Eating Disorder Therapy in Ann Arbor
Specialized support for University of Michigan students and young adults ready to build a different relationship with food at whatever pace feels right for you.
If you’re struggling with food, body image, or feeling stuck in patterns you can’t seem to break, you’re not alone. Eating disorders are complex and often connected to deeper experiences like anxiety, perfectionism, or a need for control. Therapy can help you begin to understand those patterns and create a different way forward.
What You Might Be Experiencing
You may find yourself…
Constantly thinking about food, your body, or what you ate today
Feeling out of control around eating — or using control over food to manage everything else
Stuck in cycles you can't seem to break, no matter how hard you try
Dealing with perfectionism, anxiety, or harsh self-criticism that goes beyond food
Not sure you're "bad enough" to need help, but knowing something isn't right
Exhausted by how much mental space this takes up
Even if you're not sure how to label what you're going through, or whether you're ready to do something about it — therapy can help. You don't have to have it figured out before reaching out.
Types Of Eating Disorders I Treat:
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Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by weight loss (or lack of appropriate weight gain in growing children); difficulties maintaining an appropriate body weight for height, age, and stature; and, in many individuals, distorted body image. People with anorexia nervosa generally restrict the number of calories and the types of food they eat. Some people with the disorder also exercise compulsively, purge via vomiting and laxatives, and/or binge eat.
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Bulimia nervosa (BN) is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of bingeing and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting or compulsive exercise designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating.
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Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating and eating larger amounts of food in a period of time than most people would in the same situation. Other associated behaviors include eating very rapidly, eating past the point of being full, eating when not hungry, and eating alone. This behavior is coupled with intense feelings of “loss of control” overeating, shame and guilt.
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Individuals with ARFID limit the volume and/or variety of foods they consume, but unlike the other eating disorders, food avoidance or restriction is not related to fears of fatness or distress about body shape, size or weight. Instead, in ARFID, selective eating is motivated by a lack of interest in eating or food, sensory sensitivity (e.g., strong reactions to taste, texture, smell of foods), and/or a fear of aversive consequences (e.g., of choking or vomiting).2
A person with ARFID has a diet that is so limited it leads to medical, nutritional, and/or psychosocial problems. This may mean weight loss, or stalled growth; significant nutritional deficiencies that will vary based on diet; and interference in relationships or engagement in school or work due to difficulties eating.
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OSFED is a category that was developed to encompass those individuals who did not meet strict diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder but still had a significant eating disorder. Recent research has found that OSFED is the most common eating disorder with approximately 3.8% of women and 1.6% of men being diagnosed with the disorder at some point in their lives.
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Atypical anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that presents with the same symptoms as anorexia nervosa, except that the person is within a “normal” or higher weight range after losing a significant amount of weight. Despite being labeled as “atypical,” some studies have found that atypical anorexia is equally if not more common than anorexia with 0.2% – 4.9% of people experiencing the disorder at some point in their lifetimes, a rate two or three times higher than that of anorexia. Furthermore, in the last decade research has found that the number of patients seeking treatment for atypical anorexia has increased substantially and led to a greater proportion of patients seeking hospitalization for complications due to the disorder.
Unfortunately, despite the increasing prevalence, individuals with atypical anorexia are less likely to be diagnosed and receive eating disorder treatment than those with anorexia due to weight bias among providers and the stereotype that a person must be underweight to have an eating disorder. The reality, however, is that anyone regardless of their shape and size can have a serious and life-threatening eating disorder that requires treatment.
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Orthorexia is an obsession with ‘healthful’ eating. Although being aware of and concerned with the nutritional quality of the food you eat isn’t a problem in and of itself, people with orthorexia become so fixated on so-called ‘healthy eating’ that they damage their own well-being and experience health consequences such as malnutrition and/or impairment of psychosocial functioning.
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Diabulimia is a serious eating disorder which is defined by the deliberate misuse of insulin (limiting their insulin) among individuals with type 1 diabetes in order to lose weight and control their blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, this very dangerous behavior can lead to serious health risks and even death.
My Approach to Eating Disorder Therapy
I use an integrative, evidence-based approach tailored to you. This may include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Psychodynamic therapy
In our work together, we’ll focus on:
Understanding what your relationship with food is trying to manage or cope with
Building more sustainable ways to navigate emotions and stress
Reducing shame and self-criticism
Reconnecting with your body in a more supportive way
Creating lasting, meaningful change, not just short-term control
What are the Different Types of Psychotherapy for Eating Disorders?
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured, evidence-based therapy that explores the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It helps individuals identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns, such as distorted beliefs about food, weight, and body image, and replace them with healthier ways of thinking. CBT is widely considered one of the most effective treatments for eating disorders, including bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.
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DBT therapy for eating disorders works on developing skills to replace eating disorder behaviors. Skills focus on building mindfulness, becoming more effective in interpersonal relationships, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance.
Radically Open DBT (R/O DBT) is a newer adaptation of DBT that addresses factors such as social anxiety, perfectionism, and emotional restriction. It may be particularly helpful for people with anorexia nervosa.
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based therapy that encourages individuals to accept difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fighting or avoiding them. Instead of focusing on changing negative thoughts, ACT helps people clarify their personal values and commit to taking meaningful action in alignment with those values. This approach can be particularly helpful for those with eating disorders by reducing the struggle with distressing emotions around food and body image, fostering a healthier and more compassionate relationship with oneself.
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The goals of psychodynamic therapy for eating disorders are client self-awareness of the underlying issues or motives driving the eating disorder behavior and understanding of the influence of the past on present behavior. The psychodynamic approach helps clients gain insight into how eating disorder symptoms and behaviors help the individual manage psychological development, internal conflict, relationships and emotions.
Specialized training in eating disorder treatment
I'm Dr. Jennifer VanBeck, a licensed clinical psychologist (PsyD) specializing in eating disorders and young adult mental health. I completed a two-year postdoctoral residency at The Renfrew Center, one of the country's leading eating disorder treatment programs, and have worked with clients across a wide range of experiences, from early concerns to more complex presentations.
I work with many University of Michigan students and Ann Arbor young professionals, and I understand the specific pressures that come with this stage of life.