Eating Disorders Therapists in San Francisco, CA
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Mariana Prutton
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I specialize in working with
eating disorders
/disordered eating, negative body image, excessive exercise, and digestive issues (e.g., IBS) and all of the stress, anxiety, and depression that might come from those. I imagine you’re searching for a therapist because you want to stop obsessing about food and your body. Are you tired of feeling bad about how you look? Do you want to enjoy food more?

Chelsea Owens
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT, ATR-BC, MA
Verified
Verified
I know how important relationships are, and how little we are taught about how to do them! I work with women who are feeling disconnected from themselves. Women who are struggling with body image issues,
eating disorders
, trauma, boundaries and relationship issues. I'm here to help facilitate a relationship between you and all parts of you. I believe there is creativity, reflection and expression inside of everyone and it can be easier to communicate without words. I bring warmth and energy to the room and levity to situations that can sometimes feel overwhelming and heavy.
Not accepting new clients

Ifeyinwa A Nzerem
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, MSW
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I specialize in
Eating Disorders
(primarily with Binge Eating Disorder and Obesity) to a culturally diverse population. I provide treatment for health & wellness lifestyle issues, family vs. blended family crises, anxiety & depression, binge eating, substance abuse/dependencies, employment challenges and loss & bereavement. I also provide community referrals and resources that will assist and support client's daily challenges and obstacles. I enjoy working with others and I am experience in treating families from all ethnic backgrounds with disadvantage, traumatic, and abusive histories.
Waitlist for new clients

Julia Westney
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT, ED S
Verified
Verified
I have been treating and empowering people of all ages - from 5 to 72- with
eating disorders
for almost 20 years, and am passionate about people recovering. My clients recover not only from their eating problems, they get their whole life out of the work we do together, and begin to deal with every area of their lives with courage and tools. You will know yourself to be someone you trust to make choices based on what matters to you. I am absolutely certain that if you have an eating disorder, you can overcome it.
Not accepting new clients

Laura Hauben
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
Verified
Eating disorders
occur when the path towards healthy development goes awry.
Major life events, both positive and negative, can require emotional adjustments that take us by surprise. Even desired life changes like parenthood, marriage, and graduation can lead to unexpected feelings. Current research on attachment confirms that humans are more resilient in the face of major life change and trauma when they feel understood and supported by another. I use psychotherapy and EMDR in my practice. In therapy I am direct, but I provide the empathy and compassion that we all need. My patients feel seen by me and in turn, seek out other fortifying relationships.

Katie Hamlin
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
Verified
I specialize in treating
eating disorders
, anxiety disorders and perfectionism.
I work with individuals looking to fundamentally change the way they relate to themselves, to break free from the burden of impossible standards and feelings of inadequacy. Often this involves investigation into the ways we relate to ourselves and to the ways we can punish or sabotage ourselves. Working together, we can find new ways to cope that allow you to live a more vital and authentic life, less encumbered by anxiety and stress. I believe that this kind of work represents no less than liberation from the doubts and fears that stop you from living your own best life.

Anna Clark
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I specialize in working with
eating disorders
/disordered eating, negative body image, low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety.
I believe the most difficult thing is often accepting all of ourselves and our experiences. When we reject ourselves, this can lead to feelings of not being good enough, feeling inadequate, comparing ourselves to others and coming up short, feeling anxious, depressed, and ashamed of oneself. These feelings can lead someone to become a perfectionist, an overachiever, attempt to make their body into the ideal shape/weight, or escape painful feelings through alcohol, drugs, food, or other means.

Sarah Calloway
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
Areas of experience: grief and loss, trauma,
eating disorders
, addiction, depression and anxiety.
People begin therapy for many reasons: support through grief and loss, divorce, gender and sexuality concerns, relationship conflict, crisis, addiction, deepening self-awareness. Whatever your reason for seeking help I will greet you with warmth, genuine interest and a commitment to working collaboratively throughout the process. I am a strengths-based and psychodynamic psychotherapist. My style is interactive, authentic and warm. I also incorporate DBT and CBT when evidence-based practices are needed. The methods I use in treatment vary in response to my clients' different concerns and needs.

Jessica Claire Lief
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, MSW
Verified
Verified
Eating disorders
, addictions, trauma, body image, maternal grief, motherless daughters, OCD, DBT, Seeking Safety, Mindfulness, Mindful Self-Compassion, The Body Positive, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Identity Work, Prenatal and Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, and Psychosis, Miscarriage, Endometriosis, PCOS.
My name is Jessica Lief. I have been practicing social work and working as a psychotherapist since 2014. I support individuals who are recovering from
eating disorders
, body image issues, substance use issues, trauma, self harm, prenatal and postpartum issues, miscarriage and fertility issues. I work with adults of all ages. My style has been described as nurturing, empathic, and empowering. I am direct and authentic; I will never blame you for your suffering. My approach is primarily psychodynamic but combines aspects of self-psychology, mindful self-compassion, dialectical behavior therapy, Seeking Safety, and mindfulness.

