Eating Disorder Therapy in Washington, DC
Eating disorder therapy in Washington, DC for a steadier relationship with food, body and yourself.
North Star Psychological Services provides eating disorder therapy in Washington, DC near Dupont Circle for people struggling with restriction, binge eating, purging, body image distress, compulsive exercise, food anxiety or shame around eating.
In-person therapy in Dupont Circle and secure virtual therapy for clients in Washington, DC and participating PsyPact states.
What eating concerns can feel like
Food may be taking up more space than you want.
Many people who come to North Star for eating disorder therapy in DC are still working, parenting, studying, caregiving, dating, leading teams or showing up for others. From the outside, life may look mostly fine.
Inside, meals may feel loaded. Your body may feel like something to monitor. Exercise, food rules, guilt, checking, comparison or secrecy may be draining energy from the life you want to live.
Eating disorder symptoms may look like:
- Thinking about food, calories, weight, shape or exercise throughout the day
- Feeling anxious before meals or guilty after eating
- Restricting, binge eating, purging or feeling caught in cycles that are hard to stop
- Avoiding restaurants, social plans, travel or dating because food or body image feels overwhelming
- Feeling like your life is becoming smaller, even if you are still functioning
At North Star, eating disorder therapy is compassionate, practical and collaborative. We help you understand what the eating disorder is doing for you, what it is costing you, and what support you may need to move toward recovery.
Common signs
Signs it may be time to get more support
You do not need to wait until your symptoms feel severe enough to count. Eating disorders and disordered eating often thrive in secrecy, minimization and the belief that you should be able to fix it alone.
- Skipping meals, delaying eating or creating rigid food rules
- Binge eating or feeling out of control around food
- Purging, over-exercising or using other behaviors to compensate for eating
- Feeling intense guilt, panic or shame after meals
- Frequent body checking, weighing, comparing or mirror scanning
- Avoiding social events, restaurants or trips because of food concerns
- Using busyness, work stress or productivity to justify not eating
- Feeling afraid of weight changes or certain types of food
- Eating concerns mixed with anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD or ADHD
- Feeling like food and body image are quietly controlling your day
Areas of support
Eating disorder therapy tailored to your symptoms, history and goals
Eating disorders are not only about food. They can be connected to anxiety, control, trauma, perfectionism, identity, family patterns, shame, sensory needs, transitions, grief, depression or the pressure to keep performing.
Restrictive eating and food rules
Therapy can help when rules about what, when or how much to eat have become rigid, scary or difficult to interrupt.
Binge eating and loss of control
We help clients understand binge cycles with curiosity, not shame, and build steadier ways to respond to emotion, deprivation and stress.
Bulimia and compensatory behaviors
Support can include understanding urges, reducing secrecy, strengthening coping skills and working toward safety and stability.
Body image distress
Therapy can help you loosen the grip of checking, comparison, avoidance and the belief that body acceptance must come before living.
Compulsive exercise
We support clients who feel driven to move from guilt, fear, anxiety or rules rather than choice, enjoyment or care.
Eating disorders with anxiety or trauma
Eating concerns often overlap with anxiety, OCD, depression, ADHD, trauma or major life transitions. Treatment can address the whole picture.
Our approach
Eating disorder therapy is not about willpower
Eating disorders are not failures of discipline. They are often coping systems that once made sense, even if they are now causing pain, isolation or health concerns.
Our clinicians draw from evidence-based and trauma-informed approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, EMDR when trauma is involved, and other approaches depending on your needs. When clinically appropriate, we may also coordinate care with physicians, dietitians or higher levels of support.
Understand the pattern
We start by learning how eating concerns show up in your thoughts, emotions, body, routines, relationships, stress, identity and sense of control.
Build safer, steadier responses
You will work on skills for managing urges, shame, anxiety, body distress, rigid rules, emotional triggers and situations you have been avoiding.
Make room for life outside the disorder
Treatment focuses on helping you reconnect with relationships, work, rest, creativity, pleasure, values and parts of yourself that have been crowded out.
Washington, DC eating disorder therapy
Therapy that understands achievement pressure, body image stress and DC life
In Washington, DC, it can be easy to normalize running on stress, skipping meals for meetings, using exercise as proof of discipline, or pushing through distress because everyone around you seems busy too.
Our Dupont Circle therapists work with professionals, federal workers, attorneys, consultants, graduate students, parents, caregivers and young adults who may look high-functioning while privately feeling controlled by food, body image or eating disorder behaviors.
Therapy gives you a confidential place to be honest without performing. You do not need to have the perfect language for what is happening. You do not need to feel certain that it is bad enough. You only need to be willing to start the conversation.
What to expect
Starting eating disorder therapy at North Star
Free phone consultation
You can start by reaching out with questions. We will help you think through fit, scheduling, fees, location and what kind of support may make sense.
A thoughtful match
Our team includes clinicians with diverse training and areas of focus. We work to connect you with someone who understands eating concerns and related symptoms.
Collaborative treatment
Sessions may focus on symptoms, emotions, urges, body image, relationships, trauma history, values and practical steps between sessions.
Local therapy near you
In-person eating disorder therapy in Dupont Circle
North Star Psychological Services is located at 1350 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036, directly south of Dupont Circle.
We serve clients from Dupont Circle and nearby neighborhoods, with in-person, virtual and hybrid therapy options.
Questions about eating disorder therapy
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I need eating disorder therapy?
You may benefit from eating disorder therapy if food, weight, body image, exercise, guilt, binge eating, restriction, purging or fear of eating are interfering with your health, relationships, mood, work, school or ability to feel present in your life. You do not need to wait until things are severe or medically urgent to ask for support.
Do you offer in-person eating disorder therapy in Washington, DC?
Yes. North Star offers in-person eating disorder therapy in Dupont Circle, Washington, DC, as well as virtual and hybrid therapy options. Our office is located near the Dupont Circle Metro and is accessible for clients coming from downtown DC, Georgetown, Logan Circle, Adams Morgan, Foggy Bottom and surrounding neighborhoods.
What types of eating concerns do you treat?
We support clients struggling with restrictive eating, binge eating, purging behaviors, compulsive exercise, body image distress, food anxiety, chronic dieting, shame around eating and eating concerns that overlap with anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD or ADHD. During consultation, we can help determine whether outpatient therapy is an appropriate level of care.
Will therapy focus on weight or dieting?
Eating disorder therapy at North Star is not diet coaching. The focus is on understanding symptoms, reducing shame, strengthening coping skills, improving flexibility around food and body image, and supporting your overall emotional health. When medical or nutritional support is needed, we may discuss coordinating with appropriate providers.
Can eating disorder therapy help if I am still functioning?
Yes. Many people with eating disorders or disordered eating are high-functioning on the outside. You may be working, studying, parenting or caring for others while privately feeling consumed by food rules, body checking, guilt, secrecy or fear. Therapy can help before the problem becomes more disruptive.
How do I get started?
You can reach out through the contact page to request a free consultation. We will answer your questions, talk through your needs, and help you determine whether North Star is a good fit for eating disorder therapy in Washington, DC.
Ready when you are
You do not have to keep fighting food and body image alone
If eating concerns have been taking up too much room in your mind, body, relationships or daily life, we would be glad to help you find a steadier path forward.