Eating Disorders

At Harmony Heals, we treat clients with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and eating disorders not-otherwise-specified.

As is true with any addiction, an eating disorder represents a destructive coping mechanism that attempts to deal with the clients’ underlying feelings of inadequacy, grief, rage, trauma, and/or feelings of powerlessness. The eating disorder takes on a life of its own, and in time wreaks havoc on every area of one’s life and the lives of one’s family members and significant others. The eating disorder leaves its sufferer feeling isolated and alone. The eating disorder of an individual member is often the symptom of family pain or stress and therefore the whole family needs treatment. Early intervention is crucial!

Therapy can be particularly helpful for clients struggling with eating disorders and, in fact, recovery is difficult unless one addresses the underlying core issues from which eating disorders spring. Often simply giving one’s hurt, shame, fear, and anger a voice can be healing in itself. Many clients with eating disorders have difficulty engaging in the balanced give and take required in a healthy relationship. They can benefit from learning to set boundaries with others, learning to trust their own inner voice, and learning to practice self-care. Depending on the individual client’s needs, treatment modalities that have proven highly effective include eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), hypnotherapy, bio/neurofeedback, inner child work, psychodrama, and others.