Counseling Therapy St. Louis & St. Charles MO.Eating Disorder Counseling in St. Charles
Dealing with an eating disorder can be overwhelming and make daily life feel like a struggle. Our licensed therapists At Kaleo Counseling Services in St. Louis & St. Charles area can help you overcome your eating disorder and develop healthy coping mechanisms. Whether it's trauma, anxiety, or depression driving your disorder, we offer therapies to guide you towards a healthier relationship with food. Take the first step towards healing today.
Overcoming Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are mental illnesses that can cause severe disturbances to a person's eating habits, thoughts, and emotions. If left untreated, eating disorders can have life-threatening consequences. Eating Disorder Counseling aims to help individuals who are struggling with eating disorders by providing them with the support and resources they need to overcome their condition.
What is Eating Disorder Counseling?
Eating Disorder Counseling is a specialized form of therapy designed to help individuals struggling with eating disorders. Eating Disorder Counseling aims to help individuals overcome their eating disorders by addressing the underlying emotional and psychological issues that contribute to their condition. Eating Disorder Counselors are trained professionals with expertise in treating eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, depression, and others.
What to Expect During Eating Disorder Treatment?
Eating disorder Counseling in St. Louis typically involves individual therapy. The specific type of therapy that is used will depend on the individual's needs and the severity of their condition. During treatment, individuals will work with their counselor to identify the underlying emotional and psychological issues contributing to their eating disorder. They will also learn coping skills and strategies to help them manage their symptoms and overcome their condition.
Who Can Benefit from Eating Disorder Counseling?
Eating disorder counseling can benefit anyone struggling with disordered eating behaviors or body image issues. This includes individuals with diagnosed eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, or binge-eating disorder, as well as those with atypical or unspecified eating disorders. Eating disorder counseling can also benefit individuals with disordered eating habits that do not meet the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder but are still causing distress and interfering with daily life.
Additionally, individuals who struggle with negative body image, low self-esteem, or obsessive thoughts about food and weight may benefit from eating disorder counseling. Eating disorder counseling can provide support, guidance, and education on nutrition, healthy coping mechanisms, and strategies to manage triggers and cravings. With the help of a trained therapist, individuals can develop a healthier relationship with food, learn to manage their emotions more positively and improve their overall quality of life.
Types of eating disorders include:
Anorexia
Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by a distorted body image and an intense fear of gaining weight. Individuals with anorexia often limit their food intake, engage in excessive exercise, and maintain a body weight that is considerably lower than what is considered healthy for their age and height.
Bulimia
Bulimia eating disorder involves binge-eating followed by purging behaviors. Individuals with bulimia typically experience a sense of loss of control during episodes of overeating, consuming large amounts of food in a short timespan. Subsequently, they engage in purging behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, using laxatives, or excessive exercise to compensate for binge-eating.
Binge Eating
Binge Eating Disorder is a type of eating disorder marked by recurrent episodes of binge-eating without any compensatory purging behaviors. Individuals with this disorder may experience a sense of loss of control while eating, consuming a significant quantity of food within a brief timeframe. They may also eat when not hungry and feel guilty or ashamed afterward.
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED)
OSFED is an eating disorder that does not meet the diagnostic criteria for bulimia, anorexia, or binge-eating disorder. This includes conditions such as atypical anorexia, where the person has all the symptoms of anorexia, but their weight is within the healthy range, and purging disorder, where the person engages in purging behaviors but does not binge-eat.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
(ARFID) is a type of eating disorder that is described by persistent failure to meet the body's appropriate nutritional and energy needs due to avoidance or restriction of certain foods. This disorder can result in significant weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, and impairment in daily functioning.
It's important to know that eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that can have severe physical and psychological consequences.
How to Find Eating Disorder Counseling in St. Charles?
If you're in search of counseling for an eating disorder in the St. Louis and St. Charles region, our two offices located in Webster Groves and St. Charles have licensed therapists who specialize in this area. Our top priority is to provide you with the best possible care, which is why we take great care in matching you with the right counselor based on your individual needs and preferences.
Kaleo Counseling is dedicated to providing comprehensive counseling services to individuals seeking support and guidance. Our team of licensed therapists specializes in a range of areas, including Child & Family, Sexual Addiction, Trauma & EMDR, Anxiety, Couples & Marriage, Grief & Loss, Individual, and Depression Counseling.