Eating Disorders Therapists in San Diego, CA
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Brittney France
Marriage & Family Therapist, PhD, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#111091) in California. I have specialized in the treatment of
eating disorders
/ disordered eating, emotional and overeating, as well as body image for 14 years through both a clinical and research lens. I believe that all clients have unique strengths and are capable of creating meaningful change in their lives. I enjoy helping clients access these strengths while improving their relationship with food, body, and mind through identifying and connecting with values, learning healthy coping skills, and improving communication.
Not accepting new clients
Joelle A Tonkovich
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker offering therapy to adults, children, adolescents, and families. I have worked extensively with issues related to depression, anxiety,
eating disorders
, trauma, and abuse (physical abuse,sexual abuse, neglect, child endangerment, and domestic violence). I believe that healing, growth, and lasting change can occur within the safety of a therapeutic relationship. I provide a safe, confidential, and supportive environment in which issues can be explored.

Mia Najor
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
I am a licensed marriage and family therapist with experience treating mood disorders, relationship issues, and self esteem issues. I believe Black Lives Matter and love is love. I strive to do my own work as an AntiRacist clinician. I am a HEALTH AT EVERY SIZE advocate. I specialize in the treatment of disordered eating,
eating disorders
, and body image dissatisfaction. I love empowering my clients. Since 2013, I have been working with the eating disorder population including adolescents, adults, and families. I have worked at various levels of treatment including residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient.

Katee Zullo
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I work with individuals, couples, teens and families who are looking to heal relationship issues,
eating disorders
, process through trauma, cope with grief, explore depression and anxiety, family disturbances, among many other difficulties life creates.
Do your emotions ever seem out of control? Maybe you’re in a daze, just going through the motions? Do you feel like no one understands you? Sometimes life comes at us fast and we have difficulty catching up. The good news is you no longer have to go through this alone. I’m here to help. I work to create a safe, compassionate environment to explore your thoughts and emotions, while emphasizing the healing nature of our therapist-client relationship.

Courtney Simpson
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I am a licensed clinical psychologist specialized in treating
eating disorders
, body image concerns, and other unhealthy eating patterns and beliefs.
Worry about eating too little or too much? Feel overly critical about your appearance? Struggle to participate in things you enjoy due to concern about your body shape and weight? If you feel ready to break free from eating and appearance concerns, I may be the ideal fit for you! I teach evidence-based skills and strategies to help people effectively manage their emotions and spend time engaging in activities that make life worth living. Using a weight-neutral approach, I help people find freedom from rigid food rules and body image dissatisfaction in order to start living life to the fullest.

Claire Spencer
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I have expertise treating depression, anxiety,
eating disorders
, substance use, PTSD and relationship issues.
Life is an emotional journey. During challenging times, we often struggle to maintain hope and optimism. Feelings of depression and anxiety are common throughout many tough transitions and can leave us overwhelmed and stuck. My passion lies right here, helping clients weather life's setbacks on the path toward happiness and success. Seeking therapy is a vulnerable first step toward living the life you envision. I strive to bring light and clarity to clients, inspiring them to find the hope and meaning essential to creating lasting change and personal growth.

Julie Trim, PhD & Associates
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
5 Endorsed
Verified
5 Endorsed
Hello! Our clinic specializes in
eating disorders
(EDs), PTSD, borderline personality disorder (BPD), anxiety, depression, and emotion dysregulation. We also have extensive experience in providing therapy to college students, athletes, and LGBTQ clients. Whenever possible, we use treatments that have proven efficacy, but we customize treatment to the particular needs of our clients. We approach our clients with respect, warmth, and cultural humility and feel that having a strong therapeutic relationship is central to the success of therapy.

Mellissa Giegerich
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
Are you someone who would like to have a better relationship with food and exercise? Or someone who is ready to heal from past trauma? Using a HAES-informed approach, I specialize in helping clients utilize the skills needed to succeed in recovery. As a former collegiate athlete, I have great interest in how to incorporate athletic experiences, and one’s identity as an athlete, into therapeutic treatment for
eating disorders
. Additionally, I am trained in Cognitive Processing therapy and use this modality with clients with PTSD to help them adopt the thought processes needed to reduce the impact of their traumas on their wellbeing.
Waitlist for new clients

Caley Eileen Bailey
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I received my early training from the UCSD
Eating Disorders
Center for Treatment and Research and continued my clinical work with the UCSD Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research Clinic.
I know how difficult it can be to reach out for support when you need it most, so, let me first start off by saying that I appreciate the courage you have shown by taking this first step towards finding a therapist that will meet your needs. I am passionate about working with people who are dealing with life/relationship stressors, experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, or are struggling with body image, overeating, binge eating, or
bulimia
nervosa. I take a strengths-based approach and work collaboratively with my clients to understand their goals for therapy which allows us to develop a personalized treatment plan.

