Body Image Therapy: A Therapy Guide

You cringe thinking about having to have your picture taken or to have to go shopping for clothes because you can’t stand to look at yourself. Whether it’s been recently or for a long time, dealing with body image struggles is hard. It seems to take over your life and prevents you from enjoying your experiences. You wish that you didn’t even have to think about your body but as of right now it seems to take up too many of your thoughts. You feel kinda dumb for struggling with these things because you think people have real problems and hating your body doesn’t seem like a big enough problem to you. Despite all of that you can’t seem to change how you feel. You’ve tried over and over to change your body. You’ve lost weight, dyed your hair, contour your cheeks, and more but regardless you still struggle.

Worrying about your body feels like a never-ending cycle for you. You have tried to solve it all on your own but it doesn’t seem to change long-term for you. Do other people feel this way about their bodies or are you the only one? 

I totally get it. You’ve done everything you possibly could think of try and feel better about your body but you haven’t been successful. You’re tired of feeling this way but aren’t sure there is the hope of feeling better. As a body-image therapist, I have worked with many women who feel just like you. They’ve been able to make peace with their bodies through body image therapy and you can have this too. It’s not unreasonable to expect that you can have a life you enjoy that’s not completely plagued by tugging and pulling at your clothing, thinking about your next diet, or cosmetic procedures to change your appearance. 

What is body image therapy?

Body image therapy is a mental health service focused on body positivity or body neutrality with the help of a body image therapist. Body image therapy focuses not only on how to develop coping skills to deal with body image issues but to heal from the underlying issues contributing to negative body image. Women aren’t born hating their bodies but they learn how to do it somewhere. Many women have seen family members be critical of their bodies or other people’s bodies. They’ve learned that it’s important to be a certain size or look a certain way or else they don’t feel worthy. Body image therapy helps women heal from these experiences and change the negative beliefs they have about their bodies. Body image therapy helps women to utilize more helpful and positive behaviors when they are feeling triggered by their appearance. 

How does body image therapy help?

Working with a body image therapist can help you change your overall view of your body. It can help you recognize triggers to think negatively about your body and challenge you on how you compare yourself to other people’s bodies. Body image therapy can help you recognize the impact social media has on how you feel about your body and how to manage those thoughts. Being able to verbalize the thoughts and feelings that you’ve never been able to share out loud before can be more cathartic than you realize. Body image therapy helps improve your overall mental health and helps you stop fixating on all your flaws but helps you focus on the things your body can do and how it helps you live your values regardless of what you look like. 

How do body image issues impact mental health?

Women with body image issues often have higher rates of depression and anxiety. They have lower self-esteem and are more vulnerable to developing disordered eating and eating disorders than women who don’t have a negative body image. Body image issues are often minimized because they seem like a “first world problem” but it impacts a woman’s ability to function in her daily life. Not only do body image issues impact mental health but they also impact intimate relationships. Body image issues impact overall mental health when you are consumed with thinking negative thoughts about yourself and engaging in behaviors to change or alter your body. Behaviors to alter your body might offer temporary relief but long term they are damaging, and require these behaviors to be effective. 

What therapy is best for body image issues?

There are several different therapy types that can be helpful in dealing with body image issues. The three therapy styles that I use in working with body image issues are these: 

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)  focuses on utilizing mindfulness and acceptance with committed behavioral techniques to be able to change. ACT focuses on something called psychological flexibility to change behaviors that are consistent with your values. ACT helps focus on distancing yourself from the thoughts you have about your body image through cognitive diffusion. 

EMDR Therapy

Eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma therapy that helps reprocess traumatic experiences. EMDR is helpful to anyone who has a negative body image but especially to those who have traumatic experiences that involved their bodies. EMDR not only helps with trauma but it also helps change negative beliefs held about your body

IFS

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is not a family therapy contrary to the name. IFS focuses on recognizing parts of the mind that function as a system and how to give each of these parts what they need in order to overcome mental health issues.

How can a therapist help with body image issues?

A body image therapist is trained in therapeutic approaches that can help you combat negative thoughts about your body and go to the root of the issues. As a body image therapist, I am able to see an outside perspective of your experiences and help you make connections about your body image. It might be hard to believe that your body image has less to do with your body size and appearance than you think it does. Working with a body image therapist can help you recognize this and make lasting changes to how you view yourself.

How will body image therapy help with body dysmorphia?

I need to clarify that negative body image and body dysmorphia are not the same things. I see on social media that these two things are often confused. Negative body image is being critical and unsatisfied with your appearance. Body dysmorphia is a hyper fixation on certain body parts resulting in severe emotional distress. Body dysmorphia is a significant mental health issue that goes beyond negative body image. Body image therapy can help but what helps the most with body dysmorphia is medication and Exposure and Response Therapy.  To be diagnosed with body dysmorphia these are some of the symptoms: 

Symptoms of body dysmorphia

• Abnormally concerned with a small or non-existent flaw

• Thoughts about these flaws are severe enough to significantly impact your daily functioning

• A strong belief that you have a defect or deformity in appearance that is not real

• The belief that other people are judging and mocking you for your appearance 

Why should I work with a body image therapist?

You should work with a body image therapist because you deserve to feel better about yourself. You deserve to enjoy your life and create memories with the people you love without having to be consumed by what your body looks like. There is a life for you that you can enjoy without having to feel anxious and self-hated. Working with a body image therapist can help you achieve those goals. You might not know this because you don’t know anything different than being consumed by what you look like. There is hope for you to find relief from your struggles, and working with a professional who knows exactly how to help you can make a big difference. You deserve to do this for yourself so you can keep showing up for the people in your life that you love so much. 

Maple Canyon Therapy’s Approach to Body Image Therapy 

The primary goal that I have for the women I work with in body image therapy is for them not only to stop hating their bodies but for them to just stop thinking about their bodies in every situation. I don’t try and tell my clients that once they are finished with body image therapy they will be in love with their bodies. I can’t promise that, and to be honest many women never get to the point of loving their bodies. It’s ok not to love your body all the time but the most important thing is that you start to feel neutral about it and learn to give it respect regardless of what it looks like. The thing I want the most for you is for you to stop actively trying to change your body. I want you to heal from all of the messages you’ve received that your body is the most important thing about you when it’s not. You are much more than your body. 

My focus in body image therapy is to help you heal from the trauma that your body has been involved in. Many women have been told hurtful and horrible things about their bodies. Many women have experienced trauma around their bodies and this contributes to how they feel. I want to help you heal from all of that so you don’t have to spend so much of your energy trying to avoid thinking about it. I want you to be able to enjoy the activities you love without worrying about what your body looks like and what other people must be thinking about you. I want you to make peace with your body. 

Ready to start working with a body image therapist in Utah?

You don’t have to keep hating your body and repeating the cycles of hating everything you wear and avoiding the mirrors. There’s a better and more balanced way of living, and body image therapy can help. This Utah Counseling Clinic has a body image therapist specializing in body image therapy. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Book a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with a body image therapist in Utah 

3. Start making peace with your body 

Online Therapy in Utah 

It’s easy to put therapy on the back burner and put it off because you have a busy schedule or get anxious about trying to find a therapist’s office. I totally get that it’s hard to prioritize yourself. I also believe you deserve it because therapy can and should change your life. I can’t solve all of these problems but I want therapy to be more convenient and accessible to you which is why I provide online therapy in Utah. Online counseling is just as effective as in-person therapy but is more convenient for you. 

Online counseling allows me to work with clients who are struggling with body image issues in Utah. I work with clients in Cedar City, St. George, Logan, Salt Lake City, Heber City, and more. Reach out today to make an appointment. 

Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy 

Body image therapy isn’t the only mental health therapy service provided by this Utah Counseling Practice. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include anxiety therapy, eating disorder therapy, EMDR therapy, birth trauma, and binge eating disorder treatment. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. Ashlee has a bachelor of science in psychology and a bachelor of science in family life and human development from Southern Utah University. Ashlee received her masters in social work from Utah State University. She enjoys working with women with eating disorders and negative body image. Ashlee loves helping women see what’s under their body image issues and to stop believing they need to change their bodies to be happy. When Ashlee isn’t doing therapy, she likes spending time with her Goldendoodles and exploring Southern Utah.

Everything You Need to Know About Eating Disorder Therapy

If you are struggling with your relationship with food you might be thinking about eating disorder therapy. You might not be sure that what you have is an eating disorder but you know you would like to stop having so much anxiety around food and eating. Most of the women I work with aren’t convinced they have an eating disorder, and I’m not necessarily here to convince you that you have an eating disorder but I want to help you understand more about what your options are. 

Whether you have an eating disorder or not, you can still make peace with food and stop waging the war on your body. I am here to help you decide if eating disorder therapy is something that might help you and know what to expect. I want you to be able to make the decision for yourself on whether treatment is right for you or now. 

