Find healing and freedom in your relationship with food
Disordered eating, eating disorders, and body image THERAPISTS IN-PERSON IN PLANO + ONLINE ACROSS TEXAS
When it feels like your thoughts have been consumed by food and your body
You may have noticed you have struggled with thoughts that feel like they have taken over your life and you’re continually thinking about your appearance, your body, food, and maybe even exercise.
This might look like ruminating throughout the day, feeling incapable of stopping your thoughts to be able to fall asleep, or being unable to concentrate on other tasks that are important to you. It can start to feel like you never get a break, like your brain is stuck in a never-ending loop of thoughts and worries about food, your body, and the rules your eating disorder is forcing on you. Maybe you’ve reached the point where you just can’t quiet the critical voice of the ED no matter how much you try. You find yourself thinking about what you ate, when you ate, if the food you ate was “good” or “bad” and you’re worrying about what you “should” eat next, or avoiding certain meals or events altogether. It may feel like the routines, rituals, and rules that once felt like a way to stay in control now feel like they’re controlling you.
It can feel scary and upending to see your eating disorder shift from being a way of coping or a comfort, to being yet another thing outside of your control. We want you to know that we recognize you didn’t choose for it to be this way. Eating disorders are complex and rooted in biological, psychological, and social factors. The eating disorder can convince you to keep listening to it by promising you that if you “just do this one more thing”, you’ll achieve what you wanted. But here’s the thing, the eating disorder will never stop adding rules, moving the finish line, having you jump through more and more hoops, and telling you that no matter what you do, you aren’t sick enough to need support. We are here to tell you that you deserve support in the body you are in right now.
You might benefit from reaching out for support if you feel like your disordered thoughts about food, your body, and being enough are starting to take up all the space in your mind.
At NTFT, we see your struggle and are here to sit with you and bring light to things that can feel shameful or hard to speak about. Eating disorder patterns can start out as a way of protecting you from an experience of trauma, anxiety, or something else entirely. But no matter how it started, healing is possible. Therapy can give you back the ability to connect with yourself, rebuild trust with your body, and find new ways of coping.
We offer size-inclusive and trauma-informed eating disorder care for those struggling with
You don't need a diagnosis to receive support. If you feel ready to make a change, we are here to walk with you.
Anorexia
Binge-eating disorder
AFRID
Bulimia
OSFED
You’re not the only one feeling this way
Struggling with food and body image are more common than most realize and eating disorders can be lonely and isolating. You might find yourself withdrawing from the people who love you most, out of shame or fear that no one will understand or relate.
Disordered eating can look different to every person, from obsessively tracking calories and macros, emotionally eating, skipping meals, needing to earn the right to eat, or punishing yourself with extra exercise after having a treat or snack, and even feeling guilty after eating. Your eating disorder will tell you that you’re the only one, but this isn’t the truth. Eating disorders impact millions of humans at every stage of life and disordered eating behaviors often develop gradually as a way to cope with anxiety, trauma, or the pressure to meet unrealistic beauty standards. They don’t discriminate and can affect people regardless of age, size, gender, and background.
You may not have been able to access the care you needed, you may have been dismissed by doctors, friends or family members you shared your truth with, and you may not have ever received a diagnosis… *and* you are still valid in your struggle. You still deserve support. We believe you and are here to walk this journey with you. There is no threshold of suffering you must reach before seeking support. Healing begins the moment you decide you want something different for yourself.
Therapy can be a place where we begin to explore what your disordered thoughts and behaviors are rooted in, uncover what needs they are trying to meet, and begin building a more peaceful and trusting relationship with your body and food, grounded in compassion.
MEET OUR THERAPISTS WHO SPECIALIZE IN DISORDERED EATING
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Tova Ruderman, MS
LPC Associate
Supervised by Ashley Kuehne, LPC-S
Finding peace with food and safety in your body
One of the common experiences clients share about when they deal with disordered eating or an eating disorder is a feeling of chaos and exhaustion. Whatever the specifics might be like for you, it can be overwhelming and tiring to constantly be receiving messages from your eating disorder about how you should eat and how you should look. It can start feeling increasingly difficult to differentiate between your true self’s voice and the voice of the eating disorder.
Therapy with us is…
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In therapy, we aim to provide a space for you to gently and slowly begin working through the confusion in your mind, allowing you the chance to rebuild your relationship with yourself and your body grounded in self-compassion, trust, and ultimately freedom.
