Eating Disorder Therapy in Long Beach, CA
Break Free from the Cycle of Disordered Eating and Reclaim Your Life
Proudly Serving Families Throughout Los Angeles County
Living with an eating disorder can feel isolating and overwhelming, especially when you're struggling to maintain appearances while battling internal turmoil around food, weight, and body image.
Many individuals in Long Beach find themselves caught in destructive cycles of restriction, bingeing, or purging, often accompanied by intense shame and secrecy that prevent them from seeking help.
At Olive Leaf Therapy's Long Beach location, we understand that eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that require specialized, compassionate treatment.
Our trauma-informed approach recognizes the deep connections between past experiences, current struggles, and your relationship with food and body image. We don't just address symptoms, we help you understand and heal the underlying emotional pain driving disordered eating behaviors.
Located conveniently on Pacific Coast Highway, our Long Beach practice offers a safe harbor for your healing journey. We recognize the unique pressures of Southern California's appearance-focused culture and provide culturally sensitive treatment that acknowledges these environmental challenges while building your resilience and self-acceptance.
Eating disorder therapy at our Long Beach location encompasses comprehensive treatment for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and other specified feeding or eating disorders.
Our attachment-based approach recognizes that eating disorders often develop as coping mechanisms for deeper emotional wounds, trauma, or disrupted attachment patterns. We work collaboratively with you to understand your unique story and develop personalized strategies for healing.
Our trauma-informed therapy process begins with creating absolute safety and trust in the therapeutic relationship.
We understand that many individuals with eating disorders have experienced various forms of trauma, and we approach treatment with sensitivity to how these experiences may have shaped your relationship with food, body, and self-worth. Through individual therapy sessions, we help you develop healthy coping skills, challenge distorted thought patterns, and rebuild a positive relationship with food and your body.
We also address the connection between ADHD and eating disorders, recognizing that neurodivergent individuals may face unique challenges around executive functioning, emotional regulation, and sensory experiences that impact eating behaviors. Our therapists are trained to identify these connections and provide specialized interventions that address both conditions simultaneously.
Recovery is a journey, not a destination, and we're committed to walking alongside you every step of the way. Our Long Beach location provides a peaceful environment where you can focus on healing while receiving ongoing support from our experienced team of eating disorder specialists.
Heal from Eating Disorders in Long Beach
Your family's healing journey starts with one conversation.
Key Benefits
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Our Long Beach therapists have extensive training in evidence-based eating disorder treatments, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and family-based therapy approaches. Unlike general therapists who may occasionally treat eating disorders, our specialists focus specifically on these complex conditions and understand the nuanced clinical presentations that require targeted interventions.
In Long Beach's health-conscious environment, where beach culture and fitness trends can sometimes trigger or exacerbate eating disorder symptoms, our therapists provide culturally competent care that acknowledges these unique pressures. We help you navigate social situations, beach activities, and wellness culture in ways that support your recovery rather than undermine it. Our team stays current with the latest research and treatment modalities, ensuring you receive cutting-edge care.
We understand that eating disorders affect each person differently, which is why we conduct thorough assessments to understand your specific symptoms, triggers, and goals. Whether you're dealing with restrictive eating, binge episodes, body dysmorphia, or exercise addiction, our specialized knowledge ensures you receive targeted interventions designed specifically for your presentation and recovery needs.
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Many eating disorders develop as responses to trauma, whether from childhood experiences, relationship difficulties, or other life stressors. Our trauma-informed approach recognizes these connections and provides gentle, safe processing of underlying experiences that may be fueling your eating disorder symptoms. We create an environment where you can explore difficult emotions without judgment or pressure.
Long Beach residents often face unique stressors, from academic pressure at local universities to career demands in competitive industries. Our therapists understand how these local stressors can contribute to eating disorder development and provide targeted coping strategies that work within your specific lifestyle and environment. We help you identify triggers and develop healthy responses that don't involve disordered eating behaviors.
Our trauma-informed care also extends to understanding intergenerational trauma and cultural factors that may influence your relationship with food and body image. We recognize that healing happens within the context of relationships and community, which is why we emphasize building healthy connections and support systems as part of your recovery process.
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Recovery from an eating disorder requires active participation and collaboration between client and therapist. We believe you are the expert on your own experience, and our role is to provide guidance, support, and evidence-based tools while respecting your autonomy and decision-making capacity. This collaborative approach helps rebuild the sense of personal agency that eating disorders often erode.
Our Long Beach location fosters an environment where you can explore your relationship with food, exercise, and body image at your own pace. We understand that pushing too hard or too fast can be counterproductive in eating disorder treatment, so we work within your window of tolerance while gently challenging thoughts and behaviors that no longer serve you. Your input guides treatment planning and goal setting throughout the process.
