Eating Disorder Therapy
in NYC and NJ

If your relationship with food and your body takes up more space
than you'd like it to, you're in the right place.

Often the way we learned to cope through food or control over our bodies served a deeper purpose.


Eating disorders and disordered eating are rarely just about food. They're often about anxiety, control, identity, and learning to feel safe in your own body. Whether you're living with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or a more complicated relationship with food and exercise that doesn't fit a neat label, what you're carrying is real.

Many of the women I work with describe feeling exhausted by how much mental energy food and their body take up, ashamed that they're still struggling with this, or unsure whether what they're experiencing is "bad enough" to deserve support. It is. And you do. Therapy is a place to slow down and untangle what's really going on.

About Therapy for Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are among the most complex mental health conditions, and healing isn't about willpower. It's about understanding what the eating disorder has been doing for you, and building something more sustainable in its place.

Our therapists offer support that's both insight-oriented and practical, exploring the underlying patterns — perfectionism, shame, early experiences with your body, family dynamics — while helping you find more ease in your day-to-day relationship with food and yourself. We integrate relational and psychodynamic therapy with DBT, CBT, ACT, EMDR and somatic approaches, so you're not just talking about your experience, but genuinely moving through it.

Therapy can help you:


  • Reduce obsessive thoughts about food or your body
  • Break cycles of restriction, bingeing, or purging
  • Develop a more neutral relationship with eating
  • Understand the emotional roots of disordered eating patterns
  • Shift deeply held beliefs about your worth and body
  • Feel less controlled by food-related anxiety
  • Build sustainable coping strategies 

Healing your relationship with food and your body starts here, with an evidence-based, integrative approach.

+ Do you take insurance for eating disorder therapy?+ Do I need a referral to see an eating disorder therapist?+ What does eating disorder therapy actually look like?+ How long does eating disorder therapy take? +  I'm pregnant, can I start therapy for an eating disorder?+ Why did my body image get worse postpartum?+ Can EMDR help with eating disorders and body image? + Can therapy help with eating disorders without a dietitian?+ What does disordered eating actually mean? 

What does disordered eating actually mean? 


Disordered eating refers to a wide range of irregular eating behaviors that may not meet the clinical criteria for a diagnosed eating disorder but still cause significant distress or impact your quality of life. This includes chronic dieting, rigid food rules, fear of certain foods, compulsive eating, emotional eating, or an excessive preoccupation with food, weight, or your body. Eating disorders, like AN, BN, BED, or ARFID, involve more defined clinical patterns. Many women we work with fall somewhere in between: they haven't been formally diagnosed, but their relationship with food and their body is taking up far more mental space than it should. You don't have to be at a crisis point for your experience to be valid and worth addressing.

Can therapy help with eating disorders without a dietitian?


Therapy is a core component of eating disorder recovery and addresses the psychological and emotional underpinnings of disordered eating. the anxiety, shame, perfectionism, and identity pieces that fuel the behaviors. For many people, therapy alone is a meaningful and effective starting point.

For others, especially those managing active restrictions or medical concerns, a collaborative approach with a registered dietitian and/or physician is recommended. We are happy to discuss what level of support makes sense for you during our consultation.


Can EMDR help with eating disorders and body image? 

Healing from birth trauma involves more than just talking about what happened. It often requires helping your nervous system process and release the experience so it feels like something that happened in the past, rather than something you’re still reliving.

Therapy approaches such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and somatic therapy can help reduce distress, shift negative beliefs, and restore a sense of safety and control. Healing also includes making space for your emotions, rebuilding trust in your body, and integrating your experience in a way that feels manageable.


Why did my eating disorder get worse postpartum?


It's more common than most people realize, and can also feel hard to talk about. Pregnancy involves rapid, uncontrollable body changes, which can be deeply triggering for anyone with a history of disordered eating or body image struggles.

The postpartum period brings its own challenges: pressure to "bounce back," changes in hunger and appetite (especially with breastfeeding), sleep deprivation, identity shifts, and the emotional weight of new motherhood.

