Recovery from an eating disorder rarely follows a perfectly straight path. For many people, progress happens in stages. Behaviors begin to improve, life becomes more stable, and the most severe symptoms start to fade. Meals may feel more manageable, routines become less chaotic, and relationships with friends, family, or school begin to normalize again. But sometimes recovery reaches a place where things are better, but not fully free. Food rules may still linger in the background. Thoughts...

Why Insight Alone Isn’t Enough to Change Behavior Many people come to therapy with a frustrating realization. They understand their patterns, but they still struggle to change them. It can leave people wondering, “If I know the problem, why can’t I change it?” They know their perfectionism is exhausting or understand their eating disorder is harming them, but this isn’t enough to magically stop their behaviors. This disconnect can make people feel like they are failing therapy or “not trying...

When we talk about eating disorders, we talk a lot about food, weight, medical risks, meal plans, and disordered behaviors. But we don’t talk nearly enough about emotional suppression. In my experience, emotional suppression is often one of the biggest underlying issues driving the eating disorder. Eating disorders don’t develop for one reason. They develop from multiple factors like temperament, genetics, environment, culture, trauma, a way to cope, and so much more. Emotional suppression is...