Eating Disorder Therapist Near You

Last Updated: August 20, 2026 · Medically reviewed by Dr. Eunice Kim, PhD

If food, eating, or thoughts about food have become a source of distress, you may not know where to turn. At the Center for Mental Wellness, eating disorder therapist Dr. Eunice Kim, PhD, provides eating disorder therapy focused on the thoughts, emotions, and patterns connected to these concerns.

Treatment may include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a structured approach that helps you identify and change thought and behavior patterns. It may also include Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which teaches practical skills for managing difficult emotions.

The Center for Mental Wellness provides eating disorder therapy in San Diego and serves nearby communities, including Solana Beach, Encinitas, Rancho Penasquitos, Poway, and La Jolla. If you are unsure where to start, you can schedule a free phone consultation to discuss your concerns and available services.

Has Disordered Eating Taken Over Your Life?

Are thoughts about food and eating taking up more of your attention than you want? You may feel anxious, distressed, or ashamed about your relationship with food. You may also feel unsure how to change these patterns on your own.

You may find yourself worrying about losing control around food. These concerns can affect your mood, relationships, work, or other parts of daily life.

If you experience binge eating, you may feel distressed by patterns that seem difficult to control. You can learn more about binge eating disorder symptoms if you want to better understand what you are experiencing. You may also experience cycles of bingeing followed by attempts to compensate. These patterns can be connected to difficult emotions or periods of trying to tightly control your eating.

You do not have to explain everything perfectly before seeking eating disorder counseling. Therapy can give you a place to talk through what you are experiencing and understand the patterns that may be contributing to your distress.

You May Be Experiencing Physical Fallout

Disordered eating can affect your physical well-being. You may notice changes in your energy, sleep, digestion, or hunger and fullness cues. These physical changes can be difficult to understand alongside the distress you may already feel about food and eating.

In addition to the physical effects, your relationship with your body can also affect how you feel about yourself. You may experience shame, sadness, or frustration that affects your confidence and your relationships with other people. That distress may also lead you to withdraw or spend more time thinking about food and eating.

Eating disorder therapy can help you better understand the thoughts, emotions, and patterns connected to your relationship with food. At the Center for Mental Wellness, treatment may include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). These approaches can address the emotional and behavioral patterns that may contribute to your distress.

Eating Disorders We Treat

The Center for Mental Wellness provides eating disorder therapy for concerns including:

• Bulimia nervosa (BN): Therapy focuses on understanding cycles of bingeing followed by attempts to compensate, along with the thoughts and emotions connected to these patterns.
• Binge eating disorder (BED): Therapy focuses on understanding patterns of feeling out of control around food and the emotions connected to them.
• Anorexia nervosa (AN): Therapy focuses on understanding the thoughts, fears, and emotions connected to eating and body-related distress.
• Other disordered eating patterns: You do not need to fit neatly into a specific diagnosis to discuss concerns about food and eating. If these concerns cause you distress, you can discuss them with a therapist.

Outpatient therapy may not be appropriate for every situation. If your needs require a higher level of care, your therapist can discuss this with you and help you identify an appropriate next step.

At Their Worst, Eating Disorders Can Be Life-Threatening

Eating disorders are more common than many people realize. A 2020 report from Deloitte Access Economics, prepared for the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders and the Academy for Eating Disorders, estimated that 9% of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, will have an eating disorder during their lifetime.

Eating disorders can also become life-threatening. A 2011 meta-analysis of 36 studies found significantly elevated mortality rates among people with eating disorders. The highest mortality rates in the analysis occurred among people with anorexia nervosa.

The research also found elevated mortality rates among people with bulimia nervosa and other eating disorders included in the analysis.

Is Outpatient Therapy Right for You?

Outpatient therapy gives you a safe setting to talk about your relationship with food, difficult emotions, and patterns that are causing distress. You can receive therapy while continuing with your usual daily responsibilities and living in your community.

Outpatient therapy is not the right level of care for every situation. If you need more support than outpatient treatment can provide, a higher level of care may be more appropriate. Your therapist can discuss your concerns with you and determine whether outpatient therapy is an appropriate setting for your needs.

If a higher level of care is needed, your therapist can discuss referral options with you and help you understand the next steps. The right level of support depends on your individual needs and clinical circumstances.

If you are in crisis or need immediate support, the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline is available at 866-662-1235.

Our Image-Obsessed Culture Only Exacerbates The Problem

Living in a society that assigns such a high value to how we look often contributes to eating disorders. Not only are the images that we are exposed to unrealistic, but so are the notions that with the right exercise routine or diet we can have the perfect body. In reaction to these influences, we often set unattainable weight goals for ourselves. When we fall short, our relationship with food and our bodies suffers.

We may avoid therapy for our eating disorder due to shame over the thoughts and behaviors we’re experiencing. Although it’s extremely difficult for us to control our urges to restrict our diet or binge, we are embarrassed to share our struggles with others. We wish we could figure out how to spend less time thinking about food and calories but don’t know where to start.

Fortunately, eating disorder therapy gives you a structured place to address difficult thoughts, emotions, and patterns connected to food and eating. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one approach used in eating disorder treatment. A 2014 systematic review found that CBT showed some improvements in physical and psychological outcomes for people with anorexia nervosa, although it was not consistently superior to other treatments.

Eating disorders can also occur alongside anxiety or depression. When you are experiencing more than one concern, your therapist can consider how these concerns relate to your overall treatment needs.

Eating Disorder Therapy Can Improve Your Relationship With Food And Diet

An eating disorder affects you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Trying to address its deep-seated effects without professional help can be difficult, if not impossible. Working with a therapist who is trained in the treatment of eating disorders and food addiction offers you tangible tools that can help you alter your negative thoughts and behaviors related to food and weight and stop the cycle of shame.

