Find An Eating Disorder Therapist in South Pasadena, CA.

Portion control and/or nutrition is simply not enough. We need to uncover root causes, process trauma, find emotional peace, identify strengths, increase confidence, and find overall healing at a pace that is comfortable and effective. Your eating disorder does not define you. Let us help you find victory over food and all of its wacky, illegitimate power. You can learn more about us at www.HealPlayLove.org

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!

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 are often undetected as there can be a great deal of shame is involved as often depression is a co-occurring disorder. Some disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulima can lead to serious complication or even death if left untreated. Often food can be a source of comfort to an individual, resulting in over-eating, as well as the flip side when it comes to severe food restriction, allowing a person to dictate specific control in their diets. It is vital that eating disorders are brought to the surface; however, and a collaborative healthcare team can work in unison with the individual and their family, if possible, & reaching out for help is of upmost importance.

If you have difficulties with your eating, there is always some emotional component. Together, we’ll examine what the psychological and emotional issues are that are involved in your particular problems with eating. This applies with compulsive overeating, anorexia, and bulimia. Even milder forms of overeating or undereating have emotional aspects, and we can deal with them. Bingeing or purging come in many forms, and we’ll examine how that may apply with you. It’s not about the diet, it’s about the dieter. It’s about the way you relate to your emotions, the people and situations in your life, and how you translate that to eating. You’re not damaged or a failure. Psychotherapy helps.

Do you feel imprisoned by your eating disorder? Are you ready to challenge it so that you can feel more free in the world? I realize that addressing your eating disorder can be frightening. I provide a safe, empathic environment where trust can be built and your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can be understood. If you feel like it is time to end the relationship you have with yourself that is characterized by rigidity, harshness, and even self-hatred and enter into a new relationship characterized by self-acceptance and freedom, I welcome your call.

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.

My comprehensive approach includes looking at both psychological and physiological factors contributing to eating disorders. Highly specialized in binge eating disorder, obesity, bulimia, orthorexia. Therapeutic approach includes several modalities, including (but not limited to) CBT and psychodynamic therapy. Treating both adolescents and adults.

I work with a variety of eating disorders and work at treating both the behavior initially and the issues that are underneath the eating disorder. I am an expert at treating trauma and often trauma or traumatic relationships are at the heart of an eating disorder. Eating disorders typically are related to self-soothing or trying to gain control in areas where one doesn't feel he/she has control. Contact me for more information and assistance with an eating disorder. We are specialists in a variety of different areas and are able to offer help not only for the client with this issue bu also couple or family support. Experts in helping women & teens! Trauma experts too!

Embrace your body, transform your life. As a holistic therapist, I offer compassionate support for healing body image issues. I help you look at deep patterns of conditioning, internal and external messaging, and expectations to help you find peace with your body. Through mindfulness, self-compassion, and somatic practices, discover inner harmony and reclaim your self-worth. Begin your journey to self-love and acceptance today.

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.

Feeling good about yourself is not as simple as looking in the mirror and saying I'm beautiful. Losing a little weight may help you temporarily be happier but it might not be sustainable or healthy. Therapy can help an individual understand how ones life experiences instill the self-concepts that we carry as core beliefs. Therapy with a healthy at every size lens can help individuals repair their relationship with food and start to cultivate a more joyful life.

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