What is eating disorder therapy?

Eating disorder therapy is a therapy service provided by a licensed therapist for the treatment of eating disorder symptoms. The goal of eating disorder therapy is to decrease anxiety around food, eating, and the body. Successful eating disorder therapy entails elminating the symptoms of an eating disorder. Eating disorder therapy is uniquely tailored to you, and what you are struggling with specifically. Furthermore, this type of therapy utilizes an intuitive eating approach. Intuitive eating is a non-diet approach to changing eating habits. Intuitive eating helps you learn to trust your body and listen to what it wants rather than eating by rules you have created for yourself—eating disorder therapy involves focusing on healing from past experiences where you have learned that the size of your body is essential. Eating disorder treatment often requires a team approach with the help of a psychiatrist, registered dietitian, and medical provider. 

What are the symptoms of an eating disorder?

• There are many different symptoms of an eating disorder. These are just a few to consider: 

• Preoccupation with food and weight

• Frequent dieting or weight loss tactics

• Rules around food and eating 

• Anxiety around eating and food

• Cutting out entire food groups 

• Restricting when you are allowed to eat

• Discomfort with eating around others

• Refusing to eat certain foods

• Fluctuations in weight

• Gastrointestinal problems 

• Feelings of guilt or disgust after eating

• Eating food in secret or hiding food

What is eating disorder therapy like?

Eating disorder therapy involves meeting with a therapist on a weekly basis. As an eating disorder therapist, I tell my clients to plan on attending on a weekly basis for 12 months to 18 months on average. Honestly, it often takes longer. I know it can be discouraging to think about the timeframe, but keep in mind that during this period, you are making progress week by week and feeling better gradually. It doesn’t mean that you are in for 18 months of torture. You don’t have to expect to keep feeling the way you are feeling now through the entire process. Your eating disorder therapist might also recommend you see a registered dietitian who specializes in eating disorders. It’s important that both your dietitian and your therapist have specialized training in eating disorder treatment. Eating disorders are complex conditions and require the right type of support in order to recover. I have had several clients who have seen therapists without the right experience and training, and it has been detrimental to their recovery. I want you to have a good experience and be able to trust you are going to get good care. 

How do you get over an eating disorder?

Recovering from an eating disorder involves focusing on working with your eating disorder treatment team to achieve the goals you have as well as goals they believe will help you recover. In order to really recover from an eating disorder, you have to really be invested in changing your attitudes and beliefs about yourself and food. This doesn’t mean you have to know how to do it but to be all in and committed is something necessary. Everyone’s needs and goals for their specific eating disorder will be a little different. Some people need to restore weight because they are medically compromised at their current weight. Everyone should be working with a therapist and a dietitian on how to manage anxiety around eating and to make sure you are eating enough and a variety of foods. A big part of recovery is to utilize help and support outside of therapy and dietary appointments. Your family, friends, and other supports can also benefit from learning and understanding your eating disorder and what they can do to support eating disorder recovery. 

Is binge eating an eating disorder?

Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder, yes. Does everyone who binge eats have an eating disorder? No. Just like all eating disorders, there is a frequency of behaviors for it to be a diagnosable eating disorder. However, Binge Eating Disorder is the most common eating disorder in the united states.  To meet a binge eating disorder diagnosis, one has to have recurrent and persistent episodes of binge eating. 

What are the symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder?

Some common symptoms of Binge Eating disorder include the following: 

• Feelings of disgust or guilt after overeating or binging 

• Distress around binge eating behaviors

• Eating alone because of embarrassment around binge eating

• Eating large amounts of food not due to physical hunger

• Eating until uncomfortably full

What is disordered eating? 

Disordered eating encompasses eating disorder behaviors but isn’t quite to the level of an eating disorder diagnosis. Disordered behavior is often the things people do with food that might be socially acceptable or even encouraged but are unhealthy. One example is intermittent fasting. This is a disordered behavior and can also progress to a full-blown eating disorder. Disordered eating involves frequent dieting, or cutting out certain food groups. People with disordered eating might have rules around food such as having to skip breakfast in order to feel like they can eat dinner. People that choose to stop drinking soda or have demonized sugar in hopes of manipulating weight or becoming thinner demonstrate signs of disordered eating. The list could go on forever but there are a lot of things that might seem normal behavior with food in our society that are actually on the spectrum of disordered eating. 

What is the most successful treatment for an eating disorder? 

The most successful treatment is the one that works best for you and helps encourage recovery. CBT is a commonly prescribed eating disorder therapy model to use but it’s also not sufficient to help someone recover. It’s one tool that people can use to help combat eating disorder thoughts. More important than a therapy model is that you are attending therapy every week and have a safe and trusting relationship with your eating disorder therapist. If you feel that you can work together to alter the approach so it fits you and your current needs then you will likely have more success in recovery. Along with working with a therapist is receiving nutrition education and nutrition therapy from an eating disorder dietitian. Acceptance and commitment therapy and EMDR are also used for eating disorder treatment. 

EMDR for Eating Disorders

Eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma therapy model that can also be used to help with the treatment of eating disorders. EMDR alone definitely will not cure an eating disorder but it’s one tool to help. EMDR is used when a client is determined as medically stable and is eating consistently according to their dietary guidelines. Furthermore, this therapy model helps clients be able to challenge the negative beliefs they have about themselves and how they should eat or present that may not be helpful. Many people with eating disorders have negative experiences in their past that also contributed to their eating disorder. Full recovery from an eating disorder requires 

What is the average time to overcome an eating disorder?

The answer to this is different for everyone but the answer probably is longer than you probably would have hoped. I know the answer can be discouraging because it’s not a quick process. Eating disorders are complex illnesses and a variety of factors need to be treated in order for you to be considered recovered. You can expect to be in therapy for several years and even when you finish therapy you won’t be fully recovered. You will have to focus on making sure you are following your meal plan and managing your triggers. Recovery is a gradual process and you have to work at it but one day you’ll wake up and realize you don’t feel the way you feel right now. You’ll realize you don’t have to put in so much work to maintaining recovery but it feels more natural. You won’t feel as triggered or overwhelmed with anxiety around food. It will happen but it’ll happen slowly. 

Eating disorder therapy can help you get your life back

Working on eating disorder recovery will truly be the best thing you’ll ever do with your life. I have never met a person who fully recovered from their eating disorder that regretted it. It can be challenging and painful to do but your life will be better than you can ever imagine. You might not be able to see it now but one day you’ll be eating waffles for breakfast with the person you love, and you’ll be able to enjoy the moment and the food. You won’t have to calculate the calories that you are eating or figure out how to compensate for them later. Eating disorder therapy can help you get there. Working with an eating disorder therapist can give you the skills you need to fully recover. 

Start eating disorder therapy in Utah

You don’t have to stay stuck in your eating disorder. You don’t have to feel like food consumes your every thought. You can stop thinking about food the moment you wake up until your head hits the pillow at night. Eating disorder therapy can help you make peace with food and your body. This Northern Utah Counseling Center has an eating disorder therapist who can help. To begin eating disorder therapy follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

3. Begin eating disorder recovery

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah 

I know how important it is to work with a therapist that specializes in eating disorders to help you recover. Unfortunately, there are many parts of Utah that don’t have access to someone with eating disorder training and experience. This is why I offer online therapy in Utah. This allows you to meet with an eating disorder therapist without having to commute or travel. It’s already a lot to try and heal from disordered eating and you shouldn’t have to worry about having access to a therapist. Online counseling is effective, safe, and convenient. 

Telehealth therapy allows me to work with clients in Salt Lake City, Cedar City, Heber City, St. George, and Logan. 

Other mental health services at Maple Canyon Therapy

Eating disorder therapy isn’t the only counseling service provided by this Utah Counseling Practice. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include anxiety therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, birth trauma, EMDR therapy, and body image therapy in Utah. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. Ashlee has a degree in psychology and a degree in family life and human development from Southern Utah University. She received her masters in social work from Utah State University. Ashlee has wanted to work with eating disorders since she was a freshman in high school and had her first eating disorder client as a graduate student therapist. She loves helping women find peace and empowerment in their bodies. Ashlee believes eating disorder recovery is fully possible and has seen many women successfully recover. When Ashlee isn’t in therapy mode she is enjoying Utah landscape and most recently discovered Mirror Lake near Heber City, Utah. 

6 Things Not to Say to Someone with Binge Eating Disorder

If you love someone who struggles with symptoms of binge eating disorder, and you want to support them in their recovery, I’m glad you are here. I  am glad that you care enough to consider how you can help be supportive and caring to your loved one. I try to help my clients see that a significant part of eating disorder recovery is to have support and to be open with others about their struggles. 

