Therapy for Emotional Eating and Binge Eating

Shame around “emotional eating” and binge eating is far too common. Many wonder why they can’t just stop, but usually, there’s so much more beneath the surface. In my practice, we approach binge eating therapy with curiosity and compassion, not judgment.

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Eating

Binge eating and emotional eating are often rooted in disconnection, from your body, from safety, and from unmet emotional needs. It can also accompany a lifetime of attempts at dieting and restricting certain foods. For many, eating became a way to self-soothe, regain control, or feel something in an overwhelming internal world.

Instead of treating food or willpower as “the problem,” we explore the emotional and relational context that shaped your eating patterns. This includes:

  • Past trauma
  • Attachment wounds
  • Oppression and body-based marginalization

Parts Work for Food & Body Healing

I use Internal Family Systems (IFS) and ego state therapy to gently work with the parts of you that turn to food for comfort, regulation, or escape.

These parts are not bad. In fact, they’ve likely learned that food is one of the most reliable ways to find relief. In therapy, we make space for all your parts to be seen and understood, not silenced or judged.

This process helps reduce internal conflict (the “Why do I keep doing this?” feeling) and increases your sense of self-trust and internal harmony.

Rebuilding Body Trust with Intuitive Eating

After years of dieting, food rules, and guilt, it can feel impossible to know what your body truly needs. Intuitive Eating is a framework that can support reconnecting with:

  • Hunger and fullness cues
  • Satisfaction and nourishment
  • Body respect and care

This work is not a quick fix. It’s a radical practice of healing your relationship with food, emotion, and identity, one grounded in body trust and autonomy.

What About Intentional Weight Loss?

I honor the complexity and nuance of body image and weight-related goals. You may want to lose weight for reasons related to:

  • Health conditions
  • Physical mobility
  • Years of internalized shame or stigma

Rather than shame or rigidity, we explore these intentions with curiosity. I use a Health at Every Size® (HAES)-aligned lens, which means:

  • We focus on sustainable, health-promoting behaviors
  • We center nervous system regulation and compassion
  • We never reduce health to a number on the scale

Whatever your goals, whether it’s food peace, body trust, or holistic well-being, therapy is a space where your values are honored and your autonomy respected.

Ready to Transform Your Relationship with Your Body?

Whether you’re navigating emotional eating, chronic dieting, or a lifelong struggle with food and body image, you’re not alone. Together, we’ll explore a more compassionate, sustainable way forward, one rooted in healing, not control.

Binge eating therapy is a specialized form of therapy that explores the emotional, relational, and nervous system roots of compulsive or out-of-control eating. Rather than focusing on willpower or food restriction, therapy helps you understand what’s driving the cycle, and build a more compassionate, sustainable relationship with food and your body.

Yes. Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a recognized mental health condition characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food, often quickly and to the point of discomfort, paired with feelings of shame, guilt, or loss of control. Many people experience binge eating or emotional eating without meeting the full criteria for BED, and still deserve support.

If you find yourself turning to food to manage stress, loneliness, anxiety, or overwhelming emotions (especially in ways that leave you feeling guilty, out of control, or stuck) therapy may help. You don’t need a diagnosis to seek support. If your relationship with food is causing distress, that’s enough.

Not in a traditional sense. My approach is aligned with Health at Every Size® (HAES) principles, which means we focus on sustainable, health-promoting behaviors, not a number on the scale. If weight-related goals are important to you, we explore them with curiosity and compassion, not shame or rigid rules.

I use an integrative, trauma-informed approach including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Ego State Therapy, Intuitive Eating principles, somatic awareness, and attachment-focused techniques. We explore the parts of you that turn to food for comfort, regulation, or relief, and gently build self-trust and internal harmony.

Yes. I offer secure telehealth sessions for clients across California, in addition to in-person therapy at my Pasadena office. Telehealth can be a convenient option for those who prefer to work from home or live outside the Pasadena area.