Eating Disorder Treatment

At Peaceful Mind Psychology, we know recovery is possible with the right treatment and support.  We understand how stuck people can feel when they battle an eating disorder – our highly trained Psychologists can help you overcome your eating struggles. We use specialised eating disorder treatment approaches proven by research to be effective.

Overcome your eating struggles

  • Feel calm around food and enjoy eating again
  • No longer obsess over food
  • Gain control over your binge eating
  • Feel confident and comfortable in your body and weight management
Eating Disorder recovery requires the right Psychologist - it’s a tough journey, you need to feel trust in the process.

Find the right psychologist to help you overcome your eating struggles.

At Peaceful Mind Psychology, we match you to one of our skilled eating disorder psychologists based on your personality, preferences and mental health needs. Call us today to be matched.

Feel trust and security with our psychologists.

We are warm and professional with a local reputation for treating eating disorders.

Peaceful Mind Psychology is comprised of professional psychologists who are warm, caring and invested in your wellbeing. Our team have a specialised skillset in the treatment and management of eating disorders. The practice is also devoted to core values of kindness, honesty and empathy, which has contributed to the success and growth of our practice to our three locations in Prahran, Malvern and Armadale.

If you’re looking for a kind and warm approach to eating disorder treatment in Melbourne, our practice is here to support your needs.

With the right treatment and support you have the best chance at recovery.

We use treatments that are supported by research to achieve the best recovery outcomes.

Many people battle their eating disorder alone, expecting to be able to “control” their eating patterns. However, you can stop the struggle by reaching out for support.

Empower yourself with knowledge and skills to overcome your eating struggles.

Our evidence based approach to eating disorder treatment

At Peaceful Mind Psychology our team of psychologists are well educated and experienced in providing specialised support using evidence based therapy for eating disorder treatment. Our treatment approach, combined with our values of empathy, kindness and honesty, ensures you receive the best possible treatment.

We believe in setting goals that move you through the different phases of recovery, but we also understand that this happens at your pace.

As part of our comprehensive treatment approach for eating disorders we collaborate within a multidisciplinary team, including with dieticians and GP’s. We are well connected with like-minded health professionals who are also trained in eating disorder treatment and we work hard within these multidisciplinary teams to achieve your therapy goals.


Peaceful Mind Psychology has a reputation for its exceptional level of support for individuals struggling with an eating disorder. However, we also look beyond the individual, and provide support for families and couples.

Peaceful Mind Psychology offers the following Eating Disorder treatment services:

  • Individual treatment of bulimia, anorexia, binge eating and other disordered eating
  • Individual support and therapy for carers and families
  • Information sessions for carers and families
We’re here for a chat.

Call us today on 1300 766 870 to speak to our staff or complete the enquiry form below. We will personally match you with one of our psychologists based on your experience and personality.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Resources and Emergency Support

The Butterfly Foundation has an abundance of resources online which can assist your recovery journey alongside receiving professional support and treatment.

If you are experiencing an acute crisis, please do not hesitate to call one of the following:

Ambulance:  000

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636

FAQs for Eating Disorders

What is an eating disorder?

Our relationship with our body is the longest relationship any of us will have. It is normal to feel comfortable in our body most of the time, and to have some days when we really like our body and other days where we do not. However, some people spend most days disliking or worrying about their body (or parts of their body) to the point that it takes over their thoughts and how they spend their time.

For example, you might be distressed about the shape of your body, your weight, how muscular you are, or there may be a part of your body that you think is very flawed. These types of worries may mean you are suffering from poor body image or body dysmorphic disorder. It is common for negative thoughts about our body to influence our relationship with food and eating. If we are listening to what our body wants and needs, then we can expect our eating and exercise patterns to stay relatively consistent most of the time. This includes having some days when we eat a little more, or less, than other days.  For example, when celebrating a special occasion like a birthday you may eat more than usual, but when feeling sick you may find that you eat a little less. However, some people feel so negative about their body that they turn to unhelpful food and eating behaviours. These unhelpful behaviours can be signs of an eating disorder.

An eating disorder is a mental health issue characterised by problems with eating, perception of physical appearance, and attitudes and feelings about food intake, body weight and shape. Eating disorders can have a serious impact on a person’s mental health and cause significant harm to a person’s physical health.

