How To Start Eating Disorder Recovery in Salt Lake City, Utah
Realizing you may be struggling with an eating disorder can feel confusing, scary, and overwhelming. Many women in Salt Lake City, Utah, tell me they spent months, sometimes years, wondering whether their behaviors with food or their body were “serious enough” to seek help. You might feel shocked, uncertain, or even skeptical about what you're experiencing. Wherever you are in this process, it’s okay to acknowledge that this is hard. It’s also important to know that recovery is possible and that you don’t have to navigate eating disorder recovery alone. Eating disorder therapy in Salt Lake City can help.
What is eating disorder recovery?
Eating disorder recovery involves the healing of eating disorder symptoms. The goal of eating disorder recovery is to help those struggling with an eating disorder be able to improve their relationship with food and their body. Eating disorder recovery involves being able to challenge negative beliefs about yourself and the world. As an eating disorder therapist, I want to help my clients be able to eat without anxiety and not feel more neutral about their body image.
What are the steps to start eating disorder recovery?
Many of the women I work with want to know exactly what to expect before they start the process of trying to overcome their eating disorders. Eating disorder therapy is so individual depending on what you are struggling with so there’s no way to give a comprehensive answer. However, these are some steps to start eating disorder recovery that is beneficial.
Tell someone safe you’re struggling with disordered eating
You may be feeling embarrassed and ashamed for struggling with disordered eating. It can feel terrifying to open up to someone about having an eating disorder, and I completely understand being hesitant to do so. It’s uncomfortable talking about disordered eating and body image issues. However, it’s important that you have support throughout this process. People that utilize support outside of therapy are the most likely to make a full recovery from having an eating disorder. Choose someone that you know won’t be judgmental, will listen, and you feel safe talking to.
Be open to eating disorder therapy
To make a full and complete recovery from your eating disorder, enlisting the help of a professional is essential. I know how badly you want to figure this out yourself but as an eating disorder therapist I have spent a lot of time and money to be educated and trained on exactly how to help you BECAUSE I WANT TO HELP YOU AND YOU DESERVE IT. You absolutely deserve not to have to do this alone. It can be hard to reach out for help when you don’t know what to expect from eating disorder therapy. I also know many of the women I work with have tried for a long time to be able to get better on their own only to be left feeling discouraged and hopeless.
Practice patience with yourself
I’m not claiming that eating disorder recovery is a fast and easy process. It’s neither of those things but it will be the best choice you’ve ever made. I’ve never met a person who fully recovered from their eating disorder that ever regretted doing it. It’s important to be patient with yourself and your progress and recognize you are doing the best you can.
Consider meeting with other eating disorder professionals
Eating disorders are complicated mental health conditions. They impact you emotionally, mentally, and physically. Because of the physical component I always recommend considering seeing a medical provider for a physical (preferably one that knows exactly what to look for) to make sure your body is working properly. I also recommend seeing an eating disorder dietitian that can help educate you on proper nutrition from an intuitive eating approach.
Have Hope
Maybe the most important aspect of eating disorder recovery is having hope. You can’t recover from your eating disorder without having hope that it’s possible. Have hope that you won’t always feel the way you feel now. Have hope that there’s a better life out there for you, where you don’t have to hate your body or feel anxious about eating. Have hope this is going to get better.
Eating Disorder Therapy in Salt Lake City, Utah (Online Sessions)
Beginning eating disorder recovery can feel intimidating, especially when you’re unsure what therapy will actually be like. I work with women in Salt Lake City, Utah who feel stuck in cycles of restriction, binge eating, food anxiety, and body image distress. Online eating disorder therapy provides a private, supportive space to understand what’s driving your behaviors with food without pressure, judgment, or shame. If you're ready to feel more at peace with eating and your body, therapy can help you take that next step.
Ready to start working with an eating disorder therapist in Salt Lake City, Utah?
You don’t have to try to navigate eating disorder recovery on your own. You can improve your relationship with food and feel better about yourself. Eating Disorder therapy can help. Maple Canyon Therapy has an eating disorder therapist specializing in eating disorder therapy. To begin counseling follow the steps below:
Meet with a therapist for eating disorders
Begin eating disorder recovery
Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah
It can be hard to find the right therapist regardless of where you live but it’s even more difficult to find a therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders. Sadly, many parts of Utah don’t have a therapist with eating disorder training available in the city they live in. This is why I provide online therapy in Utah. Online eating disorder therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy without having to travel.
Online counseling means I work with people all throughout Utah. I work with clients in Salt Lake City and all throughout Utah.
Frequently Asked Questions About Eating Disorder Recovery
How do I know if I need eating disorder therapy?
If your thoughts about food, eating, weight, or your body feel overwhelming, stressful, or controlling, therapy may help. Many women seek support long before a formal diagnosis.
Do you offer eating disorder therapy in Salt Lake City, Utah?
Yes. I provide online eating disorder therapy for women living in Salt Lake City and throughout Utah using secure telehealth sessions.
Is online eating disorder therapy effective?
Research shows that online therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy for many mental health concerns, including eating disorders.
What types of eating disorders do you treat?
I work with women experiencing binge eating, restrictive eating, chronic dieting, emotional eating, and body image distress.
How do I start therapy?
You can schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to discuss your concerns and see if working together feels like a good fit.
Therapy Services for Women in Salt Lake City
Eating disorder therapy isn’t the only therapy provided. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include anxiety therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, EMDR therapy, birth trauma therapy, counseling for college students, and body image therapy. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to see how I can help.
About the Author
Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and eating disorder therapist at Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah, working with many women in Salt Lake City/ Ashlee has been treating eating disorders since she was a graduate student at Utah State University, where she graduated with a master's in social work. She began working with women with eating disorders as a graduate student therapist at USU Counseling and Psychological Services. Ashlee values helping women improve their relationships with their food and their body image long-term through practicing self-compassion. Ashlee loves being an eating disorder therapist and seeing women heal.