Therapy provides you with a safe space to talk about disordered eating patterns and behaviors that cause you distress and impact how you function. Working with a therapist allows you to talk about the discomfort you experience when you don’t feel “in control” and helps you understand the circumstances that trigger you. We aim to improve your relationship with food so that you are no longer consumed with worry which will allow your behaviors to change.

What To Expect In Eating Disorder Treatment Sessions

We will explore your beliefs and behaviors related to food and differentiate between those that are helpful and those that are not. By examining the emotions and fears that underlie your disordered eating patterns, you will better understand what drives you to restrict your diet, binge eat, or purge. With this understanding, we can then discuss ways to manage your emotions and fears differently.

In the process of learning about eating disorders, you will also learn a lot about yourself. You will also discover the emotional needs your eating disorder is currently filling. If, for example, a need for control in your life is leading to diet restriction, your therapist will help you fulfill this need in healthier ways by providing you with different coping skills. Identifying how your eating disorder has become part of your life will be key to dismantling it.

Our Modalities: CBT and DBT for Eating Disorder Treatment

We use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to treat eating disorders, including binge eating disorder. These approaches can help you learn to manage difficult emotions without relying on patterns of disordered eating. CBT also helps you identify thought patterns and beliefs that may contribute to emotional distress and work toward more helpful thoughts and behaviors.

If you have felt burdened by the shame and distress connected to your eating disorder, you do not have to navigate those concerns alone. Eating disorder therapy can give you a structured place to address the thoughts, emotions, and patterns connected to food and eating.

If anxiety around specific foods or eating situations is also part of what you are experiencing, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) may be considered when appropriate.

Meet Your Eating Disorder Therapist

Dr. Eunice Kim, PhD, leads eating disorder treatment at the Center for Mental Wellness. She is a California-licensed psychologist, license PSY21462. Her practice includes therapy for bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, and related disordered eating concerns.

Your eating disorder therapist can help you explore the thoughts, emotions, and patterns connected to food and eating. Treatment may include evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), depending on your concerns and treatment needs.

You can read more about Dr. Kim and the Center for Mental Wellness clinicians on our About page.

Reviewed by Dr. Eunice Kim, PhD. Last updated August 20, 2026.

But You May Wonder Whether Eating Disorder Therapy Is Right For You…

I’m afraid that if I attend eating disorder counseling, I will lose control and gain too much weight.

When your life has been taken over by diet restriction, it’s a common fear that any disruption to your current habits will result in weight gain. However, the primary goal of eating disorder therapy will not be for you to gain weight. Rather, it’s to help you diminish your worries and fears related to food and weight as well as decrease behaviors that you may feel are shameful. When you learn to release these fears, eventually your attention will be less fixated on food, which opens you up to new experiences.

Eating disorder treatment hasn’t helped before and has sometimes made me feel worse—I don’t know if I should try therapy again.

Most people who come to us with a history of eating disorders and food addiction have tried therapy before with limited success. Our experience with evidence-based treatments—combined with our understanding of eating disorders—allows our clients to feel more understood and confident about the effectiveness of the strategies they will learn. Working with a therapist who specializes in eating disorders offers a new opportunity to address your problem once and for all.

What if I’m ashamed to talk about my eating disorder or food addiction to a counselor?

We understand how difficult it may be for you to describe thoughts and behaviors you may consider shameful. After all, therapy requires you to open up about things that others may have criticized, judged, or didn’t understand. However, the thoughts and behaviors you struggle with will be met first and foremost with compassion. Our goal is to guide you through eating disorder therapy at a pace you can tolerate without fear of judgment.

Frequently Asked Questions About Eating Disorder Therapy

How do I find an eating disorder therapist near me?

Look for an eating disorder therapist who specifically works with eating disorders rather than only listing general therapy experience. Ask about their experience treating concerns such as bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and anorexia nervosa. You can also ask which treatment approaches they use and whether their practice provides the type of care you are looking for.

What kind of therapy works for eating disorders?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured approach used in eating disorder treatment to address thought patterns and behaviors connected to distress. A systematic review found that CBT showed some improvements for anorexia nervosa, although it was not consistently more effective than other treatments. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is another approach used at the Center for Mental Wellness to help you manage difficult emotions and respond to distress. 

Do I need a diagnosis before starting therapy?

You do not need to arrive with a formal diagnosis to contact the Center for Mental Wellness about your concerns. If thoughts about food, eating, or your relationship with food are causing you distress, you can discuss those concerns with a therapist. Your therapist can then determine whether eating disorder therapy is an appropriate fit for your needs.

Is eating disorder therapy confidential?

What you share during therapy is generally required to be kept confidential. There are legal and safety-related exceptions to confidentiality. Your therapist can explain these limits before treatment begins so you understand what confidentiality means in therapy and when information may need to be shared.

How long does eating disorder therapy take?

There is no fixed treatment timeline for eating disorder therapy. Your therapist will consider your concerns, treatment needs, and goals when developing your treatment approach. You can discuss your progress and treatment goals during your sessions as therapy continues.

Do you offer online or in-person sessions?

Yes. The Center for Mental Wellness offers both online and in-person therapy sessions. You can discuss your preferred format and treatment needs when you contact the practice.

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Talk to an Eating Disorder Therapist in San Diego or Encinitas, CA

You Can Banish The Worry And Anxiety Related To Food

When food no longer consumes your attention, there is so much more room for the rest of your life. If you’ve been looking for eating disorder counseling near you, in San Diego, we’d love to talk. Call 858-461-9409 for a free phone consultation, or visit our contact page.