We also collaborate with other members of your treatment team when appropriate, including medical doctors, registered dietitians, and psychiatrists. This coordinated care approach ensures all aspects of your health are addressed while maintaining clear communication and consistent therapeutic goals across providers.
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Eating disorder recovery requires vulnerability and courage to examine deeply held beliefs about self-worth, control, and safety. Our Long Beach office provides a confidential, non-judgmental space where you can share your struggles without fear of criticism or shame. We understand that eating disorders often involve secrecy and isolation, and we work to counter these patterns by creating radical acceptance and understanding.
The Pacific Coast Highway location offers easy access while maintaining privacy, with discrete parking and entry that respects your need for confidentiality. Our office environment is designed to feel welcoming and peaceful, with natural elements and calming colors that promote relaxation and openness. We recognize that the physical environment plays a crucial role in feeling safe enough to do the difficult work of recovery.
Safety also means having clear boundaries, consistent scheduling, and reliable therapeutic presence. Our therapists are trained to provide stable, consistent support that helps rebuild your ability to trust others and ultimately yourself. This foundation of safety allows for the deep healing work necessary for sustainable recovery from eating disorders.
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Eating disorder recovery requires vulnerability and courage to examine deeply held beliefs about self-worth, control, and safety. Our Long Beach office provides a confidential, non-judgmental space where you can share your struggles without fear of criticism or shame. We understand that eating disorders often involve secrecy and isolation, and we work to counter these patterns by creating radical acceptance and understanding.
Many Long Beach families struggle with knowing how to help their loved one while managing their own stress and concern. We offer guidance on creating supportive home environments, navigating meal times, and responding to eating disorder behaviors in ways that promote recovery. Our therapists help families understand their role in the healing process without taking on inappropriate responsibility for outcomes.
We also address family dynamics that may contribute to eating disorder maintenance, such as perfectionism, conflict avoidance, or enmeshed boundaries. Through family sessions and individual work, we help create healthier relationship patterns that support long-term recovery and improved family functioning for everyone involved.
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Eating disorders rarely occur in isolation and often co-exist with anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma responses, and other mental health conditions. Our comprehensive approach addresses these interconnected issues rather than treating symptoms in isolation. We understand that effective eating disorder treatment must address the whole person, not just eating behaviors.
The connection between ADHD and eating disorders is particularly important, as executive functioning challenges can impact meal planning, grocery shopping, and consistent eating patterns. Our Long Beach therapists are trained to identify these connections and provide strategies that address both neurodivergent traits and eating disorder symptoms simultaneously.
We also recognize that substance use, self-harm behaviors, and other coping mechanisms may be part of your experience. Our trauma-informed approach provides alternative coping strategies while addressing the underlying emotional needs that these behaviors attempt to meet. This comprehensive care reduces the likelihood of symptom substitution and promotes genuine healing across all areas of your life.
Our Service Categories
Individual Eating Disorder Therapy
One-on-one sessions focused specifically on your unique eating disorder presentation and recovery goals. We address the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that maintain disordered eating patterns while building healthy coping skills and self-compassion. Individual therapy provides the privacy and personalized attention necessary for deep healing work around food, body image, and underlying emotional issues.
Trauma-Informed Eating Disorder Treatment
Comprehensive care that addresses the connection between past traumatic experiences and current eating disorder symptoms. We provide safe processing of trauma while developing healthy ways to manage triggers and emotional distress that don't involve disordered eating behaviors. This approach recognizes trauma as a potential root cause rather than just treating surface symptoms.
Body Image and Self-Esteem Counseling
Specialized treatment for body dysmorphia, negative self-talk, and distorted body perception that often accompany eating disorders. We use evidence-based techniques to challenge unrealistic beauty standards and develop more balanced, compassionate relationships with your physical self. This work is particularly important in Long Beach's appearance-focused culture.
Family Support and Education
Guidance for family members who want to support their loved one's recovery while managing their own stress and concerns. We provide education about eating disorders, communication strategies, and help create home environments that promote healing. Family involvement can significantly strengthen recovery outcomes when approached skillfully.
ADHD and Eating Disorder Support
Specialized treatment for individuals managing both ADHD and eating disorders, addressing executive functioning challenges that impact meal planning, shopping, and consistent eating patterns. We provide strategies for managing sensory sensitivities, emotional regulation difficulties, and impulsivity as they relate to eating behaviors and body image concerns.
