Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in Sunnyvale, CA.

Do you find yourself eating for no particular reason? Do you prefer to eat in private? Food carries with it many powerful symbols. It can be used to nurture, comfort, and strengthen. It can also be used to control, punish, shame as well as suppress our feelings. Like any other addiction, food can be used to disconnect us from our intuition and alienate us from ourselves and others. Therapy is an ideal place to explore issues and feelings around food.

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.

I am very interested in being there for you if you have struggled thus far with food and body image issues. It can really be a great relief to share this with a helping professional who specializes in less than healthy behaviors and feelings centered around eating. I want to help you get to the bottom of where this came from and more importantly, the different place you want to get to. Only understanding without judgement is given in the journey I offer you to seeing and being yourself in healthier ways for your body. I believe it can be a huge benefit to gradually uncover who you truly are as a person in the world or want to be beyond what you are going through with food.

Most eating disorders are experienced by people whose lives feel out of control. This often comes from having an autonomic nervous system that does not regulate the body well. This dysregulation is based in both shock trauma (single episode overwhelming events) and developmental trauma (repeated lower grade trauma and attachment/neglect problems). I use Somatic Experiencing to help individuals to gain mastery over their autonomic nervous system and feel like they are once again back in control of their body and their life.

In eating disorder treatment sessions with me, you will gain real hope, effective help, and powerful healing for your unwanted food-related behaviors. By better understanding the triggers and early warning signs of your eating disorder, you will be less anxious and more prepared to deal with cravings. Learning from me about other eating disorder treatment resources will give you options for additional support if needed. I will teach you valuable relaxation, emotional focusing, and relapse prevention skills so that you can stay calmer and away from your old patterns with food even after completing therapy. Feel free to call me with any questions or to schedule an initial appointment.

While most eating disorder issues are treated by cognitive behavioral methodologies or specialized outpatient/inpatient programs, Grey Matters International and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, PhD provide relief first and foremost for the brain of one suffering from an eating disorder----without giving them medication. We believe that the neural circuitries responsible for the compulsive behaviors with eating are not necessarily only a neurotransmitter issue but of overused neural networks that affect the harmonization, balance, and decisions of the whole brain. Contact kevin@kevinfleminphd.com or 877-606-6161 to learn more about this safe and effective alternative.

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.

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!

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.

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.

My approach to eating disorder therapy emphasizes a holistic understanding of the individual in the context of relationships, phase of life, and physical health. By integrating various therapeutic techniques tailored to the unique needs of each client, I aim to uncover the underlying emotional factors contributing to the eating dysregulation. Clients benefit from this personalized approach as it not only addresses the symptoms but also fosters resilience, self-awareness, and healing in a supportive environment. My approach encourages a sustainable recovery by empowering you to develop healthier relationships with food and yourself, promoting overall well-being.