Several years ago I was trained in EMDR therapy, and I fell in love with it. I couldn’t believe the outcomes it had for my clients. EMDR has been so effective for the clients I work with that even they have been shocked at what a difference it makes. Just yesterday I was laughing with one of my clients about how she was having a difficult time believing that it was EMDR that made such a drastic improvement in her body image in a short amount of time. I love EMDR because it has so much power to free people from their negative beliefs about themselves. EMDR therapy helps people find relief from the painful experiences they have held onto for years.
EMDR has incredibly positive impacts on people with trauma. Treating PTSD was what EMDR was used for in the beginning. As therapists and researchers we have since found many ways to use EMDR as a tool to help people struggling with many things. Eating disorders included. I have found EMDR therapy to help women who have been struggling with body image and disordered eating to help with eating disorder recovery. It truly is impressive to witness and for my clients to experience.
How does EMDR therapy help treat eating disorders?
I’m sure you have questions about what EMDR is, and how it helps with eating disorders. Eating disorders are rooted in so much more than food, weight, and appearance. My favorite type of work to do with clients is to go deeper and look at the root of things in therapy rather than just surface-level things. EMDR allows us to do that together. Women (and men but I mostly treat women) with eating disorders hold so many negative beliefs about themselves and their bodies. Commonly, my clients believe they’re not good enough, they’re powerless, or things that have happened in their lives are all their fault.
EMDR therapy focuses on changing negative beliefs
The negative beliefs experienced us as humans are derived from experiences. Those experiences don’t have to be classified as traumatic experiences but they might be experiences that you had during important and critical times of your life. Being called ugly by someone in middle school might not feel like a traumatic experience but in a lot of ways our brains store them that way. That experience can influence how you feel about yourself for the rest of your life. Why can’t you just get over it? Why do you have to keep thinking about it? The way the brain has stored this experience is still going to impact your present functioning.
EMDR therapy helps shift your eating disorder beliefs
Using the middle school example, when doing EMDR we would go back to that experience and target the negative belief about ourselves. An essential component of EMDR therapy is bilateral stimulation. Bilateral stimulation is what opens up all the emotions and thoughts you have as a result of that experience but it also helps you work through it. People can be skeptical that there is a point in working through the past. The truth is you probably don’t want to go back there because it’s painful and it can feel pointless to feel pain for no reason. However, our past experiences are directly dictating our present functioning. This is why we go back to those experiences to change how we think and feel about ourselves.
How I have seen EMDR help women with eating disorders
When someone has an eating disorder, we don’t jump into EMDR right away. We first need to make sure they are medically stable and are able to have nourishment. Just like medications aren’t as effective for those that aren’t receiving adequate nutrition, EMDR isn’t going to be what we use first. It wouldn’t be humane for me to open up about all your past experiences and negative beliefs if we weren’t certain you had enough healthy coping skills to use as you work through it. When it comes to EMDR therapy, we don’t want to make your eating disorder worse if we don’t properly prepare for it.
My clients who are utilizing the people in their lives for support, are working on fueling their bodies, and have adequate coping skills are able to use EMDR to feel better about themselves. They are able to make shifts in the beliefs they hold about their body and appearance. EMDR helps lessen anxiety about eating and weight gain. EMDR has many positive effects in supporting you in eating disorder recovery.
EMDR for Eating Disorders can make a big difference
While EMDR is by no means the only tool in helping you overcome your eating disorder but it does hold so much significance and power. You deserve to feel better about yourself, to feel less afraid of weight gain, and to realize you deserve so much more than what you are offering yourself. Eating disorder recovery takes effort and focus, and EMDR therapy is able to help you achieve those things. I love to be able to see those that I work with feel less consumed by their body image, anxiety, and sadness. I have seen how EMDR lifts the burden, and I want you to have the same experience too.
Start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah
You don’t have to feel stuck in your eating disorder. You don’t have to keep believing you’re not good enough. You can find relief from anxiety, and therapy can help! This Utah Counseling Clinic has an eating disorder therapist specializing in both EMDR therapy and eating disorder therapy. To begin counseling follow the steps below:
Meet with an EMDR therapist
Find relief from your eating disorder
Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah
When you are struggling with an eating disorder, you want the assurance of working with a therapist that has the training and knows exactly how to help you in eating disorder recovery. Utah has many places that don’t have access to an eating disorder therapist making it difficult to access this specialized therapy. This is why I offer online therapy in Utah. Online eating disorder therapy means you don’t have to travel to meet with a therapist, and it’s just as effective as in-person therapy.
Online counseling means I work with people in Provo, Logan, Salt Lake City, Cedar City, St. George, Heber City, and more.
Other Mental Health Services Provided by Maple Canyon Therapy
Eating disorder therapy and EMDR therapy aren’t the only counseling services provided at this Utah Counseling Center. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include binge eating disorder treatment, anxiety therapy, birth trauma therapy, counseling for college students, and body image therapy. Reach out today to schedule a phone consultation to see how I can help.
About the Author
Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. Ashlee has a master's degree in social work from Utah State University. She also holds two bachelor's degrees from Southern Utah University in psychology and family life and human development. Ashlee has been working with women with eating disorders since her first experience as a therapist at the USU Counseling Center in Logan, Utah. She has worked at all levels of eating disorder care including inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient therapy. Ashlee is passionate about helping women be kind to their bodies and leave their eating disorders behind through acceptance and commitment therapy, EMDR therapy, and more.