online therapy for queer and transgender career professionals, creatives, and college students
Eating Disorder & Body Image Therapy in Pittsburgh, PA
Finding peace with food in Pittsburgh, PA.
The grind of your remote job makes it harder to take yourself, like eating on a normal schedule. Maybe you’re counting calories, and the brain fog is so intense that you can’t concentrate on work. Perhaps you’re snacking all day at your computer and you lose track of time. Next thing you know you’re feeling bloated and sick.
You keep trying to feel okay in your body, but the constant GLP-1 commercials and social media ads have made that feel impossible.
Or maybe you’re taking a GLP-1 and you’re terrifed that you’ll gain the weight back. The reflection in the mirror still looks like the body you were in before you started the medication, and the invasive questions about what you’re eating are starting to feel exhausting. You thought you’d feel better about yourself after taking a GLP-1, but you’re stressed about your body in a different way.
Whether you’re in Squirrel Hill North or Shady Side, the struggle to find a normal relationship with food is real. Body image therapy can help you find the root of your food struggles and build confidence in who you are beyond your body size.
Are you burned out by your college schedule? Does food feel out of control?
Living in Pittsburgh can bring unique challenges to your relationship with food and body image.
LGBTQ struggles such as minority stress and family rejection can cause you to monitor your food intake and engage in unhealthy amounts of exercise.
A body that doesn’t feel congruent with your gender identity and counting calories has become a way to cope with gender dysphoria.
High performance expectations and feeling constant pressure to deliver results with tight deadlines.
Imposter syndrome caused by working in a career with a competitive job market like tech.
Workplace burnout and second-hand trauma from working in healthcare.
Unpredictable schedules, rotations, and exams in med school can make it easier to push through stress and ignore your physical needs.
Therapy that Fits Your Life
Virtual Eating Disorder Therapy & Body Image Therapy in Pittsburgh, PA
Getting specialized support shouldn’t feel like one more thing in your life that gets put on the backburner. As a working professional or college student, your time is valuable and limited. As a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist with over 15 years of experience, I offer virtual therapy services to busy career professionals, LGBTQ adults, and college students in Pittsburgh. Online therapy allows you to access care from your home, office or any place that is private.
A different approach to body image therapy
Health at Every Size and weight-inclusive care are values that guide my practice. That means I won’t recommend weight loss and I believe we all deserve love and respect at any size.
what to expect from eating disorder and body image therapy
Instead of fighting with your eating disorder, we’ll get curious about the ways it’s protected you.
Everyone’s story is different. That’s why I take time to really get to know you and your history with food.
Together, we’ll figure out what’s been driving your eating struggles and what a life beyond them could actually look like for you. Defining what you want out of this journey helps you stay committed when things feel hard. Real lasting change happens when it’s driven by your own motivations for recovery, not mine.
I use mind-body approaches including Art Therapy and Internal Family Systems to get to the root of your eating disorder. Art therapy can help you connect to your inner world in a way that words might not be able to. IFS helps you understand your conflicting feelings around your eating disorder, and make decisions grounded in your true self. When you start to understand where your food issues come from, you can heal the pain underneath them.
I practice from a weight-inclusive and social justice framework. That means we’ll look at how messages from your family, culture, and society have shaped how you see yourselfand how you feel in your body.By unlearning these beliefs, you can begin to treat yourself with real compassion and actually connect to whatreally matters to you.
Recovery doesn’t have to be so lonely. We’ll work on building and strengthening a support system of people you trust, so you don’t feel like you’re doing this all on your own. The more you share your story, the lighter it feels.
I’m not here to fix you, because you’re not broken. You won’t have to follow a strict treatment plan and you don’t have to do recovery “perfectly”. We’ll build a plan together—one that has structure and is flexible.
Recovery doesn’t need to be all or nothing
I truly believe you can find peace, even if you don’t love your body. You can live a meaningful life where you are present and kind to yourself.
My approach to eating disorder and body image therapy.
As one of the few Certified Eating Disorder Specialists (CEDS) in Pennsylvania, with advanced training in gender-affirming care, I offer an approach that goes beyond traditional treatment models.
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IFS is a an experiential therapy apporach that views your inner world as parts, including your eating disorder.
You might discover a part that is always counting calories while another part wants doesn’t want to think about food at all. Together, we'll help all parts of you feel heard and work toward internal harmony. We’ll explore what drives your eating disorder, and create a path forward that is right for you.
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Art therapy provides a powerful avenue for exploring emotions, body image concerns, and experiences related to your eating disorder that might be difficult to talk about.
Art therapy can help us access our emotions in a way that words can’t. You don’t need to be good at art or have any artistic background to benefit from art therapy.
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Understanding how past experiences shape current eating behaviors is crucial for lasting recovery. Focal psychodynamic therapy helps us explore how early relationships, trauma, and family dynamics influence your relationship with food and body. This depth-oriented approach provides insights into why certain patterns developed and how to create healthier alternatives.
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If you’re navigating OCD treatment along side of eating disorder recovery, ERP is an evidenced-based treatment approach that helps you face your fears and break the cycle.
ERP is a collaborative model where we both create exposure exercises that you practice in session, while resisting your compulsions.
who’s this for?
Is eating disorder and body image therapy right for you?
I work with teens and adults across many identities and phases of life. My approach is a good fit for:
LGBTQ adults, transgender/gender expansive individuals who are seeking identify affirming care that understands the unique overlap of eating disorders and queer life.
Career professionals and creatives who are navigating self-esteem issues, burnout, and imposter syndrome in Pittsburgh.
Medical students and college students are struggling with perfectionism and navigating high performance expectations.
