Eating Disorder Therapy in Chicago

It's exhausting when food and your body take up more mental space than you want them to. You might spend your day thinking about what you've eaten, what you're going to eat, whether you exercised enough, how your body looks, or whether you've been “good” or “bad.” Maybe you avoid certain foods or situations, cycle between restriction and feeling out of control around food, or find that the rules you've created to feel better about your body are actually making your life smaller.

At HumanKind Psychological Services, we specialize in eating disorder and disordered eating therapy for adults in Chicago. This is a passion of ours. We work with clients struggling with restricting, binge eating, purging, chronic dieting, compulsive exercise, body image concerns, and preoccupation with food or weight. You don't need to have a formal eating disorder diagnosis to be a good fit for us. We have seen the whole spectrum of food and body struggles and are here to support you through whatever way it is showing up for you.

We offer in-person therapy at our Lakeview Chicago office and virtual therapy throughout Illinois.

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What Can Disordered Eating Look Like?

Eating concerns don't always fit neatly into a diagnosis. You might know that something about your relationship with food or your body is causing you stress or taking a toll on your wellbeing, without knowing what to call it. And because diet culture normalizes so many restrictive and weight-focused behaviors (and sometimes distorts our understanding of what is "healthy"), it can be surprisingly difficult to recognize when your relationship with food, exercise, or your body has started interfering with your wellbeing.

You might benefit from support if you find yourself:

Frequently thinking about food, weight, exercise, or your appearance
Restricting what or how much you eat or following rigid food rules
Feeling anxious, guilty, or ashamed after eating
Binge eating or feeling out of control around food
Cycling between restriction and overeating
Exercising because you feel like you have to rather than because you want to
Avoiding meals, restaurants, travel, or certain social situations because of food
Frequently checking, criticizing, or comparing your body
Letting the number on the scale determine how you feel about yourself or your day
Feeling like you have to “earn” food or compensate for what you've eaten
Having difficulty trusting your hunger, fullness, or other body cues
Feeling exhausted by the way you're trying to eat, but afraid of what will happen if you stop

You don't have to wait until your relationship with food or your body becomes more severe before asking for help. If it's taking up significant mental energy, causing distress, or getting in the way of your life, it's worth talking about.

Our Approach to Eating Disorder Therapy

At HumanKind Psych, we believe eating disorder therapy should help you build a life that feels bigger, not create another set of rules you have to follow perfectly. We take a compassionate, nonjudgmental approach to understanding the role that food, exercise, body image, and eating disorder behaviors have come to play in your life.

Our approach is rooted in size inclusivity and we aim to honor body diversity in all facets. We incorporate concepts from Intuitive Eating and body acceptance when they're useful and aligned with your goals, but we don't believe there's one “right” way you need to feel about your body or relate to food in order to make meaningful progress.

Depending on your needs, your therapist may draw from approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), feminist therapy, mindfulness, and other evidence-based and insight-oriented approaches. We may work on reducing eating disorder behaviors while also exploring things like perfectionism, anxiety, self-criticism, identity, relationships, systemic injustices and internalized stigmatization, as well as the cultural messages that have shaped how you think about food and your body. Learn more here about our therapists and therapy services.

When eating disorder symptoms are active, effective outpatient treatment often involves collaboration between providers. When appropriate, we coordinate with dietitians, physicians, psychiatrists, and other members of your treatment team so that your physical and psychological care can work together.

Is Outpatient Eating Disorder Therapy Right for Me?

HumanKind provides outpatient eating disorder therapy, including support for clients who are stepping down from a higher level of care. Because eating disorders can affect both physical and psychological health, we'll talk with you about your current symptoms and treatment needs to determine whether outpatient therapy is an appropriate fit. If you need more intensive or specialized support, we'll help you identify appropriate next steps.

Ready to Get Started?

If you're looking for eating disorder or body image focused therapy in Chicago or virtually throughout Illinois, schedule a free consultation to learn more about our therapists, current availability, and whether HumanKind might be a good fit.

Schedule A Free Therapy Consultation

Insurance & Fees for Eating Disorder Therapy

HumanKind Psych is paneled as an in-network provider for the following insurance plans:

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois (PPO Plans and Blue Choice Plans)
Cigna PPO

If we are not in-network with your insurance plan, you may see us as an out-of-network provider and submit a bill to your insurance company. They may reimburse you.

Our out-of-pocket fees are as follows:

Initial Intake Session (60-75 minutes) - $225

Therapy Session (50 minutes) - $185