Finding Freedom: How Eating Disorder Therapy and Intuitive Eating Support Lasting Recovery
Have you ever found yourself wondering,
“If I’m not following a diet or meal plan, how do I know what to eat?”
If so, you’re not alone. For many Iowans seeking eating disorder treatment or exploring eating disorder therapy, the idea of trusting your body rather than rigid rules can feel both liberating and overwhelming. As an eating disorder therapist, I’ve personally seen how shifting away from diet culture and embracing intuitive eating can be a pivotal step toward lasting wellness and freedom.
Why Diets Don’t Heal - But Therapy Can
Let’s be honest: dieting is everywhere. Being strict about what we eat is woven into our social media feeds, our conversations with friends, and even the way we think and see ourselves in the mirror. But here’s the truth: diets don’t heal eating disorders. In fact, they often make them worse. Effective eating disorder treatment isn’t meal plans, lists, and calorie counts—it’s healing your relationship with food, your body, and yourself.
As a therapist who specializes in this kind of work, I’ve seen clients of every body size, age, and background. If my work has taught me anything, there’s no “one-size-fits-all” answer to therapy—especially eating disorder therapy. To avoid treating every client the same way, we utilize healthier belief systems and practices to help clients along their unique journey while also taking the time to make sure our eating disorder treatment is personalized: finding what works for you, honoring your unique needs, and helping you rediscover trust in your body’s wisdom. I can’t tell you what your body feels and knows, but I can walk you through those steps using intuitive eating.
What Is Intuitive Eating - and How Does It Fit Into Eating Disorder Therapy?
“Intuitive eating” is a framework developed by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch to combat restrictive diets and harmful body ideology. The basic idea of intuitive eating is listening to your body—and I mean, really listening. The process is similar to the way you would tune into your favorite song on the radio: with curiosity, patience, and openness. Imagine applying that process to your own body’s hunger cues, feelings, and fullness signals. But like learning a new favorite song, practice is key.
In eating disorder therapy, intuitive eating isn’t just a tool - it’s a journey towards healing and trust. Intuitive eating is the bridge that allows clients to leave rigid food rules and find freedom and self-acceptance in themselves.
During my therapy sessions, I guide clients through these ten foundational principles:
1. Reject the Diet Mentality: Toss out the idea that you need to “fix” yourself with another diet. Diet culture is a noisy neighbor and it’s time to set boundaries.
2. Honor Your Hunger: Trust that your body knows when it needs nourishment, just like a car knows when it’s low on fuel.
3. Make Peace with Food: Imagine calling a truce in your ongoing battle with food. All foods can fit in.
4. Challenge the Food Police: Those inner critics labeling food “good” or “bad”? They don’t get to run the show anymore.
5. Feel Your Fullness: Learn to recognize when you’ve had enough - without guilt or second-guessing.
6. Discover Satisfaction: Eating should be enjoyable, not just functional. Savor the flavors, textures, and experiences.
7. Cope with Emotions with Kindness: Food can comfort, but it can’t solve emotional pain. Therapy helps you find alternative ways to nurture yourself.
8. Respect Your Body: Your body is worthy of care at every size, shape, and stage.
9. Movement - Feel the Difference: Move because it feels good, not because you have to burn calories.
10. Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition: Progress over perfection - always.
The Stages of Healing: What to Expect in Eating Disorder Treatment
Healing isn’t a straight path - it’s more like a winding river, sometimes calm, sometimes turbulent. In eating disorder therapy, you might move through five stages:
Readiness: Realizing that diets aren’t working and you’re ready for change.
Exploration: Testing new ways of eating and noticing your body’s signals.
Discovery: Realizing that food doesn’t control you - you can trust your body.
Crystallization: Your new habits start to feel more natural.
Treasure/Pleasure: Freedom! Eating becomes an experience, not a source of anxiety.
It’s okay if you don’t move through these stages in a set order or on a specific timeline. Recovery is a deeply personal journey, and you have no one to impress but yourself. As your eating disorder therapist, I get to walk beside you, offering support, guidance, and compassion on this winding river of healing.
Challenges Along the Way (And How Therapy Helps)
Let’s be real: letting go of diet rules is scary. You might worry,
“Will I ever stop thinking about food? Will I be able to trust myself?”
These are normal fears to have, and we even expect you’ll have them. After having trusted diets and shame for years, we understand that trying something new is uncomfortable. But in eating disorder therapy, we can work through these doubts together.
We call some of these setbacks “cognitive dissonance”—those conflicting thoughts about what you “should” do versus what feels right for you. With patience, self-compassion, and therapeutic support, we can learn to quiet the noise and listen to what your body wants to say.
Comparison is another common hurdle for eating disorder therapy. In a world obsessed with before-and-after photos and numbers on a scale, it’s easy to fall into the trap of measuring your journey against someone else’s. But your path is uniquely yours, and every step you take is a victory towards wellness.
Why It’s Worth It
In a culture that glorifies thinness and restriction, choosing intuitive eating and seeking eating disorder treatment can feel radical—but it’s also an act of profound self-care and love. With every session, every meal, every moment of kindness toward yourself, you’re building a more peaceful, joyful relationship with food and your body. Treatment is worth it because you’re worth it. You’re worth the effort and time it takes to love who you are and what you see in the mirror, and you’re worth the time to no longer be chained by feelings of inadequacy and shame.
