Eating Disorder Therapy in Bellevue, WA
If you're struggling with an eating disorder, you don't have to face it alone. At Bellevue Counseling, our team of compassionate therapists specializes in providing personalized treatment for eating disorders, helping individuals reclaim their relationship with food, their bodies, and themselves. We offer both in-person and online therapy sessions to meet your needs.
Compassionate, Evidence-Based Treatment for Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that extend far beyond food and weight. Whether you're experiencing anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or other disordered eating patterns, our experienced therapists understand that each person's journey is unique. We tailor our treatment approach to address your specific symptoms, underlying causes, and personal recovery goals.
Our Bellevue practice brings together multiple skilled therapists, each offering specialized expertise in treating eating disorders. This collaborative approach ensures you receive comprehensive care backed by our collective knowledge and experience. Combined with our responsive administrative team, we provide professional, punctual support throughout your healing journey.
Our Therapeutic Approaches for Eating Disorders
We utilize several evidence-based therapeutic modalities proven effective in treating eating disorders. Your therapist will work with you to determine which approach or combination of approaches best fits your individual needs.
Collaborative Care
Bellevue Counseling is not a primary eating disorder clinic and does not provide intensive or medically necessary treatment. We are a mid-level outpatient counseling program designed to support continued healing for clients who are medically stable and have completed higher levels of care such as residential or partial hospitalization.
Our therapists collaborate closely with specialized programs including The Emily Program, Eating Recovery Center, and Pathlight to provide ongoing emotional support, relapse prevention, and integration of recovery skills into daily life. This approach ensures clients receive the right level of care at the right stage of their healing journey.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is highly effective for individuals who use food-related behaviors to manage intense emotions. We teach practical skills in mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. These tools help you develop healthier ways to cope with difficult feelings without turning to restriction, bingeing, or purging. DBT also addresses the interpersonal challenges that often accompany eating disorders, improving communication and relationships.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
When trauma contributes to your eating disorder, EMDR therapy can be transformative. This powerful approach helps process traumatic memories that may be fueling disordered eating behaviors, negative body image, or self-critical thoughts. As underlying trauma is resolved, many clients experience natural reductions in eating disorder symptoms.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
We use trauma-focused CBT to help you understand connections between past experiences, current thought patterns, and eating behaviors. This approach challenges distorted beliefs about yourself and your body while helping you process difficult memories in a safe, supportive environment.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS offers a compassionate framework for understanding eating disorders by viewing different parts of yourself with curiosity rather than judgment. We help you explore why protective parts developed eating disorder behaviors and address underlying pain directly, leading to natural healing and symptom reduction.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
For clients whose eating disorders involve significant anxiety or obsessive-compulsive patterns, ERP therapy helps break the cycle. Through carefully designed exposure exercises, you learn to tolerate discomfort and uncertainty without resorting to rituals like calorie counting, body checking, or rigid food rules.
Addressing Co-Occurring Conditions
We recognize that eating disorders often exist alongside other mental health challenges. Our therapists are experienced in treating co-occurring conditions including:
Anxiety Disorders - We address the anxious thoughts and feelings that often fuel disordered eating behaviors
Trauma - Past traumatic experiences are processed safely using trauma-informed approaches
OCD - Obsessive-compulsive patterns related to food, eating, or body image are treated with specialized interventions
ADHD - We adapt treatment to work with executive functioning challenges and impulse control difficulties
Grief and Loss - Processing painful losses reduces the need to use eating disorder behaviors as coping mechanisms
Comprehensive treatment that addresses these interconnected issues leads to more sustainable recovery outcomes.
Who We Help
Our eating disorder therapy services are available for:
Youth (ages 10+)
Adolescents
Adults (through age 50)
Individuals seeking personal healing
Couples navigating the relational impacts of eating disorders
We understand that eating disorders present differently across developmental stages and life circumstances. Your treatment is personalized to your age, situation, and specific needs.
What to Expect: Your Path to Recovery
Initial Assessment
Your first session is an opportunity for connection and understanding. We create a warm, non-judgmental space where you can share what's been weighing on you. Your therapist will ask questions to understand your relationship with food and eating, your history, current symptoms, and treatment goals. This session helps us determine if we're the right fit and allows you to assess the correct level of care. Referrals to higher levels of care may be given during the assessment process for client safety.
Ongoing Treatment
After the initial assessment, we work collaboratively to develop your personalized treatment plan. Early sessions focus on building awareness, identifying triggers, and establishing safety. As therapy progresses, we introduce specific interventions tailored to your needs, whether that's DBT skills, EMDR processing, exposure exercises, or IFS exploration.
Recovery is not linear, and our therapists provide consistent support through ups and downs. Most clients work with us for 12 weeks to a year, meeting regularly to address key concerns while maintaining accountability. The frequency and duration of treatment depend on your individual progress and needs.
Flexible Session Options
We offer both in-person appointments at our Bellevue location and online counseling sessions. This flexibility allows you to choose the format that works best for your schedule and preferences. Many clients appreciate the convenience of online therapy, while others prefer face-to-face sessions. You can also combine both formats as your needs change throughout treatment.
Why Choose Bellevue Counseling for Eating Disorder Treatment
Experienced, Caring Therapists: Our clinicians are trained in specialized eating disorder treatment and bring genuine compassion to their work.
Personalized Care: We never apply one-size-fits-all approaches. Your treatment is designed specifically for you, honoring your unique experience and recovery goals.
Collaborative Team Approach: As a group practice, you benefit from the collective expertise of multiple therapists who regularly consult with one another.
Convenient Location: Our Bellevue office is easily accessible for local clients seeking in-person therapy.
Professional Support Staff: Our administrative team ensures seamless scheduling and communication, allowing our therapists to focus entirely on providing excellent clinical care.
Evidence-Based Methods: We use therapeutic approaches with proven effectiveness in treating eating disorders and co-occurring conditions.
Individual Therapy and Couples Counseling
Most eating disorder treatment occurs through individual therapy, where you work one-on-one with your therapist in a confidential setting. This format allows for deep personal exploration and skill development at your own pace.
For clients whose eating disorders have impacted their relationships, we also offer couples therapy. Partners learn how to provide effective support, improve communication, and maintain their own wellbeing while navigating the challenges of recovery together. Couples therapy complements individual treatment by addressing the relational dimensions of healing.
Begin Your Recovery Journey Today
Recovery from an eating disorder is challenging but absolutely possible. With the right therapeutic support, you can heal your relationship with food and your body, develop healthier coping strategies, and build a life no longer controlled by disordered eating.
Our team at Bellevue Counseling is here to support you every step of the way. We bring clinical expertise, evidence-based treatment approaches, and genuine care to help you achieve lasting recovery.
Taking the first step toward healing starts with reaching out. Contact us today through our website to learn more about our eating disorder therapy services and schedule your initial assessment. Our team is ready to answer your questions about our approach, scheduling, and how we can best support your recovery journey.
You deserve to live free from your eating disorder. Let us help you get there.