Theraphy Approach
Eating disorders
Healing your relationship with food and your body — compassionate, specialist support for recovery and freedom.
"Recovery is not just about food; it's about reclaiming your life, rediscovering your worth, and building a peaceful relationship with yourself."
— Carolyn Stevenson
Understanding Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are serious, complex mental health conditions — not lifestyle choices, not vanity, and not something a person can simply “snap out of.” They affect people of all ages, genders, body sizes, and backgrounds, and often carry a profound sense of shame and secrecy that makes reaching out feel impossibly hard.
Whether you are living with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder (BED), OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder), or a more diffuse pattern of disordered eating, your experience is real, valid, and deserving of compassionate, specialist care.
I work with individuals at all stages of their relationship with food and their body — from those in early distress to those further along the recovery journey — offering a warm, non-judgmental space where healing is genuinely possible.
Common Signs to Recognise
- Preoccupation with weight or shape
- Binge-purge cycles
- Body dysmorphia or distorted image
- Guilt or shame after eating
- Fear of weight gain
- Restrictive eating patterns
- Social withdrawal around food
- Excessive or compulsive exercise
- Rigid food rules or rituals
- Low self-worth tied to eating
Recovery is possible at any stage
No matter how long you have been struggling or how entrenched the patterns feel, recovery is genuinely possible. It is never too early — or too late — to seek support and begin finding your way back to yourself.
Eating Disorders I Work With
Anorexia Nervosa
Severe restriction of food intake driven by intense fear of weight gain, distorted body image, and a sense of identity deeply tied to control over eating.
Bulimia Nervosa
Cycles of bingeing and compensatory behaviours such as purging, fasting, or excessive exercise — often accompanied by deep shame and secrecy.
Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
Recurrent episodes of eating large amounts in a short time with a sense of loss of control, followed by distress, guilt, or shame — without compensatory behaviours.
Orthorexia
An obsessive preoccupation with "clean" or "pure" eating that begins to dominate daily life, restrict social engagement, and cause significant distress.
Body Image Distress
Persistent, distressing dissatisfaction with one's body — including body dysmorphia — that impacts self-esteem, relationships, and quality of life.
Disordered Eating & Chronic Dieting
A complex, often long-standing pattern of unhealthy eating behaviours that may not meet diagnostic criteria but cause real suffering and deserve care.
My Approach to Eating Disorder Therapy
I draw on an integrative, evidence-based framework, weaving together the most effective therapeutic approaches for eating disorders — always tailored to you as a whole person, never reduced to a diagnosis or a number on a scale.
Enhanced CBT (CBT-E)
The gold-standard evidence-based approach for eating disorders — directly addressing the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that maintain eating disorder psychopathology and perpetuate the cycle.
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
Gently shifting from the harsh inner "critical voice" — so common in eating disorders — toward a warmer, more compassionate relationship with oneself and one's body.
Somatic Awareness
Gently reconnecting with the body's internal signals — hunger, fullness, satisfaction — and rebuilding trust in bodily sensations that eating disorders so often disconnect us from.
Relational & Psychodynamic Exploration
Understanding the deeper emotional and relational roots of the eating disorder — including attachment, identity, and early experiences — to create lasting, meaningful change.
What to Expect
Therapy for eating disorders is a collaborative, compassionate journey. Here’s how we’ll work together from your very first contact.
Free Consultation
A gentle 15-minute phone call to discuss your situation, ask questions, and explore whether working together feels like the right fit.
Initial Assessment
A thorough, compassionate first session to understand your history with food and your body, your current struggles, and what recovery means to you.
Tailored Treatment
A personalised plan drawing on the most relevant evidence-based approaches, adapted to your specific presentation, pace, and goals.
Ongoing Support
Regular sessions to consolidate progress, build resilience, and navigate setbacks — always reviewed collaboratively to ensure therapy is working for you.
50 min
Standard session length
Weekly
Recommended frequency
12–30
Typical number of sessions
What Recovery Can Look Like
A more peaceful relationship with food
Moving away from rigid rules and fear toward greater flexibility, spontaneity, and enjoyment around eating.
Improved body image and self-worth
Developing a kinder, more neutral relationship with your body — grounded in who you are rather than how you look.
Reconnection with social life and relationships
Reclaiming meals with others, social occasions, and the relationships that eating disorders can quietly erode over time.
Greater emotional regulation
Finding new ways to manage difficult emotions that don't involve food — building a richer, more resilient inner life.
A renewed sense of identity and purpose
Discovering who you are beyond the eating disorder — your values, strengths, and the life you truly want to live.
Client Experiences
Words from those who have walked this path toward recovery
Why Work With Carolyn?
BACP Accredited Psychotherapist
Fully accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, adhering to the highest ethical standards.
Specialist Eating Disorder Training
Advanced training in CBT-E, CFT, and somatic approaches specifically developed for eating disorder presentations.
10+ Years Experience
Extensive experience working with eating disorders across NHS, private practice, and specialist eating disorder settings.
Regular Supervision & CPD
Committed to ongoing professional development and specialist supervision to ensure the highest quality care for every client.
10+
Years Experience
500+
Clients Supported
BACP
Accredited Member
Frequently Asked Questions
Reaching out when you have an eating disorder takes enormous courage. I will meet you exactly where you are — with warmth, without judgment, and with genuine hope for your recovery."
— Carolyn Stevenson
Do I need to have a formal diagnosis to seek therapy?
How long does eating disorder therapy take?
Recovery is a journey that looks different for everyone. Some people make meaningful progress in 12–20 sessions; others benefit from longer-term work. We’ll always review together to ensure therapy is moving at the right pace for you.
Will I be weighed or monitored medically?
No. My role is as a psychotherapist, not a medical provider. If there are concerns about physical health, I may recommend working alongside your GP or a dietitian, but this is always discussed collaboratively and sensitively.
I've had therapy before and it didn't help. Can it still work?
Absolutely. Not all therapy is the same, and specialist eating disorder approaches like CBT-E differ significantly from general counselling. Many clients find meaningful progress after previous experiences that weren’t the right fit.
Do you offer online sessions?
Related Therapy Areas
Anxiety Therapy
Worry, panic and the anxiety that often underlies disordered eating
Depression Counselling
Low mood, hopelessness, and loss of interest in life
Trauma Therapy
Processing difficult past experiences and their lasting impact
Self-Esteem & Identity
Rebuilding self-worth and a sense of self beyond the eating disorder
Ready to Begin Your Recovery?
You don’t have to keep fighting this alone. Take the first, gentle step today — a free, no-obligation 15-minute consultation to explore whether we’re the right fit for you.