Can you and I also make a pact before we go any further? I need you to be open if you see yourself in some of these points, AND for you not to close the tab ok? I also need you to know that I am going to be pretty bold, and it might hurt to know some of these truths but your loved one with binge eating disorder needs you to be better. I know you’ve done your best with what you’ve had but once you learn how to do better, please rethink how you’re speaking to someone with this eating disorder. 

Some hard truths about Binge Eating Disorder 

I have worked with all different types of eating disorders at all levels of care so I feel like I have enough experience to say these things. People with binge eating disorder have more shame than any other eating disorder. It makes my eyes water every time I see it on their face.  It’s absolutely heartbreaking, and to be honest, it infuriates me at the same time. The shame comes from well-meaning friends and family members, our society, and especially other medical professionals. In this world, It’s not as sexy to binge as it is to restrict food. What people don’t realize is that they are both harmful and people with binge eating disorder are less likely to reach out for help because of the shame. 

If you aren’t reading every word of my other blogs because you’re likely not my mom, then let me say again what I have said before: binge eating disorder is derived from restricting foods. This means that people don’t develop binge eating disorder because they just didn’t have enough control but because they restricted and controlled food for way too long. It’s a normal and natural biological response to be deprived of food. If you’ve dieted over and over you likely are going to binge at some point. Why? Again because your body doesn’t like being deprived and doesn’t trust you anymore. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news that your body is upset with you. Even mental restriction is enough to make your body rebel and restrict. Trust me restricting food ain’t it, and it sure isn’t a solution to binging. 

Things not to say to someone with Binge Eating Disorder 

Trust me there are plenty of things you shouldn’t say to someone with binge eating disorder but these are some common phrases that are harmful and will likely lead to us talking about you in therapy ;). 

1. “Are you sure you want to eat that?”

Being the food police to someone struggling with binging will not be helpful. What your loved one is eating is not your business and even if you are concerned don’t say this. Also, don’t say this to anyone even if you don’t think they have an eating disorder. Our bodies send us hunger and fullness signals and don’t require an outside source to tell us not to eat something. This is also incredibly embarrassing to anyone and especially someone with an eating disorder.

2. “Have you just tried ____ *insert diet* to control your eating?”

Dieting is the reason why binge eating disorder is born. Cutting out foods and restricting them will increase cravings for these foods. Encouraging more dieting and restrictions will continue to fuel the eating disorder. This is already a common approach to binge eating disorder to just diet to regain control when dieting is what made you lose control. 

3. “Did you eat all of the ____*insert food item*?”

This is a shame-based approach and it’s not a helpful way to confront a loved one with binge eating disorder. I am not saying that you shouldn’t be frustrated when food disappears or the money that you spend on food. I totally get it, and there’s a better way to talk about this with your loved one. Make sure you regulate yourself first before going into this conversation. If you value your relationship with the person in your life that is binging there are ways to talk about this. Most importantly don’t have these conversations in front of other people. 

4. “You just need to have more control.”

Implying that someone with binge eating disorder is struggling because they don’t have enough control is not accurate. People who binge have utilized a great deal of self-control with food with dieting and restriction but they eventually can’t keep doing it. Our bodies aren’t made to restrict without it rebelling. Your brain doesn’t realize that you are trying to fit into different size of jeans; it thinks you are starving and it will do anything to stop you from doing it. It’s hard to imagine that your brain is actually your homie and is fighting to protect you but it is. 

5. “It doesn’t seem like you are trying that hard”

I am trying to think of a scenario even outside of an eating disorder where saying this would be helpful, and I can’t think of one. Neither you nor I know what anyone is trying to work on from the outside. Eating disorders are complex and difficult to recover from. It requires time, professional help, and support from loved ones. People suffering from eating disorders want it to be over and done with more than anyone else. Saying a statement like this won’t motivate your loved one to kick it into high gear. They are going to feel bad about themselves and believe nothing they do is enough. 

6. “Your eating disorder isn’t as bad as others” 

Maybe this isn’t the exact statement you would use but my clients have shared that having binge eating disorder compared to other disorders like anorexia or bulimia makes it feel like their problem isn’t that serious. Minimizing a serious struggle isn’t helpful. Binge eating disorder has serious physical complications but the emotional and mental consequences are overwhelming and just as painful as any other eating disorder. If your loved one is a normal weight or “overweight” their eating disorder isn’t something to dismiss. 

Give yourself compassion if you’ve found yourself saying these things out of frustration or lack of not knowing what else to do. You have never been in this position before, and you’re just trying to figure it out as you go. It’s ok to make mistakes but hopefully now that you know there’s a better way you’ll try something different. It can be a connecting experience to talk to your loved one about what they need from you and how you can support them. Some things can be hard to hear but they can also make for a better relationship. Educating yourself on binge eating disorder and eating disorders, in general, will help you understand more about what your loved one is experiencing. 

Supporting a loved one through binge eating disorder treatment

Encouraging your loved one in kind and supportive ways to seek out binge eating disorder treatment can help them get the help they need for their eating disorder. It’s discouraging for you and for them to continue to struggle and repeat the cycle over and over again. Eating disorders don’t have a quick fix and require the help of someone with specialized training. Encouraging your loved one to attend weekly therapy and supporting them in this will make a huge difference.  It can take some pressure off of you to know they are working with someone who knows exactly how to help them. It might also be important for you to get your own therapy and have increased support as you are trying to help them heal and recover. 

Binge Eating Disorder Treatment can help if you are struggling

If you are struggling with binging or someone you love then binge eating disorder treatment is your answer. People who binge eating issues are hesitant to reach out because they think they’re going to be judged for their body, behaviors, or prescribed another diet. Let me assure you I am not here to do that. You can trust that you are safe with me, and I know how harmful dieting is and how diet culture deserves punched in the face. I promise you I won’t make you feel bad about your struggle. I know that your eating disorder is about way more than food and I want to help you heal those past experiences. It’s possible to feel better about yourself and your body. 

My Approach to Binge Eating Disorder Treatment 

The goal of binge eating disorder treatment is to help you learn to accept your body and to stop binging and restricting. This is the cycle that fuels this eating disorder and learning to stop is an important part of healing. I don’t talk to my clients a lot about food because I’m a therapist and not a dietitian. I always recommend my clients see an eating disorder dietitian but with me, we work on healing from the past experiences that contribute to you not feeling like your enough and the overemphasis that’s been placed on your body. I’m not here to help you lose weight and hell will freeze over before I would :) Why? Because that involves restrictions that will fuel your eating disorder. I want you to learn to trust and listen to your body’s cues and get your body to trust you again. Intuitive eating binge eating is the approach I recommend. 

Start Binge Eating Disorder Treatment in Utah 

You don’t have to keep living like this. You don’t have to feel like you can’t trust yourself with food. You can stop the war with eating and making peace with your body. This Northern Utah Counseling Practice has an eating disorder therapist specializing in binge eating disorder treatment. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation

2. Meet with a binge-eating disorder therapist

3. Start finding food freedom 

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah 

I know how important it is to have access to a therapist that has the specialized training to treat eating disorders. I know there are many parts of Utah that don’t have access to a mental health professional with this expertise. This is why I began offering Online Therapy in Utah. It allows you to have access to help regardless of where you are in Utah. Online counseling is just as effective as in-person therapy but saves you time from having to travel to a therapist that knows how to help. 

This allows me to work with you if you are located in Logan, Salt Lake City, St. George, Heber, Cedar City, and more. 

Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy 

Binge Eating Disorder Treatment isn’t the only counseling service provided at this Utah Counseling Clinic. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include eating disorder therapy, anxiety therapy, body image therapy, EMDR therapy, and birth trauma. 

About the Author

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. She has two bachelor's degrees from Southern Utah University. A bachelor's in psychology and a bachelor’s in family life and human development. Ashlee obtained her master's degree from Utah State University. She has been treating eating disorders since being an intern starting her counseling career. Ashlee is passionate about helping women learn to accept their bodies and not try to change them to fit a certain mold. When Ashlee isn’t in therapist mode she enjoys visiting different parts of Utah and most recently is loving Zion National Park. 

Binge Eating Disorder Treatment: Everything You Need to Know

Struggling with binge eating disorder is incredibly difficult. The women I work with that struggle with binging feel so embarrassed that this is their struggle. “Why can’t I have the *good* eating disorder?” they lament. I have to assure them there is no such thing as a good eating disorder, and they are all dangerous. However, reading between the lines, what they are telling me how awful it is to struggle with binging and not restricting. Our society seems to think restricting and starving is sexy when it’s actually deadly. Another thing these women don’t realize is that binge eating is born out of restriction. If you were to scan your history and think about when you started deciding food was good or bad, you tried eating less of certain kinds of foods, or you went on diets, this might be when restriction began for you. Even mental restrictions of telling yourself you shouldn’t eat certain foods will induce a binge and increase cravings. 

