eating disorders

YOU ARE NOT YOUR EATING DISORDER

Your eating disorder doesn’t define you. Your eating disorder is a part of you, and a part that very likely evolved in order to keep you safe. Most of the time, disordered eating is a way that we cope with worthiness wounds, shame, trauma, anxiety, and perfectionism. 

THIS PART OF YOU IS LETTING YOU KNOW THAT SOMETHING INSIDE NEEDS TENDERNESS AND CARE.

We are here to support your reconnection with yourself, and all of the other parts of you that have taken a back seat because of your disordered eating. 

Whether you are noticing some behaviors pop up around food that you want to address now, or struggling with anorexia nervous, binge-eating disorder, or bulimia, or emotional eating, we are here to help guide you down the path of freedom, peace, and recovery. 

You deserve so much more than the narrow confines of disordered eating and by working together, you will start to trust and know yourself deeply so that you can show up in the world unapologetically. 

Here are some of the eating disorders we work with here at Empower: 

• Anorexia nervosa, a type of eating disorder characterized by restriction of calories, or types of food, weight loss, body dysmorphia, and anxiety around food and eating.

• Bulimia Nervosa, a type of eating disorder characterized by a binge and purge cycle. This cycle typically consists of bingeing, followed by efforts to avoid weight gain by vomiting, laxative use, or excessive exercise. People struggling with Bulimia can be any weight and is not necessarily characterized by weight loss. It is a highly destructive eating disorder and can be catastrophic if left untreated. 

• Orthorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by anxiety and obsession with eating clean foods, concern about ingredients, and restriction. It is a newer eating disorder that is on the rise due to social media, health “influencers” and diet culture.  

• Emotional Eating, a pattern of disordered eating that happens when food is used to satisfy emotional hungry, rather than physical hunger. This can manifest as a sudden urge to eat, craving specific foods, feeling insatiable and empty - even when you’re full, guilt and shame following the eating, and using food as a way to numb, or feel something. 

• Chronic dieting, a pattern of restricting caloric intake on a regular basis to lose weight. People who are struggling with chronic dieting may jump from diet to diet, obsessing over their weight and size. This leads to weight cycling, which is unhealthy on a long-term basis and can have a catastrophic effect on people’s mental and physical health.