Meet San Diego Eating Disorder Therapist Emily Andersen, LMFT: A Weight-Neutral, Non-Diet Clinician

Hi everyone! I’d like you to meet Emily Andersen, LMFT. She is an eating disorder therapist in San Diego, California, in the United States. Emily embraces the Health at Every Size approach and tailors her treatment uniquely to each client. She works virtually via telehealth with adults throughout California. Enjoy getting to know her.

Why did you choose to become an eating disorder specialist?

I have my own lived experience with an eating disorder starting when I was 14 years old. I moved a lot in high school (4 high schools to be exact) which only exhaserbated my eating disorder. When I was able to get help, I experienced a lot of "one size fits all" treatment models specifically geared more towards anorexia or "here is another way to practice your eating disorder" with exchange systems and counting models. I also never saw anyone who looked like me, to no fault of their own, it would have been nice to see providers in larger bodies and with more diversity when I was in treatment. Keep in mind my first treatment episode was in 2014 and my second was in 2017.

I knew if I wanted to be a part of the change in the eating disorder world, I needed to prioritize my recovery and make sure I was in a good space to become a therapist and be able to help others. I knew I wanted to be a therapist because so many therapists helped me on my journey, and one in particular that was a role model to me. She was assertive and direct. And I loved it. I knew I wanted to be the therapist in a larger body for other patients in larger bodies seeking treatment to know there was someone who looked like them and they weren't alone. I also wanted to model to clients that you can embrace your body and be confident regardless of your size. You can be assertive regardless of your size. And you can recover regardless of your size.

What kind of treatment do you provide?

I am currently in private practice and provide outpatient therapy to adults with eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image struggles. I work with co-occuring disorders including chronic illness, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, and trauma. I use a weight-neutral, non-diet approach in my work. I particularly enjoy IFS (internal family systems) and psychodynamic work but also implement other approaches based on the client and their individual needs including narrative therapy, art therapy, somatic techniques, DBT (dialectical behavior therapy), and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy).

How long have you been working with eating disorders overall?*

I started working with eating disorders as a trainee and have come across them in all of my work history in substance abuse, adolescent primary mental health, and primary ED treatment. I guess that would make 2024 going into my 6th year.

What are your favorite types of clients to work with?*

Clients that have a hard time getting out of their head and into their feelings. Clients that are motivated but also are resistant. I also love a challenge and I love helping them learn to feel and also start learning to challenge their eating disorder. Most are in college or older. I don't like being someone's first therapist. I like the clients that have hit a plateu in therapy and need more of a push and more of a direction. They have the insight and awareness but they don't know what to do with it and how to do the depth work to get out of their eating disorder. I also love working with the clients who have solid recovery from their eating disorder but still wrestle with all the other aspects like anxiety, depression, perfectionism, rigidity, etc. Again, I focus on taking them to where they need to go to get better and fully heal those parts still remaining.

What happens during a first appointment with you?

First appointment is really about getting to know the client, reviewing paperwork and policies and procedures (of course), answering any questions they have about me as a therapist or about therapy in general and building rapport. I really want to get to know the client, where they are at currently, what the struggle is bringing them to therapy at this time and how I can help. Ultimately I want to make sure I can provide what they are looking for, and if I am not the ideal fit, getting them with a therapist who is. I really try and make that first session light and empowering. I send the message that there is hope for recovery and we can get there together. I really want the client not to feel alone and they have an advocate in their corner.

What are the first steps you take when treating binge eating and/or bulimia?

My first steps are really to understand the impact binge eating or bulimia is having on their daily life and the how often behaviors are happening. I really want to understand the pattern and cycle and increase patient's awareness into the pattern and cycle they are in, how has the pattern and cycle been in the past, when has the pattern and cycle taken up less space and why was that, identifying triggers, and overall increasing insight and awareness of the eating disorder and really examining that part and the role it plays in the patient's life. I like to implement psychoeducation as well as challenge the patient to see the eating disorder part as a protective part and why it is showing up when and how we can shift the narrative from guilt and shame to one of curiosity about this part of them.

What do you wish people knew about getting treatment for eating disorders?

You cannot rush this process. You cannot shame yourself out of your eating disorder or body image struggles. You cannot shame yourself into a person you love. And you cannot logic your way out of your eating disorder. I think many people think this is the way and the reality is, that is just your eating disorder again. So we need to do the opposite and that takes time when you may be so used to talking to yourself with a shame and guilt narrative. We need to shift the narrative to be compassionate and with grace and empathy and this takes time! Be patient with yourself! The eating disorder didn't happen overnight so recovery will also not happen over night! But you are not alone in your struggles and your recovery matters

How can people learn more about and contact you?

Email me at info@psyched-recovery.com

Phone number: 619-289-7178‬

Instagram @psyched.recovery

Website: www.psyched-recovery.com

Share one fun fact about you that most people don't know.

I went to four high schools, and one of those schools was in Belgium. My family and I lived in Belgium for a year and a half and it was a very amazing experience that was eye opening in so many ways. I went to an international school with students from over 72 different countries.

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Catch Marianne Miller, Eating Disorder Therapist, and Binge Eating Coach on Social Media and on Her Podcast

🌺 Follow my Instagram @drmariannemiller, and you’ll get binge eating disorder info and binge eating help sent to your phone with my reels, posts, etc.

Podcast

🌺 Subscribe to Dr. Marianne-Land: An Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast (on Apple, Spotify, etc.), for tips and strategies to help you reduce and eliminate binge eating behaviors. Hear stories from other eating disorder professionals and folks who have recovered from eating disorders (including me!). You are not alone!

Take the first step toward binge eating recovery

🌺 Join Dr. Marianne-Land’s Binge Eating Recovery Membership Program** which is a comprehensive online binge eating class that follows the RE(x3) Binge Eating Recovery Method. It’s an DYI (do it yourself) online course for high performers who aim to transform their relationships with food. It is available to you on a month-to-month basis. I add content to it monthly, so you’ll get more out of it the longer you continue your membership.

Disclaimers for My Virtual Online Binge Eating Program That Addresses Eating, Food, Body Image, and How Binge Eating Affects Relationships.

*The ELITE BINGE EATING RECOVERY METHOD is virtual binge eating education and LIVE virtual coaching support. The goal of this program is to help people stop any type of distressed eating, such as binge eating or binge/purge behaviors via education, behavioral changes, and mindset shifts. The ELITE BINGE EATING RECOVERY METHOD is not a clinical eating disorder therapy or eating disorder treatment program and is not intended to serve as such. In them, Dr. Marianne Miller works from her role as a binge-eating coach, not as a binge-eating therapist.

**DR. MARIANNE-LAND’S BINGE EATING RECOVERY MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM is online binge-eating education and private virtual group support via a Facebook Group. The aim of this course is to help people reduce and eliminate any type of distressed eating, such as binge eating or binge/purge behaviors via education, behavioral changes, and mindset shifts. DR. MARIANNE-LAND’S BINGE EATING RECOVERY MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM is not a clinical eating disorder therapy or eating disorder treatment program and is not intended to serve as such. In them, Dr. Marianne Miller works from her role as a binge-eating coach, not as a binge-eating therapist.