frequently asked questions Archives · Alison Pelz, LD, RDN, CDCES, LCSW

Let’s face it, finding the right eating disorder therapist for your eating disorder can be daunting. It can feel downright overwhelming. You may be ambivalent about getting treatment. Maybe you are worried that your eating disorder isn’t “bad enough” to warrant treatment (trust me, it is). Or perhaps you are feeling hopeless about finding another therapist after being treated in the past.

Whether you are an individual with an eating disorder or a loved one of a person with an eating disorder, looking for a qualified therapist can be tough.

This post will give you tips on what to look for in a treatment provider, and questions to ask to help you determine the right eating disorder therapist for you.

Most therapists are willing to talk with you on the phone before you set an initial appointment. They will help assess goodness of fit in regards to scheduling, payment, and issues you may want to address in therapy.

If the therapist doesn’t offer a phone consultation, then these questions can be asked in the initial face-to-face appointment.

You can use the following questions and talking points when interviewing a potential therapist:

How do you help clients with eating disorders?

If a therapist has a lot of experience treating eating disorders, they should have a concise and clear answer. Many well-meaning therapists indicate on their website, referral site, or insurance websites that eating disorders are their specialty, but really don’t have experience treating eating disorders.

Because of the complex nature of eating disorders, try to get a therapist with extensive experience with eating disorders if possible.

Do you have a network of other professionals who have experience treating an eating disorder to whom you can refer me?

The gold standard of care in eating disorder treatment is to have a multidisciplinary team. An eating disorder treatment team usually consists of a therapist, registered dietitian, medical doctor, psychiatrist, family therapist, and possibly other specialists.

If the therapist has experience treating eating disorders, they should have a relationship with other treatment providers in your community. To learn more about eating disorder treatment teams click here.

What hours do you see clients and what are the payment options?

The course of eating disorder treatment can be long. Having a conversation up front with a potential eating disorder therapist about finances and scheduling is important. Be sure that the scheduling and payment options work for you over the longer -term.

Here are a few resources to help you find a qualified eating disorder therapist in your area:

Finding an eating disorder therapist can take time. Consider breaking down your search into smaller pieces and chip away at it each day.

Additionally, if you feel overwhelmed trying to find an eating disorder therapist, ask a friend or family member to help you in your search.

Please call for a free 15-minute phone consultation to learn how I work with clients with eating disorders.

Don’t live in the Austin Area, but want tips about how to improve your relationship with food and your body? Subscribe to my newsletter here.

Question: Is intuitive eating the same as mindful eating?

Answer: Intuitive eating and mindful eating are not synonymous. However, they do have some overlap. Think of mindfulness as focusing your attention on one thing. For example, you can practice mindfulness when you are petting your dog. You notice how your dog looks, how it feels to pet your dog, and how your dog responds to your touch.

You can also practice mindfulness while eating. To do this, you may notice the appearance, temperature, consistency, and smell of what you are eating, free from other distractions.

When I teach clients intuitive eating, I encourage them to practice mindful eating because it helps increase the pleasure of eating and dial into internal signals that your body is giving you in regards to food preferences, and hunger and fullness.

Question: I want to lose weight. Is intuitive eating going to help me achieve my weight loss goals?

Answer: No, intuitive eating is not a weight loss program. It is a way of relating to food. While diets tell us to look to the diet plan to know how much and what to eat, intuitive eating postulates that we have all of the knowledge within ourselves on how to feed ourselves. Chronic dieting teaches us to ignore our internal cues.

You may be thinking, “Well, I overeat pretty regularly. If I start listening to my body and stop overeating, it will lead to weight loss.” This is not necessarily true because body weight and metabolism are under substantial genetic control.

However, intuitive eating will provide a relief from the vicious diet cycle which will help alleviate the feelings of shame and guilt associated with dieting.

Question: I think I may have an eating disorder. Will intuitive eating help me get over my eating disorder?

Answer: I am glad that you have recognized that you may have an eating disorder. The next step is to get assessed by a treatment professional.

If you do have an eating disorder, getting adequate treatment from professional is a must for recovery. Unfortunately, eating disorders don’t go away on their own. Treatment is important to reduce medical risks associated with eating disorders, including death. (Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric conditions.)

That being said, intuitive eating could be part of your treatment process, in the later stages of treatment. Together with your treatment team, you will be able to determine if and when intuitive eating is right for you.

Unsure if intuitive eating is right for you? Call me for a free 15-minute phone consultation.

Tag Archives: frequently asked questions

Must-Ask Questions When Looking For An Eating Disorder Therapist