Eating Disorder Treatment & Evaluation in Austin and Surrounding Areas
Living with an eating disorder can feel like there’s a second voice in your head—part drill-sergeant, part critic—running constant numbers and rules: how much you ate, how far you walked, what you’ll “earn” or must “cancel.” Hunger and fullness stop feeling trustworthy. You might find yourself body-checking in mirrors, avoiding meals with others, bargaining with yourself, or chasing a brief hit of relief after a ritual… only for the shame and anxiety to surge back stronger. It can look like restriction, bingeing, purging, compulsive exercise—or a shifting mix of all of these—while you keep telling yourself you’re “fine.” It’s isolating, exhausting, and it can make your whole day orbit around food, your body, and fear.
What most people miss: eating disorders aren’t about vanity or willpower. They’re brain-body loops where alarm, perfectionism, and relief-seeking get tangled up with food and control. They can affect people at any size and often travel with anxiety, depression, trauma, or OCD-like patterns of doubt and checking. If you’ve noticed secretive habits, rigid food rules, sudden “health kicks” that feel more like panic than care, or a sense of being both in control and out of control—those are common signs you’re fighting more than “bad habits.” You deserve support, not self-blame.
Understanding Eating Disorders
Plain-English definition: Eating disorders are serious conditions that affect your relationship with food, weight, and body image — and they can impact physical health, emotional wellbeing, and quality of life.
Beyond stereotypes: They are not limited to teenagers or women; men, adults, and people of all backgrounds experience them. Symptoms can range from extreme restriction to episodes of overeating, often coupled with distress, shame, or secrecy.
Common examples include:
Anorexia nervosa (restricting food intake and/or exercising excessively)
Bulimia nervosa (cycles of binge eating and compensatory behaviors like vomiting or laxatives)
Binge eating disorder (frequent episodes of eating large amounts with a sense of loss of control)
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
Why they’re often missed or misunderstood: Weight alone is not an accurate indicator. Many individuals at a “normal” weight still struggle with severe eating disorders that go undetected for years.
My Diagnostic Process
Comprehensive intake — understanding eating patterns, triggers, and medical history.
Evidence-based assessments — validated screening tools for accurate diagnosis.
Differential diagnosis — ruling out underlying medical, hormonal, or psychological conditions.
Personalized plan — treatment that addresses both the eating behaviors and the root causes.
Treatment Tailored to You
Therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and other evidence-based approaches to break unhealthy cycles.
Nutritional rehabilitation: Working alongside dietitians when needed to restore a balanced relationship with food.
Medication: Targeting co-occurring anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
Lifestyle & coping strategies: Building sustainable habits for long-term recovery.
Treatment evolves as your needs change, focusing on both short-term stabilization and long-term emotional freedom.
Why My Practice is Different
Most online information about eating disorders is either oversimplified or purely academic. I believe in giving you practical, real-world tools so you:
Understand your disorder beyond labels.
Know the full range of treatment options available.
Gain insight before you even walk into your first session.
Actionable Steps You Can Take Today — Eating Disorders
1) Start with immediate safety
If you’ve fainted, feel chest pain, have a racing/irregular heartbeat, are severely weak/dehydrated, or have blood in vomit/stool: seek urgent medical care (ER/urgent care). In the U.S., you can also call/text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Make home safer right now: store scales out of sight, remove “trigger” apps/accounts, and ask a trusted person to hold laxatives/diuretics if these have been misused.
2) Stabilize fuel today (no numbers, no perfection)
The “3 × 3” structure: aim for 3 meals + 2–3 snacks spaced ~3 hours apart to steady energy and reduce binges later. Set phone alarms if helpful.
Simple plate guide (not calorie math): 1 anchor protein, 1 carbohydrate, 1 fat, plus fruit/veg if available. “Done is better than ideal.”
Emergency snack list: keep 3–4 grab-and-go options you’ll actually eat (e.g., yogurt or cottage cheese cup, trail mix, granola bar, nut butter packet + crackers, cheese + fruit).
Hydrate on a schedule: a glass with each meal/snack. Add a pinch of salt or a splash of juice if you’re lightheaded.
3) Interrupt binge–restrict and binge–purge loops
Name the loop: “Restriction earlier is driving urges now.” That reframes the problem from “I have no willpower” to “my body is asking for fuel.”
Delay → decide: when an urge spikes, set a 15-minute timer. Sit somewhere new, sip something warm, listen to one song. Urges rise and fall like waves.
Protect the bathroom window: after meals, stay out for 60 minutes. Make a “post-meal plan” (see next section).