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Our clinicians practice from a size-inclusive, trauma-informed lens. We honor the fact that all bodies are deserving of respectful and supportive care.
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Sessions can look like a variety of things including the exploration of past experiences that may have impacted your beliefs about food and your body, processing trauma, and learning more about the patterns that have formed and how they have served you. We know that eating disorders don’t come from nowhere, and in therapy we want to acknowledge that without judgment or shame, while also making room to explore how different behaviors might benefit you more greatly now.
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If processing things with your family members or loved ones feels supportive to you, we also offer, and encourage, family therapy. Inviting your support people into session with you can be a great way of helping them understand what you’re experiencing and how they can best support you through the recovery process. At NTFT we work to collaborate with the other members of your care team, whether it be a doctor, psychiatrist, nutritionist, or dietitian. We want to make sure that everyone is on the same side, doing what we can to provide you with the best care we can, not just focus on the symptoms.
We understand that when life has been one way for a long time, it can sometimes feel like change might be impossible. And slowly but surely, we have seen clients come back from feeling out-of-control, isolated, or disconnected to a more peaceful way of being where they feel safe in their bodies and within themselves. Healing takes time, but it is possible. And we believe that you can get there.
FAQs
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Eating disorders can be very sneaky, and they will always try to convince you that you’ll only be sick enough if you continue listening to them. But here’s the secret that your ED doesn’t know: you deserve support right in this moment, in the body you are currently in. Your eating disorder doesn’t want you to believe that you deserve help. We’re here to remind you that if behaviors/thoughts around food and body image are feeling distressing, it’s time to reach out. There’s no magic finish line you have to cross to reach out for the support you need. Therapy can help ease the pressure and together, we can find a more peaceful way forward for you.
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You’re not alone in this. When life feels unpredictable, it’s common to turn towards disordered eating behaviors to feel a sense of control. And it’s understandable that it’s scary to even consider letting it go. While it might seem obvious that eating disorders are harmful, we also need to acknowledge that they serve a purpose for each person struggling. In therapy, we’ll meet you where you’re at and work at your pace to explore the role your eating disorder plays in your life, and find new ways of meeting those needs that feel more supportive of your growth.
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It takes a lot of bravery and courage to acknowledge that you need help. Navigating the different levels and forms of support that are offered can be overwhelming, especially if this is the first time you’re reaching out!
We’re here to learn about your current struggles and goals, and to help determine if our clinicians and practice are the best fit for your healing journey. It can be hard to take the first step, and that’s why we offer a free 15-minute phone consultation with a skilled and compassionate therapist committed to finding you the right support. You’ll have a chance to ask questions, share your therapy goals, and discuss what struggles you’re facing. And if we’re not the right fit for you, we’ll be able to offer referrals to another avenue of support, such as a treatment program or an eating disorder informed dietitian.
For individuals who are needing more support than we can offer, we may recommend a higher level of care that is inclusive of a dietitian and team of therapists to provide individual and group services so you receive the most holistic support.
Struggling with food or body image can be exhausting, overwhelming, isolating, and so much more. When your thoughts become a constant source of stress and you think you’ve tried everything you can, it can start feeling like nothing will ever change and it will always be this way. We don’t want you to have to walk this path alone. Therapy can be a space of comfort, hope, and healing when recovery feels impossible to approach. We are here to hold the hope for you until you feel ready to take it for yourself.
At North Texas Family Therapy, we hold the deepest compassion and respect for your story. Our therapists are trained in and committed to working from a trauma-informed, size-inclusive, and Health at Every Size (HAES)-aligned approach. Whether or not you have an eating disorder diagnosis, whether you’ve been told you have a problem or not, whether you think you “look like” you have an eating disorder or not… you are welcome here. We know that eating disorders don’t discriminate and can impact people of any size, race, ethnicity, and gender. Let yourself know that you are on your side by reaching out to set up a free 15-minute phone consultation today to see if we’re the right fit for you. You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Take a small step forward today, you don’t have to fight alone.
BOOK FREE CONSULT
BOOK FREE CONSULT
Visit Us
5512 West Plano Parkway
Suite 300, Plano, TX 75093
Hours - By Appointment Only
Monday–Friday
9:00am–8:00pm
Phone
(972)-905-0264
Last updated on 12/12/25