Online Therapy for Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders

My therapeutic approach to working with eating distress and eating disorders online in the UK

Disordered eating is a broad term. It can include restriction, bingeing, emotional eating, obsessive and/or distressing thoughts about food or body image, compensatory exercise, and a whole lot more. Some people meet the criteria for a clinical eating disorder diagnosis, such as anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder, but many do not. Either way, therapy can be a helpful place to start untangling what’s going on beneath the surface.

In my work as an eating disorder therapist online, I don’t diagnose - this is usually done by healthcare professionals or psychologists. As a therapist, I’m curious about your unique story and how you experience disordered eating. I work with a wide range of eating, body image and weight concerns, with or without a label or diagnosis. No problem is insignificant - you deserve help.

Trauma-Informed, Compassionate Online Therapy for Disordered Eating

Eating and body image are deeply personal, and shame can sometimes mean people feel uncomfortable or embarrassed talking about these topics. Clients may have experienced judgement, bullying or stigma due to their weight or appearance. I struggled in the past with my own relationship with food and my body, so I’ve been there. I get it.

This is why it’s so important that I work with care, curiosity and compassion. I will never judge you for how you eat, what you weigh, or for “bad” thoughts around food and your body. We go at your pace. There is no rush and no pressure to talk about anything you’re not ready to. In fact, we don’t even need to talk about eating. Relationships with food are complex, stemming from the very early years of life, and so are deeply interwoven into culture, family, relationships and your identity.
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Disordered eating can develop in response to difficult life experiences including trauma, abuse or a lack of safety in early relationships. Together, we can explore the roots of your relationship with food and make links and connections.
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Inclusive Eating Disorder Therapy Practice

I strive for my practice to be an inclusive space. I welcome LGBT+ clients, and am a proud supporter of trans rights. I take a weight-inclusive, non-diet approach which means I recognise the harm caused by diet culture and appearance ideals. I honour cultural background as being a crucial part of relationship with food, and recognise the harms caused by oppression and inequality.
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I work with many neurodivergent clients, including those with ADHD and autism. Every neurodivergent individual is completely different, so I work with clients to understand how their thinking and experiences intersect with their relationships with food and disordered eating. Many neurodivergent people feel the pressure to fit into a neurotypical world and way of working – well, not here! I’m here to help you feel at ease, heard and accepted.

Exploring Relationships with Food

Eating disorder therapy is not just about food; it’s about your relationship with yourself, with your emotions, and with your body, which is often rooted in past experiences.
For some clients, disordered eating can be linked to past trauma, neglect, abuse or difficult life events. It is often a cocktail of influences, psychological and social/cultural, which can be influenced by diet culture and the thin ideal. In therapy for disordered eating, we can gently explore the roots of these patterns. This might involve family dynamics, body image messages and societal pressures, or experiences of trauma and abuse.

My therapeutic modality is “Integrative” which means I draw on different approaches depending on what you need. The basis of my approach is humanistic/person-centred, which means offering a non-judgmental and empathic safe space to talk and be heard. I incorporate other approaches as appropriate, which may include aspects of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, parts work, psychoeducation, Compassion Focussed Therapy, and more.
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I believe in exploring the whole person and the roots of the struggles, not just adding a sticking plaster. This often means exploring the past, but also challenging societal norms, and building tools and strategies to help for the future. 

​What You Can Expect from Working with Me

• A warm, understanding space where you can speak freely with someone who “gets it”
• A trauma-informed therapist who understands the nuances of eating disorders, weight stigma and emotional safety
• Support that is inclusive of all body sizes, gender identities and sexualities
• Affirming and adaptable care for neurodivergent clients
• A collaborative relationship where we work together to suit your needs, at your pace
• Gain a better understanding of your relationship with food and the intersecting influencing factors
• Gain tools, strategies and knowledge to help you build a better relationship with food and your body
• Build self-esteem and self-worth

Online Therapy for Disordered Eating in the UK

I work online with adults across the UK, offering specialist therapy for disordered eating, via Zoom. Many people find that being in their own space helps them feel more comfortable opening up, especially when talking about food, weight or body image. Online therapy can be more convenient for many, and means you can be anywhere in the UK too. The process of therapy is about the relationship between therapist and client, so online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy (though of course preference and comfort is always important). You can read more about how online therapy works here.

If you are struggling with disordered eating and wondering whether therapy could help, I hope this has given you a little more insight. Healing your relationship with food is not about control or willpower. It is about understanding, self-compassion and building self-acceptance. This is my own way of working, grown out of many years of experience working for eating disorder services, in counselling practice, and out of my own passion for this field. Other eating disorder therapists may work differently, so it’s important to find the fit for you.

If you would like to have a chat about whether this kind of therapy is right for you, feel free to get in touch. I offer a free 15-minute introductory call on Zoom.
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​Other blogs you may find helpful:

How to Start Healing you Relationship with Food

What is binge eating and how to break the binge cycle

Atypical Anorexia 

Weight loss injections and food noise

Therapeutic writing exercises for body image

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