HALT check: are you Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired? Solve the state first (eat a planned snack, text someone, lie down for 10 minutes).
4) Post-meal protection plan (60 minutes)
Body grounding: 5–4–3–2–1 senses scan, or box breathing (4-second inhale, 4 hold, 4 exhale, 4 hold) for 3–5 minutes.
Gentle, non-compensatory activity: light walk with a podcast, tidy one drawer, shower, or stretch—only if it doesn’t morph into “earning food.”
Coping card: write 3 statements you believe enough in the moment (e.g., “Fullness is a sign I nourished my body,” “Urges pass,” “I don’t have to act on thoughts.”). Keep it by the sink/bed.
5) Loosen rigid food rules (without swinging to chaos)
Pick one rule to retire this week (e.g., “no carbs at lunch,” “only eat after 6 pm”). Replace it with a neutral practice (balanced lunch; consistent breakfast).
Mini exposures: choose a “fear food” and plan it once this week, seated, plated, and paired with support (call a friend, watch a comfort show). Log how the fear curve changes.
Language reset: swap “good/bad,” “clean/dirty,” for “works for me today/doesn’t work today.”
6) Body-image first aid
Mirror limits: one intentional check daily; skip body-scanning. Cover or move mirrors that invite picking apart.
Dress for now: comfortable, non-pinching clothes that let you move and breathe. Feeling physically safe reduces symptoms.
Social feed scrub: unfollow/mute comparison-heavy accounts; follow skills-based or neutral content for 30 days.
7) Environment setups that help
Pre-plate snacks/meals instead of eating from packages—visual boundaries reduce “all-or-nothing.”
Two-zone kitchen: everyday foods visible and reachable; specialty/trigger items out of sight and pre-portioned.
Grocery template: write a 10-item core list you can reuse (proteins, carbs, fats, produce, 2 snacks, beverages). Fewer decisions = fewer spikes.
8) Digestive discomfort: what’s normal, what helps
Gentle support: warm fluids (tea, broth), unhurried eating, and sitting upright 20–30 minutes after meals.
Regularity comes from regularity: consistent meal timing + hydration are more effective than harsh “quick fixes.”
Note: if you have severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, or black/bloody stool, seek medical care.
9) Sleep and stress steady the system
Same sleep/wake all week. Screens off 60 minutes before bed; dim lights; simple wind-down (shower, stretch, paper book).
Two daily resets: 5 minutes of breathing or grounding mid-day and evening. Short and consistent beats heroic but rare.
10) Build a small support bubble
Pick two people (friend/partner/family) and tell them exactly how to help: “After meals, can we chat for 10 minutes?” or “If I text 🟡, please send one encouraging line.”
Script for hard moments: “I’m having an urge; can you stay on the phone while I set a 15-minute timer?”
11) Track what helps (not numbers that harm)
Once daily, jot Hunger/Energy/Mood (0–10) and one note: “What helped?” or “What made it harder?” Look for patterns over a week.
12) Early-warning signs & a simple plan
Yellow flags: skipping snacks, planning “make-up” workouts, increased body-checking, more isolation, worsening sleep.
Yellow plan: add one snack, ask for a post-meal check-in, lower exercise intensity/volume for 48–72 hours, prioritize sleep.
Red flags (seek care): fainting, chest pain, severe weakness, very rapid weight change, persistent vomiting, thoughts of self-harm.
Gentle note
Eating disorders are medical and psychological conditions; bodies can destabilize quickly. If symptoms escalate or you’re unsure what’s safe, get medical help promptly (local urgent care/ER). In the U.S., you can also call/text 988 for immediate support.
Eating Disorders Often Come with Company
They frequently occur alongside depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Treating an eating disorder effectively means addressing the whole person — not just food-related behaviors.
Serving Austin and Beyond
I provide eating disorder treatment for clients in:
Austin, Barton Creek, Bastrop, Bee Cave, Bertram, Blanco, Briarcliff, Brushy Creek, Buda, Burnet, Cedar Park, Circle C, Creedmoor, Dripping Springs, Elgin, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Great Hills, Hays, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Jonestown, Jollyville, Kyle, Lago Vista, Lakeway, Leander, Liberty Hill, Lockhart, Luling, Manor, Marble Falls, Martindale, Meadowlakes, Mountain City, Mustang Ridge, New Braunfels, Niederwald, Pflugerville, Point Venture, River Place, Rollingwood, Round Rock, San Marcos, Smithville, Steiner Ranch, Sunset Valley, Taylor, The Domain, The Hills, Thrall, Volente, Webberville, Weir, West Lake Hills, Wimberley, Woodcreek, Zilker, and throughout all of Texas!