It all happens before you even realize what’s happening. Before you can even blink, it’s been ten years, and you’ve been stuck in this cycle. You don’t understand why you can be successful in so many different ways, but this is something you can’t seem to shake. You unknowingly try to buckle down and have more self-control, but you don’t realize this is fueling the fire. 

Binge eating Disorder Treatment is the key

Addressing your relationship with food and the cycles you find yourself in with food are all aspects to address in Binge Eating Disorder Treatment. You can change your reactions to stress through therapy. You probably don’t realize everything you take out on food in your life. You also don’t realize you’re a good person who deserves good things; binging doesn’t change anything. These are all beliefs that can be worked on in therapy. 

What is Binge Eating Disorder Treatment?

Binge eating disorder treatment is an eating disorder therapy focusing on treating binge eating disorders. This therapy involves meeting with a specialized therapist who understands the contributing factors to this disorder. Binge eating disorder treatment is not a weight loss appraoch. Many women come to therapy in hopes I will help them “be skinny” or lose weight. I don’t have control over what your body weighs or decides to be, and I won’t perpetuate the cycle that you need to change your appearance. Binge Eating Disorder treatment is about you digging deep into your emotions, thoughts, and past experiences. It also involves addressing body image issues and your relationship with food.

What are the symptoms of binge eating disorder?

Everyone's experience is different, but here are some of the common signs of needing therapy. 

• Feeling out of control with food

• Eating in secrecy

• Consuming large amounts of food

• Eating until you are uncomfortable

• Consuming food rapidly

• Engaging in binge behaviors weekly or more

• Feeling disgusted or guilty about the amount of food eaten 

How will Binge Eating Disorder Treatment Help?

The goal of this treatment is to stop the cycle of binging and to be able to help you cope with your emotions and stress in ways you feel more comfortable with. It’s normal for people to soothe themselves with food, but when this becomes the primary way of coping and dealing with life, we need to add other approaches. Binge eating disorder treatment can help you gain more confidence in yourself and trust with food. Counseling can also help you deal with underlying past experiences and negative beliefs that you have about yourself and your body. My goal for my clients is for them to decrease their symptoms of anxiety and depression and to feel happier overall with themselves and their lives. 

What type of approach is used in Binge Eating Disorder Treatment?

Here are some of the approaches that are used in treating this disorder. These are not all of them but some of the aspects I utilize and recommend. 

Psychotherapy

Therapy is a significant part of eating disorder recovery. Meeting with a therapist helps you to be able to process your eating disorder history and how it’s impacted your life. Therapy helps give you coping skills, work through past experiences and memories that may be contributing to the experience, manage triggers, and more. Counseling is meant for you to feel safe, let down your guard, be honest with a professional about what you are struggling with, and get help from someone with the right training. 

Health at Every Size

Health at Every Size (HAES) is an approach focusing not on your body size or weight. HAES focuses on incorporating healthy behaviors and being able to use body acceptance. This approach is also about eating for your well-being. HAES is also about getting respectful care regardless of your body size or shape. 

Body Positive 

Being body positive doesn’t mean trying to get you always to feel positive about your body. This is unreasonable and is going to discourage you if you expect this. Body positivity is about respecting and accepting your body regardless of anything. It also focused on the belief that you deserve to have a positive body image without changing or altering your body. 

Nutrition Counseling

Most people get slightly triggered when I mention working with a dietitian, and I don’t blame them. Dietitians are often associated with dieting and weight loss. However, nutrition counseling involves working with a dietitian trained to treat eating disorders. As a therapist, I am not qualified to give you nutrition advice as a dietitian does. Nutritional counseling is also about your attitudes and beliefs about food and working through these with a dietitian. 

Medications

Medication management for your depression and anxiety is a decision that's up to you. Many people are afraid of using medications that might impact their mood. There is nothing wrong with utilizing medications to help you through the treatment process; many women find this helpful. Medication is something you could discuss with your doctor if you are interested. Some of the women I have worked with hope there is a medication to stop them from overeating, but this is not something I recommend as it doesn’t help you become in touch with your hunger or fullness cues. The problem is still there when the medication is discontinued. 

What is the therapy used in treatment for binge eating disorder?

Different therapists utilize different models of therapy for binge eating disorders. These are some of the models I use in therapy. 

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy 

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on six core processes to promote something called psychological flexibility. ACT involves recognizing and responding from your own value system regarding behaviors. This therapy also helps you distance yourself from negative thoughts without making you track them down and change them. ACT is about being present and mindful and taking steps toward action. 

EMDR Therapy for Binge Eating Disorder

EMDR therapy is one of my favorite therapy models to use with the women I work with. EMDR focuses on helping you work through the negative beliefs you have about yourself and working through past experiences that contribute to those beliefs. You might not realize how past experiences have contributed to how you think and feel about yourself now. EMDR was originally used to treat PTSD in vets, but we have now found that we can use it to treat various issues. 

IFS for Eating Disorders 

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an incredible therapy model that was actually created in response to eating disorders. IFS focuses on the parts of our personality that may be in conflict with our overall values and goals. We have many different aspects of our personalities, which are called parts. The creation of IFS compares these parts of our personality to family members. If you have heard yourself say, “Part of me feels sad, but part of me feels grateful,” this therapy approach digs deep into these different parts of us. 

How long does Binge Eating Disorder Treatment take?

I try to be really honest and open about the length of treatment everywhere because I want you to have realistic expectations. Therapy for eating disorders is no walk in the park, and it’s not done quickly. The women I work with tend to be high achievers and tell themselves they can do it faster. I am begging you to let go of that hope because it’s not helpful to you. Binge eating disorder treatment involves meeting weekly for 12-18 months or more. People will start this process and quit too soon because they told themselves they should be better by four months. Again eating disorder recovery takes time, patience, and work. It’s worth it, and you won’t regret it. 

Will Binge Eating Disorder Treatment Cure Binge Eating Disorder?

The goal of this treatment is to be able to stop your binges and for you to feel comfortable about yourself and with food. Going to therapy can set you up to not struggle with binging any longer, but I don’t want you to think going to therapy once a week is enough. Therapy is only one hour out of your week, and the real work will happen outside of the therapy chair. The good news is that if you put in the work and are committed, you will be freed from binge eating disorder. 

Why should I start Treatment for Binge Eating disorder?

I think you should start binge eating disorder treatment because you deserve to feel better. You don’t deserve to feel guilt and shame all the time. You can have a peaceful relationship with food and your body. You should do it because it’s something for you, and you probably give a lot of yourself to others in your life. I think you should start therapy because it will change everything for you, and you can be a lot happier than you are now. 

Start binge eating disorder treatment in Utah

You don’t have to keep feeling out of control with food. The cycle of binging can stop, and treatment for binge eating can help. This Utah County Counseling Clinic has an eating disorder therapist specializing in binge eating disorder treatment. To begin therapy, follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with a binge eating disorder therapist

3. Begin counseling 

Binge Eating Treatment through Online Therapy in Utah

It is important to have access to a therapist specializing in what you are struggling with, especially when it’s an eating disorder. Many parts of Utah don’t have an eating disorder therapist. This is why I offer Online Therapy in Utah. This allows you to access care without having to travel or commute. Online Therapy is just as effective and helpful as in-person therapy. 

Through online therapy in Utah, I am often able to work with clients located in Salt Lake City, Logan, Heber, Cedar City, St. George, and more. 

Other mental health services at Maple Canyon Therapy 

Binge Eating Disorder Treatment isn’t the only counseling service provided at this Northern Utah Counseling Center. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include eating disorder therapy, trauma therapy, including for birth trauma, anxiety therapy, and body image therapy in Utah. 

About the Author

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and Maple Canyon Therapy owner outside Provo, Utah. She specializes in eating disorder treatment and loves to be able to assist women in their eating disorder recovery. Ashlee believes that women can be free from binge eating disorders and never have to return. She understands that recovery isn’t easy and takes work and support. Ashlee has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a bachelor's degree in family life and human development from Southern Utah University. She has a master's degree in social work from Utah State University. When Ashlee isn’t doing therapy, she’s finding plants to add to her collection at Highland Gardens in Highland, Utah.

Body Images Issues in Utah: Let’s Chat About It

You wanna know a topic I like to get fired up about? The wildly inappropriate and shockingly unrealistic standards of beauty that women have to live up to. There I said it. I’m not an expert on any of the other 49 states in the Union, but I can tell you here in Utah that body image struggles are off the charts. You can drive along I-15, and bam! Plastic surgery sign. Hit up next by a botox sign and chased down with a fat sculpting sign. Big old billboards inviting women and girls to look at their bodies with a critical eye, and if you don’t like them? Good news, throw down some cash money, and you can change it! Utah has got plastic surgeons for days. It’s enticing to think that everything you hate about your body can just be sculpted, augmented, tucked, and injected away. Even when a woman doesn’t want to go to those lengths to alter her body, she can still get microbladed eyebrows, lash extensions, hair extensions and spray tan. There are so many options as a woman to manipulate your appearance to hopefully arrive upon a body that you love and respect. The harsh reality of all this is that it doesn’t work that way. Self-loathing doesn’t suddenly morph into self-love After I feel that fiery anger in my gut, it becomes washed away in sadness. 