Melissa McCormick
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I provide trauma informed therapy, with training in EMDR and
eating disorders
.
I am passionate about supporting women and teens facing the challenges of life in a way that helps them find sustained change. It is hard to live in this world and not question if our bodies, stories, and voices are “good enough.” We wonder if it is possible for us to be okay with who we are, and make different choices than we’ve made in the past. We often make decisions that are rooted in insecurity, leaving us trapped in anxiety. I value helping women learn to understand and respect their whole story on their own terms. Together we can define your own goals for change.

Mandy Leonards
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, LCSW
Verified
4 Endorsed
Verified
4 Endorsed
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and currently work in private practice in San Diego, CA. I am originally from Indiana, and I am dually licensed in both states, so I can see clients who reside in all of California or Indiana. I specialize in trauma,
eating disorders
and body image. I am certified in EMDR which I use with many but not all of my clients. I have a laid back therapy style where I try to meet my clients where they are at and focus on providing a place that feels safe while we help you reach your goals in therapy.

Maria Wilson
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
Verified
My two specialities include providing highly specialized and individualized care for clients struggling with
eating disorders
at an outpatient level of care, as well working with couples and individuals feeling dissatisfied with intimacy, communication barriers, and negative conflict cycles.
Hi there! I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in both Couples Therapy, and Eating Disorder treatment at an outpatient level of care. Through a client-centered approach, my passion lies in restoring disruptions in early childhood attachment, and helping those identify negative thought patterns, core beliefs, and emotions that have led to maladaptive coping behaviors. If you are either feeling exhausted from the shame towards your body and want freedom from disordered eating, or are longing to strengthen your relationship and communication with a loved one, I would love to create that space for you!

Victoria Kapper
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, LCSW
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Victoria specializes in treating anxiety, depression, behavior problems, trauma and
eating disorders
.
Victoria Kapper is a licensed psychotherapist treating children, adolescents, adults and families across California. In addition, she is affiliated with the La Jolla Therapy Center. Victoria whole-heartedly believes that the most significant indicator of successful therapy is the therapeutic relationship. Her approach is engaged, compassionate, strength-based and solution-focused. Victoria strives to create an open, respectful and safe environment where clients can address sensitive matters and experience growth, insight and change.

Monica Nunez
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
My name is Monica Nunez, and I'm a licensed clinical social worker. I work with individuals, couples, and families and focus topics like Parenting issues, Codependency, Domestic Violence,
Eating Disorders
, and Anger management issues, as well as mood swings, substance use, suicide, homicide, psychosis, eating issues, couple issues, depression, employment issues, relationship issues, and family issues. I employ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Problem Solving Therapy, Psychoeducation, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy modalities.

Ashley Cooley
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
Ashley’s speciality in sex therapy and
eating disorders
offers unique clinical expertise around anxiety, depression, sex-related issues, trauma, boundaires, communicaiton, body image, gender identity, LBGTQ+, and self-esteem. Ashley’s style is tailored to each patient but emphasizes working from a trauma-informed and humanistic approach. Her goal as a therapist is to encourage patients to use their own unique strengths and resources to help develop the skills to accomplish their goals.

Liana Abascal
Psychologist, PhD, MPH, dipACLM
Verified
Verified
We focus on health psychology, diabetes, chronic disease,
eating disorders
, lifestyle medicine, anxiety, depression, and wellness.
Is your life not where you want it to be? Change is hard. While doing things differently can feel uncomfortable at first, it is possible to do, and becomes more comfortable with time. Change often applies to the behaviors we engage in, or the thoughts that we have. Change can also apply to our relationship with our thoughts, and it is powerful to become less tied to the random thoughts that appear in our head. Let us help you with this! We are passionate about helping people get unstuck and move forward in their lives. Our approach is collaborative and non-judgmental, and includes warmth, compassion and humor.

