Eating Disorder Therapy & Recovery Support

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that affect the mind, body, and nervous system. They are not choices, phases, or habits, and they are not defined by weight alone.

At AEDRA Therapy Services, I offer online eating disorder therapy and recovery support for children (from age 7), teenagers, families, and adults across the UK. My work is compassionate, trauma-informed, and evidence-based, supporting both behavioural change and deeper emotional healing.

Recovery is possible even if you’ve struggled for a long time.

What Is an Eating Disorder?

An eating disorder involves persistent difficulties with food, eating, body image, or control that significantly impact physical health, emotional wellbeing, and daily life.

Eating disorders often include:

Restriction, binge eating, purging, or rigid food rules
Intense fear of weight gain or distress around eating
Preoccupation with body shape, weight, or appearance
Guilt, shame, or anxiety linked to food
A sense of control (or loss of control) through eating or exercise

You do not need to be underweight to have an eating disorder. Many people delay seeking support because they don’t feel “ill enough” : a belief that is often driven by the eating disorder itself.

Types of Eating Disorders I Work With:

I provide therapy and recovery support for:

Anorexia Nervosa

Characterised by food restriction, fear of weight gain, and a strong drive for control. Starvation affects both physical health and cognitive functioning, often making recovery feel frightening even when insight is present.

Atypical Anorexia

Includes all the psychological features of anorexia without low body weight. This condition is just as serious and frequently under-recognised.

Bulimia Nervosa

Involves cycles of binge eating and compensatory behaviours such as vomiting, fasting, laxatives, or excessive exercise. Many people with bulimia appear high-functioning, which can delay support.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

Marked by recurrent binge eating without compensatory behaviours. Often linked with long histories of dieting, restriction, emotional distress, and shame.

OSFED

Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders — presentations that don’t fit neatly into one diagnosis but still cause significant distress and impairment.

RUMINATION and CHSP (chewing and spitting)

Rumination syndrome is an eating disorder that causes you to repeatedly regurgitate your food after eating. You may rechew it or spit it out.

Chewing and spitting behaviour is a pattern of disordered eating that occurs when someone chews food but spits it out instead of swallowing it.

Eating Disorders in Children, Teens, and Families

Eating disorders can affect children as young as seven, as well as teenagers and young adults. In younger people, difficulties with eating are often linked to:

Anxiety or perfectionism
Sensory sensitivities or neurodivergence
Emotional regulation difficulties
Trauma, bullying, or loss
Family stress or transitions

I work collaboratively with parents and carers, offering guidance, psychoeducation, and family-based support alongside individual therapy where appropriate. The aim is to reduce blame, increase safety, and support recovery at home.

Why Do Eating Disorders Develop?

Eating disorders are a result of complex, multi-faceted factors including genetic, neurobiological, cultural and physiological factors.These can include:

Trauma or adverse experiences
Anxiety, OCD traits, or perfectionism
Low self-worth or identity struggles
Neurodivergence
Chronic stress or emotional suppression
A nervous system stuck in threat or survival mode

Over time, eating-disorder behaviours can feel necessary for safety or control — even when they are causing harm.

The Impact on Mind and Body

Eating disorders affect every system in the body, including:

Hormones and metabolism
Concentration, memory, and mood
Digestion and gut health
Sleep, energy, and immunity
Bone, heart, and reproductive health

Psychologically, they often maintain:

Rigid, black-and-white thinking
Intense self-criticism and shame
Anxiety around food and the body
Emotional numbness or overwhelm

This is why recovery requires more than willpower or meal plans alone.

Eating Disorder Recovery Therapy

Recovery is not about “fixing” you. It is about restoring safety, trust, and balance in the body and mind.

My integrative approach to eating disorder therapy may include:

Support with nutritional rehabilitation and regular eating
Reducing eating-disorder behaviours safely and compassionately
Trauma-informed and parts-based therapy
Nervous-system regulation and somatic work
Addressing body image and self-worth
Building identity beyond the eating disorder

Recovery is non-linear. Setbacks do not mean failure — they are part of the process.

Online Eating Disorder Therapy Across the UK

I work primarily online, supporting clients across the UK and beyond through secure video sessions. Online therapy can be particularly helpful if:

You live in a rural or remote area
You need flexibility around work, school, or family
You find attending in-person sessions overwhelming
You want continuity of care wherever you are

Online eating disorder therapy can be just as effective as in-person work when delivered safely and thoughtfully.

Evidence-Based & Ethical Care

My work aligns with guidance from organisations such as the NHS and NICE, while recognising that recovery is not one-size-fits-all.

Therapy is tailored, paced carefully, and adapted for:

Long-standing or complex eating disorders
Trauma histories
Neurodivergent clients
Children, adolescents, and families

When to Seek Support

You might consider therapy if thoughts about food, eating, or your body are:

Constant or intrusive
Affecting mood, health, school, work, or relationships
Becoming harder to manage alone

You do not need to wait until things feel unbearable.

Early support can reduce suffering and improve recovery outcomes.

Taking the First Step

Eating disorders thrive in secrecy and shame — recovery begins with being met with understanding.

If you’re considering support for yourself, your child, or your family, you’re welcome to book a free initial consultation. This is a chance to ask questions, explore options, and see whether working together feels right.

Your Journey to Healing Starts Here

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