Eating disorder and body image therapy can help you…
Map out the history of your food struggles and how they are impacting your life now
Explore how racism, transphobia, and fat phobia have impacted your self-worth and how you move through the world.
Use creative approaches like IFS and art therapy to get to the underlying patterns that trigger your eating disorder.
Reconnect with your hobbies and feel more present in your relationships. So much mental space gets freed up when you’re not always thinking about food.
Help you connect with your hunger and fullness cues so you can trust your body’s needs.
Build a team of people you trust who can support you in your recovery. This can be a therapist, dietitian, and people in your personal life such as family and friends.
it’s time to stop treating your body like it’s something to fix
It's time to make peace with food & accept yourself as you are.
faqs
Frequently asked questions for Pittsburgh teens and adults
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My office is located in Philadelphia, so I offer virtual therapy services to people in Pittsburgh and online across PA.
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Yes, I offer identity-affirming care to queer, transgender, and gender expansive individuals ages 12 and up. I am a queer therapist with advanced training and experience in gender affirming care.
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Yes! I collaborate with everyone on your treatment team to make sure we are all on the same page. This includes regular phone calls and emails with the people on your team. I’ve worked with individuals across PA.
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Our first session focuses on what’s bringing you to therapy. We work together to craft a timeline of the history of your eating disorder and how it’s affecting you now.
We’ll explore what recovery means to you, identify the people in your community, and discuss whether you need more support.
Sessions may involve just talk therapy, while other sessions may incorporate mind-body approaches, like Art Therapy and Internal Family Systems.
Eating disorder treatment is collaborative. If needed, I will help you build a care team of people you trust. This often includes a dietician, primary care physician and sometimes a psychiatrist.
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Recovery timelines vary greatly depending on individual needs, severity of symptoms, and co-occurring mental health conditions. Some clients work with me for several months, while others benefit from longer-term support. We'll regularly assess your progress and adjust our approach as needed.
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It can be a big leap to make that first appointment! There are no guarantees, but here are some things to look for.
You might be ready if you…
Have been trying to manage your eating disorder on your own, but you need help.
Feel ready to add some accountability.
Just completed intensive outpatient treatment and are looking to step down.
Think body acceptance sounds nice in theory, but struggle to put it into practice.
Are interested in intuitive eating, but feel scared to try it alone.
You’re looking for a mind-body approach to therapy, and want more than just coping skills and behavior change.
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You can schedule a consultation directly through my website by booking online.
You can also send an email through my contact form. I’ll reply to your email within 1-2 business days (not on weekends). From there, we’ll pick a day and time that works for both of us.
Your journey begins with a free 20-minute phone consultation where we'll discuss what's bringing you to therapy for eating disorders. This is a chance for you to ask me questions about my approach and see if we’re a good fit.
Once we book the first appointment, you'll receive an email to set up your client portal and complete the intake paperwork online. Once all of the forms are completed, your appointment will be confirmed.
During our first full session, we'll explore your history with eating behaviors, screen for various eating disorder symptoms, and discuss your goals for recovery. I'll explain how my treatment approaches can support your healing journey.
These first few sessions are a way to see if it will be a good fit for both of us. So there’s no pressure to commit before you’re ready, and my feelings won’t be hurt if you decide to go with another provider. I want the best care for you, and will help you connect with a therapist who’s right for you.
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I typically meet with clients weekly for one-hour sessions, though some benefit from meeting more frequently or for extended 90-minute sessions depending on the severity of their eating disorder symptoms. Consistency is crucial in eating disorder treatment – we'll establish a regular time that becomes your dedicated space for healing.
Our sessions blend different therapeutic approaches based on your evolving needs. Some weeks might focus on IFS work to understand internal conflicts, while others might involve art therapy to process emotions or exposure therapy to challenge fear foods.
Between sessions, I provide journal prompts and, when appropriate, ERP homework to help you practice new skills and continue your recovery work.
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You don't need to be fully ready for recovery to begin therapy for eating disorders. Many clients feel ambivalent about change initially. We'll explore this ambivalence together and work at a pace that feels manageable while gently challenging eating disorder behaviors.
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Yes, I provide treatment for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other specified feeding or eating disorders. My integrative approach adapts to address various eating disorder symptoms and behaviors.
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You don’t have to check certain boxes to be struggling with disordered eating. In fact, a lot of people with an eating disorder have never received a diagnosis. This is because not everyone’s experience with food is the same. Diet culture also normalizes undereating, which can make it harder to know if you have an eating disorder.
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For some LGTBQ individuals, eating disorders are directly connected to traumatic experiences from the past. Counting calories and purging can be ways to manage feelings, and a feel a sense of control. Depending on where you are in your recovery, reducing eating disorders behaviors may be the first goal before starting trauma therapy.
Learn more about trauma therapy for LGBTQ individuals in Philadelphia.
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As a Certified Eating Disorders Specialist (CEDS) through IAEDP, I do not recommend that people with an active eating disorder take GLP-1s. GLP-1s cause appetite suppression and rapid weight loss, which can actually make your ED symptoms worse. If you’re in eating disorder recovery, GLP-1s can increase the risk for relapse and malnutrition.
Click here to read more about navigating eating disorder recovery in the GLP-1 era.
What Makes My Practice Different
As an art therapist and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS), I use creative and somatic approachs to help people get to the root of their food issues, and find real confidence in themselves. As a queer therapist with over 15 years in practice, I’ve dedicated my career to helping LGBTQ and transgender individuals discover and affirm their amazing selves.
I understand that recovery isn't one-size-fits-all, and that each journey is different. My approach is truly collaborative which means you define your therapy goals, not me.