Danny A Meadows
Marriage & Family Therapist, PhD, LMFT
Verified
Verified
If you are struggling to find your authentic voice to speak with clarity and you are struggling with finding your path in life due to depression, anxiety,
eating disorders
, sex addiction and you are ready to take responsibility for your life, therapy can help.
I believe that each person has a unique purpose. Life presents with situations where depression, addiction, anxiety, eating too much, eating too little, low self-esteem, and no self-identity can distract a person from finding this unique purpose. I like to explore a variety of issues that keep you from experiencing your purpose in life and help you find your meaning and make sense of that meaning.

AMALY
Pre-Licensed Professional, MS, APCC
Verified
Verified
Our clinicians have experience working with various issues including relationship/marriage conflicts,
eating disorders
, transgenerational trauma, racial trauma, adults with severe mental illness, substance use, homelessness, familial conflicts, being a first generation college student, religious and cultural barriers, etc.
We are currently accepting clients! AMALY is a virtual mental health organization that serves individuals and couples across California. We specialize in providing services to BIPOC clients.

Molly Paris
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, AMFT
Verified
Verified
I specialize in treating those with
eating disorders
, poor body image, and self-esteem issues.
Sharing our inner experiences with someone can often feel frightening, which is exactly why I place such an importance on connection and acceptance in the therapeutic process. I aim to create a safe environment that will invite my clients to delve deeper into their personal narrative, as I truly believe we are not built to process emotions alone. As humans, we all have a propensity to grow and become our true selves, unfortunately we aren’t always gifted with the circumstances to allow it. I am passionate about creating a space for not only self-discovery and self acceptance, but to allow clients to feel seen, heard, and valued.

Jessica Ulmer
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I completed my doctoral degree in clinical psychology (PsyD) at La Salle University in Philadelphia and am licensed in CA and WA. I have worked with children, teens, & adults with emotional & behavioral dysregulation, relationship issues, suicidal thinking, substance abuse issues, & difficulty with life transitions. I’m trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness acceptance-based approaches. Specializing further, using Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Exposure for treating trauma. I have expertise in treating
Eating Disorders
, Body image issues, Trauma, Suicidal behaviors, & Borderline Personality disorder.
See more therapy options for
Eating Disorders Therapists
What happens in therapy for eating disorders?
In therapy for eating disorders, patients typically describe their eating and exercise behaviors, their patterns of eating in relation to stress, their beliefs about their body, the ways their eating behavior affects their relationships, and their desire (or lack of it) to change. Such information helps the therapist understand the origins of the disorder and the role it plays in the patient’s life, important for guiding treatment. Attitudes and feelings about food and eating, body weight, and physical appearance are common topics of discussion throughout treatment.
What therapy types help with eating disorders?
Once any acute medical or psychiatric emergency is resolved, psychoactive medication is often prescribed, requiring the supervision of a psychiatrist. In addition, patients receive some form of nutritional counseling along with one or more forms of psychotherapy. For adolescents, family-based treatment is empirically validated and considered the first line of treatment; parents and their children meet weekly with a clinician as the adults are coached on how to nourish and psychologically support the young patient. Adults typically receive some form of individual psychotherapy, intended to resolve the cognitive and behavioral disturbances that underlie the disorder and to relieve the mood disturbances that accompany it. In addition, patients may also be helped by group therapy.
What is the goal of therapy for eating disorders?
The most immediate goal of treatment for eating disorders is to save the life of people who are on a path of starving themselves to death or engaging in eating patterns that are doing irreparable physical harm to their body. Once the acute medical danger is past, therapy is required to understand the nature of the disordered eating and/or exercise patterns, establish healthy eating behavior, and to tackle the many erroneous beliefs and distorted self-perceptions that underlie eating disorders and continue to pose a threat to health and life. Therapy also addresses the impaired mood that not only accompanies eating disorders but intensifies the danger to health and life.
What are the limitations of therapy for eating disorders?
Therapy can be very helpful for eating disorders—but that can happen only after people recognize they have a condition that must be treated. Especially with anorexia, the distortions in self-image that accompany the disorder can keep people from acknowledging they have a problem. Individuals may in fact see their eating disorder as a badge of self-control. Those with binge-eating disorder may feel too ashamed to seek help. Therapy cannot help those who do not avail themselves of it.
How long does therapy last for eating disorders?
Because of their complexity, recovery from eating disorders is usually a long-term process—measured in months and years— often marked by setbacks and relapse. Some form of help, such as individual or group therapy, may be advisable for much of that time. It is a general rule of thumb that the longer the illness has endured and the dysregulated eating behavior has taken root, the longer treatment is likely to be needed.