Our Process
1. Initial Assessment and Safety Planning
Your healing journey begins with a comprehensive assessment where we explore your eating disorder symptoms, medical history, family dynamics, and treatment goals. We conduct this evaluation with sensitivity and compassion, understanding that sharing these details requires tremendous courage. During this phase, we also develop safety plans and connect you with medical professionals if needed to address any physical health concerns related to your eating disorder.
2. Building Therapeutic Relationship and Coping Skills
The second phase focuses on establishing trust and safety in our therapeutic relationship while teaching fundamental coping skills for managing difficult emotions without using disordered eating behaviors. We work on distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and mindfulness techniques that provide alternatives to restriction, bingeing, or other eating disorder symptoms. This foundation is essential for the deeper work to come.
3. Exploring Underlying Issues and Trauma Processing
Once stabilization is achieved, we carefully explore underlying factors that may be contributing to your eating disorder, including past trauma, family dynamics, perfectionism, or other mental health conditions. We use trauma-informed approaches to process difficult experiences while maintaining safety and preventing re-traumatization. This phase helps you understand the function your eating disorder has served and develop healthier ways to meet those needs.
4. Recovery Integration and Relapse Prevention
The final phase focuses on integrating your recovery skills into daily life and developing comprehensive relapse prevention strategies. We practice navigating challenging situations, build support networks, and create sustainable lifestyle changes that support long-term recovery. We also address how to maintain progress during stressful periods and develop plans for ongoing support after formal treatment ends.
Our Approach
Our eating disorder treatment approach is grounded in attachment theory, recognizing that secure relationships form the foundation for healing from these complex conditions.We combine evidence-based ADHD interventions with our signature attachment-based, trauma-informed methodology to address not just symptoms but the whole person within their family system.
We understand that eating disorders often develop when individuals feel disconnected from themselves and others, using food and body control as ways to manage overwhelming emotions or maintain a sense of safety and predictability in an unpredictable world.
We integrate trauma-informed principles into every aspect of treatment, understanding that many individuals with eating disorders have histories of trauma that may not be immediately apparent. This approach emphasizes safety, trustworthiness, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity while recognizing that healing happens within the context of healthy relationships. We work to repair disrupted attachment patterns and help you develop more secure ways of connecting with yourself and others.
Our family-centered philosophy recognizes that eating disorders impact entire family systems and that sustainable recovery often requires addressing family dynamics and communication patterns. We provide education and support to loved ones while helping families create environments that promote healing rather than inadvertently maintaining eating disorder symptoms. This approach is particularly relevant in Long Beach, where family relationships may be strained by the stress of living in a high-pressure environment.
Throughout treatment, we maintain a collaborative stance that honors your autonomy and expertise about your own experience while providing professional guidance and evidence-based interventions. We understand that eating disorders often involve struggles around control and agency, so we work to restore your sense of personal empowerment while providing the structure and support necessary for recovery. This balanced approach helps build the internal resources needed for lasting change.
FAQs
Olive Leaf Therapy has been providing specialized mental health services to the Long Beach community since expanding to our Pacific Coast Highway location. Our attachment-based, trauma-informed approach helps individuals, couples, and families restore peace through healthy connections. We're committed to creating safe environments where healing can occur naturally within supportive therapeutic relationships.
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Eating disorder recovery is a highly individual process that varies significantly based on the severity of symptoms, presence of co-occurring conditions, and individual circumstances. Many clients begin to see improvements in coping skills and emotional regulation within the first few months, while deeper healing and symptom resolution often takes longer. We work collaboratively with you to set realistic timelines and adjust treatment intensity based on your progress and needs.
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Yes, we have specialized training in treating clients with both ADHD and eating disorders, as these conditions frequently co-occur. We understand how executive functioning challenges, sensory sensitivities, and emotional regulation difficulties associated with ADHD can impact eating behaviors and body image. Our integrated approach addresses both conditions simultaneously rather than treating them separately.
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Your initial session will focus on understanding your current symptoms, treatment goals, and medical history in a safe, non-judgmental environment. We'll discuss confidentiality, answer any questions about the therapy process, and begin developing safety plans if needed. Most clients find this first session provides significant relief simply from having someone who understands eating disorders listen to their experience with compassion and expertise.
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We believe family support can significantly enhance recovery outcomes, and we offer various options for family involvement based on your preferences and circumstances. This might include family therapy sessions, educational meetings with loved ones, or coaching family members on supportive communication. We always maintain your privacy and involve family members only with your consent and in ways that support your recovery goals.
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Many insurance plans do cover eating disorder therapy, though coverage varies significantly between plans and providers. We recommend contacting your insurance company directly to understand your mental health benefits, including copays, deductibles, and any requirements for pre-authorization. Our staff can provide documentation to help you understand your coverage and maximize your benefits.