SPECIALTY · DISORDERED EATING
You don't need a diagnosis to deserve support.
If you are looking for a disordered eating therapist in Santa Clarita or anywhere in California, you may be someone who doesn't quite fit a category but knows that your relationship with food is taking up more space than it should. That is enough of a reason to reach out.
Ph.D. -Eating Disorder Psychologist
Telehealth in Santa Clarita and throughout California
Adults, Teens 14+, and Families
You don't need to be in crisis to begin. Reaching out when things feel manageable but not quite right is one of the most effective times to do this work.
YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THIS
READY TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP?
A free 15-minute call, no pressure
You can ask questions, share what is going on, and get a sense of whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation and nothing to prepare.
Session length 45 minutes
Location Santa Clarita, CA
Telehealth Throughout California
Ages 14+ and Adults
Insurance Out-of-network · Superbill provided
Disordered eating is real, it is common, and it deserves the same care and attention as a formal diagnosis. The quiet struggles count too.
What disordered eating feels like from the inside.
Maybe you don't fit neatly into a category, but food still takes up more mental space than you would like. It doesn't feel serious enough to call it a problem. And yet it is affecting your life.
You think about food, your weight, or your body more than feels comfortable, often throughout the day.
You have a complicated history with dieting, restriction, or emotional eating that has never fully been resolved.
Food feels like it carries a moral weight such as "good foods", "bad foods," "foods you should not have eaten."
You eat differently when you are stressed, lonely, bored, or overwhelmed, and feel worse about yourself afterward.
You have tried to change your relationship with food before, but it always drifts back to the same patterns.
UNDERSTANDING DISORDERED EATING
What is Disordered Eating?
Disordered eating refers to a range of irregular or unhealthy eating behaviors that cause distress or impairment but do not meet the full criteria for a diagnosed eating disorder. This includes chronic dieting, emotional eating, significant food preoccupation, and a troubled relationship with food that quietly diminishes quality of life.
It is estimated that far more people struggle with disordered eating than with clinically diagnosed eating disorders. These quieter struggles receive less attention, but they cause real suffering and they respond to treatment.
When does disordered eating become an eating disorder?
The line between disordered eating and a diagnosable eating disorder is not always clear. In our first sessions, we will do a thorough assessment together. Whatever we find, the work remains the same — understanding your relationship with food and building something healthier in its place.
COMMON SIGNS OF DISORDERED EATING INCLUDE:
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Chronic dieting or yo-yo dieting
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Significant food preoccupation
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Guilt or shame after eating
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Skipping meals or restricting
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Emotional or stress eating
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Rigid "good food/bad food" thinking
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Eating past fullness regularly
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Using food to manage emotions
TREATMENT
How I approach disordered eating.
This work is exploratory and compassionate. We look at what role food has been playing in your emotional life, where those patterns came from, and what a more peaceful relationship with eating might look like for you.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E)
We identify the thought patterns and behavioral cycles that maintain disordered eating and work systematically to build more flexible, compassionate responses to food and your body.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
We explore the emotional roots of your relationship with food. We look at what it soothes, what it manages, and how those patterns developed over time. Understanding the function of disordered eating is an important step to changing it.
Intuitive Eating Principles
Informed by intuitive eating, we work toward rebuilding trust with your body. I will help you begin recognizing hunger and fullness cues, making peace with food, and releasing the rules that have kept you stuck in a cycle of restriction and reaction.
HAES-Aligned Care
My practice is rooted in Health at Every Size principles. We do not focus on weight loss as a goal of treatment. The focus is your relationship with food and your overall quality of life.
Is this serious enough for therapy?
Yes. You do not need to be at rock bottom to seek support. If your relationship with food is affecting your mood, your self-worth, or your quality of life — even quietly — therapy can help. Many clients find that addressing disordered eating early prevents more serious patterns from developing.
What if I discover I have an eating disorder?
That is okay. Sometimes what begins as an exploration of disordered eating reveals something that meets the criteria for a diagnosis. If that happens, we will discuss it together and adjust our approach accordingly. You will not be referred out unless you need a level of care I cannot provide.
WHO I SEE
Who I work with
I work with adults, teens aged 14 and older, and families navigating anorexia nervosa in Santa Clarita and throughout California via telehealth.
Adults
Individual therapy for adults navigating a complicated relationship with food that has never quite been resolved.
Teens (14+)
Early support for adolescents developing unhealthy patterns around food, before those patterns become more entrenched.
Families
Support and guidance for parents and caregivers.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked
Questions
01
Is disordered eating serious enough to go to therapy for?
Yes. You do not need to be in crisis or have a formal diagnosis to benefit from therapy. If your relationship with food is affecting your quality of life, your mood, or your sense of self, that is enough reason to seek support.
02
What if I am not sure whether I have an eating disorder or just a complicated relationship with food?
That is exactly the kind of question we can explore together. In our first sessions, we will do a thorough assessment to understand your history and what is going on. Whatever we find, the work is worthwhile.
03
Will you put me on a meal plan or tell me what to eat?
No. Prescribing what or how much to eat is the role of a registered dietitian, not a therapist. My work focuses on your emotional and psychological relationship with food. I can refer you to a dietitian if that would be a helpful part of your care.
04
Do you take insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider and do not bill insurance directly. A superbill is provided after each session, which you can submit to your insurance for possible out-of-network reimbursement. I recommend contacting your insurance provider to understand your out-of-network benefits before we begin.
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