SPECIALTY · BINGE EATING DISORDER
This is not about
willpower. And you are not alone.
If you are looking for support with binge eating disorder in Santa Clarita or across California, I am a licensed clinical psychologist who takes a non-diet, compassion-focused approach to treatment. What you are experiencing is real, valid, and treatable.
YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THIS
What binge eating disorder
feels like from the inside
You may find yourself eating past fullness, sometimes feeling almost disconnected from the experience, and then feeling shame afterward. If you have tried diets, programs, and plans without lasting change, you are not alone, and it is not a matter of willpower.
Food feels like the one reliable source of comfort, but it is also the thing you most want to escape.
You feel out of control during a binge, and deeply ashamed after. Neither feeling is easy to sit with.
The shame has started to affect how you see yourself. It is not just around food, but in general.
You wonder if you just lack discipline. You don't. This is not about discipline.
You have tried restriction, rules, and programs. They work for a while and then they don't.
UNDERSTANDING THE DIAGNOSIS
What is Binge Eating Disorder?
Binge eating disorder involves recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, accompanied by a sense of loss of control and significant distress afterward. Unlike bulimia, there are no compensatory behaviors such as purging or restriction.
BED is the most common eating disorder in the United States, affecting people of all genders, ages, and body sizes. It is not about a lack of self-control. It is a complex psychological condition rooted in emotion, experience, and biology.
SYMPTOMS
Some Common Signs of Binge Eating Disorder include:
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Eating large amounts of food rapidly
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Eating when not physically hungry
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Significant distress after eating
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Ongoing attempts to diet or restrict
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Feeling out of control while eating
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Eating alone due to shame
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No compensatory behaviors (no purging)
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Food preoccupation throughout the day
TREATMENT
How I treat Binge Eating Disorder
My approach to binge eating disorder is non-diet, weight-inclusive, and deeply compassionate. We work to understand what is driving the binges emotionally, build skills for tolerating difficult feelings without turning to food, and gradually restore a sense of trust and ease around eating.
Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E)
CBT-E addresses the patterns of thought and behavior that maintain binge eating, including dietary restraint, emotional triggers, and the shame cycle that follows an episode. It is one of the most evidence-supported treatments for BED.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
We explore the deeper emotional roots of binge eating, what it manages, what it soothes, and what it communicates. This work helps ensure that recovery is lasting rather than surface-level.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy teaches skills for tolerating distress and regulating intense emotions without turning to food. For many people with BED, bingeing has been the primary way of managing overwhelming feelings. DBT offers alternatives.
Intuitive Eating Principles
We work toward rebuilding trust with your body, recognizing hunger and fullness cues, and making peace with food without rigid rules or restriction.
Health at Every Size Principles
My practice is rooted in Health at Every Size principles. Treatment for binge eating disorder does not focus on weight loss. The focus is your relationship with food, your emotional wellbeing, and your quality of life. Many clients find that as the bingeing reduces and their relationship with food improves, other things in their life improve too.
COMMON QUESTIONS
01
Will treatment focus on weight loss?
Frequently Asked Questions
No. My practice is rooted in Health at Every Size principles. The focus of treatment is your relationship with food, your emotional wellbeing, and your quality of life, not your weight.
02
Yes. You do not need to meet the full clinical criteria to deserve support. If your relationship with food is causing you distress, that is enough.
03
Yes. Most people with BED have tried diets and programs, which don't address the emotional roots of the behavior. Therapy works at a different level, and the research on CBT-E and DBT for BED is strong.
SESSION LENGTH
SESSION FEE
PAYMENT
INSURANCE
45 minutes
$250
Credit & debit
Out-of-Network
per session
cards accepted
Superbill provided
READY TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP?
The first step is just a conversation.
A free 15-minute consultation is confidential and completely pressure-free. You will have a chance to ask questions and see if we are a good fit before committing to anything.