapeutic approach that addresses your needs. If you’ve decided to use EMDR, your therapist may continue the reprocessing work from a previous session. For example, you might revisit a memory that was particularly difficult and process it through eye movements or tapping, which helps reduce the emotional distress attached to the memory.
Exploring the Need Behind the Eating Disorder
A significant portion of the session may be dedicated to exploring and understanding the deeper emotional needs behind your eating disorder. This is where your therapist helps you connect the behaviors and thoughts you’re experiencing with the emotional pain or unmet needs that may have contributed to the development of the eating disorder, and supports you in examining other ways these important needs could be met.
Closing the Session
As the session comes to a close, you might have another short check-in to reflect on what you’ve discussed and how you’re feeling. Your therapist might ask, “How do you feel after exploring that today?” This allows you to process your emotions and leave the session with a clearer sense of where you’re at. You may also end with a grounding exercise or mindfulness technique to help you feel calm and centered before leaving. This could include simple breathing exercises, body scans, or visualizations that help you reconnect to the present moment.
Starting Therapy for Eating Disorders Can be a Powerful and Transformative Step Toward Healing.
It’s normal to feel uncertain or even overwhelmed at first, but by understanding what to expect from your therapy sessions, you can approach the process with more clarity and confidence. Therapy is not just about changing behaviors; it’s about getting to the heart of the emotional and psychological needs that underlie those behaviors, through understanding and compassion.
Whether it’s your first session or you’re already in recovery, therapy at Therapy With Lizzie offers a supportive environment where you can explore, heal, and grow. With therapeutic approaches like EMDR, harm reduction, and building self-compassion, you can address the root causes of your eating disorder, disrupt patterns, and find more sustainable ways to meet your emotional needs.
Create a New Relationship With Your Body With Therapy for Eating Disorders in Burlington, VT
Are you ready to start healing your relationship with food, body image, and yourself? Therapy for eating disorders in Burlington, VT is a powerful first step toward creating lasting change. At Therapy With Lizzie, I’m here to walk alongside you in this process, offering compassionate and personalized support. Let’s take this step together. It’s simple to get started:
Reach out to schedule a free consultation.
Meet with me, Lizzie Werner-Gavrin, an experienced eating disorder therapist specializing in eating disorders.
Cultivate a more compassionate relationship with your body.
You don’t have to navigate this alone. Let’s start this journey together. You deserve to feel empowered, understood, and at peace with yourself. Reach out today, and let’s take that first step toward healing!
Additional Online Services I Provide Throughout Vermont
Along with supporting adults facing body image challenges and eating disorders with therapy for eating disorders, I offer EMDR therapy to help process trauma and emotional pain. My work also includes guiding individuals through anxiety, stress management, and building resilience. I provide a compassionate, affirming space for adults exploring their gender and sexuality. Whether you’re navigating past trauma, managing anxiety, or discovering your identity, I’m here to walk with you through every part of your journey with understanding and support.
