Eating Disorders

What Are Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions characterized by persistent disturbances in eating behavior, thoughts about food, and feelings about body weight or shape. They are not lifestyle choices or phases — they are complex, often dangerous conditions that affect physical health, emotional well-being, and daily functioning. With the right support, eating disorders are treatable, and recovery is possible.

Types of Eating Disorders

We provide support for a range of eating disorders, including:

• Anorexia Nervosa: Restriction of food intake driven by an intense fear of weight gain and a distorted body image
• Bulimia Nervosa: Cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as purging, excessive exercise, or fasting
• Binge Eating Disorder (BED): Recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food in a short period, often accompanied by shame, guilt, and loss of control
• Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): Extreme food avoidance or restriction not driven by body image concerns, often seen in children and adolescents
• Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED): Presentations that cause significant distress but do not meet full criteria for the above diagnoses

Common Signs of Eating Disorders

Signs vary depending on the type of eating disorder but may include:

• Preoccupation with food, calories, weight, or body image
• Significant changes in eating habits or food rituals
• Eating in secret or avoiding meals with others
• Frequent trips to the bathroom after meals
• Noticeable weight changes or fluctuations
• Fatigue, dizziness, or physical health complaints related to eating
• Withdrawal from social activities, especially those involving food
• Intense distress, guilt, or shame around eating
• Excessive or compulsive exercise

How Eating Disorders Can Affect Daily Life

Eating disorders touch every area of a person’s life. They can interfere with concentration and academic or professional performance, damage relationships, lead to serious medical complications, and erode a person’s sense of identity and self-worth. For young people especially, eating disorders can disrupt critical developmental milestones. The longer an eating disorder goes untreated, the more entrenched it tends to become which is why early intervention matters.

When to Seek Therapy for an Eating Disorder

Reach out if you or someone you care about is:

• Showing signs of restrictive eating, bingeing, or purging that are persistent or worsening
• Expressing intense distress about food, weight, or body image
• Avoiding social situations because of food-related anxiety
• Experiencing physical health consequences related to eating behavior
• Struggling with a negative relationship with food that is affecting quality of life
• A parent concerned about a child or teen’s eating habits or body image

You do not need to be at a medical crisis point to seek help. In fact, earlier intervention leads to significantly better outcomes.

How Therapy Can Help with Eating Disorders

Therapy addresses both the behaviors and the underlying emotional drivers of eating disorders — including anxiety, trauma, perfectionism, low self-esteem, and difficult family dynamics. With the right support, clients can develop a healthier relationship with food and their bodies, build emotional regulation skills, reduce shame, and work toward sustainable recovery.

Our Approach to Eating Disorder Therapy

At Dr. Inzinna Psychological Services, we take an integrative, compassionate approach to eating disorder treatment. We do not use a one-size-fits-all model. Treatment is tailored to each individual and may draw from:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Addresses the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that maintain disordered eating
• Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: Explores the deeper emotional roots of the disorder, including identity, relationships, and self-worth
• DBT: Builds skills in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness — particularly helpful for binge eating and bulimia
• Family-Based Treatment (FBT): Evidence-based approach for children and adolescents that involves parents as active partners in recovery
• Trauma-Informed Care: When eating disorders are connected to trauma or adverse experiences, we address both simultaneously

Eating Disorder Therapy for Children, Teens, and Adults

Eating Disorder Therapy for Children

• Eating disorders in children often present differently than in adults and can be easy to miss or misattribute to picky eating or growth patterns. We work with children and their families to identify what is driving food avoidance or restriction, address underlying anxiety or sensory concerns, and support healthy development without shame or pressure. Parents are active participants in treatment.

Eating Disorder Therapy for Teens

• Adolescence is one of the highest-risk periods for the onset of eating disorders. Social media, peer pressure, athletic demands, and the identity challenges of adolescence can all contribute. We provide a nonjudgmental space for teens to explore what is driving their relationship with food while building the skills and self-awareness to support lasting recovery.

Eating Disorder Therapy for Adults

• Adults with eating disorders often carry years of shame and may have sought help before without finding the right fit. We meet adults where they are — without judgment — and work at a pace that feels safe and sustainable. Treatment addresses not only eating behavior but the broader emotional and relational patterns that have kept the disorder in place.

Eating Disorders and Related Concerns:

Eating disorders frequently co-occur with or are connected to:

• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Trauma and PTSD
• OCD
• ADHD
• Body dysmorphic disorder
• Substance use
• Perfectionism and low self-esteem
• Difficult family dynamics or relationship patterns

What to Expect in Eating Disorder Therapy

Your first session is a space to share your experience and begin building a relationship with your therapist — there is no pressure to have everything figured out. Your therapist will take time to understand your history, your relationship with food and your body, and what you are hoping to get out of treatment. From there, sessions are collaborative, personalized, and paced to feel manageable. Progress in eating disorder recovery is not always linear, but with consistent support, meaningful change is possible.

Is Eating Disorder Therapy Right for You?

If food, eating, or body image is taking up significant mental space, causing distress, or affecting your daily life — therapy can help. You do not need to have a formal diagnosis or be at a crisis point to benefit from support. Many people find that therapy helps them understand patterns they have carried for years and finally begin to shift them.

Why Choose Inzinna Therapy Group?

We are a clinician-owned, insurance-accepting practice on the Upper East Side of Manhattan committed to making high-quality mental health care accessible. Our team brings clinical expertise across a range of evidence-based modalities, ongoing supervision and training, and a genuine commitment to meeting each client with warmth and without judgment. We accept United Healthcare, Aetna, Oscar, and Oxford, 

Schedule Eating Disorder Therapy in New York City

We offer in-person sessions at our Upper East Side office and secure telehealth throughout New York State. Contact us at [email protected]