Finding the Right Eating Disorder Therapist in St. George, Utah

Why Finding the Right Therapist Matters

Admitting that you’re struggling with food or your body isn’t easy. It takes a lot of courage to even say it out loud to yourself, let alone to someone else. You want a therapist who gets it. Someone who won’t judge you, minimize what you’re going through, or tell you to just “eat normally.” You want to feel safe, understood, and supported.

Finding that kind of therapist can be confusing and overwhelming. When you already feel vulnerable, the last thing you need is to wonder if the person you’re opening up to truly understands eating disorders. The truth is, not every therapist has the training or experience to treat them. You deserve someone who does,  someone who knows that your relationship with food and your body is about much more than willpower or appearance.

Finding the right eating disorder therapist in St. George, Utah, can make all the difference in eating disorder recovery. For a long time, southern Utah had very few therapists with this kind of specialty. After working at Center for Change, one of Utah’s leading eating disorder treatment centers, I came back to southern Utah to bring that level of care home because I care so much about this community. My goal has always been to make sure people here don’t have to travel north to get the help they need.

If you’re ready to begin healing, it starts with finding someone who truly understands what you’re carrying and knows how to help you lay it down. Eating disorder therapy in Utah can help.

What to Look for in an Eating Disorder Therapist

Eating disorders are among the most complex mental-health conditions to treat. Recovery involves your emotions, your thoughts, and your body, so you need a therapist who understands all three. Not every therapist has specialized training in this kind of work, and that matters. You deserve someone who knows how to navigate the emotional vulnerability of recovery and the medical realities that come with it.

A qualified eating disorder therapist in St. George, Utah helps you move beyond symptoms to long-term healing. They recognize that eating disorders aren’t just about food; they can show up through restriction, bingeing, compulsive exercise, or constant body-image distress. They also understand how perfectionism, trauma, and shame can quietly drive these patterns.

A good specialist works from an intuitive-eating and Health at Every Size® perspective. That means no dieting, calorie counting, or pushing intentional weight loss. Instead, they focus on helping you build self-compassion and a healthier relationship with your body one based on trust, not control.

When you find someone who sees beyond the surface and treats the whole person, recovery stops feeling like a set of rules and starts feeling like freedom.

Credentials That Matter

When you’re choosing an eating disorder therapist in St. George, Utah, experience and specialized training make a real difference. Eating disorder recovery isn’t something that can be treated with a one-size-fits-all approach — it requires a deep understanding of both the emotional and physical layers of healing.

Look for a therapist who has specific training and hands-on experience in eating disorder treatment, not just general mental health. The right therapist knows how to support clients who struggle with restriction, bingeing, or body-image distress, and understands the medical and nutritional aspects that come with recovery.

My own experience includes nearly two years working in an inpatient psychiatric hospital for eating disorders, where I supported clients at every level of care, from inpatient to residential and outpatient. That experience taught me how complex and courageous this work really is.

I also approach therapy from a trauma-informed, Health at Every Size®, and intuitive-eating lens. That means I recognize how trauma and nervous-system responses can shape your relationship with food and your body. When it’s helpful, I integrate EMDR therapy to process the painful experiences that may still be influencing how you see yourself today.

Ultimately, credentials and training matter, but compassion, understanding, and real experience matter most.

What to Expect in the First Session

Starting therapy can feel scary, especially when you don’t know what to expect. You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out. The first step is just getting started.

Before we meet, we’ll start with a free 15-minute phone consultation. This quick call helps us get to know each other and make sure I’m the right fit to help you. You can share a little about what’s been going on, and I’ll answer any questions you have.

Your first session is held online, so you can meet from the comfort of your own space. We’ll talk more about what we discussed on the phone, what your relationship with food and your body has been like, and what feels hardest right now. This isn’t an interrogation or a checklist. It’s a real conversation about you, what’s important to you, what you want help with, and what your goals are for therapy.

Together, we’ll create a plan that fits your life and your pace. My goal is to help you feel safe and comfortable from the start, because the most important part of recovery is your relationship with your eating disorder therapist. When you feel understood, therapy becomes a place where real change can happen.

How to Know You’ve Found the Right Fit

Your relationship with your therapist matters just as much as their training or experience. Skills and credentials are important, but so is how you feel when you’re with them. Trust your gut. The right therapist will make you feel supported, not pressured.

A good fit feels calm and safe. You feel understood and respected, even when you’re talking about things that are hard to say. You don’t feel judged for your eating disorder behaviors or pushed to “just eat” or “just stop.” Instead, you feel like this person actually gets what it’s like to live in your head and your body.

You can picture yourself being honest with them, maybe not all at once, but over time. That’s what matters most. When you find an eating disorder therapist in St. George, Utah who helps you feel seen and accepted, it becomes easier to open up, build trust, and begin real healing.

Start Eating Disorder Therapy in St. George, Utah, Today

You don’t have to keep trying to manage your relationship with food and your body on your own. The hardest part is often just getting started — and I make that first step simple.

1. Schedule a Free 15-Minute Phone Consultation

We’ll talk briefly about what’s been going on, what you want help with, and make sure I’m the right fit for you.

2. Begin Online Eating Disorder Therapy

Meet from the comfort of your own home. Together, we’ll explore the patterns and pressures that keep you stuck and start building tools that support real healing.

3. Feel Relief and Freedom Return

As you start working through the guilt, fear, and perfectionism that come with disordered eating, you’ll begin to feel calmer, more in control, and more at peace with your body and yourself.

I provide online eating disorder therapy for women across Utah, including St. George, Cedar City, Salt Lake City, Logan, Provo and Heber City.

If you’re ready to take that first step, schedule your free 15-minute consultation today and start working with an eating disorder therapist in St. George, Utah, who truly understands what you’re going through.

About the Author

Ashlee Hunt, LCSW, is an eating disorder therapist serving  St. George, Utah, and the founder of Maple Canyon Therapy, an online therapy practice serving women across Utah. Ashlee has worked with eating disorders at every level of care, including inpatient, residential, and outpatient, and has devoted more than half her life to helping women heal their relationship with food and their bodies.

She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Utah State University and has served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Social Work, teaching future therapists about empowerment, strengths-based practice, and multicultural competence.

Ashlee brings specialized training in eating disorder recovery, body image therapy, trauma-informed care, and EMDR therapy, along with a compassionate, evidence-based approach grounded in Health at Every Size® and Intuitive Eating principles.

Through her online therapy practice, she supports women across St. George, Cedar City, Salt Lake City, Logan, and Heber City, helping them find freedom from food rules and self-criticism so they can reconnect with who they are beyond the eating disorder.