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Now Accepting All Major Connecticut Insurance Affordable, accessible, effective nutrition care—covered by your health plan. No referrals needed* (some plan exceptions apply).
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Eating Disorders

Why It Matters

Eating disorders have the second-highest mortality rate of any mental health condition, yet many individuals struggle to access timely, appropriate care.

An estimated 9% of people in the U.S. will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime in their lifetime

Delays in care for individuals with eating disorders often occur because symptoms are minimized, misunderstood, or hidden

Early, appropriate intervention at the right level of care significantly improves outcomes

Outpatient nutrition counseling can be effective when medical and psychological safety are established

Could This Be You?

Avoid certain foods or situations because they feel unsafe

Experience binge eating, emotional eating, or loss of control around food

Try to “make up” for eating through exercise, purging, laxatives, or restriction

Obsess about food, body, weight, calories, or how to control eating

Are medically stable and appropriate for outpatient care but need consistent accountability, structure, and guidance

Have completed higher-level care and are looking for step-down outpatient nutrition support

Safe & Evidence-Based Eating Disorder Care

We provide outpatient nutrition counseling, which is the lowest level of care for eating disorders.

  • Use formal initial and ongoing assessments to evaluate:
    • Symptom severity
    • Nutritional status
    • Eating disorder behaviors
  • Continuously reassess whether outpatient nutrition counseling remains appropriate
  • Recommend escalation of care when needed, including:
    • Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)
    • Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP)
    • Residential or inpatient treatment

How We Help

Comprehensive Clinical Assessment

Use formal intake and ongoing assessments to evaluate eating disorder behaviors, nutritional status, symptom severity, and risk factors to ensure outpatient care remains appropriate and safe.

Consistent, Adequate Nourishment

Support the establishment of regular meals and snacks to restore energy availability, stabilize physiology, and reduce the physical and psychological effects of restriction.

Reduction of Food Rules & Rigidity

Identify and gently challenge rigid food rules, fear foods, and avoidance patterns using structured, trauma-informed nutrition strategies that prioritize safety and collaboration.

Interoceptive Awareness & Body Cues

Support reconnection with hunger, fullness, energy, and satiety cues over time, recognizing that these signals may be blunted or unreliable early in recovery.

Structured Meal Support

Create individualized meal structure that supports nutritional adequacy while reducing decision fatigue, anxiety, and all-or-nothing thinking around food.

GI Symptom & Gut Support

Address common gastrointestinal symptoms during restriction and refeeding, including bloating, constipation, nausea, and early fullness, without reinforcing avoidance or restriction.

Psychoeducation Without Overwhelm

Provide clear, paced nutrition education around metabolism, energy needs, and the effects of restriction to support understanding without reinforcing food fixation.

Exposure & Flexibility Building

Support gradual, planned reintroduction of avoided foods and eating situations within a person’s window of tolerance to build confidence and reduce fear over time.

Coordination of Care

Collaborate with therapists, medical providers, and higher levels of care as needed to ensure alignment, safety, and continuity of treatment.

Ongoing Level-of-Care Monitoring

Continuously reassess symptoms and risk to determine whether outpatient nutrition counseling remains appropriate and recommend escalation of care when necessary.

What We Will NOT Do

Treat eating disorders without appropriate medical or psychological support

Ignore red flags or delay escalation of care

Promote weight-centric or appearance-focused goals for individuals with active eating disorders

Encourage restrictive diets or meal plans that worsen eating disorder symptoms

Continue outpatient care when it is no longer clinically appropriate

Eating Disorders We Support

  • Anorexia Nervosa

  • Anorexia Nervosa

    Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder characterized by persistent restriction of intake, intense fear of weight gain, and distorted body image. It can impact physical health, mental health, and daily functioning.

    How We Help

    • Collaborative meal planning to support adequate nourishment
    • Gradual food exposures that support a varied and enjoyable diet
    • Use nutrition education to enhance food and body trust

  • Bulimia Nervosa (BN)

  • Bulimia Nervosa (BN)

    Bulimia nervosa involves cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as purging, fasting, or excessive exercise. These patterns can disrupt digestion, metabolism, and emotional well-being.

    How We Help

    • Identify binge-purge patterns and underlying nutrition gaps
    • Establish regular eating to reduce physical triggers for bingeing
    • Support body trust and reduce shame around eating behaviors

  • Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

  • Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

    Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food with a sense of loss of control, often followed by distress, guilt, or shame, without compensatory behaviors.

    How We Help

    • Normalize eating patterns to reduce binge triggers
    • Address restriction and diet cycling that fuel binge episodes
    • Support hunger and fullness awareness over time
    • Reduce food guilt and all-or-nothing thinking
    • Provide structure without dieting or calorie tracking
    • Explore emotional, environmental, and physiological drivers of bingeing

  • Avoidant and Restrictive
    Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

  • Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

    ARFID involves limited food intake driven by sensory sensitivities, fear of adverse consequences, or lack of interest in eating, rather than weight or shape concerns. It can impact growth, nutrition status, and daily life.