Trudy McMahon
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, AMFT
Verified
Verified
Eating disorders
, drug and alcohol issues, and challenges of early recovery, depression, anxiety, chronic issues such as migraine, skin conditions, MS, highly sensitive people.
I Work with individuals and couples mainly. My background is in substance misuse counseling. I also see a large proportion of clients struggling with body image concerns and disordered eating. I work in a relational way, that invites the client into the therapeutic process, setting goals, assigning homework if appropriate, coming up with ways to better resource in times of stress/ emotional overwhelm. I enjoy working with people who view themselves as sensitive beings, intuitives /empaths. I am somatically trained, which means I invite the body into the therapy, offering interventions such as grounding exercises/ aromatherapy.

Tandra Froehlich Childress
Art Therapist, MA, ATR, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I create a safe holding space where people can deeply explore what is blocking them from enjoying their lives to the fullest. I focus on authentic connection and empathy to build trusting therapeudic relationships. I enjoy working with teens, young adults, and adults. If you are struggling to recover from DID, complex trauma, single traumas, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety,
eating disorders
, or bipolar disorder, I am here to help.

Daniela Carollo
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
Verified
I specialize in treating
eating disorders
, body image concerns, trauma, depression, and anxiety.
I believe therapy works best when you feel a deepening in self-awareness and inner-strength. When this happens it often coincides with feeling connected and understood by me. This is the main pathway to meaningful and lasting changes. My approach is psychodynamic and my style is direct, collaborative, and playful. Difficult and challenging behaviors often result in feeling stagnated and trapped in an endless cycle. By unpacking the underlying dynamics that are driving these struggles, you will feel more freedom to reach your goals.

Helen Elizabeth Shamis
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT, LPCC
Verified
Verified
My treatment specialties include individuals with
eating disorders
and those experiencing grief and loss.
My treatment approach is best described as strength-based. I believe that we come to even our most challenging moments, with the best of intentions. When a client chooses me as their therapist, they provide themselves with a dedicated, judgment-free professional who believes in their ability to guide their own journey. If you are at your most vulnerable or in the darkest of places, there is always hope. Both short-term and long-term therapy is available.

Tessa Gordon
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT, RYT
Verified
6 Endorsed
Verified
6 Endorsed
Eating disorders
can feel hopeless, but they aren’t. Whether this is your first time seeking help, or your umpteenth time, I believe everyone can recover. Just as there are many reasons why an eating disorder manifests in your life, the way you recover will be just as unique. If there was a one size fits all solution, that would perhaps be as deceptive as the problem itself. Whether it’s perfectionism, judgment, loneliness, self-improvement, health, fear, family issues… Together we will discover what invites these problems into your life and begin to find what recovery means for you.

Deborah Brenner-Liss
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
I work with
eating disorders
, trauma, and other issues of self-regulation.
I most enjoy working with people who are highly motivated to work on themselves, and who are psychologically-minded enough to look at themselves. I am best suited for people who wish to do deep character change work. (I tend to work long-term rather than short-term.) I do also offer supervision and consultation to younger clinicians who wish to deepen their experience and competence in working with
eating disorders
, trauma, and areas of personal growth.

Leora Fulvio
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, MFT, CCHT
Verified
5 Endorsed
Verified
5 Endorsed
I have been helping women heal from binge eating and
bulimia
since 2005.
If you are suffering with food & body image issues, issues of self-esteem & self-worth, relationship issues or dealing with trauma, I can help you. There are so many women who feel as though they are not enough. They believe that they somehow have to be better, look different, lose weight, be a whole different person to have a good relationship and a happy life. They beat themselves up constantly and are always trying to change. Do you understand this feeling? If so, I can help you have a loving relationship with yourself and settle into who you really are.

Kathleen Louise Someah
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
Verified
I am especially passionate about treating
eating disorders
. I see clients of varying age groups with a particular focus on adolescents, transitional age youth and young adults. Changing one's behaviors and psychological states is a process and I aim to meet clients where they are at in terms of their readiness for change. In addition to specific graduate training and many years working at Stanford Health's inpatient eating disorder unit, I also have lived experience dealing with disordered eating, and find that my own recovery journey benefits clients and serves as a reminder that recovery is attainable.

Emily Wong
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA
Verified
Verified
I also specialize in working with teenagers and young adults with
eating disorders
.
I believe that therapy is a collaborative process. I take a compassionate approach to helping people identify their strengths, but I also keep it real and authentically reflect what I am seeing.

Alissa DiFranco
Marriage & Family Therapist, MFT, CFRC
Verified
Verified
I work with people who are struggling with a wide range of concerns which may include:
relationship problems,
anxiety,
depression,
trauma/PTSD,
eating disorders
,
low self esteem,
body image and
identity issues.
My style of working is thoughtful and direct. I am committed to helping people discover and enhance their emotional capacity in order to create more satisfying lives. Through the transformative experience of being deeply understood by another in an authentic, safe and honest relationship, people can develop increased compassion (for self and other), experience a more stable sense of self-esteem, discover new ways of relating, experience increased tolerance for difficult emotions, and transform destructive patterns into more satisfying expressions of self.

Olga Rocklin Psychotherapy
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
This includes:
eating disorders
, disordered eating.
Choosing to see a therapist is a courageous act; I applaud you for taking this step. Therapy works best when we collaborate. I believe that in working together in an authentic and curious way, we can figure out effective ways to meet your current challenges in a supportive environment. Learning to use wholesome coping skills is a central part of the work we'll do together.
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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.