10 Books That May Be Helpful in Eating Disorder Therapy

Before I share with you some book recommendations, I want to make sure you know this: self-help books are not a substitution for therapy. I know you may have read plenty, and it still wasn’t enough. My goal in sharing these with you is for them to help you throughout the therapeutic process or if you’re cruising this blog and just thinking about therapy but aren’t quite ready to take that step, to help you before you start. These are books I recommend over and over to my clients so I decided to compile them all in one hot spot for you to reference if you wish.

  1. Intuitive Eating

A cover of the book Intuitive Eating. This represents how as Maple Canyon Therapy has a therapist for anxiety providing anxiety therapy for high functioning anxiety, dating anxiety, postpartum anxiety, and generalized anxiety disorder.

“Intuitive Eating” is the book I need everyone on the entire planet to read. Intuitive eating for eating disorder recovery is the sweet elixir in helping people with an eating disorder or disordered eating make peace with food. If you want the short version of it, Whether you are a chronic dieter, struggling with restriction, binging, or food just feels complicated to you, you have gotta get your hot, little hands on a copy of this. The vast majority of us have moved away from being connected with our internal bodily cues when it comes to eating, and this book will help you get back to it. Intuitive Eating is often a goal we focus on in therapy.

2. The Anti-Diet

A copy of the book The Anti Diet. This represents how Maple Canyon Therapy provides eating disorder therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, and body image therapy in Utah.

Before you are tempted to start another diet or lifestyle change with food, read “The Anti-Diet”. This book identifies some of the harms of dieting and introduces the concept of “diet culture”. “The Anti-Diet will challenge what you’ve believed about dieting and wellness based on scientific research.

3. Health At Every Size

A cover of the book Health At Every Size. This represents how Maple Canyon Therapy has a body image therapist providing body image therapy for negative body image for women in Utah.

“Health At Every Size” challenges the preconceived notion that thinness=health. This book utilizes scientific research to challenge what we have been led to believe about weight and being healthy. “Health At Every Size” is not only a book but is a movement to accept the body you are in regardless of size. This is the approach I utilize in therapy with my clients. “Health At Every Size” has a primary focus to develop behaviors that promote health outside of weight loss.

4. Life without ED

A cover of Life Without ED. This represents how Maple Canyon Therapy provides trauma therapy, online anxiety therapy, and EMDR for eating disorders.

If you are struggling with an eating disorder or if you think someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, read “Life Without ED”. I have had many clients read this book and finally understand their eating disorder in a new light. They have had their parents, husbands, friends, etc. read it to help get more insight and awareness on what it is like to have an eating disorder This is an extremely helpful read no matter where you or your loved one are at in recovery.

5. More Than A Body

“More Than A Body” is a powerful read on body image. It will challenge some of the ideals you are holding onto about your body. This book offers an alternative perspective on recognizing your body is good regardless of how it looks. The authors have done extensive research on body image, and if you are looking to improve in this area, this book will help you with this goal.

6. Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind To Yourself

A cover of the book self-compassion. This represents how Maple Canyon Therapy provides therapy for high functioning anxiety experiencing symptoms of high-functioning anxiety.

“Self-Compassion” is a powerful book for my people that struggle to be kind to themselves. I work with people who hold high standards for themselves and give themselves a hard time when they don’t achieve those standards. Rather than focusing on self-esteem, practicing being kind and compassionate to yourself is what this book offers. Self-compassion is a big part of the therapeutic work I do with people, and this book can be helpful in understanding how to do that more fully.

7. Body Kindness

A photo of the cover of the book Body Kindness. This represents how Maple Canyon Therapy provides anxiety treatment for performance anxiety, social anxiety, and dating anxiety in Utah.

“Body Kindness” is based on four principles 1. What you do 2. How you feel 3. Who you are and 4. Where you belong. This book provides a practical approach to connect and care for yourself. It provides exercises and prompts to help you understand your values and how to live them. Most of us need help being kind to our bodies, and this book will help you do it.

8. The Body Is Not An Apology

A cover of the book The Body Is Not An Apology. This represents as a therapist at Maple Canyon Therapy, I help women by providing eating disorder therapy, disordered eating therapy, and therapy for emotional eating through online therapy in Utah.

“The Body Is Not An Apology” Oh man this book! This book is a powerful book on really healing your relationship with your body. I love the questions and prompts in this book that challenges how you view your body and other people’s bodies. This is a must read for body image work and the majority of clients I work with struggle with their body image.

9. The Body Keeps the Score

“The Body Keeps the Score” is the trauma bible. This is a heavy and comprehensive book of research and case studies on how trauma impacts the body and the brain. I find this book can be pretty triggering to people that have experiences trauma so I don’t recommend diving headfirst into reading it. I reference this book at least once a day as a therapist because of how often the concepts are useful in the work I do with clients. If you have experienced trauma and want to learn more about yourself, I would consider reading this book when you are in the emotional space to do so.

10. What Happened to You

A cover of the book What Happened to you. This represents how as a therapist at maple canyon therapy I treat trauma through EMDR by offering in person and online counseling in Utah

“What Happened to You” is another trauma-informed book written by Oprah and a psychiatrist and trauma expert, Dr. Bruce Perry. This book is a good alternative to “The Body Keeps the Score” as it is less triggering to some. Oprah shares her experiences of trauma while Dr. Perry helps break trauma down and make sense of behaviors, emotions, and reactions through a scientific lens. This book may help you understand more fully your behavior and yourself.

I hope these books are useful to you as you work in therapy. I hope they help you understand more about yourself and to begin being more kind to yourself.

Looking for an eating disorder therapist in Utah?

You don’t have to remain stuck in your eating disorder. Eating disorder recovery isn’t something you must try to figure out yourself. This Utah County Counseling Clinic has an eating disorder therapist specializing in eating disorder therapy. To begin counseling, follow the steps below:

  1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation

  2. Meet with a mental health professional

  3. Begin healing from your eating disorder

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah

I know it’s difficult to find an eating disorder therapist in many parts of Utah. In order to really recover from your eating you need the help of a professional who has the experienced training and expertise. This is why I provide online therapy in Utah. It’s effective and convenient while helping you dive into eating disorder recovery.

Online counseling also means wherever you are in Utah we can work together. I work with clients in Cedar City, St. George, Logan, Salt Lake City, Provo, Heber City, and more.