What Is Gender-Affirming Therapy for Eating Disorders?
If you’re queer, trans, or nonbinary, and you’ve been struggling with an eating disorder or body image issues, you might have noticed that finding a therapist who really gets you can be hard. Maybe you’re seeing a therapist but find yourself having to explain your gender identity repeatedly and just feel like you’re spending more time educating your therapist than doing therapy. Instead of feeling supported, you just feel exhausted.
Therapy for eating disorders should be a safe, supportive place where you feel seen and understood, but for many LGBTQIA+ individuals, this isn’t always the case. You may feel as though you’re stuck between two worlds: one where your gender identity is understood and one where your eating disorder is being addressed, and you don’t feel like there is a space where you don’t have to compartmentalize different parts of yourself. It can feel like you’re not getting the holistic support you need to heal.
When you dig into the work of trying to change your relationships with food and your body, having someone who validates your gender identity can be transformative and can allow you to feel fully supported as you work through your healing process. Gender-affirming therapy for eating disorders isn’t just about dealing with eating habits or body image; it’s about supporting you as a whole person, taking into account the ways your gender, body, and mental health are all interconnected. It’s about recognizing and validating the unique experience of being queer while also addressing the mental and emotional challenges of an eating disorder. To put it simply, if you’re struggling with food and negative body image, working with a therapist who is gender-affirming can make a huge difference.
What Is Gender-Affirming Therapy?
At its core, gender-affirming therapy is a type of therapy that takes your gender identity seriously. It’s not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Instead, it’s therapy that focuses on understanding and affirming your individual gender identity, while also supporting your overall mental health. This is key for trans, nonbinary, and queer individuals, who often face unique mental health challenges that require a specialized approach.
Gender-affirming therapy understands that your gender is not just something to “check off” in the conversation. It’s an essential part of who you are. This type of therapy recognizes the ways that your gender identity is an important part of who you are and can be crucial in the healing process.
Gender-affirming therapy is designed to make sure you feel seen for who you are, without having to explain yourself repeatedly. You’re never asked to justify your gender identity or perform emotional labor for your therapist’s education. In this space, you get to take up space—and just be you!
Challenges Faced by LGBTQIA+ Individuals with Eating Disorders
For many LGBTQIA+ people, eating disorders and body image struggles can be closely tied to gender identity. If you’re queer, trans, or nonbinary, your relationship with your body can feel pretty complicated sometimes. If you experience gender dysphoria—basically, the deep emotional distress that comes from your gender identity not matching the sex you were assigned at birth—it can make these struggles even harder. Gender dysphoria can lead to deep frustration, anxiety, and a sense of disconnect with your own body. And unfortunately, it can also lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, like extreme dieting, over-exercising, and disordered eating behaviors.
It’s really common for people to want to change their bodies in response to gender dysphoria. Wanting your body to appear more masculine, feminine, or androgynous is totally valid. There are safe, healthy ways to go about this, like hormone therapy or surgery, that can help you feel more comfortable and at home in your body.
All of this pressure is compounded by the constant messaging we get from media, social media, and just everyday life. We’re bombarded with this idea that if we just looked a certain way, or had the “right” body, then we’d be happy, relaxed, and able to get the love we want. It’s like society promises us an anxiety-free, perfect life if we can just get the look right.
It’s so important to remember that your body and your identity are yours—and there are healthy, affirming ways to navigate all of this. The key is figuring out what feels right for you. You deserve to feel comfortable in your own skin.
It’s also important to recognize how trauma can impact our relationship with our bodies. LGBTQIA+ individuals experience higher rates of trauma compared to the general population, including discrimination, rejection, bullying, and violence. This trauma can lead to feelings of shame, worthlessness, and self-loathing, which can contribute to body image struggles and eating disorders. These painful experiences can make it harder to feel safe and at peace in your body, and may lead to unhealthy coping strategies as a way to manage the emotional pain.
Recognizing and creating space for our whole self in the therapy room is crucial for deep, lasting change. Working with a therapist who understands the interconnectedness of our identities—especially when it comes to gender-related stressors—can be incredibly helpful in the healing process.
How Gender-Affirming Therapy Helps with Eating Disorders and Gender Identity
Affirming Your Gender Identity
One of the core components of gender-affirming therapy is, of course, affirming your gender identity. In a world where many people, even healthcare providers, may misgender or invalidate you, it’s important to have a therapist who respects and supports your true self. By using your correct name and pronouns, your therapist helps you feel seen and respected. This kind of affirmation can be incredibly healing. It helps you feel more at home in your body and more comfortable with your identity, which is essential in the healing process.
Exploring the Link Between Gender Dysphoria and Eating Disorders
Gender dysphoria is a deeply painful experience for many trans and nonbinary people, and it often leads to disordered eating behaviors. In therapy, you can begin to understand how your gender identity and eating disorders are connected. Maybe you feel like your body doesn’t match who you are inside, and as a result, you try to change your body through restrictive eating or excessive exercise. Gender-affirming therapy helps you explore these links and work through the emotions that fuel your eating behaviors.