Real talk: I’m a big fan of DIY at-home lash extensions (bless up Lashify!), I love a foamy self-tan in a bottle, and you’ll see me wearing makeup 5 out of 7 days. There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting and doing any of this. Nobody is better or less than anyone else if they skip out on breast augmentation and deny botox. Trust me, there’s no Nobel prize for never highlighting your hair or altering your body. The cold hard facts, though? These don’t actually lead to lasting happiness, self-love, or a permanent positive body image. Why? Because it’s not about your body as much as you think it is. 

What does it mean to have body image issues?

99 percent of women probably have struggled with negative body image at some point in their lifetime. Body image can be a pervasive and ongoing issue, yet it feels normal for women to experience it. When is it crossing the line from being the normal brand of body image issues to clinically significant body image issues? This is hard for me to answer because, to me, any body image issue is worth addressing. As with any disorder, it becomes more concerning when it impacts your daily functioning. Clinically significant body image is obsessive thoughts and behaviors around manipulating and changing your body. This leads to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, disordered eating, and eating disorders. 

What are the signs of negative body image? 

• Dissatisfaction with the way your body looks

• Engaging in body checking behaviors

• Speaking negatively about your body and appearance

• Fear of gaining weight 

• Needing reassurance from others that appearance is acceptable 

• Feeling that if your body were different, you would feel happier

• Poor self-esteem related to body’s appearance 

• Comparing your body to others’ bodies

What’s the cause of body image issues?

The cause of body image issues are complex, and it’s hard to pin down one factor or instance that led to the birth of negative body image. Several factors can lead to the perfect storm of body image issues. Here are some options. 

Social media: 

Swiping through hundreds of filtered and photoshopped images of women weekly is not helpful for anyone’s body image. Research suggests that the longer you view these images, the more it leads to body dissatisfaction. Research has also shared that those that have stopped using social media see improvements in overall well-being, depression, and anxiety compared to those who continue to use social media. Isn’t that wild? You probably didn’t realize how much social media impacts your overall mood. I know I didn’t. 

Early Childhood experiences: 

As a young child, bullying from peers about body size and shape can impact your beliefs about your body and what it’s supposed to look like. As a child at tender developmental stages, these comments can greatly impact you. Those beliefs about your body when you are younger may contribute to insecurity about your appearance and can then become a theme throughout your life. 

 Trauma and Abuse

Women who have experienced trauma and abuse may believe that their body is to blame for what happened. In our society, women’s bodies are often sexualized and objectified, making it feel like they have to hide their bodies to be protected from further trauma and abuse. Further, people who have experienced trauma and abuse develop body shame and feel disgusted and hatred toward their bodies. 

 Comments made by other people

This one. If you are my client sitting across from me and we are processing your body image history, and you share the comments people have made about your body, my eyes are either going to water, or I’m going to be internally angry, or both. It is common for women with body image issues to have had a mother, grandmother, or some other authority figure make negative comments about their body. This one is a heartbreaker. Women learn something is wrong with their bodies, and they need to change it. Even if these women didn’t have someone making comments about their bodies, they have witnessed other people in their lives speaking painful words about their bodies. In turn, you learn to be critical of your own body or start thinking about your body more than you did before. 

 Eating disorders and body image issues can go together 

Eating disorders and body image issues are a match made in…hell? While you can have an eating disorder without body image issues, it’s not as common. When a woman comes to therapy and says they have body image issues but no disordered eating, I have to check twice. Not because it doesn’t happen, but because it’s so common and disordered eating is so prevalent in our society that it’s hidden in plain sight. Negative body image can progress into an eating disorder. The negative beliefs you hold about yourself and your body feels like could be solved by changing your body. Often the first attempt at changing your appearance is to focus on weight loss. One in four women that diet will progress to having an eating disorder. It’s a slippery slope and is dangerous. Body image issues being dangerous is probably not the first thing that comes to your mind, but it’s the scary reality. 

 Postpartum body image issues 

What the hell is with this weird bounce-back culture to postpartum women? Sorry for saying hell, but the expectations not so kindly bestowed upon postpartum women are suffocating and disturbing. The expectations for you to get back to your pre-baby weight and body ASAP make me wanna scream into a pillow. As if sharing your beautiful body to grow another human for 9 months wasn’t hard enough, you give birth-which seems like the most painful experience a human body can go through, and then you have postpartum. Breastfeeding, hormone shifts, caring for a newborn babe, and sleep deprivation, BUT somehow you’re supposed to get washboard abs in the midst of this. This is not realistic, and it’s not ok. In Utah, this issue is extremely prevalent. Perhaps part of it is from watching social media influencers push this agenda, but this is a two-thumbs-down approach for postpartum women. 

 Why doesn’t changing your body cure body image issues?

You wanna know one of my least favorite things to see on social media? Women who have raved about their tummy tuck and weight loss surgery boosting their self-confidence. I’m not doubting this isn’t true for them, but the message that’s being shared is “I couldn’t be confident about my body without these procedures” and “If you want to be confident, get these procedures, and you’ll be confident in yourself too.” Deep breathes. This is harmful rhetoric. Reminder, if you have had these procedures done or want to have these procedures done, there is no judgment at all. This isn’t a moral issue, and it’s not right or wrong. I am addressing that passing this type of message on is damaging. These procedures are treating symptoms and not the real problem. What’s underneath all of this? What beliefs are you holding onto about yourself and your body that is resulting in all this self-hatred that makes you feel like you have to change yourself and your wonderful body? Beneath every procedure is still that wounded part of you that thinks your appearance is the most important part of you. Those feelings don’t miraculously dissolve because you change your body. I’m not arguing that you won’t be more self-confident, but I am arguing it won’t make you happier. It will never be enough. There will always be another procedure to try, and you will always be focused on your body. This doesn’t have to be your life. You can make peace with your body without focusing on changing it. Your body will change throughout time, and it’s a good body no matter what. I just want you to believe that. 

 How do I support someone I love with body image issues?

Listening to someone you love to pick apart their bodies can be bruuuuutal. It can be frustrating when no amount of reassurance seems to make a difference. Reassurance that their body is attractive actually can feed into the cycle, and often feels like you are wasting your breath. Here are some options to consider: 

1. Share with them the qualities and attributes you love about them that have nothing to do with body and appearance. 

2. Listen without judgment. You don’t need to try and fix what they feel. Please also don’t suggest eating healthier or going to the gym. Never do that, please and thank you. 

3. Avoid making statements about your body and other people’s bodies' appearance. This reiterates the importance of what a body looks like. 

4. Redirect to talking about their feelings and what’s bothering them instead of making negative comments about their body. 

 Body image therapy can help 

If you have identified yourself somewhere in this post, first of all, welcome. You’re safe here, and you aren’t alone. Many women feel shame for how they feel about their bodies because they believe they should just be thankful and not feel like they do. If only that would resolve everything. Using logic to outsmart your body image issues will definitely not be sufficient to work through it. Body image therapy is an important step in stopping the war and fight you have with your body. Therapy for body image issues is an effective approach to being able to feel better about yourself. You may not realize how much your experiences, early childhood, and trauma may be impacting how you feel about yourself. Body image therapy can help you work through these experiences and challenge the beliefs you hold about yourself. 

Start working with a body image therapist in Utah 

Oh hey! As it turns out, I am a body image therapist and would love to help you heal. You don’t have to keep hating your body and make peace with it instead. At this Utah County Counseling Clinic, I offer in-person therapy in my office in Spanish Fork

Through online therapy in Utah, I can work with you wherever you are located in Utah. We can work together if you are in St. George, Logan, or Salt Lake City. Richfield? Panguitch? I got you. 

How to begin body image therapy?

1. Book a free 15-minute phone consultation

2. Complete online forms and schedule the first session with a mental health expert

3. Begin body image therapy

Other mental health services at Maple Canyon Therapy

Body image therapy isn’t the only mental health service I provide at this Utah Counseling Center. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include anxiety therapy, EMDR and trauma therapy, eating disorder treatment, and binge eating disorder treatment in Utah.

About the Author

Ashlee Hunt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Spanish Fork, Utah. Ashlee is a body image therapist specializing in body image issues. She is passionate about helping women get to a better place with their bodies by learning to use body kindness and body respect. Ashlee wants to instill hope into women that they don’t have to spend their lives hating their bodies but can stop thinking about them. Ashlee holds two bachelor's degrees, one in psychology, and one in family life and human development, from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah. She received her Masters in Social Work from Utah State University in Logan, Utah. Ashlee has helped many women have more self-compassion and improve their body image.