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What are the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder?
  • Spending a large portion of the day thinking about food, eating, and/or your body. This can impact on the time and energy you have for other things in your life that are important to you. For example, you may find it difficult to read your favourite book because your mind is always jumping to thoughts about food and your body.
  • Constantly worrying about your body, which leads to checking your body frequently or comparing it with others, or on the opposite end; avoiding your body by, for example, avoiding looking in the mirror.
  • Extremes in eating behaviours where you either eat too little or too much for what your body needs to function at its best.
  • Doing unhelpful things to compensate for eating. Unhelpful behaviours include fasting, vomiting, using diuretics, using laxatives, chewing and spitting food, or over exercising. These behaviours can lead to feelings of shame and guilt.
  • A inaccurate view of your body (not seeing your body as it actually is) which impacts negatively on your self-esteem and drives you to unhelpful behaviours. For example, dieting in the hope to lose weight, or having plastic surgery to change a perceived flaw.
  • Developing and living by lots of rules around food, often because there is an intense fear of weight gain or being “fat”. For example, you may have a rule to not eat past a certain time of the day or not eat certain foods.
What are the different types of an eating disorder?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) recognises different categories of eating disorders. The most common are:

  • Anorexia Nervosa
  • Bulimia Nervosa
  • Binge Eating Disorder

Some less commonly diagnosed eating disorders also include:

  • Avoidant/restrictive eating disorder
  • Pica
  • Rumination disorder
  • Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder
  • Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorders
How does poor body image and eating disorders affect me?
  • You may find that you are spending a lot of time, energy, and money on trying to change your body, through things like dieting, medications or procedures. As a result of these efforts you may be constantly checking for desired body changes. For example, you may spend hours analysing your body in front of the mirror or comparing your body to others’, only to find that you are not happy with what you see.
  • Seeing that your body is not changing the way you want it to, despite your efforts, leads to you disliking your body more and more, with this vicious cycle potentially impacting on how you feel about yourself in general.
  • Some of the extreme behaviours to try and change your body can lead to serious medical problems (e.g., damage to muscles and bones or electrolyte imbalances that can affect heart function).
  • Intense body dissatisfaction, fear of weight gain, and unhelpful eating behaviours often means you avoid social situations, such as catching up with family and friends over a meal. Or you attend these events, but do not connect with anyone because you are so caught up in your worries. You may experience distance in relationships.
  • An unhelpful relationship with food and our body tends to affect mood. Some people may even experience depression. Even just the state of feeling hungry causes irritability, for example, you may be impatient with your loved ones.
  • If eating too little, you may feel an initial sense of control, which gives you a sense of reward and achievement, and a short-lived boost to your confidence. If eating too much, you usually feel out of control around food. Regardless of whether you are eating too little or too much, often you have anxiety in relation to food and your body. For example, every time you eat a meal you may feel agitated or nervous and want to escape the situation.
  • Your ability to concentrate may be negatively affected because your attention is focused on food, eating, and or your body. This makes it hard to do general day-to-day things, such as performing at work or holding a conversation.
  • Secrecy and feelings of guilt and shame can be overwhelming as you hide your behaviours from the people you love and trust. This can leave you feeling alone and powerless.
How can I treat my poor body image and/or eating disorder?

There are several well-researched treatments that are effective in treating Poor Body Image and Eating Disorders, including: Family Based Therapies for the treatment of adolescents, Guided Self-Help (GSH), Cognitive-behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E) among adults, Maudsley Anorexia Treatment for Adults (MANTRA), Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM), Schema Therapy (ST), Self-Compassion Focused Therapy (SCFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and medications.

What are the first steps I can take to get support?

If you believe you may have an eating disorder, or relate to some of the above symptoms, it might be a good time start talking about some of your concerns. We recommend the following resources:

You may also like to make an appointment with a psychologist with experience working with eating disorders via your GP or using referral databases provided by the Butterfly Foundation and EDV. Peaceful Mind Psychology has psychologists with specialised experience and training in treating poor body image and eating disorders. You are welcome to contact Peaceful Mind Psychology to connect with professional assistance, or even just to gather some more information about what seeking support might involve.

How can Peaceful Mind Psychology help?

How can Peaceful Mind Psychology help?

Peaceful Mind Psychology has a special interest in Poor Body Image and Eating Disorders with psychologists who are very experienced and trained in this field of treatment. If you are experiencing Poor Body Image and or an Eating Disorder and would like some professional assistance contact us at Peaceful Mind Psychology.