Eating Disorders

Is Your Child or Teen Struggling with an Eating Disorder?

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that go beyond food and weight—they are complex illnesses that can impact every aspect of a person’s life. If your child, teen, or young adult is struggling with their relationship with food, body image, or exercise, you may feel overwhelmed, unsure of how to help, or even dismissed by those who don’t understand the severity of these disorders.

What Do Eating Disorders Look Like?

Eating disorders don’t always fit the stereotypes. They can affect people of any size, gender, or background. Some signs that your child or teen may be struggling include:
✅ A sudden change in eating habits—restricting, avoiding certain foods, or binge eating
✅ Obsession with food, calories, or “clean” eating
✅ Intense fear of weight gain or body dissatisfaction
✅ Excessive or compulsive exercise
✅ Withdrawing from family meals or social events involving food
✅ Frequent trips to the bathroom after eating
✅ Extreme mood changes, irritability, or anxiety around meals

Common eating disorders include:
🔹 Anorexia Nervosa – Restriction of food intake leading to low body weight, fear of gaining weight, and distorted body image.
🔹 Bulimia Nervosa – Cycles of binge eating followed by purging behaviors like vomiting, excessive exercise, or laxative use.
🔹 Binge Eating Disorder – Eating large amounts of food in a short period, often feeling out of control, without compensatory behaviors.
🔹 Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) – Extreme picky eating or avoidance of food due to sensory issues, fear of choking, or lack of interest in eating.

Evidence-Based Treatment by Experts

I specialize in gold-standard, evidence-based treatments for eating disorders that are tailored to the unique needs of children, teens, and young adults.

🔹 Family-Based Treatment (FBT) – The most effective treatment for adolescents with eating disorders. In FBT, parents play a central role in helping their child restore healthy eating patterns and regain their life. I guide families through this process step by step.

🔹 Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E) – A structured, skills-based approach that helps individuals challenge unhelpful thoughts about food, weight, and body image while building sustainable, healthy behaviors.

🔹 Exposure Therapy for Food and Body Image Anxiety – Many young people with eating disorders avoid certain foods or struggle with distress around their body. I use exposure-based techniques to help them face fears in a supportive and gradual way.

🔹 Parent Coaching & Support – Eating disorders don’t just affect the individual; they impact the whole family. I provide parents with the tools to support recovery while setting firm but compassionate boundaries.

You Don’t Have to Face This Alone

Eating disorders can feel isolating, but recovery is possible with the right support. If you’re worried about your child or teen, early intervention is key—and you don’t have to wait until things get worse to seek help. At my specialty clinic, I provide expert, evidence-based care designed to give your child the best chance at lasting recovery.

Take the first step today. Reach out to schedule a free consultation with a specialist.

  • I work with kids, teens and transition age young adults with the spectrum of eating related concerns. We know that eating disorders are NOT choices but are neurobiological conditions and are genetic. I have expertise in treatments that emphasize the biological nature and work with the teen/young adults many strengths along with compassion and caregiver support to help achieve recovery.

  •  We can work with individuals who are medically stable and able to safely do outpatient care. We work closely with your multidisciplinary team which may inlcude a physician, dietitian, OT and others. Conditions we treat include restrictive eating disorders such as anorexia, ARFID/selective eating, food refusal due to GI pain, traumatic experiences (e.g. choking, fear of vomiting), and bingeing and purging disorders.  We are a Health at Every Size informed practice and do not provide weight loss interventions. We work with clients and families to get relief and harm reduction from your eating disorder.

  • Check out our resources page for more information about treatment for eating disorders