5 Things I Would Never Do As An Eating Disorder Therapist

Have you seen the Tiktok trend of professionals in various fields sharing the top 5 things they would never do because of what they know as experts in their chosen field? Instead, I decided to jump on that bandwagon by sharing it all with you in blog form. I want to ensure that you understand this is not to sound self-righteous or above anyone else. Ironically, I have previously done all of these because I’m no better than anyone else. My education, experience, and my incredible clients have helped me understand why these areas are detrimental. If these are things you are doing or have done, allow some self-compassion. You haven’t known any better, and that’s ok. If you look at this list and scoff and think I’m inspiring laziness or anti-health, that’s ok too. This is your journey and your experience, and I hope you find whatever it is you need to find. 

Eating disorders are complex conditions; how often have you heard me say that? Here’s to repeating it. Different factors make someone vulnerable to developing an eating disorder, and certain factors might protect someone from developing an eating disorder. I want to share with you the things I hope I would never do to help protect others from developing eating disorders. 

As an Eating disorder Therapist, I would never….

1. Make negative comments about my body or comment on others’ bodies.

When I ask my clients about the history of their body-image issues, they either know right away, or they get a little pensive and recall comments their parents, grandparents, friends, etc., have made about their bodies or others' bodies. Negative comments about your body might seem only to be hurting you, but it’s actually impacting the people around you. This opens up the idea that if you don’t like your body, then maybe there is something wrong with your body too. Not only that, but it emphasizes the importance of appearance and bodies as a whole. We are all much more than our bodies, and moving beyond this would drastically improve body image as a whole. 

You don’t have to be stoked about your body, you don’t have to be stoked about other people's bodies; you can wish you had someone else's body, but please don’t say those things out loud. Our words and language truly matter. As women, we have more to bond about than how much we hate our bodies. 

2. Label foods as good or bad

Gone are the days when we need to villainize and demonize food. Food is just food. Sugar is not addictive, and carbs aren’t “going to make you fat”  Food isn’t about morals and doesn’t need to be labeled as good or bad. There is no holy and perfect food that fits all the requirements for all the right times. If you were on a deserted island, you would be better off having a stash of ice cream than a stash of carrots. Having flexibility around food is so important for physical and mental well-being. Labeling foods as bad increases fear and guilt around eating them. We don’t need to keep passing on the message that food is good or bad. Focusing more on intuitive eating and making peace with food is the most valuable approach. 

3. Engage in dieting behaviors

I know someone I love and care about who told me they have never been much of a dieter, yet they happen to be one of the biggest dieters I have ever met. There are plenty of diets out there; just because you aren’t following a formal diet doesn’t mean you are not engaging in dieting. Intentionally restricting food intake or variety for weight loss is dieting. Avoiding sugar or having position control in hopes of losing weight is a form of dieting. The dangers of dieting are that it is disordered eating and leads to the development of eating disorders. Dieting leads to decreased self-esteem,  increased weight gain (Ironic, isn’t it?), slowed metabolism, mood irritability, and much more. There is evidence to suggest that one in four dieters will go on to develop an obsessive relationship with food and meet the criteria for an eating disorder. Dieting is not good for physical health or mental health. 

4. Make rules about sizes, weight, and clothing.

I don’t know that I have ever worked with a woman in eating disorder treatment that didn’t have some sort of rule around size or weight. They may have denied at first t they had any rules, but upon further exploration, they realized they put restrictions on the sizes of clothing they were allowed to wear. This means if their body changed at all to a different size, this wasn’t ok, and they had somehow to manipulate their weight to a smaller size of clothing. The number on the inside of jeans holds so much power over the women I work with that it is heartbreaking. It’s hard work to change their beliefs and mindset about what is ok regarding clothing sizes. The same thing applies to weight. Somehow there is a certain number that is a “good” or “healthy” number to be at, and anything above it is not ok. I remember learning as a young girl that “120” was a good weight for a woman to be. This is completely realistic for probably the majority of women. Talking about numbers and weight is also something I hope that I never ever do. 

Aside from clothing sizes, I hope I never make rules for anyone about what kind of clothing they should wear. Every parent is allowed to implement guidelines and a dress code around clothing, but if it’s fueled by the desire for thinness, hiding body parts, or because of weight, that’s not cool. If a woman of any size wants to wear a crop top, she can. If a woman wants to wear shorts to keep her body cool, she can. We must accept that all bodies are good and deserve to be comfortable. 

5. Share jokes about eating disorder behaviors 

It is never funny to make jokes about eating disorder behaviors. Ever. Joking about purging or restricting is not ok, and it will never be funny. Maybe this comes across as harsh, but I’m telling you because I want you to stop doing it. You have no idea how painful and scary it is to have an eating disorder. Eating disorders thrive in secrecy and are easy to be kept hidden.  There is no good kind of eating disorder. Eating disorders impact men and women of any size and are always harmful. You don’t know the people around you that are struggling with an eating disorder and disordered eating. Making light of their experience is painful and teaches them you aren’t a safe person. It’s ok for you not to understand an eating disorder, but it doesn’t make a serious mental health struggle something to make a joke about. As a teenager, I made jokes about eating disorder behaviors and deeply regretted it. It’s one of those things that I struggle not to ruminate on because I know how horrible it was to make a joke about this mental health condition. Learn from my mistakes and don’t make jokes about them. 

Begin eating disorder treatment and start working with an eating disorder therapist near Provo, Utah

If you struggle with an eating disorder or disordered eating, you don’t have to try to figure it out alone. I know your relationship with food and body image issues doesn’t have a quick fix. Recovering from an eating disorder is possible, and eating disorder therapy can help. I have experience in training in helping women be more accepting of their bodies and less anxious around food. This Utah Counseling Clinic has an eating disorder therapist to help! To begin therapy:

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation

2. Meet with a mental health professional

3. Begin eating disorder therapy

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah

As a therapist licensed in Utah, I can work with you in person in my office in Spanish Fork, but I can also work with you from anywhere in Utah through online therapy in Utah. This means if you are located in Logan, St. George, or Salt Lake City, we can still work together for you to meet your mental health goals.

Other Counseling Services offered at Maple Canyon Therapy 

I work with more than just women who struggle with eating disorders at this Northern Utah Counseling Center. Other Services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include anxiety treatment, body image therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, EMDR, and trauma therapy.

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, eating disorder therapist, and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy Services in Utah. Ashlee has two bachelor’s degrees, a psychology degree, a Family Life and Human Development Degree from Southern Utah University, and a master’s degree in social work from Utah State University. Ashlee is passionate about treating eating disorders and working with women who struggle with: body image issues, disordered eating, and binge eating disorder. She utilizes EMDR for eating disorders to help her clients in eating disorder recovery. She also helps women who struggle with: symptoms of anxiety, including high-functioning anxiety and perfectionism. Ashlee believes in intuitive eating for eating disorder recovery and utilizes a Health At Every Size Approach in providing care to her clients. 

Other Blog Posts You May Find Helpful:

• 5 Reasons To Not Compliment Weight Loss: Advice From an Eating Disorder Therapist

• 5 Things You Should Know About Eating Disorders: Advice From An Eating Disorder Therapist

• Eating Disorder Treatment: You Deserve It.

• What You Think You Know About Eating Disorders is Probably Wrong

How Long Will I Need Anxiety Therapy?

The women I work with are often high-achieving and hardworking. They are used to getting things done in an efficient way and doing it well. These attributes make a significant impact on what they can get out of going to therapy. I love working with these women because they are dedicated and dependable, and they will do whatever it takes to find relief from their anxiety. 

One of the challenges of working with women with anxiety is the timeline they expect to get results and be done with therapy. I tell my clients to plan on a year of weekly therapy before considering ending it or tapering down sessions. Between you and I, a year is even know that long of a time, and most people need even longer. 

Maple Canyon Therapy’s approach to anxiety therapy

As a therapist, I want my clients to feel better as quickly as possible. I feel that the weight on my shoulders is sometimes heavier than I should, but that’s because I want it so badly for you. I have been in that position, and I get how horrible it feels to be scared, nervous, and anxious. More than I want fast results for my clients, I want you to feel better long term. I want you to be equipped with the skills to manage your anxiety long-term, and unfortunately for both of us, that is not a fast process. If you want relief from anxiety, plan on a year or more of therapy. 

The challenges my clients face with anxiety treatment 

You might look at that one-year timeline for anxiety treatment and think, “I bet I could do it in four months.” I’m begging you not to do that. It’s not realistic and honestly unfair to you and your therapist. The work that I do with clients involves going for the roots of their anxiety, and when you end treatment early because you feel like you should be done, it can cause more harm than good. Hopefully, you wouldn’t end a medical procedure before getting stitched back up, so please don’t end anxiety counseling before it’s through. I realize therapy is an investment. Again, I’ve been there and know it’s not an easy sacrifice, but the return on an investment will change your life forever if you go through all the steps. There are no shortcuts to healing trauma, anxiety, or eating disorders. Please make sure this is something feasible for you before you begin counseling. Allow yourself to work through the process without ending early. I understand that clients start feeling better because they have a few more skills than they did before, but sadly they have to return as a result. 