By understanding the root causes of these behaviors, you can begin to untangle them and find more holistic and authentic ways to be in your body.
Challenging Societal Beauty Standards
The narrow beauty standards that dominate mainstream media can make it hard to feel good about your body. In gender-affirming therapy, you can work to reject these unrealistic ideals and find your own sense of beauty. Therapy can help you embrace the idea that beauty is not one-size-fits-all. It’s about being present and comfortable in your own body.
Supporting You Through Gender-Affirming Treatments
If you’re considering gender-affirming treatments such as hormone therapy or surgery, gender-affirming therapy can be a vital part of your support system. As you make decisions, your therapist can help you process the complex emotions that come with these changes. They can also support you as you navigate any emotional challenges that arise along the way, ensuring you feel confident and empowered in your decisions. Therapy can help you address remaining body image issues or eating disorder behaviors. This holistic support can help you feel more aligned with your true self.
Creating an Inclusive, Affirming Space in Therapy
One of the most important aspects of gender-affirming therapy is the therapist’s ability to create a space where you feel truly seen and understood. For many LGBTQIA+ individuals, trust in a therapist can be difficult, especially if you’ve experienced rejection or misunderstanding in the past. But a good therapist will create a welcoming, affirming environment where you can be yourself without fear of judgment.
Here’s what an inclusive, affirming space in therapy looks like:
Active Listening and Affirmation
A therapist that listens to you actively and attentively, without making assumptions. They validate your gender identity and are careful not to ask you to explain it repeatedly. They create a space where you feel heard and understood—something that’s especially important if you’ve faced rejection or misunderstanding from others in the past.Building Trust and Safety
Trust is critical in therapy, and a good gender-affirming therapist works hard to build that trust. They create a space where you can feel safe to explore all aspects of your identity without fear of rejection or invalidation.Personalizing Treatment
A skilled gender-affirming therapist recognizes that every person’s experience is unique. They tailor your therapy sessions to suit your specific needs, helping you work through the intersections of your gender identity, eating disorder, and any other challenges you’re facing.Gender-Inclusive Language and Practices
The therapist uses language that respects and affirms your gender identity. This might include asking about your pronouns or your relationship with gender expression. They don’t assume your gender identity or make you feel like you need to fit into a narrow box.Cultural Competence and Awareness
A culturally competent therapist understands the impact of intersectionality—how your race, culture, and other identities influence your experience with eating disorders and gender identity. They take a holistic approach to treatment, acknowledging the unique challenges you face as an LGBTQIA+ individual.Addressing Shame and Internalized Oppression
Many LGBTQIA+ folks experience shame and internalized oppression, which can make healing from eating disorders even more difficult. An affirming therapist will work with you to unpack these feelings, replacing shame with self-acceptance and self-love.Using a Trauma-Informed Approach
A trauma-informed therapist recognizes that past experiences of trauma—whether related to gender, family rejection, bullying, or discrimination—can deeply impact your emotional and mental health. They create a safe, supportive environment where you can heal from trauma without feeling re-traumatized. By incorporating trauma-informed practices, a therapist helps you rebuild trust in yourself and others while respecting your pace and boundaries throughout the healing process.
Heal with Gender-Affirming Therapy for Eating Disorders
If you’re queer, trans, or nonbinary and struggling with eating disorders or body image issues, finding the right therapist who truly understands you can be a challenge. Many therapists often miss the mark by failing to fully recognize the unique intersection of your gender identity and your mental health needs. Gender-affirming therapy for eating disorders is designed to bridge this gap by supporting you as a whole person, and acknowledging the interconnectedness of your gender identity and body image struggles.
Because gender-affirming therapy isn’t just about addressing eating behaviors—it’s about recognizing and validating your experience as a queer, trans, or nonbinary individual. In this supportive space, you can explore the emotional roots of your body image concerns, including gender dysphoria, societal pressures, and past trauma. It’s a place where your therapist understands that your gender is a central part of who you are and that healing involves more than just focusing on eating habits.
If you’ve ever had that feeling of being stuck between two worlds—one where your gender identity is understood, and one where your eating disorder is addressed—gender-affirming therapy offers a space to integrate both aspects of yourself. It’s a powerful way to begin healing, building a more positive relationship with your body, and gaining confidence in who you are.
If you’re ready to feel seen, supported, and fully understood, it might be time to explore gender-affirming therapy. Take the next step toward holistic healing by finding a therapist who affirms your gender identity and helps you work through your unique challenges like Therapy with Lizzie.
Create a Positive Relationship With Your Body With Therapy for Eating Disorders in Burlington, VT
If you’re ready to start healing your relationship with food, body image, and yourself, therapy for eating disorders is the first step. Working with a therapist like me at my practice Therapy With Lizzie, who truly understands and affirms your unique identity, can make all the difference. Let’s take this step together. Follow these three simple steps to get started:
Meet with me, Lizzie Werner-Gavrin, a skilled eating disorder therapist to start therapy for your eating disorders
Create a positive relationship with your body!
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.
