ONLINE EMDR INTENSIVES FOR WOMEN ACROSS CA, HI, & WA
EATING DISORDER & BODY IMAGE therapy IN THOUSAND OAKS, CA
From the moment you get dressed, there’s a running commentary in your head—what fits, what doesn’t, and what needs to change.
Some days, it’s all you can see, and there are more bad body image days than there are good ones. It doesn’t stop with what you see in the mirror, either. You regularly have to “make up” for “wrong” choices—eating less, skipping meals, working out more, or promising yourself you’ll start over and be better tomorrow. Food always comes with an emotional charge, and one meal can spiral you into debilitating guilt.
You might find yourself:
Standing in the kitchen going back and forth,“Should I eat this? Do I actually want this? Is this a bad choice?” until the decision feels way bigger than it should
Finishing a meal and almost immediately feeling that wave of guilt, like you did something wrong and now need to “fix it”
Mentally tracking all day—what you’ve eaten, what you shouldn’t eat later, how to balance it out—without ever really getting a break from it
Telling yourself you’re going to be “good” today…and then the second that slips, feeling like you’ve completely failed and might as well start over tomorrow
And underneath it all is that constant voice blaming you for letting this happen, that this is all your fault. Even in moments that are supposed to feel good—going out, being with people, and simply living your life—there’s still that awareness, pressure, and self-monitoring in the background.
You know this isn't how you want to live...but it still feels like how you look and what you eat determines your worth.
THIS ISN’T who you are.
IT’S SOMETHING YOUR BRAIN LEARNED.
BEGIN THE WORK
This isn’t about DISCIPLINE, WILLPOWER, or doing it “RIGHT.”
For many women, guilt, shame, and the constant need to fix their bodies are patterns that didn’t come out of nowhere. They were formed and shaped by experiences—messages you received about your body, your worth, and what it meant to be “acceptable.” Over time, those messages became your inner voice.
As a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Consultant (CEDS-C), I understand how deeply these patterns can take hold—and how important it is to approach this work with both clinical expertise and care. I’m here to help you change how those patterns show up in your relationship with food, your body, and yourself.
Together, we identify the experiences that shaped where you’re currently at, support your nervous system so the work feels safe, and process what’s been keeping you stuck. From there, we begin to shift the beliefs underneath it—so you can heal your relationship with food and your body and begin to see yourself in a more authentic, compassionate way.
in an emdr intensive, we’ll work to:
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Eating something “off plan” doesn’t spiral you into shame, restriction, or starting over (again).
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The voice telling you this is all your fault or reminding you of all the things to “fix” begins to loosen its grip.
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Instead of a comment, photo, number of calories, or outfit ruining your day, you gain the ability to pause, accept, and move forward.
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You start to see that how you feel about yourself isn’t dictated by what you weigh, eat, or see in the mirror.
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Getting dressed doesn’t feel like a battle anymore, and food becomes what it really is: just food.
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You can begin to spend less time calculating, comparing, and correcting…and make more room to actually live your life.
Your body isn’t the problem. You can trust yourself.
And you are worthy regardless of your size or appearance.
Questions?
FAQs
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If food, weight, or your body is taking up a significant amount of your mental space—affecting your mood, your decisions, or how you see yourself—it’s worth paying attention to. Many people minimize their experience because it doesn’t “look severe enough” or seem “bad enough.” But if it feels exhausting, all-consuming, or tied to your sense of worth, an EMDR intensive can help you understand and shift those patterns.
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Yes, many of the clients I work with already have a treatment team in place. EMDR intensives can be a powerful complement to that work, especially if you (or your team) recognize that there are deeper experiences driving the patterns with food, body image, and self-worth.
In these cases, we focus specifically on processing the underlying trauma, critical messages, and moments of shame that are fueling the behaviors—so you’re not just managing symptoms, but actually addressing the root of them. It’s important that you’re medically stable and have some level of support already in place for an EMDR Intensive. If that’s the case, this format can help you make meaningful progress in a more focused way.
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When your sense of worth is tied to how your body looks, even a small trigger—like an outfit, a photo, or a comment—can impact your whole day. This isn’t about vanity or lack of willpower. It’s often rooted in deeper beliefs and experiences that taught you your body determines your value. I can help you untangle that connection so your mood isn’t dictated by your reflection.
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Disordered eating refers to a range of patterns around food, body image, and control—like chronic dieting, food guilt, or feeling like your worth is tied to how you look. Eating disorders are diagnosable conditions that often involve more intense behaviors and medical or psychological risk.
Both can be deeply distressing, and both deserve care and attention. You don’t have to meet a specific diagnosis for your experience to matter. If your relationship with food or your body feels consuming, painful, or hard to change on your own, therapy can help.
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Yes! I know that feels hard to imagine right now, especially since you probably believe (like many clients do) that you’ll feel better once your body changes. Over time, we shift that focus so your sense of worth isn’t conditional. This can look like more body neutrality, less spiraling when you get dressed, and a growing sense that you’re okay exactly as you are. Even on bloated days. Even with curves.
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I help clients who are stuck in painful patterns surrounding food, body image, and self-worth, especially those who are tired of living this way and ready for something deeper to shift. Many of the people I support recognize (or are at least starting to recognize) that their struggles are rooted in earlier experiences, like body shaming, critical environments, or trauma.
I offer EMDR Intensives to help clients process those underlying experiences—not just manage symptoms. I also work with clients who already have an eating disorder treatment team and are looking for intensive trauma work as an adjunct to their care.