How do I know I am done with anxiety therapy?

Regardless of the timeline, ending anxiety treatment should be planned and talked about with your therapist. Feeling good for one week isn’t a good approach to ending treatment. Being able to consistently manage anxiety and stressors, along with having worked through past negative experiences and improved your beliefs about yourself, are all important goals to focus on before ending treatment.  I like to discuss with my clients a date we can work toward to taper down on therapy session frequency. In that process, we will chat about goals you have achieved and some that you would like to continue to work on. 

Start anxiety treatment near Provo, Utah today

If you struggle with anxiety, you don’t have to struggle alone. If you are like the women I work with, you’ve tried really hard to do it on your own. You don’t have to white-knuckle it through life. This Northern Utah Counseling Practice has an anxiety therapist who can help. If you haven’t worked with a therapist before, you might be surprised at how relieved you can find from your anxiety by doing so. To begin anxiety treatment, follow these steps:

1. Schedule a 15-minute phone consultation

2. Meet with a therapist for anxiety

3. Begin anxiety counseling

Online Therapy in Utah

I also provide anxiety treatment through online therapy in Utah. This means that wherever you are in Utah, I can work with you. I often work with clients in Logan, Salt Lake City, and St. George, Utah. 

Other mental health services at Maple Canyon Therapy 

Anxiety therapy isn’t the only mental health service provided at this Utah County Counseling Clinic. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include eating disorder therapy, birth trauma therapy, body image therapy, trauma therapy, and binge eating disorder treatment in Utah.

Other blog posts you may find helpful: 

• LDS Women and Anxiety: Thoughts From an Anxiety Therapist

• A Therapist’s Top 5 Tips For Calming Down 

• You Might Never Be Fully Ready: Why Try Therapy Anyway

• Why Therapy Sucks: A Therapist's Perspective

• 4 Reasons Why You Should Attend Therapy Every Week

• 6 Reasons Why Therapy Hasn't Worked

About the Author

Ashlee Hunt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy Services. Ashlee holds two bachelor’s degrees from Southern Utah University, including a bachelor's in Psychology and a Bachelor's in Family Life and Human Development. Ashlee completed her master of Social Work at Utah State University. Ashlee provides individual therapy in-person in Spanish Fork, Utah, and online counseling for Utah residents Ashlee specializes in treating women with symptoms of anxiety, including LDS women with anxiety, high-functioning anxiety, and perfectionism. She also utilizes an EMDR approach to help clients manage symptoms of anxiety.

Anxiety Therapy: What Should I Expect?

Most of the women I work with struggle with some level of anxiety whether they realize it yet or not. These women like to be prepared for any situation. If you relate to having anxiety you are probably the one studying menus online before going to a restaurant, looking up the address to a job interview well in advance so you know how to get there, and looking over all your assignments for the semester on your first day of class. Maybe that’s not you to a T but I do know you like to be prepared. If you’re going to start anxiety treatment you want to know what to expect and what it will be like. I’m here to give you a heads-up of what you can expect from the process so you aren’t caught off guard. 

What is anxiety therapy?

You and I can talk about anything in these sessions. In fact, it’s pretty common to come into therapy and think we will only be focusing on anxiety but it ends up being directed at your relationships, past experiences, and beliefs about yourself. During your first session, I want to be able to get to know you and what you are struggling with. I will probably ask you a lot of questions about yourself and your anxiety. Looking at your history with anxiety is important in knowing how to treat it and help you get feeling better. A balance of helping you learn to cope with your anxiety, identify triggers, and what makes anxiety worse along with digging deep into your life experiences that may have contributed to your developing anxiety is important. Anxiety is often a symptom of something else. Yes, some of us are wired to be a bit more anxious than others because that’s part of our temperaments but when anxiety feels unmanageable, there’s more to it than we think. There are sessions where you may want to focus on something different entirely, and that’s great! We don’t only have to talk about your anxiety because there are other parts to you besides your anxiety, and this is something I want to help you understand in anxiety therapy. 

Does anxiety therapy even help?

The goal for me as an anxiety therapist is to help my clients find relief from their anxiety and be able to function in their lives much better than they used to. I definitely wouldn’t be offering anxiety therapy if there wasn’t a wide range of evidence-based practices that work to improve anxiety. It absolutely does and will work but it’s also important to recognize some important aspects of anxiety treatment. It takes practicing the coping skills and approaches we talk about in our sessions outside of sessions. Finding relief from anxiety requires effort and work and the more you work for it the more results you will get. It’s also important to note that we can never make anxiety go away forever. You will feel anxiety again in your life no matter how much therapy you go to but the hope is that it will have much less power over you, won’t last as long, and you will be better able to cope with it when it happens. Anxiety treatment absolutely helps. 

Will you ask me to take anxiety medication?

I am pretty neutral when it comes to whether my clients take medication for the most part. If you are against taking medication, I’m not here to force you to take it. I respect and want what you want. Medication can be a helpful tool and can help people get to a better place mentally. It doesn’t mean you have to take it. If I see you are struggling and feeling overwhelmed in the process, we might talk about medication as one of the tools to use in dealing with anxiety but whether you want to utilize it or not is totally up to you. 

Online Anxiety Therapy in Utah

I love doing anxiety therapy through online therapy in Utah.  People worry that if therapy is online that it’s not as effective as in-person therapy, but that’s a big fat myth. I was doing online therapy before the pandemic started, where it was common practice, and it’s always been effective. I love it for those that struggle with anxiety because they are often more comfortable in their own house. They don’t have to worry about finding my office or how they should dress etc. I want my clients to be as comfortable as possible doing therapy. If you are hesitant about going to therapy and have been putting it off, you should try online therapy. It’s just as good for anxiety treatment, I pinky promise. 

Online counseling also means that wherever you are located in Utah, I am able to work with you. I work with clients in Logan, Salt Lake City, Heber, St. George, Cedar City, and more.

Start anxiety treatment near Provo, Utah

I promise you don’t have to feel anxious and overwhelmed constantly. You might not know anything different, but this Northern Utah counseling practice has an anxiety therapist specializing in treating anxiety that can help you. To begin therapy, follow these steps:

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation

2. Complete online forms and schedule the first appointment with a therapist for anxiety

3. Begin anxiety therapy! 

Other mental health services are provided near Provo, Utah

Anxiety therapy isn’t the only counseling service this Utah County counseling clinic provides. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include birth trauma therapy, body image therapy, trauma therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, and eating disorder therapy in Utah.

About the Author

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy near Provo, Utah. Ashlee has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a bachelor’s degree in family life and human development from Southern Utah University. She received her masters in social work from Utah State University. Ashlee has worked with women with anxiety in various treatment settings but loves working with women on an outpatient basis. She treats women with social anxiety, performance anxiety, dating anxiety, and high-functioning anxiety. When Ashlee isn’t doing therapy, she enjoys summers at Splash Summit Water Park in Provo.

Other blog posts from Maple Canyon Therapy You Might Find Helpful:

• How Do I Know If I Need to Go to Therapy?

• 4 Misconceptions About Therapists

• 6 Signs You Are A Perfectionist

• 5 Things Not To Say To Someone With Anxiety: Advice From an Anxiety Therapist

• 5 Ways To Deal With Dating Anxiety: Tips From an Anxiety Therapist

• What is High Functioning Anxiety?

• LDS Women and Anxiety: Thoughts From an Anxiety Therapist

How Do I Know If I Need to Go to Therapy?

Reaching out for help and deciding to go to therapy is a difficult decision to make. Often times when I meet my clients for the first time they are feeling anxious about being there in therapy. My clients don’t know what to expect and even have the fear that I as their therapist, will think they don’t need therapy or just the opposite that they are too much to handle. 

I totally understand the fear that a therapist will dismiss your problems as insignificant or share confusion on why you thought you needed therapy in the first place. I want you to know I’ve been in practice for almost a decade, and not even once has that thought crossed my mind with a client. Never have I had a client sit in front of me, and I have considered that they didn’t actually need or deserve to be there in therapy. If you want help and to improve your life, you deserve to be in therapy. 

There are other signs or symptoms you may experience in your life that might show you could benefit from attending therapy. I would like to share with you some but not all of what those may be. 

You want to go to therapy 

First a foremost if you want to go to therapy, you should go to therapy. People that voluntarily want to go to therapy and are willing to do whatever it takes to get feeling better are the ones that benefit the most from therapy. If you’ve ever been curious about therapy and wondered if it’s for you, it probably is. Therapy is for everyone. Therapy doesn’t mean you are crazy or mentally unstable. Therapy can be helpful for anyone at different stages of their lives. It’s easy to talk ourselves out of getting help or think what you are struggling with isn’t bad enough but honestly, it's better to get help before it gets too bad or overwhelming. 

