Anorexia Therapy in Hillcrest, San Diego
When the thing that gives you short-term calm and control ends up controlling you, a dangerous pattern forms that becomes very hard to change on your own. Specialized support can help you find lasting recovery.
Anorexia Nervosa is one of the most confusing and dangerous eating disorders.
You Might Be Living With Anorexia If…
You’re constantly thinking about food
You’re counting or tracking everything you eat
You feel guilt or self-disgust after you eat
You feel afraid or panicked about eating certain foods
You’re afraid of gaining weight
Reaching your “goal weight” never feels truly satisfying
Restricting food can feel temporarily calming when everything else feels chaotic.
Looking for anorexia therapy in san diego, CA?
Eating Disorder & OCD Therapy provides specialized anorexia treatment in person from our Hillcrest office in San Diego, CA.
We also offer virtual anorexia therapy for clients throughout California, Washington, Tennessee, Utah and Maryland.
Why does Anorexia Develop?
Anorexia isn't actually about food, and it isn't about vanity.
For many people, it develops as a way of coping with pain that doesn't have another outlet: trauma, attachment wounds, a world that has felt unpredictable or unsafe, or deep internalized messages about what your body is supposed to look like. Restricting food can create a temporary sense of relief or euphoria when everything else feels like too much.
Anorexia is a complex illness that is influenced by a combination of genetics, environment, life experiences, and cultural messages about bodies and worth.
There is no single cause of anorexia, but there is hope for recovery.
How We Can Help you Get Free from Anorexia
Our approach is rooted in a relational, psychodynamic and liberation psychology perspective. We go beneath the surface so that healing can last- as well as help you find relief from symptoms. We utilize a treatment team approach and incorporate a variety of evidence based practices to support your healing journey.
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We stay up to date with the latest techniques from some of the most well-researched methods of healing from anorexia: cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure response prevention therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy for anorexia.
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We use relational psychodynamic therapy, internal family systems therapy and somatic attachment therapy to help you get to the deeper pain points underpinning your struggle with anorexia. Eating disorders are often just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ — so we must go deeper than just symptom management.
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Beyond just cultural awareness, we conceptualize anorexia through radical feminist perspectives, liberation psychology, health at every size perspectives and critical race theory. An obsession with thinness isn’t something we are born with, it is socially constructed.
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Anorexia is best treated by a team of professionals including a therapist who specializes in anorexia, an eating disorder dietitian and a medical doctor. We connect you to trusted doctors and dietitians that specialize in this area and form a care team where we collaborate on your treatment goals.
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Our founder has utilized ketamine assisted therapy for anorexia since 2021 when it was considered a novel treatment. We have seen dramatic effects and improvements with ketamine treatment and anorexia, specifically for those who have struggled for decades or have major depression and suicidal ideation along with anorexia.
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We value harm reduction as a valid and life saving approach to anorexia. Harm reduction honors your autonomy and helps reduce the harm from eating disorder behaviors even when you aren’t ready or wanting full recovery. Harm reduction is about keeping you safe and is not ‘giving up.’
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In addition to therapy, we offer recovery coaching for anorexia, which is more present focused and goal oriented. We offer this service virtually and worldwide, and some prefer this approach over therapy due to it’s more directive approach.
Are you ready to…
Stop spending every waking hour thinking about food and your body?
Eat without the spiral of guilt, anxiety or mental gymnastics that follows?
Feel present in your relationships again and stop missing out on important moments?
Learn how to care for your self without punishing yourself?
Figure out what you actually feel, need and desire- underneath all of the restriction and obsessing?
Create a life that feels so meaningful that what you look like matters less?
We can help you reclaim your life
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We can help you reclaim your life 〰️
Restricting food intake
Intense fear of weight gain
Obsessive thoughts of food
Avoiding meals with others
Preoccupation with appearance
Tracking calories, macros, protein intake, etc.
Common Signs of Anorexia
Frequently Asked Questions about anorexia therapy
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We primarily work with teens and adults with anorexia. We are happy to provide trusted referrals for anyone looking for a children’s anorexia specialist!
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No! It’s a common misconception that people with anorexia are always low weight/ underweight. We work with people of all body sizes who struggle with anorexia.
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Yes! Anorexia happens to people of all body sizes. Folks in higher weight anorexia often have worse psychological and physical side effects due to weight stigma in help seeking.
Curious if you or a loved one have higher weight anorexia? Check out our atypical anorexia page for more info.
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Several things set us apart! While we do help with behavioral change and understand that it is a very important part of the process, we also tend to the root causes of your struggle with anorexia so that healing can last a life time.
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This is a common experience- so know that you are not alone. Nearly every person I work with who has anorexia feels this way, its actually a hallmark of the illness due to brain changes that happen with chronic semi-starvation. It is my opinion that any amount of struggle with food is ‘sick enough’ to warrant treatment.
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Cost is dependent on the clinician you work with and the state you reside in (variability for cost of living in different areas). You can check out our rates and insurance page for more info!
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You can reach out here to connect with us or you can email us at: info@eatingdisorderocdtherapy.com
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