    How We Help

    • Assess nutritional adequacy and medical stability
    • Support gradual food exposures using food chaining
    • Use motivational interviewing, CBT and other counseling modalities to reduce fear, avoidance, and anxiety around eating

  • Unspecified Feeding or
    Eating Disorder (UFED)

  • Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder (UFED)

    UFED is used when eating disorder symptoms cause significant distress or impairment but do not fit neatly into one diagnostic category. These experiences are valid and deserving of care.

    How We Help

    • Clarify eating patterns, behaviors, and nutritional risks and refer to other providers as necessary
    • Address restrictive, bingeing, or compensatory behaviors
    • Establish consistent nourishment and reduce food-related distress
    • Provide individualized, non-diet nutrition support by introducing intuitive eating principles

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder characterized by persistent restriction of intake, intense fear of weight gain, and distorted body image. It can impact physical health, mental health, and daily functioning.

How We Help

  • Collaborative meal planning to support adequate nourishment
  • Gradual food exposures that support a varied and enjoyable diet
  • Use nutrition education to enhance food and body trust

Bulimia Nervosa (BN)

Bulimia nervosa involves cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as purging, fasting, or excessive exercise. These patterns can disrupt digestion, metabolism, and emotional well-being.

How We Help

  • Identify binge-purge patterns and underlying nutrition gaps
  • Establish regular eating to reduce physical triggers for bingeing
  • Support body trust and reduce shame around eating behaviors

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food with a sense of loss of control, often followed by distress, guilt, or shame, without compensatory behaviors.

How We Help

  • Normalize eating patterns to reduce binge triggers
  • Address restriction and diet cycling that fuel binge episodes
  • Support hunger and fullness awareness over time
  • Reduce food guilt and all-or-nothing thinking
  • Provide structure without dieting or calorie tracking
  • Explore emotional, environmental, and physiological drivers of bingeing

Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

ARFID involves limited food intake driven by sensory sensitivities, fear of adverse consequences, or lack of interest in eating, rather than weight or shape concerns. It can impact growth, nutrition status, and daily life.

How We Help

  • Assess nutritional adequacy and medical stability
  • Support gradual food exposures using food chaining
  • Use motivational interviewing, CBT and other counseling modalities to reduce fear, avoidance, and anxiety around eating

Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder (UFED)

UFED is used when eating disorder symptoms cause significant distress or impairment but do not fit neatly into one diagnostic category. These experiences are valid and deserving of care.

How We Help

  • Clarify eating patterns, behaviors, and nutritional risks and refer to other providers as necessary
  • Address restrictive, bingeing, or compensatory behaviors
  • Establish consistent nourishment and reduce food-related distress
  • Provide individualized, non-diet nutrition support by introducing intuitive eating principles

Session Topics & Timeline

Take a full eating disorder–informed clinical history to understand medical, nutritional, and psychological context.

  • Build trust and establish a safe, nonjudgmental foundation
  • Complete a formal Eating Disorder Level of Care Risk Assessment to ensure outpatient care is appropriate
  • Review medical history, weight trajectory, eating patterns, and supports
  • Assess readiness for change and treatment goals
  • Set expectations for a gradual, collaborative recovery process
  • Discuss need for therapy, medical monitoring, or additional care coordination if indicated

Deepen understanding while beginning gentle, supportive nutrition work.

  • Ongoing high-risk behavior assessments to confirm appropriate level of care
  • Explore how the eating disorder functions as a coping strategy (without reinforcing it)
  • Introduce basic nutrition education tailored to readiness and tolerance
  • Establish a minimum, consistent intake structure (meals/snacks, timing, support)
  • Begin addressing food fears, beliefs, and rigidity at a manageable pace

Support consistent nourishment and begin actively reducing restriction.

  • Continue safety and behavior monitoring
  • Collaboratively build or refine a structured meal plan appropriate for outpatient care
  • Identify nutrition gaps and gradually increase adequacy
  • Practice flexibility with food choices and gentle exposure to avoided foods
  • Introduce tools to manage meal-time anxiety and ED thoughts

Shift focus toward the cognitive and emotional drivers of disordered eating.

  • Address rigid food rules, fear foods, and diet culture beliefs
  • Learn skills to challenge distorted thoughts around food and body
  • Begin structured body image work
  • Introduce non-punitive, mindful movement when medically and psychologically appropriate

Practice eating in everyday settings with greater confidence.

  • Navigate eating at school, work, social events, and with family
  • Plan and debrief food exposures
  • Role-play ordering, grocery shopping, meal prep, and travel
  • Problem-solve barriers to consistency

Build long-term recovery skills and self-trust.

  • Identify early warning signs of restriction returning
  • Learn relapse prevention strategies
  • Expand hunger, fullness, and body awareness
  • Reduce food noise and increase flexibility through Intuitive Eating
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