You are interested in improving your life

I may be biased but I believe one of the best tools for improving your life is therapy. Self-help books are great and I recommend them with the therapy process but it’s hard to work on things all on your own. Therapy allows you to have a third party share their perspective on your life and blind spots you may be missing. It’s an opportunity for you to heal from past experiences and negative beliefs that you may not even realize are impacting your life. It’s easy to tell ourselves that we are over past experiences and they don’t impact us anymore but that’s not always true. Regardless, I believe those I work with deserve to have the best life they possibly can without the past hanging over their heads. 

You want to improve your relationships 

It is sometimes surprising to people that individual therapy can have a big fat impact on our relationships for the better. I am not a couples therapist but I see it all the time that as my clients work through their past and trauma they have better relationships with their partners and family members. When they are feeling better about themselves and their lives, they have more room and opportunities to connect with loved ones. My clients also don’t always realize how much of their past experiences carry over into how they respond in their present relationships. Even when you know your relationship needs the help of a couples of therapist, it still greatly benefits you also to be working on yourself as an individual. 

You find it difficult to cope with symptoms of anxiety

It’s a struggle when life suddenly feels more difficult than it used to. Sometimes it’s confusing why the way you used to deal with stress doesn’t work anymore. My clients have shared confusion in the past on why things that happened a long time ago that haven’t bothered them in a long time are suddenly bothering them again. It’s hard when life surprises you with new challenges. This is pretty normal for the women I work with and for those that have experienced trauma without realizing it was trauma. Therapy can help you work through the things that are bothering you and find new ways to cope with stress. 

You’re going through a hard time

There are many difficult things to go through as a human. You may have experienced the death of someone you love, stress at work, or a strained relationship with a family member or friend, and you may feel more anxious and sad. All of these are hard things to cope with on your own. Seeing a therapist can make a big difference if you are going through a hard time. Sometimes it even helps to say what you are struggling with and have a trained therapist help you through it. I truly wish everyone could go to therapy or give it a try if they have the financial means to do so. It’s surprising how much it makes a difference in your life. If you are thinking about going to therapy, I hope you'll take the risk and try it. When you find a good therapist that knows how to treat what you are struggling with it can be absolutely life-changing. 

Looking for anxiety therapy near Provo, Utah

You don’t have to keep dealing with feelings of anxiousness. Anxiety therapy can help your life feel more manageable. This Provo Utah area counseling clinic has an anxiety therapist specializing in anxiety treatment. To begin anxiety therapy, follow the steps below:

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation

2. Complete online forms and schedule the first session with a therapist for anxiety

3. Begin therapy

Other mental health services provided near Provo, Utah

Anxiety therapy isn’t the only therapy service provided at this Northern Utah Counseling Clinic. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include trauma therapy, eating disorder therapy, birth trauma therapy, body image therapy, and binge eating disorder treatment in Utah.

about the author

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah County. Ashlee has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a bachelor’s in family life and human development from Utah State University. She received a master’s degree in social work from Utah State University. Ashlee enjoys working with women with high-functioning anxiety who are willing to do whatever it takes to feel better. She helps women with social anxiety, performance anxiety, and dating anxiety. When Ashlee isn’t in therapy, she is probably playing fetch with her Goldendoodle at the Spanish Fork Dog Park.

Other blog posts from Maple Canyon Therapy you might find helpful :

• You Might Never Be Fully Ready: Why You Should Try Therapy Anyway

• Why Therapy Sucks: A Therapist’s Perspective

• 4 Reasons Why You Should Attend Therapy Every Week

• The Power Of Therapy: You Can Feel Better

• The Delight Of Online Therapy: 4 Reasons To Try It

• Having Hope and Doing The Work In Therapy

4 Misconceptions About Therapists

You and I can be real with each other right? Sometimes being a therapist is a hard job but maybe not how you would think. People assume that it’s hard to hear people’s painful stories all day. That’s not hard for me. It’s an honor to be able to be considered safe enough for people to share that with. I love nothing more than to be able to extend compassion and help people heal from the worst experiences of their lives. The challenge sometimes is actually the misconceptions that therapists receive and because I am a therapist I get lumped into that. Part of the reason therapy is effective is because you don’t know everything about your therapist and while I would not change that sometimes it leads to misconceptions. 

Therapists just want to convince you that there's something wrong with you. 

Woof. Worst one ever. That’s actually the opposite of being true. Part of the reason I don’t take insurance is that they require you to have a diagnosis aka something wrong with you. I don’t think it’s fair to my clients. There’s a reason diagnoses are created and used but sometimes they aren’t helpful. I do talk with my clients especially the ones with eating disorders who are struggling to see the significance of their behavior about a diagnosis but I never want my clients to feel like there’s something wrong with them or that there is no hope of getting better. It’s not accurate at all and it’s not helpful. It’s also not my approach at all. Therapy is not only for mental illness. It’s for everyone. 

Therapists blame your family or childhood for your problems. 

This one is a real struggle for me because there is a lot of truth that our histories impact our present beliefs about ourselves and the world. There’s just no way around that being the truth. It’s a principle we experience all around in the world we live in. Cause and effect is a real principle. However, the goal of a therapist is not to blame the people you love and care about especially when the people in your life were doing their best in how they raised you. In therapy, we do make connections of when things started or what they are rooted in but the goal is not to blame or confront anyone for that but to find a way to heal from it while cultivating the type of relationship you want with family and friends. 

Therapists will convince you to leave your religion or church

I mean I can’t speak for all therapists on any of these honestly but for me no way dude. There’s not a chance I will ever tell you what to do with your spiritual or religious beliefs. It’s my job to help you identify your values and how to get your actions to line up with them so you can have a happier fulfilled life. There is absolutely no room anywhere in my heart to take away what is important to someone or to persuade them to abandon what’s important to them. I’m just not here for that. My personal values and beliefs have nothing to do with yours. I own mine and would never let them influence yours. 

Therapists will fill your head with crazy ideas

If you think this is me, then you are giving me way more credit than I deserve. You wanna know what my clients talk about in sessions: emotions, coping skills, how to be nice to themselves, ways to work through trauma, and if we are feeling really crazy, talk about restaurants we like to eat at. Again, I can’t speak for all therapists, but I think there is some room to challenge the fact that therapists have wild agendas and want to persuade you to do things that have no impact on our lives. I am here for you, and that’s it. I want you to be happy, healthy, and safe, and want to provide you with research tools that have already been proven to help you get there. 

Finding a therapist that meets your needs is important. Not every therapist is going to be the right fit but when you do find the right therapist for you, it can make a big difference. It’s important to be able to challenge these myths and misconceptions you might have about therapists in order to get the help that you deserve. Therapists aren’t here to persuade you of anything, blame your family, make you think you’re flawed, or be critical of your beliefs. 

Looking for an anxiety therapist and located in Utah?

If you are struggling with anxiety and worry and feel like it’s taking over your life, therapy can help. You don’t have to live that way, and you can find relief from the knots in your stomach. This Utah County counseling clinic has an anxiety therapist specializing in anxiety treatment that can help. To begin counseling, follow the steps below:

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation

2. Meet with a therapist for anxiety

3. Begin feeling better

Online Therapy in Utah

I know it’s hard to navigate your busy schedule, and maybe you don’t feel like you deserve to do something for yourself, like therapy. You deserve help and focus on your needs, and I want to make it convenient for you by offering online therapy in Utah. Online therapy is convenient, secure, and just as effective as in-person therapy.

Online counseling allows me to work with you if you are in Logan, Salt Lake City, St. George, Cedar City, Heber, and more.

Other mental health services at Maple Canyon Therapy

Anxiety therapy isn’t the only counseling service provided at this Northern Utah Counseling Center. Other mental services that Maple Canyon Therapy provides are eating disorder therapy, body image therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, trauma therapy, and birth trauma therapy in Utah.

About the Author

Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Northern Utah. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a bachelor’s degree in family life and human development from Southern Utah University. Ashlee has a master’s degree in social work from Utah State University. She has been practicing therapy for nearly a decade and enjoys working with women with anxiety to help them finally have peace. She helps women with high-functioning anxiety, dating anxiety, performance anxiety, and social anxiety. When Ashlee isn’t doing therapy, she enjoys spending time with her Goldendoodles who enjoy walks on the Spanish Fork River Trail.

Other blog posts or resources you may find helpful

• How Couples Therapy Can Be Helpful in Eating Disorder Recovery

• How Eating Disorders Impact Your Relationship

• EMDR Online Therapy: Here’s What You Should Know

• 5 Things To Look For In An Eating Disorder Therapist