These are exactly the kinds of conditions that can cause dormant patterns to resurface or existing ones to intensify. It's a signal that you need and deserve more support right now.


I'm pregnant, is it safe to start therapy for an eating disorder?


Yes, and in many cases, during pregnancy is one of the most important times to seek support. Untreated disordered eating during pregnancy can affect your nutritional status, your emotional wellbeing, and your experience of becoming a parent.

Therapy during this time can help you navigate body changes with more compassion, address anxiety and control-related thoughts, and put support in place before the postpartum period begins. Our therapists have advanced training in perinatal mental health to support your journey.

How long does eating disorder therapy take?



We wish we could give you a concrete end date but the truth is recovery from an eating disorder takes time. And, moreover, healing and recovery aren't linear.

The looks different for everyone depending on history, severity, and what's underneath the patterns. Some clients notice meaningful shifts within a few months; others benefit from longer-term support. What I can say is that therapy tends to be most effective when it's consistent and when we're addressing not just the behaviors but what's driving them. We'll regularly check in on how things are progressing and what you need at each stage.

What does eating disorder therapy look like? 


Sessions are collaborative and grounded in your experience. We might explore what's underneath certain patterns, the anxiety that shows up before meals, the thoughts that spiral after eating, the emotions that eating seems to manage.

 We also build practical tools to help you feel steadier day to day. If we're using EMDR, that involves structured processing of specific memories or beliefs. Some sessions feel heavy and emotional; others are more solution-focused, including evidence-based modalities that include DBT and CBT. The work adapts to what you need. You're always in the driver's seat.



Do I need a referral to see an eating disorder therapist?


No referral is needed. You can reach out directly to schedule a free consultation. If you're already working with a physician, psychiatrist, or dietitian, we're happy to collaborate with your existing care team, but it's not a requirement to get started.

Do you take insurance for eating disorder therapy?



We are an out-of-network practice, which means we don't bill insurance directly. However, many clients are able to use out-of-network benefits through their insurance plan, which can significantly offset the cost of sessions. We provide superbills so you can submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement. We recommend calling the member services number on your insurance card to ask about your out-of-network mental health benefits before your first session.

Our therapist also offer a limited number of sliding scale dependent on financial need. Please reach out, happy to provide additional information. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Hi, I'm Jessica Doell, LSW

I help women rebuild their relationship with food, their body, and who they are. 

I'm a Fordham-trained social worker with extensive experience in the eating disorder space. Before transitioning into private practice, I spent years working in PHP and IOP settings, supporting individuals through some of the most intensive stages of eating disorder recovery. That clinical foundation shapes everything I do.I understand the full spectrum of this work, and I know what real, sustained healing actually takes.

I also specialize in working with women through every stage of the motherhood journey, from pregnancy and postpartum to grief and identity transitions. My work is rooted in the belief that healing happens in safe, connected relationships, and I want every client to feel like they have a nurturing space where they don't have to go through it alone.

Hi, I’m Jessica Doell, LSW

I'm a Fordham-trained social worker with extensive experience in the eating disorder space. Before transitioning into private practice, I spent years working in PHP and IOP settings, supporting individuals through some of the most intensive stages of eating disorder recovery. That clinical foundation shapes everything I do. I understand the full spectrum of this work, and I know what real, sustained healing actually takes.

I also specialize in working with women through every stage of the motherhood journey, from pregnancy and postpartum to grief and identity transitions. My work is rooted in the belief that healing happens in safe, connected relationships, and I want every client to feel like they have a nurturing space where they don't have to go through it alone.

When you book your free phone consultation, we’ll walk through what's been challenging for you and how therapy can help.

  1. Schedule a free, 15-minute phone consultation to see if we feel like a good fit
  2. Complete intake paperwork so we understand your health history
  3. Schedule your first session, where we’ll get to know you and your goals for therapy

If you feel like you’re losing yourself, let’s explore how we can support you. Start with a free consultation so we can get to know each other and see if we’re a good fit.

Heal from your Eating Disorder.

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Locations

Specialties