Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in Ladera Ranch, CA.

An eating disorder causes serious disturbances to your life, relationships and your health. Unhealthy behaviors, including eating extremely small amounts of food or severely overeating are symptoms of a disorder which begins in the brain, and is seen in changes in bodily function, health, and appearance. Dr. Piper Walsh helps her clients with eating disorders to addressing the feelings of shame and isolation related to an eating disorder, and to find solutions to address the underlying issues and ideas that contribute to the development of an eating disorder.

I help clients overcome addictive relationships with food. Like all addictions, the behavior is the tip of the iceberg, used to cope with underlying thoughts and emotions. Through collaborative conversations, clients gain insight into underlying concerns, gaining coping skills to more effectively navigate these issues. I draw on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI), helping clients achieve a sense of freedom and control over their lives, leading to long-term change.

Eating disorders benefit from the same or similar approach used for all addictive behaviours. One of the main therapeutic approaches I use is Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. The relationship to food can be quite complex involving societal or cultural pressures, self-image, past traumas, addictive non-nutritious junk food, media images, social media pressures, bullying. Shame and guilt need to be addressed along with peer pressures. The most common eating disorders are: Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating, Pica, Rumination Disorder, Avoidance/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Orthorexia, Purging Disorder etc. The benefits of therapy are enhanced self-image, health and well-being.

Eating disorders are most often experienced by those who have survived some type of trauma in their lives. As a trauma therapist, I treat many clients who have disordered eating habits. This can include an unhealthy relationship with food, an unhealthy or negative body image, and even those who binge eat for stress. We all struggle with our weight or self-image at some point in our lives, but therapy is the best place to find a path forward. You don't have to suffer long term with these body image issues. Instead I will help you find your own unique path toward your body confidence. If you are embarrassed about your body in any way, bring that information to therapy and we will get started!

An eating disorder is not a lifestyle choice. An eating disorder is a serious and often fatal illnesses that causes serious disturbances to a person’s eating behaviors, physical health, and relationships. Obsessions with food, body weight, and shape may also signal an eating disorder. The sooner someone struggling with this illness, or displaying behaviors and attitudes consistent with these disorders, can get connected to help, the better. Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. As with any illness or psychological disorder, these problems will not go away on their own; without clinical support they often only escalate dangerously.

I help people with eating disorders overcome their concerns with feeding and eating by assisting them in developing and maturing their minds intellectually, emotionally, and psychologically. I appreciate the unique complexities involved in developing and interrupting eating disorder tendencies and recognize how early experiences impact the mind and the body. Rich insight and sustained change over time can be found by working in a psychodynamic fashion.